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Library | Shelf Number | Shelf Location | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
Searching... Fall River Main | FIC KUN | Stacks | Searching... Unknown |
Searching... Foxboro - Boyden Library | SF KUNSKEN | SCIENCE FICTION | Searching... Unknown |
Searching... Holmes Public Library | KUN | FICTION | Searching... Unknown |
Searching... Norfolk Public Library | F KUNSKEN, D. HOU | FICTION | Searching... Unknown |
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Summary
Summary
Discover the beginnings of the Quantum Evolution with The House of Styx , the start of a groundbreaking new series set 250 years before The Quantum Magician .
A groundbreaking new series set 250 years before The Quantum Magician .
Life can exist anywhere. And anywhere there is life, there is home.
In the swirling clouds of Venus, George-Étienne and his children are one of a few families of la colonie living on floating plant-like trawlers, salvaging what they can in the fierce acid rain and crackling storms. Outside is deadly for the unprepared or unwary, but the planet's atmosphere is far from the only threat a family can face.
For the surface of Venus carries its own secrets, too. In the depths, there is a wind that shouldn't exist. For George-Étienne and the House of Styx, harnessing it may be worth risking all.
Reviews (2)
Publisher's Weekly Review
The intricacies of family dynamics, politics, and coming of age play out against the stunning, deadly backdrop of Venus in this standout work by Künsken (The Quantum Magician). The D'Aquillon family is scraping by in the depths of Venus's atmosphere--harvesting water and oxygen and gathering metals from volcanic ash in the lowest clouds--when they discover an anomalous storm with startling origins brewing on the planet's surface. In the more luxurious habitats of La Colonie, drifting just above the upper clouds of Venus, political agendas clash and the first generation of Venus-born humans seek a connection with their inhospitable home through aciding--body art created by applying sulfuric acid to skin. The D'Aquillons must decide whether to share their discovery with the colonial government or use it to their political advantage. To fully exploit their situation, they'll have to open ranks to new allies and set aside old grudges. Künsken's vivid worldbuilding is a knockout; the shifting relationships, intriguing politics, well-drawn counterculture, and the haunting atmosphere of Venus combine into a mesmerizing whole. This is a must-read for fans of character-driven sci-fi. Agent: Kim-Mei Kirtland, Howard Morhaim Literary. (Aug.)
Library Journal Review
Künsken ("Quantum Magician" series) starts a new series set in the skies of Venus. A colonist from Quebec, George-Etienne D'Aquillon established a family business harvesting minerals, electricity, and plant life in the clouds above the planet. The intense heat, pressure, and the acidic environment require constant focus and ingenuity. George-Etienne has already lost his wife, daughter, and son-in-law to the dangerous conditions. He fears that the colonial government, with few laws and fewer resources, that is run by off-world banks, will soon requisition what little equipment he has left, leaving his family destitute. After a lifetime of hard choices and sustenance living, a discovery made down on the surface--a place few have ventured--could change forever the futures of the D'Aquillon family if only they can reach it. VERDICT This electrifying planetary adventure features a hardscrabble family that earnestly addresses issues of addiction, gender, sexuality, and disability while surviving storms of all sorts in the hostile clouds of Venus. Highly recommended.--Catherine Lantz, Univ. of Illinois at Chicago Lib.