Rating: 
Summary: Not good
Review: Catherine Asaro's works were recommended to me because I'm such a fan of Lois McMaster Bujold, and because I like both romance (even sexy romance) and science fiction. I read Primary Inversion and thought it was merely OK (bit of a chore to finish, actually), but hoped the series would get better. Unfortunately, it didn't. First it was annoying because I couldn't figure out whether the main male character (I won't say hero) was the brother of the main character in Primary Inversion; but apparently time-travel is involved and it turns out there's a whole hardly-worth-it family tree to attempt to comprehend. Then the main female character was ignorant, annoying and much too (some might say illegally?) young for the male character; the sex scenes were out of place in the context of the story and not well done, the science incomprehensible, and the supporting characters stereotypical yet not even believable as friends of the female lead. None of them, including the leads, engendered the slightest sympathy from me; there was no joyous discovery of what the future holds, only the most predictable, Star Trek-at-its-worst conclusions. A little girl from the Barrio, an ignorant brute of a man, and me not caring at all. Please, if you're looking for futuristic romance and flawed but sympathetic characters with good stories, skip these and read something by Bujold.
Rating: 
Summary: KEEP YOUR DISTANCE!
Review: Catherine Asaro, while she has amazing talent and plot ideas with enormous potential, she covers whatever good points this book could have had with the worst collection of filth i've ever read. Unless you are one of those...individuals who prefer to read novels involving explicit physical intimacy, I'd advise you to stay away from Catherine Asaro's works.
Rating: 
Summary: Romance and sci-fi at their best!!!!!!!
Review: I came across "Catch the Lightning" by accident. Romance Writers of America, of which I am a member, lists the works of romance authors each month. "Quantum Rose" (serialized in Analog mag) was on the list and I immediately went in search of it, since I love to read both sci-fi and romance. Enjoying the series so much, I searched for other titles by Catherine and found "Catch the Lightning." I absolutely loved reading this novel. What a sexy hero Althor is with his buff body and golden skin, and Tina is certainly his "match made in Skolia heaven." I was particularly intrigued by the way the author linked Iotica, Althor's language, and the culture of the Ruby Dynasty with Mayan language and culture (I'm a linguist as well). The quantum mechanics was a bit above my head, but it didn't detract from the fast-paced action and developing romance. It's wonderful to see an author who combines so well sci-fi and romance, the head and the heart, the right and left brain hemispheres in such an exciting read. I highly recommend this novel.
Rating:
Summary: really poor
Review: I got this from the library and was very disappointed. Not only was the story line very choppy, jumping from place to place without any real development of details (or characters or plot), but it completely glossed over things like her reaction to a wildly new culture, language, technology, etc. All the physics "detail" tossed in looked like it was made up by someone who didn't have a clue what they were talking about. (perhaps the author does have a clue, but that's how it came across to me) Also, aside from whether you liked the frequent sex scene detail in the book or not, they also mentioned, but then avoided the fact that this was sex between an adult man and a minor. When they first had sex, and when they got married it was brought up, and even the people in the future were shocked and disapproving. But then they all just jumped on past the issue. Overall, this book was poor enough to put me off trying anything else by this author. Even in high school this would have been embarrassing to admit having wasted time on.
Rating: 
Summary: A good read.
Review: I liked the tradional romance plot put in a very hard SF setting. I enjoy physics but I find it easier to take with a big dollop of my favorite brain candy. I had 2 problems with the book. The part where they are captured by the villains seems to wallow in sado-masochism and the story just sort of drifts to a stop. I haven't read any of the other Skolian books. A lot of potentially interesting stuff is refered to but doesn't seem to be covered in any of the other books.
Rating:
Summary: A good read.
Review: I liked the tradional romance plot put in a very hard SF setting. I enjoy physics but I find it easier to take with a big dollop of my favorite brain candy. I had 2 problems with the book. The part where they are captured by the villains seems to wallow in sado-masochism and the story just sort of drifts to a stop. I haven't read any of the other Skolian books. A lot of potentially interesting stuff is refered to but doesn't seem to be covered in any of the other books.
Rating:
Summary: "Lightning" fails to strike twice
Review: I read this book right after the first in the Skolian Saga, Primary Inversion, and boy was I shocked. Yuuk! This book doesn't pick up where the first left off, but skips over 50-150 years of interesting sounding stuff, and focuses on the nephew of the star of Book #1. (Actually it starts on an alternate, present day earth, but that's just a mistake). After reading all the science theory and explanations in the first book, I was incredibly bored rereading them being re-explained here, usually almost word for word. Five pages on the genes and genetic problems of the Rhon, two on the "tree on the road" ftl model, and on it goes. Also, the characters weren't nearly as captivating as in the first book. I didn't really ever care for or about them, and the memories of pain in the first book are so much more horrible than the actual pain in this one. Where the first book had a couple of tastefully done sex scenes, it seems that every 20 pages here the characters have to jump in bed together. Also, I think that Tina's reaction to being pulled 400 years into the future of an alternate universe is a little underdone; she just takes it all in stride like she does that kind of thing every day. There was never any real suspense in this book, and the first half of the book doesn't really have anything to do with the second half. I definitely don't recommend this book. I enjoyed Primary Inversion enough that I'm willing to try book #3, but this one really stunk. I actually found myself rushing through the last two chapters, so eager was I for it to actually end!
Rating:
Summary: "Lightning" fails to strike twice
Review: I read this book right after the first in the Skolian Saga, Primary Inversion, and boy was I shocked. Yuuk! This book doesn't pick up where the first left off, but skips over 50-150 years of interesting sounding stuff, and focuses on the nephew of the star of Book #1. (Actually it starts on an alternate, present day earth, but that's just a mistake). After reading all the science theory and explanations in the first book, I was incredibly bored rereading them being re-explained here, usually almost word for word. Five pages on the genes and genetic problems of the Rhon, two on the "tree on the road" ftl model, and on it goes. Also, the characters weren't nearly as captivating as in the first book. I didn't really ever care for or about them, and the memories of pain in the first book are so much more horrible than the actual pain in this one. Where the first book had a couple of tastefully done sex scenes, it seems that every 20 pages here the characters have to jump in bed together. Also, I think that Tina's reaction to being pulled 400 years into the future of an alternate universe is a little underdone; she just takes it all in stride like she does that kind of thing every day. There was never any real suspense in this book, and the first half of the book doesn't really have anything to do with the second half. I definitely don't recommend this book. I enjoyed Primary Inversion enough that I'm willing to try book #3, but this one really stunk. I actually found myself rushing through the last two chapters, so eager was I for it to actually end!
Rating:
Summary: exceedingly exciting
Review: I think that this is one of the best Science fiction novel ever written. And having read many of them, I can definitely vouch for "Catch the lightning." The author's ability to combine conceivable scientific achievement with real human emotions is one of the reason why I think this is a book worthy of anyone's time. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Catch the Lightning review
Review: I thoroughly enjoyed this book by Catherine Asaro. It has most of the elements that I seek in a book: romance, science, adventure, time travel, myth, history, technology, and virtual reality. Catherine's creative description of faster than speed of light opened my mind to many possibilties that could make this faster than speed of light a reality. She portrayed an universe that is possible in another worlds and time that are unlike our own. I really enjoyed this book and even I gave this book to my friend, who also really enjoyed it
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