- Paperback: 453 pages
- Publisher: Prometheus Books; paperback / softback edition (12 Mar 2008)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 1591026016
- ISBN-13: 978-1591026013
- Product Dimensions: 22.8 x 15.4 x 2.4 cm
- Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 851,519 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Description
Review
"A richly imagined science fiction tale that delves into alternate universes, and ultimately, human loss and triumph...Quite enjoyable, with a high-concept delivery that doesn't disappoint. Recommended for sf/fantasy fans." -- Western Sensibility, the blog author, editor and book packager Russell Davis, September 26, 2008. "Kay Kenyon is an apt storyteller and keeps the flow of the story smooth at all times. It definitely sets good foundations for the sequels to build upon." -- Realms of Speculative Fiction blog, January 15, 2009
Booklist, April 1, 2007
A fascinating and gratifying feat of world building . . . promises to be a
grand epic, indeed. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
grand epic, indeed. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I picked this up at random from a bookshop, and was pleasantly surprised to find a a wonderful new voice (at least to me) in scifi/fantasy. The story has an immediately engaging narrative, unlike many other novels that set out to do "world-building". The characters are both likeable and interesting, and there are never so many players on the stage that you forget who's who.
The two universes that Kenyon creates, the rose and the entire, are fascinating. The Rose is our universe, in the near future, but most of the action takes place in the Entire, a place like no other I've read about. It has that tangible quality, that sensation that you could really get out and look around that only gifted world-builders are able to bring to their creations.
The main character of the novels, Titus Quinn, falls in love with the Entire, and the reader does do. It is a spectacular place, that is very much its own, and feels very fresh. As Titus Quinn is a human from our universe (the Rose), we are able to explore the Entire from a new-comers perspective, which is infinitely more approachable and engaging than feeling you need to have a dictionary, atlas, and history manual next to you while you read about a new place.
The plot, which revolves around the intersection of these two universes is engaging and epic in scope, but maintains a very human quality. For some reason it reminds me watching the star wars movies for the first time, that same sense of exploring a completely new world, but through engaging and approachable characters and narrative, so that wonder is never overwhelmed by confusion or alienation.
At any rate, I highly recommend this book (and its sequels), and I felt obliged to submit this review to balance the negative (and frankly surprising) review by bob. I've bought hundreds of books guided by Amazon's 5 star customer review system, and this book is at least a 4 star book when compared to the rest of the genre. Check it out, you won't be disappointed!
The two universes that Kenyon creates, the rose and the entire, are fascinating. The Rose is our universe, in the near future, but most of the action takes place in the Entire, a place like no other I've read about. It has that tangible quality, that sensation that you could really get out and look around that only gifted world-builders are able to bring to their creations.
The main character of the novels, Titus Quinn, falls in love with the Entire, and the reader does do. It is a spectacular place, that is very much its own, and feels very fresh. As Titus Quinn is a human from our universe (the Rose), we are able to explore the Entire from a new-comers perspective, which is infinitely more approachable and engaging than feeling you need to have a dictionary, atlas, and history manual next to you while you read about a new place.
The plot, which revolves around the intersection of these two universes is engaging and epic in scope, but maintains a very human quality. For some reason it reminds me watching the star wars movies for the first time, that same sense of exploring a completely new world, but through engaging and approachable characters and narrative, so that wonder is never overwhelmed by confusion or alienation.
At any rate, I highly recommend this book (and its sequels), and I felt obliged to submit this review to balance the negative (and frankly surprising) review by bob. I've bought hundreds of books guided by Amazon's 5 star customer review system, and this book is at least a 4 star book when compared to the rest of the genre. Check it out, you won't be disappointed!
9 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I've been meaning to read and review Kay Kenyon's Bright of the Sky since it was released last year. But other titles always found a way to come along, forcing me to push it back on more than one occasion. Still, when the novel made it to a variety of top scifi books' lists at the end of 2007, I knew that I needed to sit down and give it a shot.
Hopefully this review will encourage SFF readers to do the same, for Bright of the Sky is a very good read! Kenyon produced a fascinating blend of science fiction and fantasy, something that should appeal to fans of both genres.
Titus Quinn is a former star pilot now living as a recluse. Most people believe that Quinn lost his mind during an accident, though he swears that the accident transported him to a strange world. He has no memories pertaining to how he was able to return, yet he's convinced that his wife and daughter are still trapped in this parallel universe. When, against all odds, evidence of the existence of this universe is accidentally discovered, Titus Quinn accepts to "scout" this new world for the corporation that abandoned him, secertly hoping to find his missing wife and child. What he unearths, however, threatens the existence of everything he holds dear and forces him to reconsider his plans.
The worldbuilding is the most enthralling facet of Bright of the Sky. The exotic milieu Kay Kenyon created is known as the Entire, while our universe is called the Rose. It's a five-armed radial world which exists in a dimension without stars and planets. Spreading over the Entire is a lid of plasma that ebbs and flows. Living under this fiery canopy known as the bright is a panoply of quasi-human species, some of them copied from Earth, as well as various alien beings. Richly detailed, Bright of the Sky truly is something special.
Titus Quinn takes center stage, even though the supporting cast is comprised of a number of interesting characters. The only annoying aspect of this book is the author's tendency to jump from one POV to the next without any real "break" in the middle of various scenes. It sort of breaks the rhythm of the story, especially at the beginning, until readers get used to Kenyon's odd habit.
High stakes, skilled worldbuilding, good characterization, adroit pacing: Bright of the Sky is a superior read.
Hopefully this review will encourage SFF readers to do the same, for Bright of the Sky is a very good read! Kenyon produced a fascinating blend of science fiction and fantasy, something that should appeal to fans of both genres.
Titus Quinn is a former star pilot now living as a recluse. Most people believe that Quinn lost his mind during an accident, though he swears that the accident transported him to a strange world. He has no memories pertaining to how he was able to return, yet he's convinced that his wife and daughter are still trapped in this parallel universe. When, against all odds, evidence of the existence of this universe is accidentally discovered, Titus Quinn accepts to "scout" this new world for the corporation that abandoned him, secertly hoping to find his missing wife and child. What he unearths, however, threatens the existence of everything he holds dear and forces him to reconsider his plans.
The worldbuilding is the most enthralling facet of Bright of the Sky. The exotic milieu Kay Kenyon created is known as the Entire, while our universe is called the Rose. It's a five-armed radial world which exists in a dimension without stars and planets. Spreading over the Entire is a lid of plasma that ebbs and flows. Living under this fiery canopy known as the bright is a panoply of quasi-human species, some of them copied from Earth, as well as various alien beings. Richly detailed, Bright of the Sky truly is something special.
Titus Quinn takes center stage, even though the supporting cast is comprised of a number of interesting characters. The only annoying aspect of this book is the author's tendency to jump from one POV to the next without any real "break" in the middle of various scenes. It sort of breaks the rhythm of the story, especially at the beginning, until readers get used to Kenyon's odd habit.
High stakes, skilled worldbuilding, good characterization, adroit pacing: Bright of the Sky is a superior read.
Format:Kindle Edition
This was the first book by Kay Kenyon I'd read, and while I found the beginning a tad confusing, I pressed on out of curiosity. The story was about a man, Titus Quinn, who'd accidentally been thrust into another "place" with his wife and daughter after an accident with their spacecraft, and who'd returned to Earth some years later with a bizarre tale that nobody seemed to believe...until another team discovered the other place was real. Quinn returns to find out what happened to his wife and daughter, to discover that he isn't welcomed back. Descriptions were confusing and minimal, so it was hard to picture things happening as I read, but the story was engaging and well-worth reading.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Needs sticking with
I am an avid fantasy reader and have been disappointed recently by how obvious and bloodthirsty the genre is becoming. This, however, is a great book and very meaty indeed. Read more
Published 18 months ago by Bibliophile London
Just not engaging
I stuck through three chapters, but in the end I started skipping forward and then just gave up. The concept is of your typical hero in parallel universe/strange world. Read more
Published on 7 Aug 2007 by Robert
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