Review of 'Hold Still the Sky' by Cameron McVey

Worldwide eruptions have clouded Earth's atmosphere. The remnants of humankind live inside domed cities. Biomass guidelines strictly regulate births, copulation and food rations. Amputation of "unnecessary limbs" is viewed as a noble sacrifice. Power is generated by massive solar energy-collecting sails. Hangers are those chosen to maintain the sails at great risk to life and limb. This is the story of Kara, one of the hangers. She's trying to have a baby.

Follow Kara, her fellow hangers and others as they deal with the stresses of life in the domes and discover the truth of the transformed Earth. By the end of the story, the world presented in "Hold Still the Sky" will be transformed. You will know the large-scale reasons behind the transformation and experience the upheaval from a personal point of view as the characters uncover the truth.

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**My thoughts**

I thought this was a good start to the story. I enjoyed Kara's story and appreciated her desire to have a baby. The concept of having to live inside the domes after the worldwide eruptions destroyed much of what is needed to survive is an interesting one. It throws together a lot of those dystopian and science fiction what-ifs that show the imagination of the author.

The story has been released in six different parts. The first three parts are definitely stand-alones, as you meet different characters and get a brief taste of what their life is like. The first one is told from the point-of-view of Kara. The second is from the point-of-view of a robot dog named Dido. The third is a set of audio transcriptions. By the third installment, we are finally starting to learn more about what happened to the earth and why there are domes. In the fourth installment, the characters are starting to come together a bit more, so that you can see how their lives are intertwined. By the end, you know more about the aliens and their role and watch characters come to their conclusions. 

I would love to see each one of these developed even more. I think that each part is worthy of its own full book, with each character developing and growing. For example, watching Kara's growth to becoming a hangar and getting more into her relationships and desire for a baby. I would love to understand more about how the "regular" people operate their daily lives without their legs, and more about the function of robots, such as Dido. This world has a lot of potential. This omnibus edition brings all of those snippets together, but leaves you wanting even more from it. 

Meet the Author:

I have been a fan of fantasy and science fiction ever since I can remember. Growing up I used to fall asleep listening to CBS Radio Mystery Theater and spent Saturday afternoons watching Creature Double Feature on WLVI, channel 56. Also, I collected comics and ended up doing my master's thesis ("How Green Is Your Power Ring?") on the structure of the modern, American, superhero comic book.

My mother is a published poet and my father a world-class educator. I caught the "writing bug" from them at a very early age. I can remember scrawling short stories on scraps of paper in my bedroom late at night when I was supposed to be asleep.

My old job allowed me to travel the world. I have been to the Great Wall of China, Angkor Wat, the Taj Mahal, the Sahara Desert, Machu Picchu and countless other spots in Asia, Africa and South America. I have also traveled extensively throughout the United States and am, once again, living in the Colorado Rockies.

I have been inspired by both my travels and all the people I've met and worked with along the way. My family and friends have encouraged me over the years to make a living as a writer. I am now taking on the challenge of following my bliss. And enjoying every minute of it!

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