Customer Reviews

The Quantum Rose: Library Edition (Saga of the Skolian Empire)

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Quantum Rose is more than simply a science fiction romance. Asaro devotes considerable time to issues of physical/sexual abuse, gender expectations, societal change in response to rapid introduction of advanced technology, and the responsiblity that those in positions of power owe their constituents.

When Analog serialized the first half of QR last year, depictions of the heroine's abuse (physical and later sexual) by her originally intended caused quite a stir. Rape is a motif that Asaro returns to repeatedly: Soz in "Primary Inversion", Tina in "CTL", and Kelric (too many times to list here). But here it is presented graphically, not as an isolated incident, but in conjunction with brutal physical mistreatment. Long-term abuse is an issue that we tend to down-play because it makes us uncomfortable. Too often we blame the victim rather than the abuser. It is to Asaro's credit that she forces us to look at the ramifications of such behavior for the victim.

Both the hero and heroine serve their respective peoples by acts of extreme self-sacrifice necessitated by desperate situations. Asaro tackles the question of, "When is enough enough?" She also explores gender expectations and how differing worldviews lead to conflict between cultures. She does this much more subtley than she did in "The Last Hawk".

The romance between hero and heroine is intense and satisfying. There is far less sex than in "Ascendant Sun" and "The Last Hawk", and it is portrayed much less graphically. The heroine's planet is believable, although the author should have paid more attention to language and naming practices. If the base language descended from Tzotzil Mayan, then it's unlikely that names would be contractions of English terms (like Lyode from light emitting diode).

The book ends happily insofar as the major problems (you'll have to read the book) are satisfactorily resolved on the hero's home planet. There's a positive spin on introduction of superior technology. I found sections towards the end a bit sterotypical (reminiscent of Oz, actually) and far-fetched. If you've read the other Skolian novels and were curious about the non-military members of the family, this book is your opportunity to meet them.

All in all, it's a fine book, very readable, unsettling at times, and definitely thought-provoking.

"The Quantum Rose" is another winner in Catherine Asaro's provocative and compelling "Skolian Empire" series. This one doesn't advance the saga all that far-it's more of a gapfiller than anything else--but it has a kick to it. The tale starts out as yet another take on "the culture that the galactic civilization forgot, and which has regressed" and has gone medieval.

Sounds familiar? But be not afraid, Toto. We're not in Darkover any more. Asaro has a new angle on the old idea, filling it with romance, high tech, low tech, dance, horselike critters (two brands) telepathy, and oh yeah. Quantum physics.

There's enough action for the space opera fans; steamy romance for the romantically inclined; and hard science for those who like their science fiction to emphasize, well, the science (an early version of the first half, we're told, appeared in _Analog_).

At heart, though, the story is about growing up and taking charge, as young Kamoj, torn between two men, Vryl of the Skolians and Jax of her own world, eventually finds love in all the right places, and grows as a person. So, in the end, the story is more about the development of character than anything else. And how many genre novels can you say that about?

There's enough material here for a 1200-page by-the-numbers trilogy, but Asaro, with her lean, mean, prose style, doesn't waste our time--she keeps things down to a reasonable 403 pages (plus appendixes).

This is a must-have for Asaroistas although newcomers would probably be better off starting with _Primary Inversion_ , which led off the series, before they tackle this one.

All in all another example of what science fiction can be in the right hands.

Asaro has really hit her stride in this new saga in her Skolian universe. She successfully blends not just romance and hard science, but politics, genetics, cultural expectations and change--and gives us complex, fascinating characters.

Her villian is absorbingly complex; as she delves deeper into the ramifications of the Trader culture, Asaro is creating tensions and conflicts within what once were easy villains to hate--but at the cost of complexity. With THE ASCENDANT SUN and now this book, the Traders are coming into focus as individuals, some of whom are beginning to realize that they are part of a culture gone morally bankrupt, if powerful in every other sense. (One wonders what Jax is going to think, once he travels...)

Yes there is sex, all well-written, sometimes harrowing, other times graceful, with scintillants of humor.

Reaching the last page leaves the reader torn between a desire to reread more slowly--and to have the next book NOW!

Highly recommended.

When I heard that Catherine Asaro's The Quantum Rose had won the 2001 Nebula Award for best novel my first reaction was, who is that? After reading The Quantum Rose my reaction was, why had I not heard of her sooner. The Quantum Rose is a well-crafted story that works on several levels. At first glance it is a cross between a romance and a science-fiction novel. But ignore the awful cover and plough through the first few chapters. The story delves into the interplay between personalities and how social and economic forces can influence people. It also deals with abuse and its consequences, which makes this book tough slogging in parts. Not because the book is badly written, but because the writing is good enough that the reader is drawn into the characters emotional problems. My one complaint with The Quantum Rose is that the romantic elements of the book feel like they were taken from a drugstore romance novel. This is not surprising since Catherine Asaro has written several dugstore romances, but it does weaken the book since I found myself skimming these sections. The author includes an appendix where she explains the novel in terms of quantum scattering theory. This was amusing, and fairly clever, but it is almost meaningless to anyone who has not taken an advanced class in quantum mechanics. Ms Asaro's physics are correct, and the structure of th metaphor works very well, but unless if you are intimately familiar with the details of scattering theory you will just be taking her word for it. Fortunately the metaphor works even if it is not explained, which is the hallmark of a good mataphor, so I suggest skipping this appendix and simply enjoying the story.

"...a science fiction author who is not only a talented writer but an accomplist scientist"; "A deeply romantic novel set in space that was also an allegory for quantum physics..."; and "Wow, what a fabulous story!" I had heard so many wonderful things about the Skolian Empire Saga (and its brilliant author) that I just had to give The Quantum Rose a try.

Catherine Asaro invented a universe in which humans had spread among the stars ages ago through time travel. Some colonies, such as the one on planet Balumil, had been lost to their parent civilizations long enough to forget their origins, regressing into a sort of dark ages as their ancestors' technology slowly faded. Kamoj Argali is a beautiful young ruler of a province on Balumil who is being forced by circumstances into marriage with another governor who could only be described as a sociopath. Without warning Vyryl Lionstar steps in and claims her away from her sad fate; he has fallen in love with her at first sight. In the days to come Kamoj learns some uncomfortable truths about not only her planets' people, but the civilizations beyond. Now, it looks as if Lionstar needs her to stretch her psychological endurance to its limits so that together they can save the Skolian empire together.

I got almost what I had expected from this novel. Yes, it is a romance. Yes, it is science fiction. Yes, it is an allegory for quantum physics, employing clever wordplays and terms to complete the analogy. There is plenty of adventure among the stars, interesting cultural speculation and psychology explored in The Quantum Rose. The problem is, although I am otherwise well-educated I have never taken a physics class in my life and I cannot remember much about high school chemistry. Let's just say that the clever physics allegory flew right over my head, leaving me with...a nice romance that did an abrupt about-face in the middle and turned into a pedestrian interstellar adventure. Maybe if I'd had a better head for mathematics and science I would have found the alleged brilliance in this book more than enough to make up for its lack plot originality. As it is however, I can only judge TQR on its storytelling merit, which was just average in my opinion.

Asaro deserves credit for well-thought-out universe building and unusual insight into the complex relationships between her characters. I think of her writing style as having the potential to become very good, but unrefined here. Indeed, maybe her later books show improvement. The romance plotline was nice and standard, but gratifying to somebody who would like to see more such good sci fi/romance hybrids make it into the mainstream. BUT, unless you're a chemistry/physics/mathematics wiz, there is nothing particularly special about TQR beyond that.
-Andrea, aka Merribelle

This is, in fact, an already published novel of Ms. Asaro's, serialized in Analog last year.

With that said in mind, I do not want to spoil the novel overmuch, but this is, in fact, another science fiction/romance that Ms. Asaro is turning out rather well these days. I admit that her Primary Inversion was the first novel I have ever read that could be considered romance, and then devoured the next two novels in her Skolian Empire milieu. I then read this when it was serialized in Analog last year.

Her strengths of characterization of female characters, excellent world building and intriguing situations are all present in the Quantum Rose. You will fall in love with Kamoj and Vyrl's story and perhaps even sympathize with Jax, the man who believes that Kamoj is his by right.

The Skolian novels can be read in any order and the Quantum Rose particularly can be read out of sequence with the planet-hopping novels. You can certainly do worse than to start here if you have not sampled Ms. Asaro's work...and if you already have, you probably don't need this review to convince you to pick this one up too.

Kamoj Argali is a young ruler, engaged to marry a brutal man who has the ability to help her impoverished people. Then a stranger arrives and changes everything. Vyrl doesn't understand the complexities of this planet, he doesn't understand what his proposal to Kamoj will mean. He's a tortured soul, she's a woman caught in the center of a drama she didn't make. Together they may just be able to save not just her people...but his. And maybe they can find something more than an alliance, maybe they'll find love?

Catherine Asaro blends science fiction and romance into a story that will delight and enthrall the lovers of both genres!

The young ruler (Kamoj) of a desperately poor province is forced by societal traditions to marry a mysterious stranger (Vryl), who - we soon discover - is stranger than anyone on the planet thought. Those who want feisty heroines will probably not find this romance satisfactory, because the heroine is relatively passive at the beginning until she rebels against social conventions - way into the book. There is a villain, who is rather interesting - in that his genetics and biology is of great interest to those who are reading the entire Asaro output.

Vryl is a "tortured hero" in that he has had an experience well deserving nightmares and his current addiction. But he is a nice man, as Kamoj discovers.

Be warned - the love story is more complex than it appears. You have to understand the political and economic structure of her world and the Skolians to realize what is going on. It took me two reads to understand this myself.

Romance readers might find the political stuff (not to mention the science fiction aspects) off-putting. Science fiction might find the romantic stuff wishy-washy. Those who enjoy less hardcore science fiction will probably like this the most.

The cover art by Julie Bell is a different matter - simply not accurately depicting the hero and heroine, IMHO. I sincerely hope that they have a different cover for the paperback edition.

Kamoj Quanta Argali is the 18 yr old governor of a planet of former slaves. When a newcomer on the world Havyrl arrives to recover from an ordeal which left him half mad, he spies Kamoj taking a bath in a river and falls for her. Impulsively Havryl offers to marry her which causes strife and conflict throughout the region, as Kamoj's spurned fiancee vows revenge.

I looked forward to this novel, but I admit I didn't care for Havryl. The drunken binges, the whining, and his 'tragic past' was a bit overdone. The relationship between Kamoj 18 year old (I don't care how biologically mature) and the Havryl 64 year old guy skeeved me out. I just don't like huge age differences between my romantic couples. At one point Havryl is talking about being a grandpa and described as being a hot-looking 40. Umm.. No.

There isn't much sci-fi in this one except for the revelations about Kamoj's people. I felt this was an okay book, which could've been better.

3 stars.

This novel had a different feel to it than the other novels in this series. It focused on a little known older brother of Soz and Kelric-Havryl. Havryl is one of the 10 children of Eldrinson and Roca who never plans to leave Lyshriol and seems happy with the quiet life on his world. Havyrl married young, his childhood sweetheart when they were both still children and has managed successfully for most of his life to stay out of the politics that rule the lives of his family. That is until his relatives are imprisoned by the Allieds after the death of Soz and Jaibriol II. The world as he knows it shatters. His family is being held prisoner by the Allieds on his home world of Lyshriol-with no immediate plans to ever let them go free. Then he escapes in what is supposed to be his fathers death pod into space to be picked up by what is left of the Skolian government. He ends up spending 30 days alone in space in a coffin and has taken to drinking to combat the memories. The Skolians have taken him to a quiet backwater planet to rest and recover. One day while hunting in the woods he sees Kamoj Quanta Argali bathing naked in a pool. He decides to offer to marry her. Her planet appears to be the remains of a Eubian experiment on genetically engineering the perfect slave. The majority of the culture matures quickly, is unable to read or write, lives shorter lives and is very inclined to obey and negotiate. When someone makes an offer, you match it if you can, if not your are forced to accept the terms of the highest bidder. Kamoj is bethrothed to Jax Ironbridge-a local bully-whom she does not particularly care for, but is a match that would benefit her people. Her role seems to be similar to a land baron. She owns or at least manages the land in hereditary position, the people work for "her" but she is ultimately responsible for them. Havyrl is a mysterious man who appears one day-from far away (she has no concept of other worlds) and rents from her the ancient castle of her ancestors. She is reluctant to part with it but he makes an offer she can not refuse. After viewing her bathing naked he makes another offer she can not refuse in his offer of marriage. She is reluctant to marry him. While she is relieved to get out of the marriage to Jax, she knows the marriage to Jax would have benefited her people and while Havyrl is wealthy, he is not a leader on her planet. Jax Ironbridge is also reluctant to lose Kamoj, more reluctant than either Kamoj or Havyrl expect.
This novel deals with many issues. On one hand it is about the complex relationship between an abuser and the abused. On another hand it is about finding you are not alone in the universe and what your culture is really about. It is also about Havyrl finding peace in his place as a member of an important political family. I liked it, a lot. I especially liked the scenes on Lyshriol with the whole clan-it was interesting to really have a chance to read about Soz and Kelrics siblings and their lives.