Unwrapped Sky
Tor US and Tor UK published the novel in April 2014. I’ve written about writing it in an online piece called Finding Unwrapped Sky.
Caeli-Amur: an ancient city perched on white cliffs overlooking the sea; a city ruled by three Houses, fighting internecine wars; a city which harbours ancient technology and hidden mysteries. But things are changing in Caeli-Amur. Ancient minotaurs arrive for the traditional Festival of the Sun. The slightly built New-Men bring their technology from their homeland. Wastelanders stream into the city hideously changed by the chemical streams to the north. Strikes break out in the factory district.
In a hideout beneath the city, a small group of seditionists debate ways to overthrow the Houses. How can they rouse the citizens of the city? Should they begin a campaign of terror? Is there a way to uncover the thaumaturgical knowledge that the Houses guard so jealously? As the Houses scramble to maintain their rule, it becomes clear that things will change forever in Caeli-Amur.
A lyrical and evocative novel of ancient magic, minotaurs and myth; of dreams and nightmares, sacrifice and redemption. Highly recommended. — Garth Nix
Rjurik has a brilliant, fecund imagination, and I absolutely love the setting and the sense of place in the book. Caeli-Amur is one of the more memorable cities in recent fantasy — Hannu Rajaniemi
Rjurik Davidson works the sharp edges where epic fantasy, uncanny science fiction, and the New Weird collide. An amazing debut. — Scott Westerfeld
A dark, strange invitation for lovers, losers and lunatics. — Ben Peek
Impressively imagined. — KIRKUS
A brooding tale of civil unrest and personal destinies. — PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Unwrapped Sky would be hard to imagine in a world before China Mieville. However, this debut novel from Australian author Rjurik Davidson can go toe-to-toe with Perdido Street Station and Iron Council as an imaginative, immersive read with a point to make. — SCIFINOW
Unwrapped Sky will thrill fans of rich mythologies … It simultaneously delivers something new, while feeling engagingly comfortable. MANIA.COM
Davidson immerses readers in his blend of fantasy and science fiction via striking characters who rush headlong into chaotic and dangerous situations from which they belatedly realize they’re unable to extricate themselves. — SEATTLE TIMES
One of the best and most original fantasy novels I’ve read to date. It’s an impressive achievement, because it’s a refreshingly different kind of a fantasy novel. Its wonderfully new weirdish atmosphere will leave readers holding their breath and wanting more. With this novel Rjurik Davidson proves that he is the new master of new weirdish fantasy that sparkles with creativity and originality. Very highly recommended! — RISINGSHADOW.NET
Unwrapped Sky is an ambitions fantasy novel with a breathtakingly vast world tangled in a web of deceit, betrayal, and revolution … I highly recommend it to anyone interested in an engrossing fantasy that will whisk you off to faraway places. — EMPYREANEDGE.COM
An original story that sets 19th century political struggles in a fascinating fantasy world. Davidson’s characters are flawed and compelling. This is an ambitious debut from a very promising writer. — POPMYTHOLOGY.COM
This book is a journey, and that’s the kind of book I like the most. It’s one of those novels that I had to savor and read slowly, and I just know I will catch something different every time I read it. What a gift. — BOOKWORMBLUES.NET