SPSFC Book Review- Wixon’s Day by Phil Williams

Wixon’s Day was an intriguing tale self-discovery wrapped in an action packed, thematic post-apocalyptic sci-fi.

The reader follows Marquos as he travels north on his steampunk-esk ship the Hypnagogia. He wants to see the world and won’t let the ideas of house and home stop him from seeing everything it has to offer. He is asked countless times when he is going to settle down, have a family and find his peace, but that life isn’t for him. His friends and family wave him off each time he sets sail on his one cabined ship, continuing his trip to the dangerous deadlands.

Joining him on his journey is the young girl Red, only her presence on his ship must remain a secret. The charming 6-year-old stole his heart while he was working in the mines and he started to piece together that all was not what it seemed and the children in that environment were in grave danger. He had to get her out, and to get her home.

As they move their way north, Marquos becomes a part of something much bigger than himself. War is brewing and it’s coming too close to home, sticking his head in the sand is no longer an option. Marquos will have to pick a side, ignorance is now just as dangerous as action. Will he help protect the things he love, or become part of their destruction?

I really liked some of the world building and atmosphere Williams provided in this tale and enjoyed the exploration of the thematics as they were spattered throughout. Our main character is unapologetic for his love of his ship, it might look beat up, but it works fine, and it is very clearly home. I loved the way we travelled on the Hypnagogia, the atmosphere of the vessel itself as well as the different towns we got to experience during the journey were a lot of fun. Williams has put in a lot of work to make each stop feel unique from our protagonists hometown where he caught up with old friends and siblings, to the more dangerous cities of the north overrun with bandits. The atmosphere of danger was quite well built up and as the reader, I got to experience the tension as Marquos made connections and navigated through some interesting situations.

I also think there were some important thematics worth noting in Wixon’s Day. The first is that ignorance of a situation can be just as dangerous as partaking in horrific events. If everyone buries their head in the sand, progress cannot be made. There were also some very sweet moments of care, and protection between Red and Marquos, showing us that we need to look out for those less fortunate, those who may not be able to understand what is happening around them but get caught in the crossfire and to love our fellow person.

Where this book fell somewhat short for me personally was in the prose and certain unnecessary scenes, even characters that I felt didn’t add all that much to the story. Although the tale is certainly action heavy, the prose felt somewhat bland to me in sections, like the author was still finding their voice. I also felt that there were a few characters along the way and interactions with one in particular that didn’t add much if anything (in my opinion). The interactions with this person came off as awkward and unnecessary to me as the reader. By the time this character was introduced, I felt that the author had already established the point they were trying to make, and it could have been cut without compromising the book overall.   

The story inside Wixon’s Day is absolutely there, and there is more travel to be had as the situation in this world expands!