Product Description
Lila Black is off with the faeries . . .
Ever since the Quantum Bomb of 2015 things have been different; the dimensions have fused and suddenly our world is accessible to elves, demons, ghosts and elementals and their worlds are open to us. Things have been different for Special Agent Lila Black too: tortured and magic-scarred by elves, rebuilt by humans into a half-robot, part-AI, nuclear-fueled walking arsenal, and carrying the essence of a dead elfin necromancer in her chest, sometimes she has trouble figuring out who she is.
And a mission to the world of the fae may not help her work it out.
The fae are beautiful, glamorous, exotic, and talented. Their inventions make food taste better, m… More >>
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Males are a pain in her metallic butt so special agent Lila Black thinks, but women even ones with robotic gizmos inside her body needs these blackguards though she is not sure why at the moment. Still Lila wonders if two spouses is one, two or three too many as she and her mates Zal the elf-lord and Teazle the demon argue with her; while inside her chest resides whatever is mentally left of the deceased elven necromancer Tath also bickering with her.
Dispatching the assassins as a side activity, Lila and her horde travel to the land of the fae on what she assumes is a simple mission though anything involving fairies is by definition convoluted. She soon finds herself digging deep past the best beer in the world into the ooze of the realm where only hideous blood thirsty charlatans reside. To complete her mission and escape alive, she must navigate the ruses and pranks of those who abet her by trying to kill her and her retinue.
Although the heroine’s whining about males causing her hemorrhoids (does prove artificially intelligent beings understand men) is overly extended, fans of the third Quantum Gravity saga (see KEEPING IT REAL and SELLING OUT) will enjoy Lila’s latest escapades. The story line picks up about a third of the way in when the lead protagonist begins her quest into a realm no one escapes from. Readers will relish the twisted mission as the fairy glamor realm gives way to a dark despairing repulsiveness.
Harriet Klausner
Rating: 5 / 5
For what was meant to be a lighter set of books than her previous works the Quantum Gravity series has become very heavy going. The heroine has been in a sprial of depression, frustration and anger since book 2 which shows no sign of abateing. The mythological components are poorly explained and where they are explained it is in exposition heavy parts of the text. The hero’s escape from no-escape perilous situations are a blur of confusion which without fail lead into further depression and peril without let up. I thought “Living next door to the God of love” was excellent, as was everything before Quantum Gravity, this series has lost me.
Rating: 2 / 5
This is the third book in the Quantum Gravity series by Justin Robson. There are supposed to be at least 5 books in this series. The fourth book “Chasing the Dragon” came out in August of 2009. This was a decent book, I liked it better than “Selling Out” book 2, but there are still some things that are a bit crazy about this book especially towards the end. I listened to this as an audio book and the quality was okay but not the best I have heard.
The book start with Lila Black in Demonia. Right away we find out she has married both Zal and the demon Teazle and they are honeymooning in Demonia. The honeymoon consists primarily of fighting off various demon assassins to prove herself worthy of her husbands. Then Malichi shows up and tells Lila that her and the boys are needed in Otopia to deal with the Moth Crisis that is going on. Lila and Zal end up being pushed into fairy before they are ready and then the whole gang is suddenly dealing with events in the realm of fairy that are way bigger than they are. Lila is also continuing to change as her machine and natural body parts become less and less separate.
This was an interesting book. If the first book in the series was about the elven world and the second was about Demonia, then this book is about the fairy realm. As has been the case with these books there is a lot going on and it seems like Lila (Or maybe Robson) looses site of what the main story plot is. The book is a bit slow to start as we get to watch Lila, Zal, and Teazle “relax” in Demonia. Once they get pulled into the Fairy Realm then things really pick up pace and get very interesting. This book is more linear than the last book was and doesn’t switch viewpoint as much.
The biggest strength in this series is the world building. The characters are also very interesting. The biggest thing I have a problem is with the plot; it kind of skitters around everywhere. There are so many things that are mentioned but never really addressed. For example the worlds cracking apart is talked about but never really dealt with, getting rid of the Moths appears to be a major goal of the stories but is dealt with in passing, Lila and Zal’s Game is brought up once but never really dealt with, etc. etc. I am still unsure about how I feel about Robson’s writing style. It takes me a bit to get used to, but after I get used to it I am okay with it.
The usual cast of characters is brought into the book and sometimes I found them overwhelming. Now we are not just dealing with Lila and Zal, but Lila, Zal, Teazle, the imp, Malichi, and Tath…not to mention all the side characters. I guess I just feel like this book could have been tighter and a bit better planned. I won’t include any spoilers but the end of the book left me kind of confused and dissatisfied, not to mention it didn’t really sum up anything.
Overall, I am still fascinated by Robson’s world and her characters. I am disappointed in the plot and how it goes all over the place bringing up a million new issues but resolving none of them. Will I read the fourth book? Probably. This is a very creative and intriguing series and that draws me to it, but I may not read any more after that it the plot is still scattered.
Rating: 3 / 5
Plot Summary: Lila Black, my favorite angst-ridden cyborg is back, along with a whole host of supernatural buddies. She’s vacationing in Demonia, but she’s not having such a great time because everyone wants to duel with her, and really, they’re no match, so she feels like it’s just demons to the slaughter. Lila is almost relieved when her fey buddy Malachi drops by to tell her that Otopia is being overrun by a mothkin, and the only way to clean her world up is to visit Faerie, the dark, dangerous world down under. Oh yeah, and the humans who built Lila are starting to get nasty and they’re pulling out their remote controls to zap her back in line with the Agency’s goals.
I can’t believe this is only the third book in this series, because I’m sitting here with the sensation that I’ve read ten books in the Quantum Gravity Series. Justina Robson packs so much drama and action into each book that I feel stuffed to the gills, and I mean that in a good way. Fantasy novels should feel epic, and since this is a sci-fi/fantasy hybrid, it has a double duty to please its fans with a larger-than-life world. I think Going Under is my favorite book in the series thus far, because it finally got serious, and Lila stopped being such a nutcase. Don’t get me wrong, she still has oodles of issues to deal with, but I sense a new maturity in her that is very welcome.
Is it too much of a spoiler to say that the grim reaper cuts a wide swath through this installment? Too late, I can’t take it back, but don’t worry, I won’t spill anymore. There is a lot of loss that takes place, but there’s enough ambiguity that I haven’t lost all hope for some reunions in the next story. The characters are all wonderfully, fully-formed beings, with my personal favorite being the little demon imp named Thingamajig. Isn’t that a great name? I love it. And can I just say that the way Lila’s body keeps evolving is fan-freaking-tastic? Every page holds a new, unpredictable surprise, and that’s why I keep reading.
Chasing the Dragon (Quantum Gravity, Book 4) is the last published novel in the Quantum Gravity series thus far, however Ms. Robson’s website does say that she’s working on book five now.
Rating: 4 / 5
The book so far is great; a good addition to the series. Unfortunately, the author uses various fonts, some of which are not reproduced well in the Kindle version of the book. Most frustratingly, the font used for Tath’s commentary is so tiny as to be illegible. It would have been much better if a font that didn’t match what the author used but was supported on the Kindle were used instead. I love reading books electronically, but I’ll be getting the fourth book in print.
Rating: 2 / 5