Robson, Justina: Selling Out (Quantum Gravity Book Two)
Selling Out: Quantum Gravity Book Two
Writer: Justina Robson
Genre: Science Fiction/Fantasy
Pages: 360 (ARC)
Disclaimer: received ARC from Pyr Books
I've been looking forward to this book ever since I finished with the first, so I was thrilled when the advanced reader's copy landed on my doorstep. I got around to reading (and finishing, for that matter) it a little later than I intended, but considering the book's official release date on Amazon was Halloween, perhaps the timing of this review isn't so bad after all.
Selling Out picks up right where Keeping It Real left off, with the first chapter filling the reader in on enough details to jog their memory of the first book. I don't know how readers who haven't read the first book would fare, because the world-building and the details are so complex that even I had difficulty following and remembering everything, so if you haven't read the first book, consider yourself warned. Read Keeping It Real, and then come back to this one.
Spoilers ahead.
How often do you read a book that you have no idea where it's really going but find it's reading fast anyway? Not fast in that you can't wait to find out what's going on, but that you're reading along, entertained, and suddenly you realize you're halfway through the book and you're still not sure what the plot is?
In this case, I think it's middle-book blues, as I'm assuming the Quantum Gravity is a trilogy, though I could be wrong, because by time I got to the end of it, I realized that if she wanted to, Robson could totally do more with this than keep it a trilogy. By the book's end, we have a plucky and likable ensemble of characters in a world with so much conflict and unknowns and magic that really, there's no limit to what Robson could do here. Well, I take that back: the realms are collapsing and obviously, that should be the external endgame, to prevent that from happening or let it happen and see where it takes you, but I see no reason she should feel compelled to wrap all of that up in a trilogy. The characters, it's increasingly clear, are far too complex, as are the Realms they represent.
But back to the book: the opening chapter was a little dull for my tastes. I didn't mind some of the reminders of what happened in book one and who was who, but nothing much happens at the very start, though I found Lila's discovery of Sarasilien amusing to no end. Demonia was fascinating, and I loved the nature of the demons and the rules and laws they abide by. It all went a little too quickly, and Lila's motivations for wanting to go through Hell and become part demon like Zal perplexed me, because I don't think she was motivated out of any need to hold on to him, if that makes sense. And speaking of the Hell storyline, I'm curious if Lila's choices at the end of the book have brought her out of Hell, or if she's still got a ways to go.
Zal's story was interesting, once I realized where it was going. At first, I found it rather random and perplexing, but we learned a lot about Zal in those chapters, a lot about the origins of the different races of elves, so I can't complain. Zal become more complex in this book, and I enjoyed learning how the events of book one created the civil war heard but not seen in book two. I suspect we'll be returning to that storyline somewhere in book three.
I have to say, I was disappointed in a way: no romance. There's a tender moment here and there, but where book one had its share of sexual encounters, book two had zero, unless you could Zal's experience on the ghost ship, but that really doesn't count in my mind, amusing as it was. I missed the continued interaction of Lila and Zal's Game, something only briefly touched on in this book. I did appreciate learning how Zal really felt about her, that he truly cares for her, and I worry about the state of their relationship now at the end, with Lila being inadvertently responsible for his wife's death and her sudden decision to marry Teazle. Though monogamy is obviously not a factor in demon culture, so I don't think Zal would object, because what he and Lila have together would be very different from what Teazle and Lila might have together. Hell, all three could have SOMETHING together, so I'm interested in seeing how all of that plays out in book three, since Zal obviously considered the possibilities. And while Lila seems to have agreed to marrying Teazle, she also is bound to marry Zal due to the circumstances with is wife, at least, that's how I understood it. How will that work, I wonder?
The imp amused me to no end, and I'm becoming increasingly fond of Tath.
The strongest point of the book, however, was Lila's growth and decisions. She does evolve in this book by finally removing her blinders to the world (though in some cases, the blinders are removed for her). I'm glad she reconnects with her sister, despite what brought them together. I'm glad that Cara Delaware got what was coming to her, but I'm curious if she'll become a larger figure in the next book (books?). I liked seeing the truth of Lila's creation explored in more depth. It reminded me a bit of the new Bionic Woman (I never watched the old), in that Jaime Sommers is always pointing out she's her own person, not a piece of government equipment, and she's fighting to hold on to what she is, despite the demands placed on her (not that I'm recommending the show or anything: I'm still watching, but it teeters on the line between good and not so good. The verdict's still out on that one). At any rate, I'm glad to see Lila has a goal of achieving pure freedom, and I'm curious where it's going to take her, or if anyone will hack into her and transform her completely. I also like that she's not the person she wants to be, and that self-recognition could lead to some interesting developments in the future, especially considering the nature of her friendships and lovers.
There's a lot I liked about this book, but I found it much weaker than the first. Again, it may be symptomatic of its being the second book in a trilogy (series?), but all too often I found that Robson would write around the point, giving us a few clues for us to figure out later or until another character spelled it out directly. Don't get me wrong, I think by the end of the book, everything gels into a solid direction (despite the MILLIONS of questions I have and the lack of resolution) and I know what I'm supposed to know, for the most part. But yet, I got frustrated. Like when Lila returns to Sorcha's to find the police there and her room ripped to shreds and the elf missing. I didn't think there was any great mystery to that, but when we got back to that scene, instead of smoothly continuing from the point it left off at, we get some discussion about a character we haven't met, and Lila seems to understand, even if we don't, and then we FINALLY realize the elf escaped, killed Zal's wife, and Lila's being held responsible. Or maybe they didn't know the elf did it, but blamed Lila anyway? See, I'm not sure, only that the wife was dead, the reader knows the elf killed her, and Lila is being held responsible. I would've LOVED to get the scene of Sorcha telling Lila, "Zal's wife was murdered." and getting Lila's reaction before getting the backstory of who the woman was and what she meant to Zal.
That's just one example of really rough, roundabout transitions, but it's one of many in this book. The sense that the characters knew exactly what was going on when I didn't was rather maddening, but not in an I-know-something-you-don't-know! way, if that makes any sense. I had this problem with Living Next Door to the God of Love too, but it was worse in that book-probably because it was a second book set in a world I hadn't read the first book in (to be fair, I didn't KNOW there was a first book until I was finished with the second). ANYWAY. My point is I don't mind writers expecting their readers to be smart enough to pick up on the clues and fill in their own blanks, but many of these transitions felt like pages were missing from the story, or there was just one sentence missing that would put everything in its proper context. And yet, this isn't a heated criticism, more of an observation. I've seen cleaner, tighter books from Robson, so I can't help but wonder if she was in a hurry when she wrote this one, or was in one of those moments all writers get when life is just INSANE and focus is hard to come by.
Don't get me wrong, it all comes together in the end, despite the billions of maddening questions and unresolved subplots. But I enjoyed it. Emotionally, it resolved, even if events didn't. I still find myself confused as to particular details due to my reading of the text, but I'm not too upset, because I'm pretty certain Robson will explain them all (even if it is in a rather roundabout way) in the next book(s). Plus this is the kind of story I see myself sitting down and reading over again when I have all the books of the trilogy/series at my disposal and can read them right in a row. Plus, I think the more you know about the story, the characters, and their worlds, the more sense it all makes, so reading them again will illuminate the books in ways that weren't noticeable the first time around.
If you're a fan of the first book, you'll like this one. Bear in mind, though, it is very different. No romance, no sex scenes, and Lila and Zal don't even have a scene together until the very end. But there's so many wonderful new characters that you shouldn't mind the absence TOO much. Also be aware that you're going to want to get your hands on the third book as soon as you finish the second, but alas, I don't think the third book's on the immediate horizon, at least not in the US. Maybe the UK already has a release date? I'm not sure, but from some reason, I'm under the impression that Robson is still working on it. Whatever the case, I'm looking forward to it.
Next up: Not Flesh Nor Feathers by Cherie Priest