Quantum Gravity series, Book 1 & 2

Keeping It Real & Selling Out by Justina Robson
Quantum Gravity series
ISBN# 978-1-59102-539-9 & 978-1-59102-597-9
Availability: both are out now
Published by Pyr/Prometheus Books
Format: trade pbk., 337 pages, 363 pages
Genres: fiction, urban fantasy, futuristic fantasy

Welcome to Otopia, formerly known as Earth. In 2015 an event now referred to as the Quantum Bomb happened and everything changed, but no one knows by just how much since the QBomb changed and warped reality rather than causing an explosion. The biggest change is the discovery of five other realities that seem to lie parallel with Otopia. Faery is the friendliest towards Otopia and its human population, on the surface anyway. There's also Zoomenon (elemental realm), Alfheim (elven realm), Demonia (demon realm), and Thanatopia (only the dead and powerful necromancers can enter this realm). There's also I-space, but it's not really a realm it's just the space inbetween the realms that's full of ghosts and possibilities. In 2020, a year before Keeping It Real takes place, Alfheim closed its borders and remains in an uneasy state of affairs with the other realms.

Keeping It Real
Lila Black hasn't been a cyborg long, but she's finally been medically cleared to undertake her first assignment as an Incon agent. Unfoturnately for her this assignment involves an elf called Zal which makes her extremely uncomfortable since an elven magical attack nearly killed her. She quickly learns that Zal isn't your average elf, not only does he front a rock band (elves don't rock), he also seems addicted to elemental energy. When Lila isn't arguing with Zal about letting her do her bodyguarding job she's still dealing with the emotional scars of becoming, in her opinion, something that isn't very human. She's also confused and in quite a bit of pain because she isn't very familiar with her robotic parts or the A.I. running them and all that metal doesn't fuse with human skin so there's pain and irritation at her joints and seams. She has no choice but to learn and do it quickly when Zal is kidnapped and retrieving him means a trip into Alfheim.

Selling Out
After barely surviving her first assignment Lila Black is being sent into even more danger. Incon wants her to go into Demonia as Sorcha's (pop princess and Zal's adopted sister) guest to find out what happened to Zal while he was there and if the result can be replicated. It isn't long before she's attacked and ends up killing the House of Sikarzi's favorite son, but instead of wanting to kill her it seems that the highly feared assassin, Teazle Sikarzi, wants to marry her. Meawhile, Zal leaves for Demonia to join Lila, but ends up trapped in Zoomenon tripping over lost information that won't do him any good unless he can find a way out. Lila finds herself hellbound by dwelling on her insecurities and living in denial for so long complete with an imp companion chattering hard truths at her. When she thinks things can hardly get worse she finds out that her parents, that believe she's been M.I.A. since becoming a cyborg, have been attacked and their spirits taken leaving behind comatose shells. Now she has to protect her sister while chasing down whatever demon stole her parents' spirits so that she can set them free at the very least.

I have tried to cover the major plot points in these summaries, but there is so much more going on that it's impossible to cover it all in a few paragraphs. Robson has given so much life and uniqueness to Alfheim, Demonia, Zoomenon, and I-space that I hope you enjoy your visits as much as I did. This series is no light read, but for those that are looking for an intelligent series to get lost in and don't mind a little sci-fi with your fantasy I highly, HIGHLY recommend these books. The review for book three, Going Under, will be up soon so stay tuned.

Zhye