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The Quantum Evolution #3
The Quantum War
The eagerly awaited third volume in the number one bestselling Quantum Evolution series. An all-new, ground-breaking, action-packed new science fiction adventure set in the universe of The Quantum Magician and The Quantum Garden.
The Union-Congregate war rages onward and the Union’s premier fighter pilots, the Homo Eridanus, start encountering deadly resistance from strange pilots on the Congregate side. Among wreckage, they find that new Congregate pilots aren’t human, but Homo quantus, with strange wiring and AI connections.
At the same time, the Puppets come to the Union with offers of an alliance for a dangerous price: the rescue of the geneticist Antonio Del Casal who is a captive at Venus, with over a hundred Homo quantus.
The only one who might be able to break through the Congregate defences at Venus is a con man who has given up his profession.
The Union-Congregate war rages onward and the Union’s premier fighter pilots, the Homo Eridanus, start encountering deadly resistance from strange pilots on the Congregate side. Among wreckage, they find that new Congregate pilots aren’t human, but Homo quantus, with strange wiring and AI connections.
At the same time, the Puppets come to the Union with offers of an alliance for a dangerous price: the rescue of the geneticist Antonio Del Casal who is a captive at Venus, with over a hundred Homo quantus.
The only one who might be able to break through the Congregate defences at Venus is a con man who has given up his profession.
400 pages, Paperback
First published October 12, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 90 reviews
August 11, 2021
Homo Quantus return in the Quantum War, providing us fantastically evolving humans five hundred years in the future. This is a mix of space opera, wartime footing action, and deeper characterizations than straight action.
Whereas The Quantum Magician was more of a heist novel and The Quantum Garden was more of a rescue operation, The Quantum War was more of an exploitation/war-readiness moral quandary issue than either of the ones that came before.
The best parts, at least to me, all revolve around the question and use of the Homo Quantus. At certain times they are highly revered, sweet people with Down Syndrome, and at other times, they're cyborged-out savants that think a thousand times faster than normal humans. And they are forced into war. Refugees, the powerful fearful, and the exploited are all forced on a very circuitous path.
As always, I love Künsken's exploration of what it means to be human. Even getting into SEVERAL new branches of humanity: the kind we create or the kind we become and whatever is left behind. Shake all of this up into some wild, often highly high-brow SF possibilities (damn, I love the possibilities of that Iron) and even some timey-wimey stuff that's only possible thanks to this new evolution.
If you are waiting for some great new Hard-SF that doesn't fear to push those boundaries, then definitely read these.
I do recommend reading them in order even if we explore new characters. It's totally possible to read these out of publication order, mind you, but I got a lot more out of this because I was already familiar with so much of the tech, the cool combinations of AI and Human, and the big stuff on the fringes.
Definitely a fun ride.
Whereas The Quantum Magician was more of a heist novel and The Quantum Garden was more of a rescue operation, The Quantum War was more of an exploitation/war-readiness moral quandary issue than either of the ones that came before.
The best parts, at least to me, all revolve around the question and use of the Homo Quantus. At certain times they are highly revered, sweet people with Down Syndrome, and at other times, they're cyborged-out savants that think a thousand times faster than normal humans. And they are forced into war. Refugees, the powerful fearful, and the exploited are all forced on a very circuitous path.
As always, I love Künsken's exploration of what it means to be human. Even getting into SEVERAL new branches of humanity: the kind we create or the kind we become and whatever is left behind. Shake all of this up into some wild, often highly high-brow SF possibilities (damn, I love the possibilities of that Iron) and even some timey-wimey stuff that's only possible thanks to this new evolution.
If you are waiting for some great new Hard-SF that doesn't fear to push those boundaries, then definitely read these.
I do recommend reading them in order even if we explore new characters. It's totally possible to read these out of publication order, mind you, but I got a lot more out of this because I was already familiar with so much of the tech, the cool combinations of AI and Human, and the big stuff on the fringes.
Definitely a fun ride.
June 16, 2022
Love this universe. Like this book.
I've irritated more than a few people in pushing them to read this series and that probably won't change any time soon.
All my faves return! Iekanjika is leading the fight for independence. Stills continues to use offensive language as punctuation. Bel and Cass are... Bel and Cass. And then there are the Puppets! I bloody love the Puppets and I was more than happy to spend time with them.
______
“Be the good boy,” she said.
Some of the Puppet troopers began to weep openly. They wanted so much to be the good boy. She wanted to be the good boy. So badly. She cracked the whip, finishing the communion.
______
Then there's the not quite complete , but still surprising change in feeling towards the Congregate. I didn't think I was capable of sympathising with the Unions oppressors. And I was right, but it was close.
That said...
This needed a few more pages to fulfil its potential. Some conversations ended prematurely and not enough time is spent in other scenes for them to make the climax emotionally impactful. A few more pages to raise the tension and significance of actions might have made the losses feel (more) meaningful. Although I'm not sure how much it would have helped the ending considering that events in the previous book, The Quantum Garden, undermine it all. Its not always a bad thing when a story reminds me of the Adam West Batman show, but it was here. The cliffhanger of an ending was really unsatisfying and my desire to read the final book in the series is driven more by my undiminished love for the Magician and the Garden.
Künsken often does a good job of executing popular tropes in heist stories but there's usually some mind expanding idea that elevates the work to exceptional. Unfortunately The Quantum War doesn't have that idea.
All in all, The War is a fairly solid work that benefits from walking the path laid by the authors previous work, but also suffers in comparison to them.
3.5 stars rounded up.
I received an eARC from netgalley in exchange for dashed hopes.
I've irritated more than a few people in pushing them to read this series and that probably won't change any time soon.
All my faves return! Iekanjika is leading the fight for independence. Stills continues to use offensive language as punctuation. Bel and Cass are... Bel and Cass. And then there are the Puppets! I bloody love the Puppets and I was more than happy to spend time with them.
______
“Be the good boy,” she said.
Some of the Puppet troopers began to weep openly. They wanted so much to be the good boy. She wanted to be the good boy. So badly. She cracked the whip, finishing the communion.
______
Then there's the not quite complete , but still surprising change in feeling towards the Congregate. I didn't think I was capable of sympathising with the Unions oppressors. And I was right, but it was close.
That said...
This needed a few more pages to fulfil its potential. Some conversations ended prematurely and not enough time is spent in other scenes for them to make the climax emotionally impactful. A few more pages to raise the tension and significance of actions might have made the losses feel (more) meaningful. Although I'm not sure how much it would have helped the ending considering that events in the previous book, The Quantum Garden, undermine it all. Its not always a bad thing when a story reminds me of the Adam West Batman show, but it was here. The cliffhanger of an ending was really unsatisfying and my desire to read the final book in the series is driven more by my undiminished love for the Magician and the Garden.
Künsken often does a good job of executing popular tropes in heist stories but there's usually some mind expanding idea that elevates the work to exceptional. Unfortunately The Quantum War doesn't have that idea.
All in all, The War is a fairly solid work that benefits from walking the path laid by the authors previous work, but also suffers in comparison to them.
3.5 stars rounded up.
I received an eARC from netgalley in exchange for dashed hopes.
April 16, 2023
2.5 stars, but rounded up on Goodreads due to good will towards the first two books.
In the first two books, there were some great heist moments, and that depended on great planning and cunning and teamwork. In this book, as it's more war-focused, the main mission seems to be "go in guns blazing" and is missing so much of what I liked about the first two books. However, you do get to spend some more time with the crew, which is good fun.
Full review on my podcast, SFBRP episode #473:
In the first two books, there were some great heist moments, and that depended on great planning and cunning and teamwork. In this book, as it's more war-focused, the main mission seems to be "go in guns blazing" and is missing so much of what I liked about the first two books. However, you do get to spend some more time with the crew, which is good fun.
Full review on my podcast, SFBRP episode #473:
August 9, 2022
All of the characters from the previous books are back with the stakes cranked up to white knuckle levels. Things look pretty hopeless here. A lot of the fun of the previous books is replaced with existential grimness, which is very Alastair Reynolds-like.
It all comes to a massively destructive conclusion and I’m not sure if this is the end. If it is the end, it is a pretty crappy one in my opinion.
Overall, I enjoyed this book. I’ll enjoy it more, though, if there is another one to resolve some loose ends and questions I have. Authors have driven me crazy in the past with that kind of thing, so I’m not going to hold my breath.
It all comes to a massively destructive conclusion and I’m not sure if this is the end. If it is the end, it is a pretty crappy one in my opinion.
Overall, I enjoyed this book. I’ll enjoy it more, though, if there is another one to resolve some loose ends and questions I have. Authors have driven me crazy in the past with that kind of thing, so I’m not going to hold my breath.
October 15, 2021
This volume continues to have a huge amount of weird, wonderful, genuinely new ideas, in particular about the nature of faith and biological drives. Unfortunately, it just wasn't as fun as the previous two books. The playful nature of the first heist and the excitement of the time travel adventure couldn't be matched by a book that spent this much time in combat and torture. Kinda a downer, honestly.
I will, of course, continue to read everything in this universe. I'm assuming that there will be more to come, based simply on the number of hanging plot threads
I will, of course, continue to read everything in this universe. I'm assuming that there will be more to come, based simply on the number of hanging plot threads
October 17, 2021
A decent, if probably my least favorite entry in this series. I had kinda hoped that Quantum War would be more like Quantum Garden and tell a somewhat smaller story that focuses on a few characters. Instead it takes more from the first book. It's another fast moving heist story that doesn't have much time discuss things.
I think the real flaw is that main plot doesn't make a whole lot of sense. It was logical for Bel to risk everything when his entire race was at stake, but formulating this ridiculous plan that puts himself and all of his people at risk just to save another 150 of his people never really added up.
Also there's hardly any writing from Bel/Cass in Quantum fugue/savant state, which is a shame because that was some of my favorite parts of the last two books.
I still enjoyed most of the stuff with the puppets/numen and Kunsken's writing on posthumanism, but I can't help but feel a bit disappointed.
I think the real flaw is that main plot doesn't make a whole lot of sense. It was logical for Bel to risk everything when his entire race was at stake, but formulating this ridiculous plan that puts himself and all of his people at risk just to save another 150 of his people never really added up.
Also there's hardly any writing from Bel/Cass in Quantum fugue/savant state, which is a shame because that was some of my favorite parts of the last two books.
I still enjoyed most of the stuff with the puppets/numen and Kunsken's writing on posthumanism, but I can't help but feel a bit disappointed.
March 25, 2022
4.5/5
I probably enjoyed The Quantum War the best of the 3 books in the series so far. It was action-packed, suspenseful, and thrilling. And being the third book in the series, it isn’t bogged down by much explaining or exposition anymore.
Told on two timelines 4 months apart, I could have used less of the earlier Conglomerate timeline and it could have just been merged with the current timeline of the Homo quantus and the Union. Also, I would have liked to have seen more of Belisarius, but the book did give us a lot more of the Conglomerate’s perspective this time around.
The Quantum War is the most plot-focused and action-packed of the series, but I did miss the more introspective aspects we get from Belisarius.
*Addendum: This book needed another editing pass through because there were numerous spelling errors and typos throughout.
I probably enjoyed The Quantum War the best of the 3 books in the series so far. It was action-packed, suspenseful, and thrilling. And being the third book in the series, it isn’t bogged down by much explaining or exposition anymore.
Told on two timelines 4 months apart, I could have used less of the earlier Conglomerate timeline and it could have just been merged with the current timeline of the Homo quantus and the Union. Also, I would have liked to have seen more of Belisarius, but the book did give us a lot more of the Conglomerate’s perspective this time around.
The Quantum War is the most plot-focused and action-packed of the series, but I did miss the more introspective aspects we get from Belisarius.
*Addendum: This book needed another editing pass through because there were numerous spelling errors and typos throughout.
November 26, 2021
Interminable meetings and negotiations, repetitive philosophical musings, very little action. Not even as good as the first, much worse than the second. The Congregate twists itself into a moral pretzel to justify its atrocities, I think at this point annihilating Venus would be a good and just option. Captured homo quantus are rewired to fight in the war against the Union, where they can actually match the mongrels, and Arjona et al are planning a daring rescue mission which is never adequately explained. The book is full of plot holes and abandoned threads and feels like a filler volume in the series.
July 24, 2022
This one started out well, but it is VERY dark. I'm not much of a grim-dark reader, and I don't much like writing negative reviews. ... Well. It does say War right in the title, and warfare brings out some of the very worst in people. I think I'll pass you over to Mike Reeves review, https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
-- in particular, his comment that "It's utterly believable, and truly awful." Yup. Künsken is a very good writer, and I think he was trying for a "War is Hell" book. Good job, but not at all what I was aiming to read! I hope he goes for a much lighter book next time. 2.5 stars, rounded down for quite a lot of stuff I'll be happy to forget. It does end on the upswing, for the survivors anyway.
-- in particular, his comment that "It's utterly believable, and truly awful." Yup. Künsken is a very good writer, and I think he was trying for a "War is Hell" book. Good job, but not at all what I was aiming to read! I hope he goes for a much lighter book next time. 2.5 stars, rounded down for quite a lot of stuff I'll be happy to forget. It does end on the upswing, for the survivors anyway.
August 24, 2021
I've kept reading this series because the storytelling is so good, because I'm so captured by the dilemmas of the characters and their strivings to deal with a universe that's too big and too cruel (but rather amazing). But it's not at all the kind of thing I usually like, and with this instalment I think I'm out.
In particular, I'm turned off by the high squick factor of the Puppets, people genetically engineered to be addicted to the pheromones produced by their enslavers, which fill them with artificially generated religious awe; they are childishly naïve (even their names are often childish diminutives), fanatical to the point of becoming suicide bombers, unreliable, and utterly creepy, even to most of the other characters. I don't love this as a characterization of religious people, and the only other religious person (the AI who believes himself to be a reincarnation of St Matthew) talks about his convictions, but never appears to act on them in any detectable way, or even act in accordance with his supposed delusion very much. Meanwhile, even though Catholicism has supposedly died out years ago, Catholic-based swearing persists.
I'll also mention that, in the pre-release review copy I received via Netgalley, the number of copy editing issues was epic, seemingly (at least in part) because the pace of the typing had matched the frenetic pace of the story.
Because the story is well-paced, a relentless dark SF thriller that, even though it doesn't once slow down in order to infodump, manages to use quantum physics and other sufficiently advanced science indistinguishably from magic to pull off a complex-but-understandable plot driven by believable human (and human-adjacent) motivations. These motivations range from the absurd fanaticism of the Puppets through the paranoid, but understandable, misapprehensions of an intelligence officer to the moral disquiet and guilt of the series hero, Belisarius, who, in this third book, is trying to make up for and in some cases reverse the consequences of his decisions and actions from the first two volumes. His unique talents mean that his striving continues to have far-reaching political and personal consequences, costing a number of lives and wreaking widespread property damage, and putting entire sub-races of humanity, including his own, under increasing threat.
There's a scene partway through in which the intelligence officer is talking about how she despises her grandmother for her crimes against humanity while, at that exact moment, committing the absolutely identical crime against humanity in order to motivate a captive scientist to commit yet further crimes against humanity (which wouldn't be his first). It's utterly believable, and truly awful. And that, for me, was the problem; this book is meant to be disturbing, and it absolutely is. It does such a tremendous job of being disturbing that it's disturbed me right out of the readership for both the series and the author.
In particular, I'm turned off by the high squick factor of the Puppets, people genetically engineered to be addicted to the pheromones produced by their enslavers, which fill them with artificially generated religious awe; they are childishly naïve (even their names are often childish diminutives), fanatical to the point of becoming suicide bombers, unreliable, and utterly creepy, even to most of the other characters. I don't love this as a characterization of religious people, and the only other religious person (the AI who believes himself to be a reincarnation of St Matthew) talks about his convictions, but never appears to act on them in any detectable way, or even act in accordance with his supposed delusion very much. Meanwhile, even though Catholicism has supposedly died out years ago, Catholic-based swearing persists.
I'll also mention that, in the pre-release review copy I received via Netgalley, the number of copy editing issues was epic, seemingly (at least in part) because the pace of the typing had matched the frenetic pace of the story.
Because the story is well-paced, a relentless dark SF thriller that, even though it doesn't once slow down in order to infodump, manages to use quantum physics and other sufficiently advanced science indistinguishably from magic to pull off a complex-but-understandable plot driven by believable human (and human-adjacent) motivations. These motivations range from the absurd fanaticism of the Puppets through the paranoid, but understandable, misapprehensions of an intelligence officer to the moral disquiet and guilt of the series hero, Belisarius, who, in this third book, is trying to make up for and in some cases reverse the consequences of his decisions and actions from the first two volumes. His unique talents mean that his striving continues to have far-reaching political and personal consequences, costing a number of lives and wreaking widespread property damage, and putting entire sub-races of humanity, including his own, under increasing threat.
There's a scene partway through in which the intelligence officer is talking about how she despises her grandmother for her crimes against humanity while, at that exact moment, committing the absolutely identical crime against humanity in order to motivate a captive scientist to commit yet further crimes against humanity (which wouldn't be his first). It's utterly believable, and truly awful. And that, for me, was the problem; this book is meant to be disturbing, and it absolutely is. It does such a tremendous job of being disturbing that it's disturbed me right out of the readership for both the series and the author.
June 12, 2022
No direct discussion of events, but might be spoilery.
So I guess we're in the era where you have to follow an author on Twitter or something to know a New Book is just a waypoint in a broader story? I keep seeing reviews that describe this as Book 3 of 4. That would explain why this novel feels unfinished (and I'm not even talking about all the typos - I must have flagged 50 of them in the Kindle edition).
I pre-ordered this book, so it's not like I had reviews to help set my expectations. I read the first 2 installments and I really enjoyed them. Their futuristic, ultratech take in the heist genre is inventive, fun, and full of grand-reveal payoff. So when I saw the preorder on Kindle, it was a no-brainer.
It took me 2 months to make myself finish it.
Maybe my read would have been different if I knew this was not the end of this story. As it was, it READS like the end, and that end is crappy. It's pretty upsetting to finish a book and THEN find out it's really more like the first half of a last installment.
The pacing of this book is way, way off. In a literal sense of "events," almost nothing happens for fully 60% of the book. Just talking, table setting, putting dominoes in place so they can be knocked down later. I'm not kidding when I say I made myself finish. It was a tough slog.
The eventual payoff - the big gamble, the hidden plan, the tight straights - was not worth the wait. For one thing, it's hard to sympathize with Arjona's guilt and general mopiness. He's not the calculated strategist here, he's the emotionally traumatized protagonist making mistakes because he's making emotional decisions, not rational ones. In the book, he is not the one being underestimated (that's the batsh*t crazy Puppets, with their Creepy Factor turned up to 11 -- although, aside, despite how weird and repugnant they are, there is still some good comedic effect ("I will never, ever eat the creampuff")), he's the one doing the underestimating.
For another, it wasn't very clever. Coming off the first 2 books, I'm looking for the "what's really going on" change-up. But it didn't come. What you see is what's really going on, and it's just a novel military strategy founded on suicidal zealotry. It's shocking, and the action is good, but that's not what I expect from this author and set of characters.
I was ready to pan the book for an unworthy, wasted demise for a protagonist who deserved a better end, but I now infer from all the "there's another book coming!" reviews that he probably isn't as erased from existence as it seems. Guess I'll wait and see.
I was also going to pan it for all of the storylines just left hanging. It feels like the book needed another 5-6 chapters to even summarily tie things up.
Instead, I will pan it for being an unsatisfying read standing on its own, especially if you don't know going in that it's intentionally incomplete.
The first two books earned enough goodwill that I will read the 4th and final if it ever arrives. But this bad taste in my mouth is going to last until then, I'm sure.
So I guess we're in the era where you have to follow an author on Twitter or something to know a New Book is just a waypoint in a broader story? I keep seeing reviews that describe this as Book 3 of 4. That would explain why this novel feels unfinished (and I'm not even talking about all the typos - I must have flagged 50 of them in the Kindle edition).
I pre-ordered this book, so it's not like I had reviews to help set my expectations. I read the first 2 installments and I really enjoyed them. Their futuristic, ultratech take in the heist genre is inventive, fun, and full of grand-reveal payoff. So when I saw the preorder on Kindle, it was a no-brainer.
It took me 2 months to make myself finish it.
Maybe my read would have been different if I knew this was not the end of this story. As it was, it READS like the end, and that end is crappy. It's pretty upsetting to finish a book and THEN find out it's really more like the first half of a last installment.
The pacing of this book is way, way off. In a literal sense of "events," almost nothing happens for fully 60% of the book. Just talking, table setting, putting dominoes in place so they can be knocked down later. I'm not kidding when I say I made myself finish. It was a tough slog.
The eventual payoff - the big gamble, the hidden plan, the tight straights - was not worth the wait. For one thing, it's hard to sympathize with Arjona's guilt and general mopiness. He's not the calculated strategist here, he's the emotionally traumatized protagonist making mistakes because he's making emotional decisions, not rational ones. In the book, he is not the one being underestimated (that's the batsh*t crazy Puppets, with their Creepy Factor turned up to 11 -- although, aside, despite how weird and repugnant they are, there is still some good comedic effect ("I will never, ever eat the creampuff")), he's the one doing the underestimating.
For another, it wasn't very clever. Coming off the first 2 books, I'm looking for the "what's really going on" change-up. But it didn't come. What you see is what's really going on, and it's just a novel military strategy founded on suicidal zealotry. It's shocking, and the action is good, but that's not what I expect from this author and set of characters.
I was ready to pan the book for an unworthy, wasted demise for a protagonist who deserved a better end, but I now infer from all the "there's another book coming!" reviews that he probably isn't as erased from existence as it seems. Guess I'll wait and see.
I was also going to pan it for all of the storylines just left hanging. It feels like the book needed another 5-6 chapters to even summarily tie things up.
Instead, I will pan it for being an unsatisfying read standing on its own, especially if you don't know going in that it's intentionally incomplete.
The first two books earned enough goodwill that I will read the 4th and final if it ever arrives. But this bad taste in my mouth is going to last until then, I'm sure.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 30, 2021
This book shares some DNA (that's my effort at being funny) with the first book, but where the first was a clever, quirky, funny caper with fabulous hard-SF bones, this one has devolved from that great beginning into a mil-SF conflict of thinly drawn characters. But that's a bit harsh. To be more clear, the characters repeat themselves; they have not changed at all and do not develop during this story. (The one exception may be St. Matthew.) Also, there is more than mil-SF here, but there's too much mil and not enough SF. I guess I should have been clued-in by the title.
May 7, 2023
wonderful read. Lots of original SF ideas, loveable characters and plot twists. Food for thought abt genetic engineering and its perils.
November 20, 2021
Derek Künsken’s The Quantum War, the third book in The Quantum Evolution series, continues the stories that blend exciting space adventure with probing speculations on the philosophical and religious implications of altering human evolution. At the heart of these novels, set in the 26th century, are new human species, especially the Homo quantus, endowed with prodigious mental powers.
A product of genetic engineering sponsored by the Banks that are one of the great powers of this universe, most Homo quantus never achieved the intellectual abilities to predict the future hoped for by their creators. But one among them, Belisarius Arjona (Bel), is capable of incredible feats of abstract thinking, able to perceive the universe as a quantum system, at times coming close to the hoped-for ability to alter the probabilities underlying the structure of reality.
........
Aside from keeping a complex story moving smoothly to its exciting conclusion, Künsken is especially skillful in elaborating the novel scientific breakthroughs that drive much of the story. This is a series about accelerated human evolution that leads in strange directions as much for war and economic advantage as for enhancing intelligence. But there is a great deal more.
So we learn about the details of genetic engineering, artificial intelligence, the mechanics of powerful space engines, the induction of worm holes and even time travel. Above all, we enter the fugue state of mind Bel and Cassandra can achieve and see the quantum nature of reality through their eyes. It’s a mark of great science fiction when an author can extrapolate from present-day sciences and plausibly describe the most unlikely future advances, and Künsken is a master at this.
I was also struck by how deeply ideas about redemption and religion are woven into the story of The Quantum War. Saint Matthew, though an eccentric AI, has not only a strong conscience but places the actions he and his allies take into a religious context as well as an ethical one. Originally a creation of the powerful Banks, who designed him for “hegemony and mass murder,” he emancipated himself through a spiritual transformation, imagining himself to be the reincarnation of Saint Matthew and adopting Christian faith, a mostly forgotten religion in this universe. He sees the struggles of the puppets with their Numen and the Homo quantus with their intellectual accomplishments as different pathways to the divine, though they may not understand it as such.
The Quantum War and the whole series (there is a fourth book planned) is richly rewarding and exciting to read. Every page is dense with invention, compelling human drama and wild adventure. The characters are both unpredictable and unforgettable.The Quantum Evolution series is for me one of the best of this century.
Read the full review at SciFi Mind.
A product of genetic engineering sponsored by the Banks that are one of the great powers of this universe, most Homo quantus never achieved the intellectual abilities to predict the future hoped for by their creators. But one among them, Belisarius Arjona (Bel), is capable of incredible feats of abstract thinking, able to perceive the universe as a quantum system, at times coming close to the hoped-for ability to alter the probabilities underlying the structure of reality.
........
Aside from keeping a complex story moving smoothly to its exciting conclusion, Künsken is especially skillful in elaborating the novel scientific breakthroughs that drive much of the story. This is a series about accelerated human evolution that leads in strange directions as much for war and economic advantage as for enhancing intelligence. But there is a great deal more.
So we learn about the details of genetic engineering, artificial intelligence, the mechanics of powerful space engines, the induction of worm holes and even time travel. Above all, we enter the fugue state of mind Bel and Cassandra can achieve and see the quantum nature of reality through their eyes. It’s a mark of great science fiction when an author can extrapolate from present-day sciences and plausibly describe the most unlikely future advances, and Künsken is a master at this.
I was also struck by how deeply ideas about redemption and religion are woven into the story of The Quantum War. Saint Matthew, though an eccentric AI, has not only a strong conscience but places the actions he and his allies take into a religious context as well as an ethical one. Originally a creation of the powerful Banks, who designed him for “hegemony and mass murder,” he emancipated himself through a spiritual transformation, imagining himself to be the reincarnation of Saint Matthew and adopting Christian faith, a mostly forgotten religion in this universe. He sees the struggles of the puppets with their Numen and the Homo quantus with their intellectual accomplishments as different pathways to the divine, though they may not understand it as such.
The Quantum War and the whole series (there is a fourth book planned) is richly rewarding and exciting to read. Every page is dense with invention, compelling human drama and wild adventure. The characters are both unpredictable and unforgettable.The Quantum Evolution series is for me one of the best of this century.
Read the full review at SciFi Mind.
March 7, 2022
The Quantum Magician was one of the best books I'd read in a while but I feel like the series has gotten... more... icky? ... stressful? ... less fun. :(
November 27, 2021
This trilogy has everything I love. There is a great storyline that keeps me wondering what will happen. I enjoy the hard science, the ethical questions, and the questions of identity. If someone is created one way (or broken one way) how much can they change? How much of their future can they actually determine? Questions of god and religion are touched on. The eternal theme of course, that humans can turn anything into a weapon, is there. The genetically modified races in these books present fascinating dilemmas each their own. Parts of the books actually made me laugh. I have come to care so much for characters that I felt the heart break of the decisions and sacrifices they made.
The reasons for 4 stars instead of 5 stars. I guess books happen at the same time in our lives as our lives do. The last week has been hectic and scattered for me, and this book didn't connect as strongly. Maybe it's the book, or maybe it's where I was in my life. The ending also, I thought felt very unfinished. Are there more books coming? I just don't know. I also had very unsure feelings about a few choices in the book. Fiction is wonderful in that way, because you can explore so many different ways of honoring people and of choices people can make to exist.
I loved this trilogy. These are definitely some of my favorite science fiction I've ever read. I love hard science fiction and ethical questions. Will you love the books? Probably not my experience says lol. I'm terrible at suggesting books for people, but I did love these.
The reasons for 4 stars instead of 5 stars. I guess books happen at the same time in our lives as our lives do. The last week has been hectic and scattered for me, and this book didn't connect as strongly. Maybe it's the book, or maybe it's where I was in my life. The ending also, I thought felt very unfinished. Are there more books coming? I just don't know. I also had very unsure feelings about a few choices in the book. Fiction is wonderful in that way, because you can explore so many different ways of honoring people and of choices people can make to exist.
I loved this trilogy. These are definitely some of my favorite science fiction I've ever read. I love hard science fiction and ethical questions. Will you love the books? Probably not my experience says lol. I'm terrible at suggesting books for people, but I did love these.
November 9, 2021
A not great, not terrible entry in the Quantum Evolution series.
It's hard to meet the bar set by an incredible first book, but this felt almost phoned in. The heist we get isn't particularly fun or clever - just get in, blow things up, get out - with no hidden twists or sleight of hand.
I'd love to see this series conclude well, but its hard to say with the way its been going.
It's hard to meet the bar set by an incredible first book, but this felt almost phoned in. The heist we get isn't particularly fun or clever - just get in, blow things up, get out - with no hidden twists or sleight of hand.
I'd love to see this series conclude well, but its hard to say with the way its been going.
January 3, 2022
I guess the money was too good so this book was rushed out without any of the personalities or depth of character as we saw in book 2. Basically, this is a series of multiple battle scenes, cursing from the pilots and human experimentation to boot.
Very disappointed.
Very disappointed.
December 2, 2023
"The Quantum War" is an ambitious and thought-provoking science fiction novel that delves into the complex and mind-bending world of quantum physics. The story follows a diverse cast of characters, each with their own unique motivations and perspectives, as they navigate a future world where quantum technology has transformed society.
One of the most compelling aspects of "The Quantum War" is the way it explores the implications of quantum technology on both a personal and global scale. The author skillfully weaves together intricate scientific concepts with deeply human experiences, creating a rich and immersive narrative that is as intellectually stimulating as it is emotionally resonant.
The novel's world-building is particularly impressive, presenting a vivid and detailed vision of a future where quantum technology has reshaped every aspect of life, from communication and transportation to warfare and ethics. The author's attention to scientific detail is evident throughout the narrative, and they adeptly convey the mind-bending nature of quantum phenomena in a way that is accessible to readers without sacrificing scientific accuracy.
The characters in "The Quantum War" are multi-dimensional and compelling, each grappling with the moral, philosophical, and practical implications of living in a world where the rules of reality have been upended. Their diverse backgrounds and perspectives provide a well-rounded exploration of the human experience, and their interactions and conflicts drive the narrative forward with a sense of urgency and emotional depth.
The novel's exploration of the ethical and social implications of quantum technology is particularly thought-provoking. Through the characters' experiences and dilemmas, the author prompts readers to consider the far-reaching consequences of advancements in quantum technology, from questions of privacy and security to the potential for both liberation and oppression.
The plot of "The Quantum War" is fast-paced and engaging, blending elements of political intrigue, technological innovation, and personal drama. The stakes are high, and the narrative tension escalates as the characters confront the profound, existential challenges posed by the novel's quantum-empowered world.
While "The Quantum War" is undeniably intellectually challenging, it maintains a sense of accessibility and emotional resonance that will captivate both science fiction enthusiasts and general readers alike. The novel's balance of scientific rigor with human drama ensures that its exploration of quantum concepts remains grounded in the deeply personal experiences of its characters.
In conclusion, "The Quantum War" is a captivating and thought-provoking novel that offers a compelling exploration of the intersection of quantum physics, human experience, and societal transformation. With its rich world-building, engaging characters, and intellectually stimulating narrative, it is sure to leave a lasting impression on readers who are drawn to the intersection of science and storytelling.
4.2 out of 5
One of the most compelling aspects of "The Quantum War" is the way it explores the implications of quantum technology on both a personal and global scale. The author skillfully weaves together intricate scientific concepts with deeply human experiences, creating a rich and immersive narrative that is as intellectually stimulating as it is emotionally resonant.
The novel's world-building is particularly impressive, presenting a vivid and detailed vision of a future where quantum technology has reshaped every aspect of life, from communication and transportation to warfare and ethics. The author's attention to scientific detail is evident throughout the narrative, and they adeptly convey the mind-bending nature of quantum phenomena in a way that is accessible to readers without sacrificing scientific accuracy.
The characters in "The Quantum War" are multi-dimensional and compelling, each grappling with the moral, philosophical, and practical implications of living in a world where the rules of reality have been upended. Their diverse backgrounds and perspectives provide a well-rounded exploration of the human experience, and their interactions and conflicts drive the narrative forward with a sense of urgency and emotional depth.
The novel's exploration of the ethical and social implications of quantum technology is particularly thought-provoking. Through the characters' experiences and dilemmas, the author prompts readers to consider the far-reaching consequences of advancements in quantum technology, from questions of privacy and security to the potential for both liberation and oppression.
The plot of "The Quantum War" is fast-paced and engaging, blending elements of political intrigue, technological innovation, and personal drama. The stakes are high, and the narrative tension escalates as the characters confront the profound, existential challenges posed by the novel's quantum-empowered world.
While "The Quantum War" is undeniably intellectually challenging, it maintains a sense of accessibility and emotional resonance that will captivate both science fiction enthusiasts and general readers alike. The novel's balance of scientific rigor with human drama ensures that its exploration of quantum concepts remains grounded in the deeply personal experiences of its characters.
In conclusion, "The Quantum War" is a captivating and thought-provoking novel that offers a compelling exploration of the intersection of quantum physics, human experience, and societal transformation. With its rich world-building, engaging characters, and intellectually stimulating narrative, it is sure to leave a lasting impression on readers who are drawn to the intersection of science and storytelling.
4.2 out of 5
September 9, 2021
*copy from Netgalley in exchange for a review*
The Quantum War is the third in Derek Künsken’s Quantum Evolution series, focused on the escapades of Belisarius, sometime con-man, and member of an engineered offshoot of humanity, designed as strategists and analysts, but typically instead shaped as contemplative, withdrawn introverts, driven in their genes to seek out knowledge.
This is a story of humanity, and how we define it, and what it is. Alongside Belisarius’ group, there are the Mongrels, humanity designed to live in high G conditions, unable to survive outside of environmental pods or, latterly, space-fighters. I have a soft spot for the Mongrels, coarse and bluff and with a streak of nihilism and cynical humour a mile wide. They’re willing to die whilst giving everyone a bloody nose, and they’re a grand bunch. And then of course, there’s the Puppets. The Puppets are horrifying, and creepy, and also extremely real. Engineered to worship their creators, for all the usual terrible reasons, they overthrew their creators, and now instead use the descendents of those creators to keep themselves fulfilled, genetically driven to interpret the commands of those they see as above them, and addicted to it. Nobody likes the Puppets but you can admire their tenacity and conviction, even while being repelled by where that conviction leads them, and how it is derived. Fanatics, killers, zealots, they know their truth, even as they know they were shaped into it, and that leaves them as a rather odd branch off the tree of humanity indeed.
And alongside these transhumans stride the common order of humanity, spanning worlds, skipping from star to star via archaeotech, managed by military and economic AI, and struggling to keep their footing. And in that sprawling polity, rebellion has brewed. Now war is upon them, and the stars are alight with the glitter of beams and the splash of carmine in the dark.
And somewhere in the weave of it all is Belisarius, trying desperately to atone for sins of his own devising. The portrayal of a man living in the throes of guilt, but desperate to atone, well, that portrayal is detailed, vivid, and really very human. He lives in and out of a fugue, a quantum state which allows objectivity, suppression of the self. And that state offers new opportunities, new threats, and helps shape that small group of offshoots of humanity into a potential threat to the equilibrium of the worlds.Belisarius argues with his very nature in order to change the world, and to live out in it. And in that struggle, in that endless fight to better himself and be who he wants to be, he is also essentially human.
There are others of course - old friends from the previous stories are here again, making better or worse choices.But also others - an intelligence officer turned interrogator, finding out where her lines lie and where she’s willing to go to defend humanity. A biomechanical menace, deciding policy from the hot ice of cybernetics. Puppets aplenty, being childlike, horrifying and pitiable by turns. And members of the Banks, the financial institutions whose creepers stretch everywhere, tying everyone together in a web of money and superior firepower. Oh, and the petits-saints, the moral center of the human Congregate, Down's-syndrome individuals, whose sympathetic and layered portrayal here is both in line with the origins of interstellar humanity in the author’s prequel novel, The House of Styx, and also absolutely marvellous.
The story is, well. I won’t get into it. But it’s a marvellous blend of high concept science fiction, personal stakes, and politics, blood and fire. Questions are asked about how we define humanity. About what atrocities are justifiable, for whom, and under what circumstances - and some of them are skin-crawlingly awful, and performed under high stakes by individuals who may or may not know better. About where humanity is going, and what it will look like when it gets there. About faith, and truth, and how we look at either, or both together. And more, scattered like gems through the text and subtext. They are hard questions, and they are an exercise for the reader, which is a joy. In part, that’s because they’re wrapped around the very personal story of Belisarius and his confederates and his antagonists, who bring the stakes to a human level. That story is compelling, convincing and tightly written; I was turning pages way into the night.
In the end, this is another fine entry in a series filled with interesting ideas, fascinating people, and intriguing stories - so go give it a read.
The Quantum War is the third in Derek Künsken’s Quantum Evolution series, focused on the escapades of Belisarius, sometime con-man, and member of an engineered offshoot of humanity, designed as strategists and analysts, but typically instead shaped as contemplative, withdrawn introverts, driven in their genes to seek out knowledge.
This is a story of humanity, and how we define it, and what it is. Alongside Belisarius’ group, there are the Mongrels, humanity designed to live in high G conditions, unable to survive outside of environmental pods or, latterly, space-fighters. I have a soft spot for the Mongrels, coarse and bluff and with a streak of nihilism and cynical humour a mile wide. They’re willing to die whilst giving everyone a bloody nose, and they’re a grand bunch. And then of course, there’s the Puppets. The Puppets are horrifying, and creepy, and also extremely real. Engineered to worship their creators, for all the usual terrible reasons, they overthrew their creators, and now instead use the descendents of those creators to keep themselves fulfilled, genetically driven to interpret the commands of those they see as above them, and addicted to it. Nobody likes the Puppets but you can admire their tenacity and conviction, even while being repelled by where that conviction leads them, and how it is derived. Fanatics, killers, zealots, they know their truth, even as they know they were shaped into it, and that leaves them as a rather odd branch off the tree of humanity indeed.
And alongside these transhumans stride the common order of humanity, spanning worlds, skipping from star to star via archaeotech, managed by military and economic AI, and struggling to keep their footing. And in that sprawling polity, rebellion has brewed. Now war is upon them, and the stars are alight with the glitter of beams and the splash of carmine in the dark.
And somewhere in the weave of it all is Belisarius, trying desperately to atone for sins of his own devising. The portrayal of a man living in the throes of guilt, but desperate to atone, well, that portrayal is detailed, vivid, and really very human. He lives in and out of a fugue, a quantum state which allows objectivity, suppression of the self. And that state offers new opportunities, new threats, and helps shape that small group of offshoots of humanity into a potential threat to the equilibrium of the worlds.Belisarius argues with his very nature in order to change the world, and to live out in it. And in that struggle, in that endless fight to better himself and be who he wants to be, he is also essentially human.
There are others of course - old friends from the previous stories are here again, making better or worse choices.But also others - an intelligence officer turned interrogator, finding out where her lines lie and where she’s willing to go to defend humanity. A biomechanical menace, deciding policy from the hot ice of cybernetics. Puppets aplenty, being childlike, horrifying and pitiable by turns. And members of the Banks, the financial institutions whose creepers stretch everywhere, tying everyone together in a web of money and superior firepower. Oh, and the petits-saints, the moral center of the human Congregate, Down's-syndrome individuals, whose sympathetic and layered portrayal here is both in line with the origins of interstellar humanity in the author’s prequel novel, The House of Styx, and also absolutely marvellous.
The story is, well. I won’t get into it. But it’s a marvellous blend of high concept science fiction, personal stakes, and politics, blood and fire. Questions are asked about how we define humanity. About what atrocities are justifiable, for whom, and under what circumstances - and some of them are skin-crawlingly awful, and performed under high stakes by individuals who may or may not know better. About where humanity is going, and what it will look like when it gets there. About faith, and truth, and how we look at either, or both together. And more, scattered like gems through the text and subtext. They are hard questions, and they are an exercise for the reader, which is a joy. In part, that’s because they’re wrapped around the very personal story of Belisarius and his confederates and his antagonists, who bring the stakes to a human level. That story is compelling, convincing and tightly written; I was turning pages way into the night.
In the end, this is another fine entry in a series filled with interesting ideas, fascinating people, and intriguing stories - so go give it a read.
October 11, 2021
Derek Künsken returns to the universe of The Quantum Evolution for his third of four planned volumes The Quantum War. Although readers of Kunsken’s works may also know that this series links to his most recent book, The House of Styx, set five hundred years before. Of the three Quantum Evolution books The Quantum War rests most heavily on that book with much of the action taking place in the skies of Venus.
This volume opens shortly after the events of The Quantum Garden. The war that Belasarius Arjona had a hand in starting is gathering momentum. As part of that war, and directly as a result of the events of The Quantum Garden, the Congregate has captured one hundred and fifty of Arjona’s fellow homo quantus and is modifying them to pilot their fighters. Arjona hatches a plan to rescue the survivors – a plan that will mean using himself as bait putting his old team (from The Quantum Magician) back together and relying on a group of very unreliable Puppets to help him.
Despite following directly on from the previous book, The Quantum War takes a while to get going. This is because Künsken has to catch readers up on what has been going on in the broader galaxy. The book also jumps between the present and the action of a few months before to tell the story of the man kidnapped by the Congregate to find a way to weaponize the homo quantus. Once Arjona has organized to be captured and the plan starts to tick into place, the story kicks into a high gear that it never gets out of.
Künsken has demonstrated over and over again his love of heist mechanics and his ability to keep a bunch of different plot strands in motion as events play out. As always, nothing goes exactly to plan and the team have to either improvise or sacrifice in order to swing the action back in their favour. And as always, there is a range of colourful supporting characters and moustache-twirling villains. And much of the action takes place in the skies of Venus, a milieu that Künsken is incredibly comfortable in. But there is more to this than the action. Debates about religion, evolution and free will rage between the variously genetically engineered characters.
The Quantum War is another fun entry in this constantly surprising series. With one more volume expected it will be interesting to see how Künsken brings the series home. At the same time, waiting for the sequel to House of Styx to start to show how the family that we were rooting for in that volume became the foundation of the villains of this piece.
This volume opens shortly after the events of The Quantum Garden. The war that Belasarius Arjona had a hand in starting is gathering momentum. As part of that war, and directly as a result of the events of The Quantum Garden, the Congregate has captured one hundred and fifty of Arjona’s fellow homo quantus and is modifying them to pilot their fighters. Arjona hatches a plan to rescue the survivors – a plan that will mean using himself as bait putting his old team (from The Quantum Magician) back together and relying on a group of very unreliable Puppets to help him.
Despite following directly on from the previous book, The Quantum War takes a while to get going. This is because Künsken has to catch readers up on what has been going on in the broader galaxy. The book also jumps between the present and the action of a few months before to tell the story of the man kidnapped by the Congregate to find a way to weaponize the homo quantus. Once Arjona has organized to be captured and the plan starts to tick into place, the story kicks into a high gear that it never gets out of.
Künsken has demonstrated over and over again his love of heist mechanics and his ability to keep a bunch of different plot strands in motion as events play out. As always, nothing goes exactly to plan and the team have to either improvise or sacrifice in order to swing the action back in their favour. And as always, there is a range of colourful supporting characters and moustache-twirling villains. And much of the action takes place in the skies of Venus, a milieu that Künsken is incredibly comfortable in. But there is more to this than the action. Debates about religion, evolution and free will rage between the variously genetically engineered characters.
The Quantum War is another fun entry in this constantly surprising series. With one more volume expected it will be interesting to see how Künsken brings the series home. At the same time, waiting for the sequel to House of Styx to start to show how the family that we were rooting for in that volume became the foundation of the villains of this piece.
December 3, 2022
His plan had too many dumb parts. If he had to go in, instead of using the time gates again then why use puppet suicide bombers to take out the booster stuff? Entangle some switches like in Will, Maria lives. Why is Bell creating the wormhole? Why not do it through a ship that can take some hits controlled by AI to keep it open for awhile? Why not have one waiting to go before they get to space? Why not check your escape route before the mission? Any of those 3 things makes things make much more sense. Find it hard to buy they couldn't find a building in the atmosphere, either.
Then it just ends on a depressing note. Hate it when stories get to the last bit and decide to kill characters off. Reality has enough bad stuff, keep it out of fictional endings.
Then it just ends on a depressing note. Hate it when stories get to the last bit and decide to kill characters off. Reality has enough bad stuff, keep it out of fictional endings.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 14, 2021
*I did not get this as a free copy like so many reviewers, I pre ordered this and read it because of my love of this type of book. So many reviewers are reading outside of their genre of preference I think it should be noted when they give it a 3 star then say I usually read romance that they had no business reviewing a book like this to begin with!
Derek Künsken is my favorite hard sci-fi author right now, I planned my reading around when this book was coming out, I made sure that I was done with the book I was reading prior to this book hitting so I could just jump right in. thats how much I was looking forward to this book. This was the third full book in the Quantum Evolution series, there is also a short that came out earlier this year that is worth the read. You absolutely should start with The Quantum Magician as its a continuing story and you would be very confused if you were to start with this book. These books are among the best science fiction books I have ever read and I have read a LOT of science fiction.
If you want a book that makes you think, has talk about the quantum mechanics of the universe and physics then this book will satisfy you greatly. If you also want an exploration of what it means to be human then this book will also satisfy you greatly.
Thank you to the Author for writing more of these, I could not fathom how you were going to do another book after the end of the 2nd book but I am thrilled that you did! Please keep writing these.
Derek Künsken is my favorite hard sci-fi author right now, I planned my reading around when this book was coming out, I made sure that I was done with the book I was reading prior to this book hitting so I could just jump right in. thats how much I was looking forward to this book. This was the third full book in the Quantum Evolution series, there is also a short that came out earlier this year that is worth the read. You absolutely should start with The Quantum Magician as its a continuing story and you would be very confused if you were to start with this book. These books are among the best science fiction books I have ever read and I have read a LOT of science fiction.
If you want a book that makes you think, has talk about the quantum mechanics of the universe and physics then this book will satisfy you greatly. If you also want an exploration of what it means to be human then this book will also satisfy you greatly.
Thank you to the Author for writing more of these, I could not fathom how you were going to do another book after the end of the 2nd book but I am thrilled that you did! Please keep writing these.
November 26, 2023
This series is put together in interesting ways: the first book was a heist story, the second was a time travel novel. And The Quantum War is a very classic space opera, with space battles, impossible rescues and great powers negotiating. I felt that Quantum War lacked the sense of wonder of the first two books, but it was still a nice read.
The Puppets are creepy as #%*}%, but I did appreciate seeing so much of them (somewhat to my surprise). Also, it was interesting to have more insight into the Congregate and its motives. There wasn’t much space left for character development, a pity. The book should have been longer, perhaps?
Apparently, there is going to be a fourth book (after that ending, there really should be), and I am looking forward to it.
The Puppets are creepy as #%*}%, but I did appreciate seeing so much of them (somewhat to my surprise). Also, it was interesting to have more insight into the Congregate and its motives. There wasn’t much space left for character development, a pity. The book should have been longer, perhaps?
Apparently, there is going to be a fourth book (after that ending, there really should be), and I am looking forward to it.
December 1, 2021
The Quantum War is the third book in Derek Kunsken's Quantum Evolution Series - this one focuses on the developing Union-Congregate war, and as the Congregate starts using modified Homo Quantus as pilots, the Union seeks to rescue them in a daring plan.
Plenty of hard SF concepts like the first two books, delving into evolution, wormholes, advanced hominid species and of course quantum physics. And this book does start to involve Venus and links to the House of Styx (the excellent first book in the Venus Ascendant series).
But I felt this novel was not as enjoyable as the first two; it took a while to get going and felt a bit stilted under it's own weight of technology and heavy science.
Plenty of hard SF concepts like the first two books, delving into evolution, wormholes, advanced hominid species and of course quantum physics. And this book does start to involve Venus and links to the House of Styx (the excellent first book in the Venus Ascendant series).
But I felt this novel was not as enjoyable as the first two; it took a while to get going and felt a bit stilted under it's own weight of technology and heavy science.
December 26, 2021
I was expecting the third installment to be the last, but it seems the adventure continues!
Solid entry in the The Quantum Evolution universe, although it doesn't reach the heights of the second book. Looking forward to seeing how it all ends.
Solid entry in the The Quantum Evolution universe, although it doesn't reach the heights of the second book. Looking forward to seeing how it all ends.
September 27, 2022
Belasarius has succeeded in making a home for Homo quantus, the genetically engineered offshoot race he belongs to, but in doing so has kicked off a war between the Union and the Congregate. He's also suffering the guilt from a decision that has possibly cost the universe something irreplacible, and that last thing he wants to do is get involved in other people's wars again, even if the Union has been allies in the past. But when the tide starts changing, and it's revealed that the Congregate's decisive advantage comes from enslaved members of Homo quantus, he feels he must get involved and create yet another complex plan to try to rescue the ones he left behind last time, even if that means sacrificing a lot of other game pieces... potentially even himself.
I think at this point I'm pretty well all-in on this series. It's the kind of space opera that dazzles with so much stuff that it convinces you it could be rock hard SF, even with things like time travel and wormholes. That's exactly my kind of jam. I'm not sure it'd make much sense to you if you just started here as opposed to the beginning, but it's entertaining enough that if your tastes are similar to mine, you might not care. Of course I'd recommend starting with the first book, and so it really only makes sense to review it in the context of the rest of the series.
As you might guess from the title, the book's a lot more war centric than the first two. A lot of large scale battles and people worrying about battlefleets and such, and usually that would be a disappointment, but in other ways it feels a lot more like the first book than the second, with a more straightforward narrative and focuses on some of the cool (even if occasionally very creepy) worldbuilding elements of the universe, like the attitudes of the Puppets. Some old characters who were absent or had reduced roles in the last book also return, which was appreciated.
I'd say I probably enjoyed it a little more than the second, but less than the first, except there's one caveat. It ends in a way that could, theoretically, be an end for the series, but leaves too much dangling to really satisfy. I suspect more is intended, and if so, I don't have a problem with it (although depending how they resolve certain things and whether others are undone completely, I might have diferent issues), but treating it as a potential third book in a trilogy, it comes close to satisfying and doesn't quite get there. Still a hell of a lot of fun on the way there, though.
I'll give it another four stars, and hope that I have another book in this universe to follow.
I think at this point I'm pretty well all-in on this series. It's the kind of space opera that dazzles with so much stuff that it convinces you it could be rock hard SF, even with things like time travel and wormholes. That's exactly my kind of jam. I'm not sure it'd make much sense to you if you just started here as opposed to the beginning, but it's entertaining enough that if your tastes are similar to mine, you might not care. Of course I'd recommend starting with the first book, and so it really only makes sense to review it in the context of the rest of the series.
As you might guess from the title, the book's a lot more war centric than the first two. A lot of large scale battles and people worrying about battlefleets and such, and usually that would be a disappointment, but in other ways it feels a lot more like the first book than the second, with a more straightforward narrative and focuses on some of the cool (even if occasionally very creepy) worldbuilding elements of the universe, like the attitudes of the Puppets. Some old characters who were absent or had reduced roles in the last book also return, which was appreciated.
I'd say I probably enjoyed it a little more than the second, but less than the first, except there's one caveat. It ends in a way that could, theoretically, be an end for the series, but leaves too much dangling to really satisfy. I suspect more is intended, and if so, I don't have a problem with it (although depending how they resolve certain things and whether others are undone completely, I might have diferent issues), but treating it as a potential third book in a trilogy, it comes close to satisfying and doesn't quite get there. Still a hell of a lot of fun on the way there, though.
I'll give it another four stars, and hope that I have another book in this universe to follow.
December 10, 2021
This is the third book in the 'Quantum' series (not including the prequel 'The House of Styx'), and the science and technology just gets deeper and chewier. In my previous review of 'The Quantum Garden' I namechecked Greg Egan and Yoon Ha Lee, but this one also reminded me of Greg Bear's 'Darwin's Radio' in the sense that a main component is the evolutionary leap of homo sapiens into different orders.
It's a space opera, especially in the end when the big space battles occur, but the meaty part of the book is the consideration that humans have begun to manipulate their own genome to the point where they can create new species of hominids. The book (and the series, really) turns on alliances among these different hominid species.
As with much of SF, the discussion revolves around what it means to be human for a person or group who aren't very recognizably human, whether machine or organic or some combination of both. One of the theses is that on this planet, hominids ended up competing so that only one hominid species, ours, came to eradicate all others (although we have bits of neanderthal genes in us). This is a sobering thought for people who would like to think that different species would cooperate and not compete.
This is the hopeful note of this series, that hominid species are able to cooperate and not eradicate each other.
It would be lovely to think so.
It's a space opera, especially in the end when the big space battles occur, but the meaty part of the book is the consideration that humans have begun to manipulate their own genome to the point where they can create new species of hominids. The book (and the series, really) turns on alliances among these different hominid species.
As with much of SF, the discussion revolves around what it means to be human for a person or group who aren't very recognizably human, whether machine or organic or some combination of both. One of the theses is that on this planet, hominids ended up competing so that only one hominid species, ours, came to eradicate all others (although we have bits of neanderthal genes in us). This is a sobering thought for people who would like to think that different species would cooperate and not compete.
This is the hopeful note of this series, that hominid species are able to cooperate and not eradicate each other.
It would be lovely to think so.
February 14, 2023
I love this series so much, and I did not want this book to end. And then it ended, and I'm at a loss for words. I want more!
If you like "hard" SF, read this series. If you like philosophical challenges in your SF, then READ THIS SERIES! However, if you're a book or two deep and struggling, reading this review only to decide whether to pick up Book Three, it doesn't get easier. The Quantum War is not a hard read, no more dense than the other two books, but the concepts... continue to challenge in the amusing, fast-placed, hard to put down way I've come to expect from Kunsken--and probably even more so. The only reasons I would not recommend this series, or this book, are if you (1) don't like SF, (2) prefer SF that doesn't make you think too much, or (3) want your hard-hitting SF to tie up in a neat bow.
In fact, the lack of neat bow is what stopped me from giving this book five stars. Hypocritical or not, it's how I feel. Perhaps I will revise my rating after some time to think on it, or after reading some of Kunsken's other in-universe works.
If you like "hard" SF, read this series. If you like philosophical challenges in your SF, then READ THIS SERIES! However, if you're a book or two deep and struggling, reading this review only to decide whether to pick up Book Three, it doesn't get easier. The Quantum War is not a hard read, no more dense than the other two books, but the concepts... continue to challenge in the amusing, fast-placed, hard to put down way I've come to expect from Kunsken--and probably even more so. The only reasons I would not recommend this series, or this book, are if you (1) don't like SF, (2) prefer SF that doesn't make you think too much, or (3) want your hard-hitting SF to tie up in a neat bow.
In fact, the lack of neat bow is what stopped me from giving this book five stars. Hypocritical or not, it's how I feel. Perhaps I will revise my rating after some time to think on it, or after reading some of Kunsken's other in-universe works.
March 20, 2022
The third entry in Kunsken's Quantum Trilogy, "The Quantum War" follows the natural consequences of its predecessors. The trouble is that "The Quantum Magician" and "The Quantum Garden" set stakes which are difficult to match, resulting in a third entry which not only shrinks by comparison but also feels as if its running through the same motions. There's no remarkable twists and turns, and the "heist" feels combed over. This isn't helped by the weak personalities of its characters; only Vincent Stills, the crack-shot pilot with a vulgar vocabulary, offers any flavor outside of the cold and calculated individuals of the main cast. It's not all bad, though: Kunsken continues to flex his muscles with big-picture ideas and world building, clearly building a world that could be explored in cinema.
Overall, "The Quantum War" pales in comparison to the previous entries, but it keeps the ball rolling, at least!
Overall, "The Quantum War" pales in comparison to the previous entries, but it keeps the ball rolling, at least!
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