Heart of Gold (Paperback)

~ (Author) "Nolan was nearly an hour late by the time he arrived at the Central Government Activities Complex, and even here his way was blocked..." (more)
Key Phrases: gulden women, blueskin man, gulden woman, Ariana Bayless, Chay Zanlan, Jex Zanlan (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Science fiction fans, don't be fooled by the cover suggesting a regency romance. Readers of Sharon Shinn's Archangel series will recall how she can craft an interesting, well-paced story that blends romance and science fiction.

In the world of Heart of Gold, two major races vie for dominance: the matriarchal indigo and the patriarchal gulden. For centuries they have lived separate lives, but times are changing. More young indigo men attend college before marrying, more young people are moving to the city and meeting others of different races, and strict Apartheid-type laws have been lifted. Kit is a high caste indigo woman who was raised in the gulden society by her eccentric, anthropologist father. Nolan is an indigo man who's been allowed to pursue advanced science studies and work at the esteemed Biolab for a few years. He's developed two drugs that have saved gulden lives from fatal diseases, although his accomplishments aren't appreciated by his family. Nolan, Kit, and their companions are dragged into a flash point political situation, complicated by Kit's love for a young gulden leader who may or may not be responsible for recent terrorist acts.

For romance readers, Heart of Gold may provide an introduction to science fiction elements such as social speculation, gender, and technological innovation. For science fiction readers, it provides a fast-moving tale that addresses topics relevant to our time: race, ethnicity, gender, discrimination, family ties, and that ubiquitous truth: "The heart has its reasons which reason knows nothing of." --Bonnie Bouman --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Publishers Weekly

Though Shinn's earlier Archangel received considerable praise, this flimsy attempt at crossing romance with SF in an imaginary society that reverses customary gender roles results in a hybrid as sterile and ungainly as a mule. Downright mulish (when not irritatingly mawkish) is Shinn's heroine, Kitrini Candachi, of the blue-skinned indigo matriarchal aristocracy that dominates part of Shinn's ill-defined alien planet. Kit stubbornly loves Jex, the imprisoned terrorist son of king Chay Zanlan, ruler of the planet's lordly male chauvinist "gulden" (or golden-hued) race. Shinn's third race, the albinos, silently do most of the menial labor, conveniently freeing Kit and Nolan Adelpho, a sensitive blueskin scientist, to trade angsty episodes of self-doubt and recrimination. Jex's love-'em-and-leave-'em attitude hurls Kit into interminable fits of weeping that seriously impede Shinn's attempt to draw her as a feminist reformer able to cure both major races of the errors of their traditional ways. Unceremoniously dumped by Jex, Kit falls into Nolan's arms while he foils ludicrously villainous attempts by blue and gold leaders to kill off each other's population with race-specific, bioengineered plagues. Blobs of fuzzy sociopolitical preaching clot what little narrative nudges Shinn's two story lines along, while her characters, indigo and gulden alike, seem equally cardboardy--and downright colorless despite their hues. (Apr.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Ace (September 28, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0441008216
• ISBN-13: 978-0441008216
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (33 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #341,152 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Thought provoking and spellbinding, August 24, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Heart of Gold: A Novel (Paperback)

It has been a while that I have read a book so captivating that I lost track of time while reading it. That having been said, Heart of Gold relates the story of two people discovering their independence in a world of very strict social hierarchy. Shinn offers interesting insights into the nurture vs. nature debate, and comes down very heavily on the nurture side of the argument. In the worlds of indigo and gulden -- the two main races in Heart of Gold -- your rearing defines your world. Only, both the main characters, as well as others, show how independence and strong characters are maintained even so. Heart of Gold takes a strong look at how society defines individual roles, and how individuals can become iconoclastic despite their society.

On another level, Heart of Gold explores biological warfare, and its underlying prejudices. It is a thoughtful indictment of extreme warfare in our post Cold War society -- and offered through the lens of a society that is just entering a political Cold War. Heart of Gold may be science fiction, but the issues it addresses are ones faced in our every day world.

On yet another level, this is a story of two people falling into love truly, madly, deeply. This is NOT a romance, but a true look at how emotions become involved, and how hard decisions have to made anyway. The heroes and "lovers" of the story are stronger because they have these emotions despite and including their worlds collapsing around them.

All in all, this is one of the best books I have read in years. I recommend it highly to anyone who likes thoughtful, social science fiction. This isn't about computers, robots, elves or dragons (all of which I can enjoy in there own right), but about interesting social interactions -- and how much we tend to take for granted about our own places in society. Read it -- it'll be fun and good for you.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good, but certainly not Great, June 2, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Heart of Gold: A Novel (Paperback)

Sharon Shinn is an excellent writer, and as such her novels are always really good reads. However, after reading the lyrical beauty of 'The Shape-Changer's Wife' and the absolute brilliance that is her 'Samaria Trilogy' ('Archangel', 'Jovah's Angel', and 'The Alleluia Files'), 'Heart of Gold' simply pales. I enjoyed reading it, but unlike the books I list above, I know I'll never re-read it.

The characters were interesting, and the racial prejudice of the indigo and gulden peoples well realized. I felt like I was reading a spy thriller or novel of intrigue, though, more than I was reading a Shinn novel. The love story seems very forced and almost tacked on. The ending of the novel just fizzles out. And it seems that Nolan and Kit, while destroying their reputations within indigo society to help the guldens, gain little personally. They help the races co-exist, preventing genocide along the way, but fail to be accepted by either society. Ultimately, what 'saves' them is the fact that Kit is highly ranked within the indigo society that she despises, and that despises her. There are no easy answers.

And just *why* Nolan falls in love with Kit isn't clear - it seems a case of pure infatuation. And why would someone as intelligent as Kit fall for the machinations of a controlling personality like Jex? He was cruel, and bigoted, and Kit followed him blindly. Why? I didn't buy it throughout the novel. I wanted to just shake her for being such an idiot!

Like eagalewski and 'a reader from Cleveland' I found this book to not be Sharon Shinn's best by any means. If it was written by another author I'd probably give it four stars, but since I know what Shinn is capable of, only three. It, sadly, does not live up to her potential. Go read 'The Samaria Trilogy' to see a better treatment of a similar theme.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Engaging and thought provoking, June 9, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Heart of Gold: A Novel (Paperback)

Sharon Shinn has produced another first rate, character driven science fiction novel in Heart of Gold. Her carefully constructed races of matriarchal blueskins and macho gulden give her the opportunity to explore prejudice from many angles.

But for me, it's the characters that make a story worth reading, and Shinn never disappoints. Kit, with her aristocratic indigo heritage and gulden upbringing, is a rebellious, rather tragic figure, but it is Nolan that really captures the story. A quiet researcher who'd been resigned to his future as a non-essential spouse, he attains true heroism through his compassion and commitment to doing the right thing, no matter what the cost to himself. Shinn makes all of the relationships convincing, and her secondary characters are vivid and contribute greatly to the story. A great read for anyone who likes their science fiction about people and society rather than hardware. (And romance readers might enjoy it also.)