The course of true love never did run smooth, as Shakespeare put it, and in the winning new sci-fi romance novel The Space Traveller’s Lover by Omara Williams, we see the truth of this maxim dialled up to maximum.
For, at the centre of this engrossing story is the challenging relationship between an exceptional young woman, Erin, and a dashing alien, Rothwen.
The fact that Rothwen & Shaillah share an electric fondness and are trying to determine whether they have a future together – while also battling over the fate of an entire planet – is simply without parallel.
Williams conveys this vulnerability so well with the rich, delicate language that gilds the narrative, immersing you in their plight.
Like with a pure romance, you are desperate for the couple to embrace and are stung by the same pains that separate them on love’s battlefield.
At the same time, your mind is whirring double-time as the Author raises many profound questions concerning the nature of the human condition, the meaning of home and belonging, loyalty vs duty, and our mistreatment of Mother Nature.
And it is a fight on many levels – for her identity, her world, and her impossible love with Rothwen, which will take every ounce of her being to resolve.
There is so much to commend here but mostly, I like how the story makes us reflect on our own actions and constantly reminds us that it is love, not hate, that holds the key to all problems.
