Sworld

by W R Harris

[Quirky Cat]

Sworld is the first novel in the Chronicles of Malick series, by William R. Harris. It's also Harris' debut novel (according to Goodreads, at least). It's a science fiction novel, but that description really doesn't do it justice. It's a space exploration novel, sometimes similar in feel to Star Trek, sometimes becoming a thing of its own creation. It's a detailed and fascinating tale, full of science and trials.
I received a copy of this novel in exchange for a fair review, but having read it I can honestly say that I would have happily purchased a copy. It is not every day that you can find a science fiction novel of this type, so you better believe that I appreciate it when I come across one.


Sworld was a fascinating and truly epic adventure, full of science and exploration. It wasn't quite like any other science fiction novel I've read – and I love that about it. When it's so easy to find a run of the mill science fiction novel, I always appreciate those that stand out.
I love that Sworld was just as much an exploration novel as anything else. The way the worlds and characters were described were so rich and full of detail. The worlds came to life from the pages, making them seem just as beautiful and terrifying as Harris likely wanted them to appear.
There were several different alien races, all working together on this journey. I enjoyed their descriptions and mannerisms, but more than that I love how Harris managed to have all of these people working together, while not ever having it be a big deal. That is very difficult to portray (as evidenced by all the attempts I've seen), so I want to give credit where credit is due.
Malick was a fascinating main character. I imagine he was a difficult character to portray accurately, as well. He very easily could have veered off into arrogant and off-putting, yet he was described in such a way where he never actually lost his charm. It's a perfect example in finding the balance of a character.
On a personal note, I really enjoyed Malick's relationship with Kitty. It was so cute and endearing. It added more to the science fiction of the series, but it also allowed us to truly bond with Malick's character. Kitty brought out a softer side of his character, which considering what he was up against, is something that we needed to see.
Before I forget, I'm just going to put this out there: Kitty is fine. No matter what happens, or how stressful things get, remember that Kitty is fine. There were points where I almost wanted to skip to the end to be sure that nothing happened to Kitty, but I persevered. Hopefully this will help reduce some of the anxiety for the next reader.
Sworld was a brilliant read, and one I highly recommend for all science fiction fans out there. But especially to those that want to read something that deviates from the norm. Sworld is unique and will always stand out in my mind. I hope others find it to be the same for them.
The second novel in the series already has a title, Flicker. I'm looking forward to learning more about that novel, as it gets closer to releasing (I know I'm a bit ahead of the game there, forgive me.)


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