Skyfall, by Catherine Asaro
Jul. 13th, 2007 03:27 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
keilexandraSkyfall
by Catherine Asaro
317 pages (hardcover)
Genre: Fiction/SF/Romance
Chronologically the first in Asaro's Saga of the Skolian Empire series, this novel features Roca Skolia and Eldrinson Valdoria as the main coupling. It successfully builds tension despite the reader knowing what will happen in the end--always a sign of skillful writing. I liked the unique POC (people of color); though minority groups are not cuturally represented, Asaro deals plenty with xenophobic natives and humans of all shapes, sizes, and colors. After a lot of biased character looks at Kurj, it was also nice to get his introspection in a tight third POV.
I did have issues with consistency, though much of it really applies to the entire series. For one, Ruby psions are supposedly 1-in-a-billion or rarer, but various characters seem to have no trouble encountering mates who are Ruby or have recessive/unpaired Ruby genes (Roca/Eldri, Soz/Jaibriol, Kelric/Savina). Plus, all the empaths are "good"--why can't they be "evil" once in a while?
And Kurj is a hypocrite, which annoyed me. Though that's just how he is and not Asaro's fault at all.
by Catherine Asaro
317 pages (hardcover)
Genre: Fiction/SF/Romance
Chronologically the first in Asaro's Saga of the Skolian Empire series, this novel features Roca Skolia and Eldrinson Valdoria as the main coupling. It successfully builds tension despite the reader knowing what will happen in the end--always a sign of skillful writing. I liked the unique POC (people of color); though minority groups are not cuturally represented, Asaro deals plenty with xenophobic natives and humans of all shapes, sizes, and colors. After a lot of biased character looks at Kurj, it was also nice to get his introspection in a tight third POV.
I did have issues with consistency, though much of it really applies to the entire series. For one, Ruby psions are supposedly 1-in-a-billion or rarer, but various characters seem to have no trouble encountering mates who are Ruby or have recessive/unpaired Ruby genes (Roca/Eldri, Soz/Jaibriol, Kelric/Savina). Plus, all the empaths are "good"--why can't they be "evil" once in a while?
And Kurj is a hypocrite, which annoyed me. Though that's just how he is and not Asaro's fault at all.
