What a fantastic new complex futuristic universe! Philip Williams created complex characters and I could not help but cheer on the efforts of robots and ‘arts’ as they aided the hero, Garrand Ai’Gonet Medeville on the perilous journey to safely transport Helen Tchelakov and 37 genetically engineered pandas. William’s first novel “Ashes of Honor” describes a world populated by humans, strange alien animals and insects, and a host of technological machines with artificial intelligence. The first part of the book methodically describes the intricate details of this sci-fi world; a wonderful galaxy filled with beautiful imagery and masterful descriptions. As the novel develops there are believable interactions between the characters and conversational dialogue. Well written! Awaiting the release of books II-IV in “The Griffin”, to see if Medeville will be able to keep Tchelakov’s precognitive cargo from becoming a military advantage for the Imperial Guard.

—KH, Asheville