When We Have Wings by Claire Corbett

This is my second review for the AWW2012 challenge.

I do hope she writes a sequel! Claire Corbett has created a world I hope to read more about. I put this novel in my SF-Fantasy shelf even though it´s much much more than that and I definitely don´t want to scare anyone from reading it. The story is set in a future were man has learnt to manipulate nature and shape himself into fliers among a lot of other developments.

In the society, the city,  there is an increasing tension between fliers and non-fliers because the fliers see themselves as a superiour kind. Both fliers and non-fliers live in the city sheltered from the others on the outside and the fliers seem to want to change the city to a place fit for them only.

The novel starts with a death and is in many ways a crime-story. Zeke, a private detective, gets involved more than he ever could have imagined and you really want to read on and on to learn what is happening.

I liked the plot but what really got me hooked was the world the author has created. She describes some of it, of course, but often she gives you a hint or just states a fact and let the reader form a picture of it and what has happened to it. That made me very curious. I want to know more!

The novel also raise many ethical, philosophical and thoughtprovoking questions. What defines a human being? Is it alright to manipulate your body? What happens to us when we change something in our genes? How do we wish to lead our lives? How much are you allowed to use another human being? What are we doing to our world?

This is why I hope the author will continue to write about it. And even though we get some answers in this novel there are many questions left to consider. And I really miss Zeke, Peri, Hugo and all the others.