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The Quantum Rose (Saga of the Skolian Empire #6)

by Catherine Asaro (Goodreads Author)

3.59 · Rating Details · 1,642 Ratings · 111 Reviews

A New Adventure in the Saga of the Skolian Empire.

Kamoj Argali is the young ruler of an impoverished province on a backward planet. To keep her people from starving, she has agreed to marry Jax Ironbridge, the boorish and brutal ruler of a prosperous province. But before Argali and Ironbridge are wed, a mysterious stranger from a distant planet sweeps in and forces Kamoj i

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Mass Market Paperback, 432 pages

Published February 18th 2002 by Tor Science Fiction (first published December 2000)

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Community Reviews

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Aug 10, 2010 Jon rated it it was ok

Here are a few reasons why it may have won the Nebula:

* The entire novel is an allegory for quantum scattering theory. This is a clever and unexpected device.
* The series brings back the old "space opera" style of science fiction. (Think "Star Wars.")
* The technology described in the books is much more carefully balanced with current scientific knowledge than in most "space opera" books.

And here's one reason why maybe it shouldn't have won a Nebula:

"If thwarted passion could have powered spa ...more

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Dec 25, 2008 Matt rated it did not like it

Shelves: science-fantasy

I picked this up because it was a Nebula Award Winner, and as a public librarian I need to read a diverse body of literature. My diversity unfortunately just happens to be within science fiction.

I read a sexist comment once online where a guy said that he thought that women science fiction writers seemed to all be inspired by "Star Trek". He obviously wanted to start a flame war, and I of course don't think this is true. [Let me just say here, I think Octavia Butler was one of the best science ...more

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May 03, 2013 Kaitlin rated it it was ok

Shelves: sci-fi, across-the-universe-in-365, fiction

This novel has a really cool science fiction backdrop but a really insipid plot. In this case, you really can judge a book by its hilariously terrible cover.

It’s a mostly nonsensical story about the whirlwind romance between a petite beautiful snowflake and her creepy husband (who buys her from her family with a room full of treasure, and literally tells her he almost just raped her but decided to marry her instead. AND THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE ROMANTIC).

Which is really too bad, because the unive ...more

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Jan 25, 2011 Timothy rated it liked it

A book of the "Saga of the Skolian Empire" series, 'The Quantim Rose' is a book that probably requires a rudimentary background knowledge of the series to understand the full story. Overall, at it's core, it's a story of a romance between two worlds and cultures that go horribly wrong; which, our two protagonists struggle to overcome to change things for the better. Fans of Star Trek's "The Prime Directive" might find this of interest when the spirit of that rule is not followed in this book.
As ...more

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Oct 23, 2016 Grace rated it liked it

Shelves: romance, futuristic, dystopian, series, sci-fi, rapity-rape-rape

I can't tell if this book, a winner of the Nebula and also Romantic Times, is a genius or just pretentious.

It's supposed to work on two levels, 1) based on the author's doctorate work in physics, and 2) as a story in its own right. Unfortunately I have less than an average (is that right? I don't know what the average working knowledge of astrophysics is) working knowledge of scattering and resonance, and each chapter is subscripted with an astrophysics phenomenon. Kudos to the author for (tryi I can't tell if this book, a winner of the Nebula and also Romantic Times, is a genius or just pretentious.

It's supposed to work on two levels, 1) based on the author's doctorate work in physics, and 2) as a story in its own right. Unfortunately I have less than an average (is that right? I don't know what the average working knowledge of astrophysics is) working knowledge of scattering and resonance, and each chapter is subscripted with an astrophysics phenomenon. Kudos to the author for (trying to) incorporate(ing) such theoretical knowledge. I would love to know if it actually made sense to actual physicists. Yes, I'm a doubting Thomas for sure.

The planet Balumil is a lost colony, with a ring and six moons. Its distance from its sun, Jul, means that their revolution around the sun takes the equivalent of 20 earth years, with every season comprising 5 years. The days and nights are around 30 hours each. It is filled with what's later called "Theta" humans, that is, a different hybrid of humans from the hybridized humans that left Earth in 6000 BC. Kamoj Argali is one of these Thetas, bred to withstand the low oxygen environment due to the low irradiation of this planet. Incidentally, later on, you find that her name means "bound resonance" as opposed to her oppressor's "free resonance." I wish, though, that the physics and anthropology lesson from Havyrl in the book had come in segments rather than in a giant info dump that left me reeling.

It's also supposed to work as Beauty and Beast, the Disney version, with a super-strong, super-oppressive, and a super rapey Gaston. Jax Ironbridge is just the dream man, what with his fade-to-black beating of Kamoj and his equally fade-to-black raping of her, and what was not fade-to-black -- his neglect of her bodily needs: Because Jax Ironbridge was probably also a hybridized Theta bred to slavery, his body could withstand cold and hunger for an exceptionally long time. He simply had no idea he was starving her or freezing her, but he refused to listen to anyone else when they told him that she needed to eat and wear more clothes in the freezing cold. At one point, she went 3 days without food. That's 180 hours, people. In the freezing cold. And yet, somehow he didn't get a comeuppance. Come on, throw him into the void, people. Disney had the right idea there.

Somehow Kamoj was extremely docile (this was explained as her embedded nature as a bred slave) who was "a farm girl like a virginal sex goddess out of an erotic holomovie, and all she asks is a simple life, a husband who doesn't beat her, and the freedom to walk in the woods." She spent most of the book dressed in a scanty negligee with R-rated bits showing through the fabric, and being captured by one person or the other. She had absolutely no control over anything in her life. I suppose the author tried to incorporate the behavior of an abused victim towards her abuser, in that she was said to "love" the abuser in her own way. She was certainly in no hurry to run away from him, despite all the torture meted out to her in the above paragraph. While distasteful, I suppose I can understand that she didn't especially trust that this new group of settlers were going to exert enough power over the planet to do any good.

What didn't work was the data dump, not just about the series, but also the legal proceedings towards the end. A legal expert Asaro is not, because the trial and the precedents mentioned made no sense whatsoever. Furthermore, it made very little sense for the trial to be conducted by the person who was holding Havyrl under house arrest, and for the laws to be at first that of the cultural norm of Balumil, and then that of the Dynasty. I think the Dynasty should really have made it clear which set of laws took precedent over the other. It simply was conducted and explained in a way that left me with huge question marks floating above my head. Plus, it also seemed to me that if Balumil's own culture and practices were to take precedent, than Jax's actions towards the Argali province should have gotten him arrested. Seriously, with all the technology that the people of the Dynasty had and Balumil did not, you would think someone would have "instagrammed" something happening. I mean, we're talking about Havyrl, a Ruby telepath, along with a whole battalion of minor telepaths, and NOBODY could tell that Kamoj was being kidnapped, beaten, raped, starved and that her land had been purposely razed? It just seemed...outlandish.

And I think the version I had ended abruptly. According to Wikipedia, the third part of the book goes on to Havyrl's home planet, but I saw a couple of reviewers who also read the version that I apparently had -- where the book ended with Jax getting no comeuppance and the two of them frolicking in the water, Kamoj apparently recovered from the razing of her land, her 3 (180 hour) day bout without food and clothing, not to mention constant beatings and rapings, along with a knife held to her neck.

Oh well. I still enjoyed most of the book. Most genius is pretentious and ambitious as well, right? Better a book that tries hard than a book that didn't at all. ...more

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Dec 24, 2016 Rachel (Kalanadi) rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: science-fiction, winners-nebulas

First half is a romance in a "lost colony" setting. Second half is empire politics, more sci fi. Revelations do adequately explain the squicky parts of the romance that made me squirm, but didn't make me like it. The second part with family / empire politics reminded me pleasantly of the situations I love in Bujold's Vorkosigan books... except with lackluster prose and far, FAR more descriptions of tawny hair and curls.

GOD, everyone has curls!!

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Apr 11, 2007 Benjamin rated it it was ok

Recommends it for: fans of tedious, formulaic science fiction

Shelves: fantasy

About halfway through this interesting, but deeply flawed work, I said, "this would be better if the writer could write artfully." But then the plot took a sharp left into being about something else entirely, and I had to force myself to finish.

The premise is good. Woman governs a small feudal province in the decaying remnants of what used to be a super-future human culture. Woman gets swept off her feet by warlord who turns out to be from space. Problems ensue.

It was good, but that book ended, ...more

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Apr 07, 2015 John Loyd rated it it was amazing

The Quantum Rose (2000) 381 pages by Catherine Asaro

The first half of this book was serialized in Analog and I read it a year ago. Since then I've read five or six more Skolian universe novels. I got the book, skimmed the first half and then really enjoyed the second half. The story is written from the perspective of Kamoj, a native of the world Balumil and the leader of the Argali province which has fallen on hard times. She is on the verge of a union with Jax Ironbridge of a neighboring land w The Quantum Rose (2000) 381 pages by Catherine Asaro

The first half of this book was serialized in Analog and I read it a year ago. Since then I've read five or six more Skolian universe novels. I got the book, skimmed the first half and then really enjoyed the second half. The story is written from the perspective of Kamoj, a native of the world Balumil and the leader of the Argali province which has fallen on hard times. She is on the verge of a union with Jax Ironbridge of a neighboring land when Vryl enters the picture. Prince Havryl has had his own problems. To escape the Allieds he pretends to be his dead father and is launched in a specially built casket into orbit. This was supposed to last one day of which he would be sedated...it ends up being a month of sensory deprivation before he is retrieved by the Ascendant. He has taken to alcohol to ease his nightmares. The Assembly has plans for Havryl, but he is in no shape to help and the Ascendant travels to Balumil, because of its similarity to his home planet of Lyshriol. Riding into town Vryl sees Kamoj across a lake and is immediately taken with her. Somewhat aware of the customs he sends a dowry to Argali and is pleasantly surprised when she accepts his proposal, not realizing she really couldn't refuse. It turns out they really are a match and Kamoj helps heal Vryl's psychic wounds and Vryl saves Kamoj from a life with Jax, but Jax isn't giving in so easy.

The second half of the book is Vryl and Kamoj traveling to Lyshriol, Vryl's home planet which is under Allied "protection," and their struggle there to free their world. The Skolian back story such as the Radiance War between Skolia and the Traders that decimated the fleets of both powers could be useful. So you may want to read Primary Inversion and The Radiance War. In contrast to those novels the war on Lyshriol is being fought with public opinion.

The romance between Havryl and Kamoj is great reading. How Kamoj heals the spirit of Vryl and he gives her the strength to fight for her own right to be happy. The story lines on Balumil and Lyshriol are also very well thought out and told. It's a fun read and the entire Skolian set of novels have been fantastic. ...more

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Feb 23, 2013 Renee rated it really liked it

Shelves: science-fiction

I feel a bit sorry for this book. It came in while I was waiting for A Dance with Dragons so I got just a few pages into it when I put it down again. And I'll admit that, even when I started it again, it took me quite a few chapters to actually feel committed to finishing the book. What I realized, thankfully, was that it's been a very long time since I read a book set in a world that I'm unfamiliar with. A long, long time. That was a jolting realization of itself.

I'm glad I kept reading -- the ...more

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Aug 04, 2009 Barry Behrmann rated it really liked it

Rivets. I recently heard that it's the telltale sign that differentiates the two main scifi genres. If the cover art has rivets then the book will be a science-based scifi story, and if it doesn't then it'll be a fantasy-based scifi story. I'm a fan of rivets. On my continuing quest to read all of the Hugo and Nebula Award winning novels, though, I came across the Quantum Rose. My initial impression of the novel before I even cracked the cover... no rivets. Regardless, I'm glad I read on.

This is ...more

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Jun 15, 2010 Brandy rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Impresionante. Me quedo con ganas de leer más de Asaro pero lamentablemente no va a ser tarea fácil. Sólo me queda un título y estoy esperando a que lo salden (Inversión primaria). Y a continuación, intentar leerlos en inglés.
Corroboro lo que Diamond Star me indicó. Asaro se convierte en una de mis favoritas por saber mezclar con inteligencia historias de amor en escenarios de ficción. Aunque reconozco que es más que posible que estas historias las disfrute una gran minoría ya que los que leen s ...more

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Apr 03, 2012 Cat rated it really liked it

In what I now think of as "Catherine Asaro style," she jumps to another portion of her universe, creating another puzzle piece that will (hopefully?) tie together more portions of the saga.

TRIGGER WARNING: This one has an abuser in the story line, as well as someone who's spent years enduring abuse, and has to come to grips with whether to break the cycle. I would be careful who I might recommend this book to, based on the trigger warning.

But if you are not someone who shoulders that type of sc ...more

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Aug 26, 2013 Elar rated it liked it

First half of the book was a good medieval style romance adventure novel with nice scifi insights, second half was more about resistance to foreign forces which was more like pushing down Berlin wall or Baltic singing revolution and reading that was not that interesting.

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Aug 06, 2008 Jim marked it as to-read

Shelves: humanities-geek, sci-fi-geek

Quantum mechanics, Aztec mythology and a romance novel all in one? Why wouldn't you want to read it?

Also, the author holds a Ph. D. in chemical physics from Harvard, won the Nebula award for this book in 2001, and is also a former ballet dancer. I think I'm in love.

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Dec 03, 2016 Aaron rated it did not like it

Shelves: science-fiction-and-fantasy, nebula-winners

The worst novel ever to win the Nebula (although Man Plus is almost as bad). Besides its poor structure, it offers an insulting treatment of rape and sexual abuse. For example, we hear more about Jax's tenderness toward Kamoj than about her trauma after (view spoiler). Kamoj is the most passive, spineless protagonist I've ever encountered. The idea of (view spoiler) is interesting, but there's so much ...more

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Jan 14, 2014 Joe Karpierz rated it it was amazing

I remember first reading a portion of THE QUANTUM ROSE when it was first serialized in Analog way back when I was a subscriber to the print version of that magazine. I never did finish the story then, and I'm not particularly sure why. It might be because I'd let my subscription lapse before it finished, or because I was lost and didn't know what was going on, or maybe I just lost interest.

I didn't pick up any of Asaro's work after that until I started listening to the audiobooks of the Saga of I remember first reading a portion of THE QUANTUM ROSE when it was first serialized in Analog way back when I was a subscriber to the print version of that magazine. I never did finish the story then, and I'm not particularly sure why. It might be because I'd let my subscription lapse before it finished, or because I was lost and didn't know what was going on, or maybe I just lost interest.

I didn't pick up any of Asaro's work after that until I started listening to the audiobooks of the Saga of the Skolian Empire. I've been listening to them in internal chronological order, as opposed to publication order (as a side note, I'm glad I've done it that way. True, the books can be read in publication order without losing any of the story, but I'm funny that way). So, when I finally got to the point in the series in which THE QUANTUM ROSE came next, I was more than mildly interested in finding out what I'd missed out on all those years ago.

Well, I think it's safe to say that I missed out on a whole lot. Many of you probably already know that THE QUANTUM ROSE won the 2001 Nebula Award for Best Novel. It's now clear to me that the award was well deserved.

The story starts on the backwater planet of Balumil. Kamoj Argali is the governor of a poor and somewhat poverty stricken province - name Argali - on the planet. In order to help her people survive and prosper, she has entered into a politically arranged betrothal with Jax Ironbridge, the governor of a much more wealthy and powerful province. If all goes well, the alliance with the Ironbridge province will provide prosperity, health, and safety for her people. The fly in the ointment is that Jax is something of a jerk - not to put too fine a point on it. Jax mistreats Kamoj, both mentally and physically.

Meanwhile, a stranger has ridden into the land. A mysterious figure known to the people of the surrounding countryside as Lionstar, the stranger has taken over an old castle and lives in the Argali province. Through an act that later is revealed to be that of ignorance, Lionstar ends up marrying Kamoj right out from under Jax by providing a dowry that is larger than anything that Jax could provide. The law of the land, stating that he who has the largest dowry wins - thus once again proving that size does matter (sorry, couldn't resist) - allows for the wedding to take place. This act destabilizes the local governments and culture, and throws the whole thing into more than a bit of turmoil.

Lionstar is actuall Vyrl Skolia, son of Roca and prince of the Ruby Dynasty. Vyrl is on Balumil for his protection, as there is conflict between the Ruby empire and the Allied Worlds of Earth, who are, in their own way, trying to hold things together peacefully after the Radiance War. However, Vyrl marrying Kamoj violates the plan of non-interference with the local culture, throwing everything into a tizzy. Thus, the first part of the book deals with Kamoj trying to determine how to keep her culture intact under the interference and influence of ISC. There is much intrigue in the dealings between Ironbridge and Lionstar, and there is much romance between Kamoj and Lionstar.

But in the middle of it all, Vyrl must leave Balumil to go on a mission to Lyshriol, his home planet, to free it from the "protection" of the Allied Worlds of Earth, or AWOE. Kamoj goes with him to help him. She has a resonance with Vyrl, and is able to help him through some emotional and mental issues that happen when he travels in space which are directly due to the way he escaped Earth after the Radiance War. And so, the second half of the book deals with all the intrigue that comes with being a member of the Ruby dynasty and the rulers of an empire - and thus becomes a more familiary story of the Skolian Empire.

In my opinion, this is the best of the Skolian Empire books that I've listened to so far. The characters are engaging, the story can be intense, and the situations are interesting and complex. I've been doing some other reading about the book and have discovered that, according to the great god Wikipedia, "The Quantum Rose is an allegory to the mathematical and physical processes of coupled-channel quantum scattering theory and as such is based on Asaro's doctoral work in chemical physics, with thesis advisor Alexander Dalgarno at the Harvard Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. Asaro describes the allegory in an essay at the end of the book and explains how the characters and plot points play the roles of mathematical terms or processes in atomic and molecular physics." Unfortunately, the audio book does not include the essay - I will need to track it down.

Again, Anna Fields does a terrific job narrating the book. It's gotten to be a broken record - I say that every time I finish one of these things. So, just assume it, okay? :-) ...more

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Jan 03, 2017 Melanie rated it it was ok

Shelves: female-author, nebula-winner, science-fiction

I am reading the Nebula Award winning novels in chronological order. This is the winner for 2002.

This book reads like a Harlequin Romance...in space.

Summary: Lovely damsel set to marry evil govender when dashing prince sweeps in to save her. Physical, as well as legal) battle ensues. Damsel struggles with her duty to her people while longing for her new love. (Others will probably summarize this differently.)

And the book was too long. Way too long. Plus the ending left many unresolved issues, n ...more

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Nov 28, 2013 Kelly rated it really liked it

Shelves: science-fiction, romance

I usually upgrade my ratings of Catherine Asaro's books after I think about them for a while, so I'll start this one at four stars. It felt like a three, as in I liked the book enough to finish it, but I wasn't blown away. I didn't love it. But afterwards, I thought about it and that's what always happens with Asaro's books. I think about them.

I do love her Skolian Saga. I love the back story, the lost colony scenarios, the space opera, the romance and the Ruby heirs. Not every book is what I wa I usually upgrade my ratings of Catherine Asaro's books after I think about them for a while, so I'll start this one at four stars. It felt like a three, as in I liked the book enough to finish it, but I wasn't blown away. I didn't love it. But afterwards, I thought about it and that's what always happens with Asaro's books. I think about them.

I do love her Skolian Saga. I love the back story, the lost colony scenarios, the space opera, the romance and the Ruby heirs. Not every book is what I want it to be, but I didn't write them, eh? My favourites, for the record, are Primary Inversion and The Ruby Dice. I also like The Last Hawk, mostly because I read it after The Ruby Dice. That was another book that I had to sit on for a while, though. Reading it felt like a bit of a trial at times. It was long and Kelric suffers so much. But it really does build a character who is like no other in science fiction. And that's Catherine Asaro's specialty: building characters.

She builds worlds, too, and Balumil, the planet where she met the cast of characters for The Quantum Rose is one of her most interesting. It's biosculpted rather than terraformed and the humans left to colonise it are engineered to cope with the long days and the years-long seasons that are the result of an elliptical orbit. I'm not terribly scientific, but that's how I read it and it sounded pretty neat. As an aside, seeing as I'm already digressing, Asaro's books are always full of hard maths and science. I sometimes grasp it, but not always. Rather than feel stupid, I'm usually just in awe of her intellect, though.

Kamoj is governor of Argali, which is a province, for want of a better term. For fifteen years she has been betrothed to Jax Ironbridge, who is governor of a larger province. But there’s a new noble in town, the mysterious Havyrl Lionstar, and when he makes a bid for Kamoj’s hand, he inadvertently upsets the delicate balance of politics on Balumil. What follows reads something like a historical romance set in a science fiction future.

What usually bogs me down in Asaro’s novels is the sometimes repetitive explanations of facts, as if the author isn’t sure if we get what she’s getting at. In this instance, it’s the fact that Kamoj and everyone on her planet were engineered not only to adapt to the difficult environment, but to serve as slaves. They are a subservient people who bow to pressure, give succor to others even when they are hurting, and generally live to please others, often at detriment to themselves. It’s an interesting view of genetic engineering and a concept that takes the usual super soldier twist and does something else. What makes it more interesting here, in this novel, is that this is exactly how the Ruby Dynasty was created. The dynasty Havyrl Lionstar is part of. So, Vyrl has a lot in common with his new young wife. This helps both of them adjust to their change of circumstances, and because they resonate together, he as a Ruby Scion and Kamoj as an empath, together they are able to override their ‘programming’, for the good of her world and his.

If you haven’t read Catherine Asaro before, or are unfamiliar with the Skolian Saga, you might be a little lost about now. One thing Asaro does do in each book of the saga is inject enough information to catch up the casual reader. I often chafe at having to read through it again and again, but sometimes I pick up a new fact or two. The edition of The Quantum Rose I read also has a nice family chart for the Ruby Dynasty and some explanation of the science behind the unique naming conventions on the planet Balumil and how the author tied them into the story.

The reason I decided to bump this up to four stars, even though it’s not close to my favourite entry in the saga is mostly because of the story behind the story. The stuff that got me thinking: the examination of genetic engineering—the pitfalls and morality and what it all might mean for our future. As always, I also enjoyed Asaro’s commentary on the male and female roles. She has definite ideas here. On the surface, her characters fit an expected mold, but underneath they are always much more complex, and that’s what makes The Quantum Rose worth reading.
...more

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Aug 26, 2014 Brendan rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, scifi, fantasy, philosophy-religion, 2014

The Quantum Rose, by Catherine Asaro, follows the blossoming love of Kamoj and Vryl, a woman and man from two vastly different cultures on vastly different planets. They’re pulled apart by cultural forces, by diplomatic obligations, by jealousy. They’re attracted to one another on a deep level, they resonate. Also, Asaro reveals at the end of the book that the chapter structure is also a parable for particle physics.

A few thoughts:

- Like Ian M. Banks’ books (Consider Phlebas & Surface Detail The Quantum Rose, by Catherine Asaro, follows the blossoming love of Kamoj and Vryl, a woman and man from two vastly different cultures on vastly different planets. They’re pulled apart by cultural forces, by diplomatic obligations, by jealousy. They’re attracted to one another on a deep level, they resonate. Also, Asaro reveals at the end of the book that the chapter structure is also a parable for particle physics.

A few thoughts:

- Like Ian M. Banks’ books (Consider Phlebas & Surface Detail are two that I’ve read), Asaro gives us a story within a consistent, much larger galaxy of adventure and stories. This tip of the iceberg approach works well because readers can jump in wherever, and then back track if they like what they see.
- This book has two distinct sections — the first 60% or so takes place on Balumil, where a “Beauty and the Beast” story blends with a tale of domestic violence. The second 40% proceeds to Lyshriol for a tale of political intrigue and passive resistance protest. Personally, I thought the tensions set up on Balumil made for an intense opening, and I think the move to the second planet halfway through is a bit of a cop-out.
- Asaro does a great job of touching on the colonized experience. Kamoj wrestles with feelings of anger over how space-faring cultures are treating her people, Jax is angered by the invaders’ impositions of their legal system, and there are cultural blunders all over the place in the beginning of the novel. Some of it is a little heavy-handed, but it’s a welcome facet of the book nonetheless.
- The domestic violence and complex relationship between Vyrl, Kamoj, and Jax — Kamoj’s jilted fiance — makes for intense reading. It’s not my favorite, personally, but I think Asaro does a good job capturing the complicated feelings people in abusive relationships face. There’s a particularly great scene where people are asking Kamoj what she wants to do with Jax right there, completely unaware (or unwilling to admit) what kinds of pressure he can bring to bear on her.
- Asaro includes lots of great little moments — like when Vyrl reveals that he’s a ballet dancer, but is ashamed of it because on his planet men don’t dance. Kamoj encourages him to do so anyway. Or when Kamoj discovers there is a voice-activated computer in the house and becomes wary that it is watching them all the time (even in their marital bed).

But the biggest little moment for me was when, long after this should have been mentioned, the narrative casually mentions that one group of the people in the novel have differently-shaped hands and feet than do the others (who are basically human, in looks). From page 344:

Eight. So it was natural. At first Kamoj had thought that Lord Rillia, Del-Kurj, Chaniece, and Shannon had deformed hands. But everyone else she saw here had them too. Instead of four fingers and a thumb, they had two sets of opposing fingers, a total of four digits, all thick as thumbs. A hinge down the center of their hands let them fold their palms together, so they could hold and manipulate objects.

This comes out roughly 30 pages after she meets these people. I’m sorry, but if you met a group of otherwise normal people who had hands that folded in the middle and had four thumbs instead of four fingers and a thumb, you would remark on it. Since this section of the novel operates mostly from Kamoj’s perspective (though in third-person omnisicent, mostly), we should have heard about it before this point.

I didn’t really enjoy this book very much — mostly because the romance angle is too heavy in the first half. This isn’t a criticism of the book so much as a note about its place outside my personal preferences. My book club members tell me that the romance elements are more muted in the other books, so I may try another one at some time. ...more

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Jul 31, 2014 Michele (Mikecas) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantascienza

Da:

http://www.webalice.it/michele.castel...

Questo e' il primo vero romanzo di Catherine Asaro che appare in Italia, dopo il racconto lungo Il Ponte sull'Abisso. E anche questo, ad una lettura superficiale, sembra un romanzetto d'amore. Questa volta c'e' il classico "triangolo", e la soluzione finale sembra scontata fin dalle prime pagine.
In realta' non e' proprio cosi', anche se l'ardito paragone con l'interazione quantistica tra particelle, che viene illustrato ampiamente in appendice perche' Da:

http://www.webalice.it/michele.castel...

Questo e' il primo vero romanzo di Catherine Asaro che appare in Italia, dopo il racconto lungo Il Ponte sull'Abisso. E anche questo, ad una lettura superficiale, sembra un romanzetto d'amore. Questa volta c'e' il classico "triangolo", e la soluzione finale sembra scontata fin dalle prime pagine.
In realta' non e' proprio cosi', anche se l'ardito paragone con l'interazione quantistica tra particelle, che viene illustrato ampiamente in appendice perche' altrimenti nessuno l'avrebbe colto, e' troppo ambizioso e di fatto rimane piu' nelle intenzioni dell'autrice che nella realizzazione pratica del romanzo.
Ma c'e' un aspetto, un significato della vicenda narrata che, almeno secondo me, predomina su tutto, e fa di questa storia un vero romanzo di fantascienza. I personaggi della vicenda sanno, o vengono a sapere molto presto, di essere delle costruzioni genetiche particolari sviluppate dai loro antichi antenati possessori di conoscenze e competenze ormai per lo piu' perse. Sviluppi genetici tesi a scopi a volte parzialmente comprensibili, a volte del tutto ignoti, in cui sono stati modificati sia gli aspetti fisici ma sopratutto quelli caratteriali, fino ad un controllo delle emozioni. Sono quindi consapevoli che i loro comportamenti, le loro sensazioni, le loro interazioni sono in parte guidate, e talvolta dominate, dalla loro eredita' genetica artificiale. E questo pesa molto nella consapevolezza di se' stessi, ma tutto sommato non gli impedisce di accettarsi quali sono e di considerarsi del tutto umani. Il sapere che le loro azioni, le loro emozioni sono in gran parte il risultato di una pianificazione voluta non gli impedisce di considerare quelle stesse emozioni come spontanee e quelle azioni come determinate solo dalla propria volonta'.
Il messaggio che io colgo, ed e' un messaggio importante, e' che ogni persona e' in fin dei conti un "prodotto genetico" di un qualche progetto con un qualche scopo, sicuramente almeno di quello che riteniamo "naturale" dell'adattamento all'ambiente e della sopravvivenza, ma questo non impedisce di essere individui con la propria personalita' e la propria responsabilita', che e' "propria", e non un semplice tassello di uno schema voluto da qualcosa o qualcuno al di sopra di noi. E' insomma una dichiarazione di fiducia all'individuo e alla sua capacita' di gestire anche la parte di se' che e' fortemente guidata dalla struttura genetica.
Tutto sommato un romanzo che vale la pena di leggere, anche se il non conoscere tutti gli antefatti lascia sempre un senso di mancanza di informazioni. Nell'introduzione viene detto che la vicenda e' abbastanza indipendente dal filone principale dei romanzi della Asaro, ma i richiami continui a personaggi che dovrebbero essere conosciuti, e di cui si dovrebbe sapere molto, rimangono spesso senza "risonanza" (volendo parafrasare uno dei temi principali del romanzo) nel lettore che si avvicina per la prima volta all'Impero Skoliano. ...more

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Dec 19, 2011 Maurizio Vicedomini rated it liked it

Da: http://www.mauriziovicedomini.helioho...

Essendo un libro di fantascienza, mi aspettavo qualcosa alla Asimov (unico autore di fantascienza che abbia mai letto), che a dirla tutta non mi entusiasma poi tanto. Invece mi sono trovato davanti un vero e proprio Fantasy.

Partiamo con un accenno di trama:
Kamoj Quanta Argali è la governante della regione di Argali. Il suo popolo, o meglio, il popolo di tutto il suo mondo, è discendente di una misteriosa razza molto progredita, che ha lasciato alcuni “ ...more

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Jan 17, 2012 Stacey rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy, science-fiction, futuristic, 2012-challenge

One of the things I like best about Catherine Asaro's books is the mix of incomprehensible quantum physics, great plots and story lines, and the romantic-science fiction genre.

I love the cerebral themes underlying the fast-moving plot and well-drawn, complex characters:
- immersion into different cultures
- humans seeking freedom
- gender roles
- the nature of human relationships
- emotional distress and healing (caveat: there are some distressing abuse scenes)

She explains the themes: "So this arc One of the things I like best about Catherine Asaro's books is the mix of incomprehensible quantum physics, great plots and story lines, and the romantic-science fiction genre.

I love the cerebral themes underlying the fast-moving plot and well-drawn, complex characters:
- immersion into different cultures
- humans seeking freedom
- gender roles
- the nature of human relationships
- emotional distress and healing (caveat: there are some distressing abuse scenes)

She explains the themes: "So this arc of stories deals with two themes: how humans seek freedom and how coming to appreciate cultural differences may help make the world more peaceful. The idea of understanding the "other" is, I think, a major aspect of science fiction. We look at what is different - the alien - and in doing so, perhaps better understand ourselves." - Catherine Asaro.

At the end of this book, Asaro explains her quantum physics allegory for these themes (or is it vice versa?). Reading the explanation at the end of the novel, I found out that each protagonist represented a particle involved in quantum scattering.

This story is about a love triangle, in essence. A young governor of a province on a simple agricultural world is about to become betrothed to the governor of the neighboring province, who she has known since she was a child, when strangers arrive from outer space. One of the strangers, a man with a metal face named Lionstar, jumps in before the betrothal with a dowry offer of his own, throwing confusion and complications into what would have been a simple province merger/marriage alliance. The plot follows the three characters involved in the love triangle, but the scope pans out to cover the entire universe, since Lionstar happens to be the son of a universe-spanning imperial dynastic family.

As usual, the author mixes Mayan alternate history (as contextual information), space opera, agricultural societies, interstellar politics, and interpersonal relations in a complex and vivid tapestry. ...more

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Apr 26, 2015 Fátima marked it as abandonados · review of another edition

Lo he intentado: he llegado hasta el 40% de la historia, pero ya no puedo más. Empecé este libro, lo admito, por ser ganador de un premio Nebula. Así que no tenía ni idea de que es, en realidad, una novela romántica al uso; hasta donde yo he leído, la autora sólo utiliza la ciencia ficción para la ambientación. Por lo demás, tiene todo lo que se puede esperar de una novela romántica “tradicional”: la chica guapísima, desvalida y en apuros que todos los hombres desean, el héroe guapísimo y atorme ...more

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Oct 21, 2007 Nicholas Whyte rated it it was ok

Shelves: 2012, 1208, sf, nebula, winner, xk, mooched, out

http://nwhyte.livejournal.com/1984726.html[return][return]Many years ago, when this book originally won the Nebula, I read it and was distinctly underwhelmed. But that was in the days before my bookblogging became serious; now that I am almost finished working through the Nebula winners, I felt I owed it to the book (and to its author, who engaged with me very gracefully and decently over my criticism) to give it another try.[return][return]Well. In fairness the novel itself is not all that bad, ...more

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Oct 22, 2014 Mark McFaddyn rated it liked it

A science teacher I had in elementary school thought I would really science fiction. He introduced me to it (beginning with A Wrinkle in Time). He was right, and I devoured all the classic stuff I could get my hands on from elementary school through high school. I preferred the hard science novels, yet a well-done fantasy with created worlds fascinated me, too (though the bar was set high with Tolkien's Lord of the Rings trilogy.

I have continued reading science fiction off and on since then. Usu ...more

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Apr 01, 2012 Annie rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2012, romance, sci-fi

There's a lot to like about "Quantum Rose," but I think what I liked best was how it totally immerses the reader in a sci-fi world that exists in a time and galaxy far, far away, but it doesn't sacrifice plot and character at the expense of world building. It is equal parts romance and science fiction. The story is driven by character motivations and emotion, but as it is revealed how those things have been manipulated through science, it is up to the characters to either give into it or find so ...more

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May 07, 2015 Bri rated it it was ok

Shelves: science-fiction, romance

Sounded like a good pulpy plot but its use of rape as a plot device was off-putting. The female protagonist was not particularly interesting; nor did she change or develop much through the story. I know that her origins painted her as docile because her ancestors were supposed to be docile, but docility=boring, especially for a love story.

From a romance perspective, didn't care for insta-lust on the part of the male protag. He just wanted to bang her and so he married her. That's...pretty much a ...more

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Sep 06, 2010 Bruce rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

While having a relaxing swim Kamoj Quanta Argali, the governor of Argali, and her bodyguard are surprised by a group of riders led by Havyrl Lionstar, who appear on the other bank of the river. Embarrassed by the intrusion, Kamoj quickly gets out of the water and dresses, but by the time she joins her bodyguard, the riders have left. Lionstar, who has recently arrived from another world, is notorious for being both rich and rude. As if this breach of privacy wasn’t humiliating enough, on the way ...more

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Mar 21, 2011 Emily rated it it was ok

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jul 28, 2013 Willie rated it it was amazing

Shelves: absolute-favorites

You don't usually expect books that win Nebula Awards to be a romance story as well, but The Quantum Rose is one of my absolute favorite books of all time because of its genre mixing. I sat down to read this book after dinner one night (because it was a Nebula winner, not because I knew it was going to be a romance), read it straight through, when I closed the book and looked up, it was 3 in the morning. I hadn't gotten up or even moved at all for the past 7 hours. It's a version of Beauty and t ...more

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About Catherine Asaro

Blog at https://www.facebook.com/Catherine.As...

The author of more than twenty-five books, Catherine Asaro is acclaimed for her Ruby Dynasty series, which combines adventure, science, romance and fast-paced action. Her novel The Quantum Rose won the Nebula® Award, as did her novella “The Spacetime Pool.” Among her many other distinctions, she is a multiple winner of the AnLab from Analog magazine ...more

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Saga of the Skolian Empire (1 - 10 of 16 books)

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