Rating: 
Summary: A search for accommodation is reached.
Review: I have liked Asaro's combination of hard SF with a touch of romance. She doesn't let me down in her here. The tension and contrast of the two societies, sort of mirror images of one another, is well done. She also realizes the difficulty of politcal compromises and the problems involved. I can't wait for her next novel!
Rating: 
Summary: Probably the most intricately written Asaro...
Review: I have read so far (in that order) QUANTUM ROSE, THE LAST HAWK, ASCENDANT SUN, and now THE RADIANT SEAS. Of these, I will say unhesitatingly that the last book has caught my attention the most, even though it has been roundly criticized by some people for a complicated plot and for various other things. Why do I recommend this book despite its flaws? Because of the love story of Sauscony and Jaibriol (and I wish there had been more of it!), and because of the attempt, however flawed, to combine various narratives into one grand overarching story of a family and couple's story set against grand interstellar intrigue and warfare. For those who come new to this series, the Skolians are descendants of people moved mysteriously off Earth at some earlier period, but moved across time and space. They come from different parts of Earth, and the resultant civilization they develop (their captors disappear, leaving them behind) draws from different Earth civilizations but is technologically far more advanced. At some point, this space civilization splits into two civilizations - the Skolians who depend on telepathy and empathy to control an interstellar and interplanetary form of communcation called the Web, and the Eubian Concord, led by the Aristos (short for Aristocrats) who use telepaths and empaths rather sadistically. These two civilizations are at war, with the Aristo aim being to destroy the leaders of the Skolians - a hereditary family, led by the Ruby Pharaoh. In this context, Earth discovers space travel and forms the Allied Worlds, only to discover that there are these two contending human civilizations before them. THE RADIANT SEAS is thus a story not only of a couple who are in love and who are trying to build a life together against tremendous odds, or of a ruling family trying to survive (in which each member has different traumas to overcome, and the expectations of their people to fulfill), but also a story of high politics - a tripolar (three-power) conflict in which each civilization believes that only one can emerge victorious. Most of the conflict, and it is bitter conflict, is between the Aristos (called the Traders) and the Skolians. The story is told in bits and parts, shifting from the personal experiences of the hero and heroine (and their relatives), to high politics - and showing where personal wishes interact with and sometimes conflict with high politics. If you enjoy reading this kind of a saga, you will enjoy THE RADIANT SEAS. If you find a fractured narrative, focusing on many many characters, hard to follow, you will definitely not like this novel. The list of characters at the start focuses on only some of the characters, and not all the important secondary characters at that. Some warnings should be issued however: 1) There is a considerable age difference between the hero and heroine (and the opposite of what we see in QUANTUM ROSE). I find this typical of Asaro, and perhaps unavoidable given the longevity of her major characters. Some readers, especially the more conventional kind, may find this uncomfortable. 2) Some of the technological (or SF) terms used are not well-explained. I would have loved to see a glossary of these terms such as IR at the back, for those of us not familiar with hard science. As someone with little science background, I found the photograph of the Klein bottle useful, even though I could not quite understand how an entire fleet could fit into one. An explanation similar to that offered at the end of THE QUANTUM ROSE would be useful. 3) There are many many secondary characters in this book, of whom only a fraction are listed in the list of characters. Some people might find this book hard to follow not just because of this, but because they pop up in unexpected places (and yes, there are references to characters appearing in the other books). By the way, if you want to understand who is related to whom, you would be well advised to take a look at the back of QUANTUM ROSE which outlines the main imperial line. 4) And yes, there is a lot of description of sex and torture on the part of the Aristos, although I personally found the sex more dominant in THE LAST HAWK, ASCENDANT SUN, and even THE QUANTUM ROSE. I don't feel...that the sex descriptions was necessarily gratuitous, although I could have wished to have seen less of it. I found it interesting that Asaro chose to describe what the Aristos did sexually to a slave Cirrus, rather than to one of the major characters, Althor. The torture scenes, as far as Althor was concerned, were important, even if unpleasant reading. Without that, we as readers would have little idea of what happens to a Rhon who falls into Aristo hands. Fortunately for my squeamish self, Asaro does not include details of what happened to other Rhons who are similarly unfortunate. I think that this novel would appeal most to those who are able to follow the kind of story written by Leo Tolstoy (the War and Peace comparison is irresistible, in terms of the scope of the novel and the numerous characters with their own stories). It would not appeal to those who are used to the more typical Asaro plotline which focuses strongly on one hero (or heroine) and his or her life experiences. Despite all its flaws, and there are many, I give this book a four (although it actually rates at a 4.5). For one, it kept me up and reading until 3 am (something that really means something). For another, it made me determined to acquire the rest of Asaro's books, which is a second plus. For a third, I simply like this kind of narrative strategy.
Rating:
Summary: Epic science fiction
Review: I love Catherine Asaro's range--she can do everything from narrowly focused, character-based stories to a vast, complicated epic like The Radiant Seas, where she expertly weaves multiple story lines together, without losing track of the individuals involved. All this plus good science (though admittedly some of it is over my liberal arts head.) I'm thoroughly hooked on the Skolian Empire and look forward to the next entry in Asaro's series.
Rating:
Summary: My Favorite Asaro Book
Review: If you like sci-fi you'll love Catherine Asaro. The Radiant Seas is the best of the Skolian Empire novels, in my opinion. Talk about star-crossed lovers, Sauscony is the heir to the Skolian Empire and Jaibriol the heir to the Highton Aristos. Sauscony and Jaibriol have married and are living in exile, by choice, with their children. From out of the blue Jaibriol is taken and compelled to be Highton Aristos ruler. This forces Sauscony to assume leadership of the Skolian Empire in order to rescue Jaibriol and bring him home. My favorite scene in the book is when the assembly hears boots in the corridors coming their way, Sauscony appears and immediately takes her place Imperator. She is ready to rescue her husband.
Rating:
Summary: My Favorite Asaro Book
Review: If you like sci-fi you'll love Catherine Asaro. The Radiant Seas is the best of the Skolian Empire novels, in my opinion. Talk about star-crossed lovers, Sauscony is the heir to the Skolian Empire and Jaibriol the heir to the Highton Aristos. Sauscony and Jaibriol have married and are living in exile, by choice, with their children. From out of the blue Jaibriol is taken and compelled to be Highton Aristos ruler. This forces Sauscony to assume leadership of the Skolian Empire in order to rescue Jaibriol and bring him home. My favorite scene in the book is when the assembly hears boots in the corridors coming their way, Sauscony appears and immediately takes her place Imperator. She is ready to rescue her husband.
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Summary: Second half of Primary Inversion
Review: Must Read! The Radiant Seas begins where Primary Inversion left off--to the letter. Warning: I can't write about this book without giving away some plot resolutions in Primary Inversion! At the end of Primary Inversion, Sauscony Lahaylia and Jaibriol II escape to a deserted planet, which they christen Prism. They watch the sun set, hand-in-hand, each hoping their lives together will work out now that they have chosen to strand themselves away from the machinations of their families who lead the Ruby Dynasty, the Skolian Imperialate and the Eubian Trade Empire. Will Romeo and Juliet make it on this new world? If you've ever read any Catherine Asaro, you know they do more than just "make it" (although "make it" they do in plenty). Still hand-in-hand at the jump-start of Radiant Seas, they forge their own family in an attempt to strengthen the fragile hold of an inbred dynasty clinging to the old ways. The serene, pristine beauty of their new world (and their new love) is contrasted with scenes of the grinding wheels of the old empire rolling in unstoppable offense towards galactic war. Stay tuned for another episode.
Rating:
Summary: Space Opera with a Cyberpunk/HardSF Edge
Review: Nothing beats a good Space Opera for me. I adore epic tales of the trials and tribulations of scions of intergalactic empires. So it was great to see a new series appear, nicely up-dated with new theories of faster-than-light travel and psychic powers intertwined with computers and far-future internets. As a reader of perhaps a hundred books a year... Let me tell you that most blend into the huge "Forgettable But Enjoyable" category. This series does not. It combines fast-paced adventure, intrigue, science, tech, mind-power, human cultures, a bit of sex, romance and angst, and almost the proverbial kitchen sink, into a well-crafted tale that should satisfy even the most jaded tastes.
Rating:
Summary: Space Opera with a Cyberpunk/HardSF Edge
Review: Nothing beats a good Space Opera for me. I adore epic tales of the trials and tribulations of scions of intergalactic empires. So it was great to see a new series appear, nicely up-dated with new theories of faster-than-light travel and psychic powers intertwined with computers and far-future internets. As a reader of perhaps a hundred books a year... Let me tell you that most blend into the huge "Forgettable But Enjoyable" category. This series does not. It combines fast-paced adventure, intrigue, science, tech, mind-power, human cultures, a bit of sex, romance and angst, and almost the proverbial kitchen sink, into a well-crafted tale that should satisfy even the most jaded tastes.
Rating:
Summary: sometimes the science and war distracts
Review: Of course someone with degrees in Chemical Physics is going to focus a good deal on the science in her fiction but sometimes the details can be distracting to those of us who don't have such degrees or a great love of heavy science. But Asaro's societies are still complex and well represented. There are actually three space-age societies: Skolian, Eubian, and Earth Allied. Only two of these, Skolian and Eubian, are dealt with in any great detail and they are almost polar opposites. Almost because both are really oliogarchies. Here the battle is between two races of "improved" humans -- one telepathic and one with almost no ability to feel at all. Allied Earth is somewhere in between and in fact, I get the feeling that Earth may be the big problem that hasn't reared its ugly head yet in the series.
Rating:
Summary: This Nebula nominated novel is comperable to Bujold's books
Review: Radiant Seas surpasses her previous novels in quality. I highly recommend reading Primary Inversion first, since the plot continues between these two stories. Soz remains one of my favorite characers, who grows as she ages through the book's many years. The most frustrating part about Asaro's novels revolves around her horizontal plotline, since it might take her several novels before she returns to the Primary Inversion plot thread. The consequences of Primary Inversion clearly guides The Radiant Seas' story, and The Radiant Seas similarly creates scenarios for another novel.
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