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Saga of the Skolian Empire #13
Diamond Star
Del was a rock singer. He was also the renegade son of the Ruby Dynasty, which made his career choice less than respectable, and gave him more to worry about than getting gigs and not getting cheated by recording companies, club owners, or his agent. For one thing, the Ruby Dynasty ruled the Skolian Imperialate, an interstellar Empire, which had recently had a war with another empire, the Eubian Concord. For another, Del was singing on Earth, which was part of a third interstellar civilization, and one which had an uneasy relationship with the Imperialate. Del undeniably had talent, and was rapidly rising from an unknown fringe artist to stardom. But, with his life entangled in the politics of three interstellar civilizations, whether he wanted that or not, talent might not be enough. And that factor might have much more effect than his music on the lives of trillions of people on the thousands of inhabited worlds across the galaxy.
512 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2009
18 people are currently reading
351 people want to read
About the author
Catherine Asaro
93 books698 followersThe author of more than twenty-five books, Catherine Asaro is acclaimed for her Ruby Dynasty series, which combines adventure, science, romance and fast-paced action. Her novel The Quantum Rose won the Nebula® Award, as did her novella “The Spacetime Pool.” Among her many other distinctions, she is a multiple winner of the AnLab from Analog magazine and a three time recipient of the RT BOOKClub Award for “Best Science Fiction Novel.” Her most recent novel, Carnelians, came out in October, 2011. An anthology of her short fiction titled Aurora in Four Voices is available from ISFiC Press in hardcover, and her multiple award-winning novella “The City of Cries” is also available as an eBook for Kindle and Nook.
Catherine has two music CD’s out and she is currently working on her third. The first, Diamond Star, is the soundtrack for her novel of the same name, performed with the rock band, Point Valid. She appears as a vocalist at cons, clubs, and other venues in the US and abroad, including recently as the Guest of Honor at the Denmark and New Zealand National Science Fiction Conventions. She performs selections from her work in a multimedia project that mixes literature, dance, and music with Greg Adams as her accompanist. She is also a theoretical physicist with a PhD in Chemical Physics from Harvard, and a jazz and ballet dancer. Visit her at www.facebook.com/Catherine.Asaro
Catherine has two music CD’s out and she is currently working on her third. The first, Diamond Star, is the soundtrack for her novel of the same name, performed with the rock band, Point Valid. She appears as a vocalist at cons, clubs, and other venues in the US and abroad, including recently as the Guest of Honor at the Denmark and New Zealand National Science Fiction Conventions. She performs selections from her work in a multimedia project that mixes literature, dance, and music with Greg Adams as her accompanist. She is also a theoretical physicist with a PhD in Chemical Physics from Harvard, and a jazz and ballet dancer. Visit her at www.facebook.com/Catherine.Asaro
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 76 reviews
June 20, 2009
If I had read this twenty five years ago, I probably would have given Diamond Star a higher rating and just been crazy about it. In fact, if I hadn't read it immediate after reading one of the best works of capital-L Literature I've read. (I may have to change my top 10 to a top 20.) I liked Diamond Star, but it didn't blow me away.
I think Diamond Star really has greater appeal to younger readers. I can't really recommend it for teens because of sexual content, but I think readers in their twenties might really like it. It is a science fiction novel, but it doesn't seem like it until the second half of the novel. I thought the first half was a bit slow. I wasn't really interested in Del's rise as a rock star or his romance with the record company executive. The best parts of the first half had to do with the tech of future rock. I would have liked to know more about vids and sims and morphers. Once the first half of the book is over and Del is a bona fide rock star, the story picks up. There's family conflict, a race of evil aliens, and some good old violence. When I got to the last 150 pages, I had a hard time putting this book down.
I don't think you need to read any of Asaro's other books about the Skolian empire to enjoy Diamond Star. I've previously read Schism (which was a better book in my opinion), but I don't think that made any difference in my understanding what was going on. Asaro does a good job of explaining the events and people from other installments that are necessary to this story.
So, what is my opinion? I liked Diamond Star, it was like cotton candy for the brain, light and entertaining. Sometimes, it's good to read light and entertaining.
I think Diamond Star really has greater appeal to younger readers. I can't really recommend it for teens because of sexual content, but I think readers in their twenties might really like it. It is a science fiction novel, but it doesn't seem like it until the second half of the novel. I thought the first half was a bit slow. I wasn't really interested in Del's rise as a rock star or his romance with the record company executive. The best parts of the first half had to do with the tech of future rock. I would have liked to know more about vids and sims and morphers. Once the first half of the book is over and Del is a bona fide rock star, the story picks up. There's family conflict, a race of evil aliens, and some good old violence. When I got to the last 150 pages, I had a hard time putting this book down.
I don't think you need to read any of Asaro's other books about the Skolian empire to enjoy Diamond Star. I've previously read Schism (which was a better book in my opinion), but I don't think that made any difference in my understanding what was going on. Asaro does a good job of explaining the events and people from other installments that are necessary to this story.
So, what is my opinion? I liked Diamond Star, it was like cotton candy for the brain, light and entertaining. Sometimes, it's good to read light and entertaining.
July 23, 2018
This is a bad book.
January 29, 2012
I've been following the saga of the Skolian Empire up to The Ruby Dice (the last novel issued before this one). My favourite characters are, hands down, Sauscony the former Imperator and secret consort to Jaibriol II, and Kelric the current Imperator, with their aunt Pharoah Dyhianna a close second. I REALLY LIKED the series up to this point and recommended it to several friends, to my present embarrassment. I find it incredible - in the sense of "not credible", not "awesome" - that this idiot Del is from the same family as Soz and Kelric.
Regardless of the fact that he's been frozen solid for 2/3 of his life and is physically and mentally in his mid-twenties while his siblings whom we've known from other books are all 60-plus, Del is incredibly childish and narcissistic. Even having been in cryostasis for so long, Del was still thawed out before or around the start of the Radiance War between the Skolians and the Eubians and has thus had several years to get up to speed, mull over the sins of his youth, become intimately acquainted with the political situation, and his responsibilities as a father, even an involuntary one. The Assembly-mandated, ART-enabled incest in this book is even more bizarre than Aunt Dehya and big brother Eldrin's marriage - it's not like there weren't other male family members available. Yet he still feels like running off to Earth is a good idea? I concur with Kelric on his immaturity. If Soz was still alive she would give him a smacking with her biomech-enhanced muscles.
Other things about the timing of the story also present major problems. It's not exactly clear from the beginning, but this book takes place around the time of the events in The Moon's Shadow (the book in which Jaibriol III takes the throne of Eube, 10 years before The Ruby Dice). Perhaps my memory is bad, but the major diplomatic incidents in this book don't make much if any of a dent in The Moon's Shadow, where the young Jaibriol is struggling to establish power. Surely he would have been in huge trouble if he was seen to be any softer on the Allieds (Earth) and the Skolians.
Furthermore, the public exposure of a Ruby Dynasty prince as a rock star would at least have had the knock-on effect of making the Allied Worlds public more aware of the stellar empires' politics and how it affects them. Yet 10 years later, in The Ruby Dice, the Allieds still seem as clueless about the rest of the universe when Jaibriol and Kelric show up unexpectedly on Earth. For "Allieds" read "stereotypical oblivious isolationist US Americans", by the way (sorry to my American friends, relatives, and any others reading this). Asaro is severely guilty of what TV Tropes calls "Planetville" where the whole planet is treated as a homogenous culture. Granted, all of the story takes place in the USA (it still exists in 300 years?!) but there is no interaction with other parts of Earth or other Allied planets, baffling to say the least 300 years after the birth of the Internet.
The writing is tedious. I tried reading Twilight over Christmas to see what the big deal was about, couldn't stand it, and dropped it halfway through. I would have done so with this book if I didn't already have an investment in the story. Asaro here follows Stephenie Meyer's habit of wasting ink on prosaic BS like "Del had a concert - they got in a van and drove - Del had another concert - Del had an argument with the record label executives - GOTO 1". The dialogue is unbelievably lame and inconsistent, with bad metaphors, joke attempts that fall flat, and some characters dropping F-bombs (as does the narrative text) while others use bowdlerized, made-up curses. As for the song lyrics, let's just say Asaro should stick to writing prose. You need to be Tolkien to get away with shoehorning songs into your novels.
Someone also needs to tell the author that this is not the 1980s and you can't magically make anything sound cool by prepending "laser" or "holo". In a lot of cases it makes no sense - "laser-light buttons" on a jacket? - and in all cases does absolutely nothing to create a futuristic atmosphere. It's baffling because IMO Asaro does that quite well in other books. The Kyle psiberweb and the accomplishment of hyperlight travel by travelling at imaginary speeds sounded pretty awesome to me. It's like the author's imagination fails completely when it's brought down to [300 years in the future of] Earth.
Plot: You can basically figure out what happens in this book by reading the dust jacket blurbs from this one and the sequel "Carnelians". There are no spoilers to be given because there is nothing to be spoilt. In summary, Del becomes incredibly popular with what in this century is the Justin Bieber set, and everybody on Earth worships him, so he doesn't go home to Lyshriol.
The only seriously interesting story arc - Del helping a Skolian citizen running an "underground railroad" through Allied space for slaves to escape the Eubian Concord - forms a minor part of the book. I think it could have been developed a lot more to the benefit of the overall story.
Speaking of Lyshriol, "Skyfall" earlier in the book series, which is about how Del's parents met, is the other one I would recommend avoiding. Read all the others. If this book was your introduction to the Saga of the Skolian Empire, I'm sorry. The rest are indeed a lot better.
Do not buy this book. Borrow it from your public library if you must read it. Do not read it on public transport on the way home if you value your honour and intellectual credibility, because the cover art is as bad as the story.
I'm dreading "Carnelians"...
Regardless of the fact that he's been frozen solid for 2/3 of his life and is physically and mentally in his mid-twenties while his siblings whom we've known from other books are all 60-plus, Del is incredibly childish and narcissistic. Even having been in cryostasis for so long, Del was still thawed out before or around the start of the Radiance War between the Skolians and the Eubians and has thus had several years to get up to speed, mull over the sins of his youth, become intimately acquainted with the political situation, and his responsibilities as a father, even an involuntary one. The Assembly-mandated, ART-enabled incest in this book is even more bizarre than Aunt Dehya and big brother Eldrin's marriage - it's not like there weren't other male family members available. Yet he still feels like running off to Earth is a good idea? I concur with Kelric on his immaturity. If Soz was still alive she would give him a smacking with her biomech-enhanced muscles.
Other things about the timing of the story also present major problems. It's not exactly clear from the beginning, but this book takes place around the time of the events in The Moon's Shadow (the book in which Jaibriol III takes the throne of Eube, 10 years before The Ruby Dice). Perhaps my memory is bad, but the major diplomatic incidents in this book don't make much if any of a dent in The Moon's Shadow, where the young Jaibriol is struggling to establish power. Surely he would have been in huge trouble if he was seen to be any softer on the Allieds (Earth) and the Skolians.
Furthermore, the public exposure of a Ruby Dynasty prince as a rock star would at least have had the knock-on effect of making the Allied Worlds public more aware of the stellar empires' politics and how it affects them. Yet 10 years later, in The Ruby Dice, the Allieds still seem as clueless about the rest of the universe when Jaibriol and Kelric show up unexpectedly on Earth. For "Allieds" read "stereotypical oblivious isolationist US Americans", by the way (sorry to my American friends, relatives, and any others reading this). Asaro is severely guilty of what TV Tropes calls "Planetville" where the whole planet is treated as a homogenous culture. Granted, all of the story takes place in the USA (it still exists in 300 years?!) but there is no interaction with other parts of Earth or other Allied planets, baffling to say the least 300 years after the birth of the Internet.
The writing is tedious. I tried reading Twilight over Christmas to see what the big deal was about, couldn't stand it, and dropped it halfway through. I would have done so with this book if I didn't already have an investment in the story. Asaro here follows Stephenie Meyer's habit of wasting ink on prosaic BS like "Del had a concert - they got in a van and drove - Del had another concert - Del had an argument with the record label executives - GOTO 1". The dialogue is unbelievably lame and inconsistent, with bad metaphors, joke attempts that fall flat, and some characters dropping F-bombs (as does the narrative text) while others use bowdlerized, made-up curses. As for the song lyrics, let's just say Asaro should stick to writing prose. You need to be Tolkien to get away with shoehorning songs into your novels.
Someone also needs to tell the author that this is not the 1980s and you can't magically make anything sound cool by prepending "laser" or "holo". In a lot of cases it makes no sense - "laser-light buttons" on a jacket? - and in all cases does absolutely nothing to create a futuristic atmosphere. It's baffling because IMO Asaro does that quite well in other books. The Kyle psiberweb and the accomplishment of hyperlight travel by travelling at imaginary speeds sounded pretty awesome to me. It's like the author's imagination fails completely when it's brought down to [300 years in the future of] Earth.
Plot: You can basically figure out what happens in this book by reading the dust jacket blurbs from this one and the sequel "Carnelians". There are no spoilers to be given because there is nothing to be spoilt. In summary, Del becomes incredibly popular with what in this century is the Justin Bieber set, and everybody on Earth worships him, so he doesn't go home to Lyshriol.
The only seriously interesting story arc - Del helping a Skolian citizen running an "underground railroad" through Allied space for slaves to escape the Eubian Concord - forms a minor part of the book. I think it could have been developed a lot more to the benefit of the overall story.
Speaking of Lyshriol, "Skyfall" earlier in the book series, which is about how Del's parents met, is the other one I would recommend avoiding. Read all the others. If this book was your introduction to the Saga of the Skolian Empire, I'm sorry. The rest are indeed a lot better.
Do not buy this book. Borrow it from your public library if you must read it. Do not read it on public transport on the way home if you value your honour and intellectual credibility, because the cover art is as bad as the story.
I'm dreading "Carnelians"...
August 29, 2009
Wow, I’m actually trying to write a book review. I haven’t done that in months and months, but we’ll see how it goes.
Catherine Asaro is my favourite author and her Skolian series, of which Diamond Star is the latest chapter, is my favourite series. However, I often get incredibly anxious about reading her books, sometimes putting it off for months, and I’m never been completely sure about why. I am coming to the conclusion that it is a combination of the fact that I really connect with these books, meaning I tend to have a very intense reaction to them, and the fact I find her bad guys particularly nasty, so that the more they feature in a book, the more anxious I feel about reading it. But I love the books. The characters speak to me and I really respond to them. I care about them all and want to know what happens to them. If I was a writer (which I’m not, and certainly wouldn’t ever be one of Catherine’s talent) and I was trying to “write what you love and want to read”, these are they books I’d want to write. They just hit all my buttons, even if they terrify me a little bit as well.
Borrowing the blurb from www.fantasticfiction.co.uk:
Del was a rock singer. He was also the renegade son of the Ruby Dynasty, which made his career choice less than respectable, and gave him more to worry about than getting gigs and not getting cheated by recording companies, club owners, or his agent. For one thing, the Ruby Dynasty ruled the Skolian Imperialate, an interstellar Empire, which had recently had a war with another empire, the Eubian Concord. For another, Del was singing on Earth, which was part of a third interstellar civilization, and one which had an uneasy relationship with the Imperialate. Del undeniably had talent, and was rapidly rising from an unknown fringe artist to stardom. But, with his life entangled in the politics of three interstellar civilizations, whether he wanted that or not, talent might not be enough. And that factor might have much more effect than his music on the lives of trillions of people on the thousands of inhabited worlds across the galaxy.
As I read the book, I really wasn’t always sure if I liked Del or not. I certainly didn’t dislike him, but he could be an incredibly frustrating character at times. He could be pretty immature and needs to do some growing up. Most of her other characters have been much more mature and this is something new. It's done well, but I wanted to slap him occasionally. I think this is completely intentional, but he's still sometimes frustrating. Not annoying, because he's totally in character all the time, but frustrating because he has so much potential he isn't living up to yet.
Of course, that’s part of the power of the character. For a lot of complicated reasons I don’t want to spoil, he’s missed out of a childhood really and he’s a grown man who is still finding his way out of adolescence with all of an adult’s weight on his shoulders. I found it particularly poignant that, for him, all that his family has suffered (and we readers have suffered it with them through the earlier books) has happened all in one brief, crushing moment, where in reality it has been spread out over 40 years. For them, there has been time to come to some sort of terms with it all and move on, even if only to the next crisis. For Del, it’s all happened to him at once and I doubt he’s had time to work through any of it. That’s why he takes the action he does at the end of the book, full of anger and also confusion I think, and it works perfectly. It’s probably also the beginning of some healing of all the pain, so it will good to see where his character goes in the aftermath of that.
Apparently, Catherine’s next Skolian book is to be called Carnelians. “It's another stand-lone, like Diamond Star. However, it fits in with Diamond Star and another book called The Ruby Dice, because all three [sic:] involve the same characters and universe.” (Catherine Asaro on Paraoddity)
Firstly, I’m not sure what the third book mentioned here is as Catherine has only named two, but I’m not sure that I care. More Del, more Kelric, more Jai. Yay, I’m going to be happy (even if that whole anxiety thing happens again). But my real point is that I can see Del needing another book. His story doesn’t feel finished here. This chapter of it is, but he’s still got growing up and healing to do, probably quite a lot of both, and his character arc has plenty more places to go. But now that I have finished the book, I find that I do like him. I’m well established in his corner and I want to see him do that growing and become the man he can be. He’s made mistakes, but he learns from them and I want to see that keep happening. (Although a bit from Kelric’s point of view, to see his real feelings for Del, not his always stoic reactions as interpreted by Del in his frustration and anger, would be good too.)
One other small comment – it was nice to have an aspect of the family tree that has always been confusing finally explained. Maybe in the next book we could have an update of the family tree and the timeline (with the “location” of the newer books added to it ).
This is a slightly jointed review – I apologise. I started with a bang, then rather ran out of steam. Rather than leaving the draft sitting around for months, I decided to post what I had, so here you are. I hope it was interesting and/or useful.
Catherine Asaro is my favourite author and her Skolian series, of which Diamond Star is the latest chapter, is my favourite series. However, I often get incredibly anxious about reading her books, sometimes putting it off for months, and I’m never been completely sure about why. I am coming to the conclusion that it is a combination of the fact that I really connect with these books, meaning I tend to have a very intense reaction to them, and the fact I find her bad guys particularly nasty, so that the more they feature in a book, the more anxious I feel about reading it. But I love the books. The characters speak to me and I really respond to them. I care about them all and want to know what happens to them. If I was a writer (which I’m not, and certainly wouldn’t ever be one of Catherine’s talent) and I was trying to “write what you love and want to read”, these are they books I’d want to write. They just hit all my buttons, even if they terrify me a little bit as well.
Borrowing the blurb from www.fantasticfiction.co.uk:
Del was a rock singer. He was also the renegade son of the Ruby Dynasty, which made his career choice less than respectable, and gave him more to worry about than getting gigs and not getting cheated by recording companies, club owners, or his agent. For one thing, the Ruby Dynasty ruled the Skolian Imperialate, an interstellar Empire, which had recently had a war with another empire, the Eubian Concord. For another, Del was singing on Earth, which was part of a third interstellar civilization, and one which had an uneasy relationship with the Imperialate. Del undeniably had talent, and was rapidly rising from an unknown fringe artist to stardom. But, with his life entangled in the politics of three interstellar civilizations, whether he wanted that or not, talent might not be enough. And that factor might have much more effect than his music on the lives of trillions of people on the thousands of inhabited worlds across the galaxy.
As I read the book, I really wasn’t always sure if I liked Del or not. I certainly didn’t dislike him, but he could be an incredibly frustrating character at times. He could be pretty immature and needs to do some growing up. Most of her other characters have been much more mature and this is something new. It's done well, but I wanted to slap him occasionally. I think this is completely intentional, but he's still sometimes frustrating. Not annoying, because he's totally in character all the time, but frustrating because he has so much potential he isn't living up to yet.
Of course, that’s part of the power of the character. For a lot of complicated reasons I don’t want to spoil, he’s missed out of a childhood really and he’s a grown man who is still finding his way out of adolescence with all of an adult’s weight on his shoulders. I found it particularly poignant that, for him, all that his family has suffered (and we readers have suffered it with them through the earlier books) has happened all in one brief, crushing moment, where in reality it has been spread out over 40 years. For them, there has been time to come to some sort of terms with it all and move on, even if only to the next crisis. For Del, it’s all happened to him at once and I doubt he’s had time to work through any of it. That’s why he takes the action he does at the end of the book, full of anger and also confusion I think, and it works perfectly. It’s probably also the beginning of some healing of all the pain, so it will good to see where his character goes in the aftermath of that.
Apparently, Catherine’s next Skolian book is to be called Carnelians. “It's another stand-lone, like Diamond Star. However, it fits in with Diamond Star and another book called The Ruby Dice, because all three [sic:] involve the same characters and universe.” (Catherine Asaro on Paraoddity)
Firstly, I’m not sure what the third book mentioned here is as Catherine has only named two, but I’m not sure that I care. More Del, more Kelric, more Jai. Yay, I’m going to be happy (even if that whole anxiety thing happens again). But my real point is that I can see Del needing another book. His story doesn’t feel finished here. This chapter of it is, but he’s still got growing up and healing to do, probably quite a lot of both, and his character arc has plenty more places to go. But now that I have finished the book, I find that I do like him. I’m well established in his corner and I want to see him do that growing and become the man he can be. He’s made mistakes, but he learns from them and I want to see that keep happening. (Although a bit from Kelric’s point of view, to see his real feelings for Del, not his always stoic reactions as interpreted by Del in his frustration and anger, would be good too.)
One other small comment – it was nice to have an aspect of the family tree that has always been confusing finally explained. Maybe in the next book we could have an update of the family tree and the timeline (with the “location” of the newer books added to it ).
This is a slightly jointed review – I apologise. I started with a bang, then rather ran out of steam. Rather than leaving the draft sitting around for months, I decided to post what I had, so here you are. I hope it was interesting and/or useful.
May 26, 2012
I started reading this way back when it was first released (yes, we're talking 2009 here) and then stopped halfway - not entirely sure why now, but I think it was to do with the fact I wasn't sure if I wanted to go where I thought the book was going (and hopefully that makes sense to you - I'm not sure it makes sense to me!). Anyway, as the next book in the series, Carnelians, had been released, and I've an aversion to reading books out of order, I bit the bullet and picked up DIAMOND STAR again.
With the caveat I started reading from where I stopped, as opposed to restarting the whole book, I ended up really liking DIAMOND STAR. The story wasn't as dark as I thought it was going to be, but perhaps not everything was fully resolved.
I have a very soft spot for the SF world that Catherine Asaro has created, and so while the bubbles and colours (and incestous relationships) feel slightly dated, I can't help but give them a pass because I love the Skolian universe so much.
This book is not one for new readers to the Skolian series, but if you're a long-term fan, it was satisfying to see more of the tangled family relationships resolved, and particularly Del stepping out of his family's shadow and making his life his own.
All in all, DIAMOND STAR is a slightly heavy-handed coming-of-age story, but I'm glad I finally got around to finishing it, and now I'm looking forward to reading the next one.
With the caveat I started reading from where I stopped, as opposed to restarting the whole book, I ended up really liking DIAMOND STAR. The story wasn't as dark as I thought it was going to be, but perhaps not everything was fully resolved.
I have a very soft spot for the SF world that Catherine Asaro has created, and so while the bubbles and colours (and incestous relationships) feel slightly dated, I can't help but give them a pass because I love the Skolian universe so much.
This book is not one for new readers to the Skolian series, but if you're a long-term fan, it was satisfying to see more of the tangled family relationships resolved, and particularly Del stepping out of his family's shadow and making his life his own.
All in all, DIAMOND STAR is a slightly heavy-handed coming-of-age story, but I'm glad I finally got around to finishing it, and now I'm looking forward to reading the next one.
May 15, 2011
I read this by audio-book out of respect for those who read paper books and feel that listening to books is somehow inferior I am saying this in the interest of full disclosure. I also needed to tell you this because by far the worst part of this book for me was that the reader felt the need to sing and was truly awful at it. I read (ok heard) all 12 of the previous Skolian books and this had very little to do with that universe. It is about a prince who turns his back on his political role to become a rock star. It seems it was written by a woman that is turning her back on her writing career to do the same. When I read the description of this book I knew it might be weak but I really didn't expect Asaro to try to parlay her success as an author to almost shamelessly promote her band and her music which if I am really lucky I will only ever hear again on a short elevator ride.
November 3, 2017
I love this series!
June 28, 2009
DIAMOND STAR
Author: Catherine Asaro
Baen Publishing Co.– May, 2009
ISBN#978-1-4165-9160-3
1-4165-9160-5
DIAMOND STAR, the newest novel in Catherine Asaro's Award-Winning Skolian Empire Series is the story of a Prince of the Ruby Empire who longed to be somewhere and someone other than who he really was, and to that end kept his true identity a secret. At the time his family returned to their own planet, he was not with them, causing his family to believe he was being held captive by Earth's Hierarchy. Feeling that his family would not appreciate his desire to stay on Earth and be a rock star, he kept that information from them. Intent on proving that he could do more with his talent than what was expected of him, he set about promoting his music and his voice. He soon discovered that he was entwined in the dark side of the holo-rock industry, with attempts on his life, people wanting to own him, use him, kidnap him, and enslave him. Not to mention the interstellar conflagration he could bring about between three civilizations: Earth, Skyfall, and the worst of them all—The Traders— if Earth couldn't protect him. Then, too, there was woman he loved, a love he couldn't or wouldn't believe possible. He did not want to cause his family any worry or anguish, but he had to do what he was born to do—sing. If only he could believe he was as good as everyone was telling him he was, that he truly was worthy of the talent he was given.
Catherine Asaro's Diamond Star will keep you turning the pages as she takes you from one world to another as easily as going to the corner grocery store. The vivid worlds she creates makes one want to sign up for the next flight to the stars. A romantic science fiction novel that will keep you thinking about it long after you've closed the book on the last chapter.
Reviewed by~~Elena Dorothy Bowman
Author of: The Sarah's Landing Series, The Legacy Series, Time-Rift, The Odyssey and The Imposter.
Elena Dorothy Bowman
************************************
Journey to the Rim of Space and Beyond
http://elenadb.home.comcast.net
http://www.sarahslanding.com
http://www.myspace.com/elenabowmanauthor
http://elenadorothybowmansbooks.blogs...
http://www.bookswelove.net/bowman.html
Author: Catherine Asaro
Baen Publishing Co.– May, 2009
ISBN#978-1-4165-9160-3
1-4165-9160-5
DIAMOND STAR, the newest novel in Catherine Asaro's Award-Winning Skolian Empire Series is the story of a Prince of the Ruby Empire who longed to be somewhere and someone other than who he really was, and to that end kept his true identity a secret. At the time his family returned to their own planet, he was not with them, causing his family to believe he was being held captive by Earth's Hierarchy. Feeling that his family would not appreciate his desire to stay on Earth and be a rock star, he kept that information from them. Intent on proving that he could do more with his talent than what was expected of him, he set about promoting his music and his voice. He soon discovered that he was entwined in the dark side of the holo-rock industry, with attempts on his life, people wanting to own him, use him, kidnap him, and enslave him. Not to mention the interstellar conflagration he could bring about between three civilizations: Earth, Skyfall, and the worst of them all—The Traders— if Earth couldn't protect him. Then, too, there was woman he loved, a love he couldn't or wouldn't believe possible. He did not want to cause his family any worry or anguish, but he had to do what he was born to do—sing. If only he could believe he was as good as everyone was telling him he was, that he truly was worthy of the talent he was given.
Catherine Asaro's Diamond Star will keep you turning the pages as she takes you from one world to another as easily as going to the corner grocery store. The vivid worlds she creates makes one want to sign up for the next flight to the stars. A romantic science fiction novel that will keep you thinking about it long after you've closed the book on the last chapter.
Reviewed by~~Elena Dorothy Bowman
Author of: The Sarah's Landing Series, The Legacy Series, Time-Rift, The Odyssey and The Imposter.
Elena Dorothy Bowman
************************************
Journey to the Rim of Space and Beyond
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May 26, 2011
Oh, Catherina Asaro, what have ye done.
I love the Skolian Saga because Asaro writes interesting space opera with actual science(!) in it and does a great job describing some of the physics going on with interesting space tricks. I like most of the characters in the universe, and I also like that she has a romance angle through the stories.
This book, judging by its cover (I know , I know) and the blurb about it, looked like it might not be so great. It's about one of the Ruby Dynasty scions, Del-Kurj Valdoria, son of Roca and Eldrinson. He gets left behind on earth when the rest of the family is rescued (he's on another continent), and he decides to hang out and go at a music career.
This book is incredibly slow and boring. There are entire swaths of the book I can't really remember and don't care about. I listened to it on audio book and if I missed several minutes because I got distracted, I didn't even bother to go back.
I hung in there for occasional Ruby family stuff, because even though Asaro's novels in the Skolian universe are largely stand-alone, there is information about the background war and politics of the empire that are good to stay up on.
This book feels like it was written, not by a physicist/author with a string of awesome books under her belt, by a groupie who dreams about a famous life - and it's full of references to the drinking/boozing/sexin' culture of the famous rocker with a side of commentary about what they think of the kind of people that populate the entertainment industry (producers, labels, mostly behaving badly and trying to choke the individuality and genius of the art and what not).
Del-Kurj plays like a young, self-centered idiot, going through this great learning process that just falls really, really flat (with a side of family conflict because no one! understands! him! or supports his genius, or whatever. Boring.)
I'm still looking forward to any books in the Skolian Saga that Asaro writes, assuming they're nothing like this book. If I had read this first in the series, I would have never continued with it, and if the next book is anything like this, I'll quit.
I love the Skolian Saga because Asaro writes interesting space opera with actual science(!) in it and does a great job describing some of the physics going on with interesting space tricks. I like most of the characters in the universe, and I also like that she has a romance angle through the stories.
This book, judging by its cover (I know , I know) and the blurb about it, looked like it might not be so great. It's about one of the Ruby Dynasty scions, Del-Kurj Valdoria, son of Roca and Eldrinson. He gets left behind on earth when the rest of the family is rescued (he's on another continent), and he decides to hang out and go at a music career.
This book is incredibly slow and boring. There are entire swaths of the book I can't really remember and don't care about. I listened to it on audio book and if I missed several minutes because I got distracted, I didn't even bother to go back.
I hung in there for occasional Ruby family stuff, because even though Asaro's novels in the Skolian universe are largely stand-alone, there is information about the background war and politics of the empire that are good to stay up on.
This book feels like it was written, not by a physicist/author with a string of awesome books under her belt, by a groupie who dreams about a famous life - and it's full of references to the drinking/boozing/sexin' culture of the famous rocker with a side of commentary about what they think of the kind of people that populate the entertainment industry (producers, labels, mostly behaving badly and trying to choke the individuality and genius of the art and what not).
Del-Kurj plays like a young, self-centered idiot, going through this great learning process that just falls really, really flat (with a side of family conflict because no one! understands! him! or supports his genius, or whatever. Boring.)
I'm still looking forward to any books in the Skolian Saga that Asaro writes, assuming they're nothing like this book. If I had read this first in the series, I would have never continued with it, and if the next book is anything like this, I'll quit.
November 22, 2009
I judged this book by it's ridiculously fabulous cover.
The interior was not quite as ridiculously fabulous, not consistently, but it was pretty entertainingly goofy and I eventually did get interested in the plot. The middle was boring, though.
And the singing scenes were sometimes really embarrassing to read, hitting my make-a-fool-of-yourself-in-public squick (though within the context of the story, it was not a public embarrassment). Obviously I've got some pretty different musical tastes from the author, but it seemed like the only reason Del stood out in the music scene was that all the other bands were completely abysmal.
The world-building was of the 'what would be fun' type rather than the extremely well-thought out anthropological approach, but that is a genre feature I suppose.
The interior was not quite as ridiculously fabulous, not consistently, but it was pretty entertainingly goofy and I eventually did get interested in the plot. The middle was boring, though.
And the singing scenes were sometimes really embarrassing to read, hitting my make-a-fool-of-yourself-in-public squick (though within the context of the story, it was not a public embarrassment). Obviously I've got some pretty different musical tastes from the author, but it seemed like the only reason Del stood out in the music scene was that all the other bands were completely abysmal.
The world-building was of the 'what would be fun' type rather than the extremely well-thought out anthropological approach, but that is a genre feature I suppose.
Read
April 14, 2021This book served as my introduction to the Skolian Empire. By the end of it, not only was I highly entertained, but completely involved. I will be making room in my reading list for more adventures from Catherine Asaro.
The story itself had a high emotional payoff - reminiscent of the other Catherine Asaro series I have read - The Lost Continent books from Luna. Ms Asaro does seem fascinated with gem stones...
I also received and listened to the audio CD and it makes a fine accompaniment to the book, though I'll admit I expected the songs to be a little more energetic and powerful - as written in the text.
The story itself had a high emotional payoff - reminiscent of the other Catherine Asaro series I have read - The Lost Continent books from Luna. Ms Asaro does seem fascinated with gem stones...
I also received and listened to the audio CD and it makes a fine accompaniment to the book, though I'll admit I expected the songs to be a little more energetic and powerful - as written in the text.
February 17, 2023
Del wants to be a singer. He is also an heir to a Galactic Empire. In order to fulfill his dream, Del must face challenges from all sides. His family is uncomfortable with his career choice. His backers are worried about their investment. Del also has to deal with his empathic abilities which performing in front of large crowds can get complicated. It is interesting to see the detail Asaro puts into describing what pop music will be in the future. Del is great character. He has great raw talent which gets refined as story progresses. He also has do deal with a lot and meets the challenge. The book is part of Asaro’s Skolian series. The book works as a stand alone. Asaro gives the reader enough information about the universe to appreciate the story.
March 9, 2017
This is now the third time ...
... I'm reading this. This amazing universe Catherine Asaro created grabs my attention better than any series written, with the exception of Dune by Frank Herbert.
The rich characterizations are almost unparalleled in the science fiction genre.
The books of the 'Saga of the Skolian Empire' and those of 'Dune' both keep me up in the wee hours. A fictional universe made so real I can almost touch it.
... I'm reading this. This amazing universe Catherine Asaro created grabs my attention better than any series written, with the exception of Dune by Frank Herbert.
The rich characterizations are almost unparalleled in the science fiction genre.
The books of the 'Saga of the Skolian Empire' and those of 'Dune' both keep me up in the wee hours. A fictional universe made so real I can almost touch it.
December 27, 2017
This book jolted me out of my suspension of disbelief a lot more than the earlier (by internal chronology) books. I think it's partly that dialogue and characters that seem fine coming from a significantly different culture stumble when they're near-future Americans; partly that trying to tie it to the real-world album and band makes it clunky; and partly that the lyrics are mostly awful (and I enjoy rock and pop lyrics by and large).
March 11, 2018
I suspect I would have less affection for this book if I didn't live in Baltimore. Also, I don't find Ricky the Media Mogul all that compelling a character; sort of hastily drawn and not all that likable. Del isn't all that likable either.
On examination, I'm a rabid fan of this series more for the universe than for all of the characters. Except Soz, who is awesome and not in this book.
Whatever. I read it twice and liked it, so it meets my personal 5 star standard.
On examination, I'm a rabid fan of this series more for the universe than for all of the characters. Except Soz, who is awesome and not in this book.
Whatever. I read it twice and liked it, so it meets my personal 5 star standard.
August 5, 2018
This is a re-read for me and I have the same impression as the first time I read this book. I really like the Skolian book series despite those nasty Aristos. However, I found myself getting really irritated with the main character. I think the author was trying to get across his struggles with overcoming past failures and family disapproval, but he just seems broody, immature and self-centered. It is still a story worth reading, just not her best work.
June 28, 2023
I'm going through these book awfully fast. Gonna be sad when I finish the series. This one has a unique spin, with its rock star fantasy set to the backdrop of the Ruby family I've come to know and love. I'm off now to download the Point Valid album that accompanies the novel. Catherine Asaro seems to have good taste in music considering the moderately subtle plugs she inserted into her narrative. Apocalyptica...Within Temptation?! Hell, yes.
July 25, 2015
The problem with long-running series, and make no mistake, Catherine Asaro's Saga of the Skolian empire is indeed a long running series - is that the quality of the stories tends to be uneven across time, and in fact every once in a while a clunker or near-clunker makes its way into the wild. DIAMOND STAR is one of those near-clunkers, for more a couple of reasons, and only redeems itself more than halfway through the book.
Since DIAMOND STAR is something like the 12th book in the series - chronologically speaking, anyway - and I've reviewed every one of the prior 11, I'm not going to go into a detailed background of the Skolian universe. There are multiple wikipedia pages that can do a much better job than I can of that, and those pages present much more detail than I can fit in here. The brief recap, though, is that the Skolians and the Eubians have reached an uneasy peace after a nasty war has devastated both sides. Neither side really wants another war at this point - said war could essentially destroy both civilizations. The Allieds, a supposedly neutral party centered on Earth, don't want another war either. They're afraid that war could spill over to the mother planet and destroy them as well.
So, we have Del Kurj Valdoria Skolia - or some variation on that name, anyway - stuck on Earth because the Allieds don't want to let him go back to Skolia, at least not at the time of the start of the book. They are trying to get as much information out of him as they can. There are some very strange things about him that they don't understand. Del doesn't really care about all the war, espionage, and politics of his people. He just wants to sing.
Now bear with me here, since I'm going to try to encapsulate this briefly and hope it makes sense so that I can move on to what I feel are the problems with
the book. Del gets "discovered" by Prime Nova, one of the big holo-rock promoters on Earth. After a few rough concerts, Del's career takes off, and he becomes one of the hottest holo-rock stars not only on the planet, but in the galaxy. The problem, of course, is that Del is coming to his success while trying to hide who he really is: A prince who is part of the Ruby dynasty. Earth's government doesn't want the information to come out, seeing as the knowledge could restart an interstellar war at worst, or just plain invite assassination attempts and the like at the very least. All hell breaks loose when Del sings the Carnelian Finale in front of an audience of several million, a highly charged political song that probably will restart that interstellar war.
As I was listening to DIAMOND STAR, I was wondering why the heck I should care about the life of a rock star, because that's what the vast majority of this
book is about. It chronicles the discovery of Del, his rise to stardom, his propensity to get into trouble, his addiction to a bliss node (all rock stars
must have addictions, you know), and his complicated romantic entanglement with his inevitably sultry promoter. Yes, there is always the Skolian angle in the background, but a good chunk of this story is the whole rock star thing.
And I kept asking myself "who threw this rock star rise to prominence story into my Skolian Saga book?".
And eventually, Asaro lets the Skolian Empire stuff kick back in. And finally, the book gets good. It all centers around, of course, the conflict
with the Eubian Traders. After several books in which we almost begin to start sympathizing a bit, or understanding a bit, the traders, if not their viewpoint and outlook on things, Asaro once again makes the Traders look intensely evil and nasty, the way they were earlier in the series. This was a very enjoyable turnabout, and one that I welcomed with open arms.
And Del's family - all of our friends from earlier books - finally make their appearance and influence more felt once the conflict with the Traders takes
center stage. In a pleasant set of scenes, Del and his family come together, make peace, and come to understand each other after Del pretty much didn't
want anything to do with them for most of the book.
After listening to this book, my feeling is that the Skolian Saga may be starting to run out of steam. There are still a couple of books for me to get to, but I'm not quite sure where Asaro can go with this from here, although it's clear that because of the Carnelians Finale, she can set up another conflict that will take us through a few more books, but even that can get old.
As far as the narrator, we once again have a new guy, Andy Paris. I'm truly getting more than a bit tired of the changing narrators for the series. Andy
does a serviceable job of reading the story, and has the sense not to try to do a female voice when a female is talking. I think he does a good job of
getting through that kind of issue. Where the narration derails for me is his attempt to sing Del's songs. Paris' singing jolted me right out of the
narrative and more often than not made me wish he'd just read the lyrics instead of singing them.
The more I think about it, the more I come to believe that DIAMOND STAR is a book to bridge between two conflicts between the Skolians and the Traders. I
hope that's it, because otherwise I didn't see the point of this one. It's an okay book, but nothing to sing about.
Since DIAMOND STAR is something like the 12th book in the series - chronologically speaking, anyway - and I've reviewed every one of the prior 11, I'm not going to go into a detailed background of the Skolian universe. There are multiple wikipedia pages that can do a much better job than I can of that, and those pages present much more detail than I can fit in here. The brief recap, though, is that the Skolians and the Eubians have reached an uneasy peace after a nasty war has devastated both sides. Neither side really wants another war at this point - said war could essentially destroy both civilizations. The Allieds, a supposedly neutral party centered on Earth, don't want another war either. They're afraid that war could spill over to the mother planet and destroy them as well.
So, we have Del Kurj Valdoria Skolia - or some variation on that name, anyway - stuck on Earth because the Allieds don't want to let him go back to Skolia, at least not at the time of the start of the book. They are trying to get as much information out of him as they can. There are some very strange things about him that they don't understand. Del doesn't really care about all the war, espionage, and politics of his people. He just wants to sing.
Now bear with me here, since I'm going to try to encapsulate this briefly and hope it makes sense so that I can move on to what I feel are the problems with
the book. Del gets "discovered" by Prime Nova, one of the big holo-rock promoters on Earth. After a few rough concerts, Del's career takes off, and he becomes one of the hottest holo-rock stars not only on the planet, but in the galaxy. The problem, of course, is that Del is coming to his success while trying to hide who he really is: A prince who is part of the Ruby dynasty. Earth's government doesn't want the information to come out, seeing as the knowledge could restart an interstellar war at worst, or just plain invite assassination attempts and the like at the very least. All hell breaks loose when Del sings the Carnelian Finale in front of an audience of several million, a highly charged political song that probably will restart that interstellar war.
As I was listening to DIAMOND STAR, I was wondering why the heck I should care about the life of a rock star, because that's what the vast majority of this
book is about. It chronicles the discovery of Del, his rise to stardom, his propensity to get into trouble, his addiction to a bliss node (all rock stars
must have addictions, you know), and his complicated romantic entanglement with his inevitably sultry promoter. Yes, there is always the Skolian angle in the background, but a good chunk of this story is the whole rock star thing.
And I kept asking myself "who threw this rock star rise to prominence story into my Skolian Saga book?".
And eventually, Asaro lets the Skolian Empire stuff kick back in. And finally, the book gets good. It all centers around, of course, the conflict
with the Eubian Traders. After several books in which we almost begin to start sympathizing a bit, or understanding a bit, the traders, if not their viewpoint and outlook on things, Asaro once again makes the Traders look intensely evil and nasty, the way they were earlier in the series. This was a very enjoyable turnabout, and one that I welcomed with open arms.
And Del's family - all of our friends from earlier books - finally make their appearance and influence more felt once the conflict with the Traders takes
center stage. In a pleasant set of scenes, Del and his family come together, make peace, and come to understand each other after Del pretty much didn't
want anything to do with them for most of the book.
After listening to this book, my feeling is that the Skolian Saga may be starting to run out of steam. There are still a couple of books for me to get to, but I'm not quite sure where Asaro can go with this from here, although it's clear that because of the Carnelians Finale, she can set up another conflict that will take us through a few more books, but even that can get old.
As far as the narrator, we once again have a new guy, Andy Paris. I'm truly getting more than a bit tired of the changing narrators for the series. Andy
does a serviceable job of reading the story, and has the sense not to try to do a female voice when a female is talking. I think he does a good job of
getting through that kind of issue. Where the narration derails for me is his attempt to sing Del's songs. Paris' singing jolted me right out of the
narrative and more often than not made me wish he'd just read the lyrics instead of singing them.
The more I think about it, the more I come to believe that DIAMOND STAR is a book to bridge between two conflicts between the Skolians and the Traders. I
hope that's it, because otherwise I didn't see the point of this one. It's an okay book, but nothing to sing about.
January 14, 2024
I had never heard of this author, and now I enjoy a book and learn it's #13 in a series. What a gift! Well-written, excellent and unique storyline, good dialogue and characters. Delightfully entertaining, and it reminded me that a story doesn't have to be "hard-core sci-fi" to obviously belong in the genre. Highly recommended. Now to go find the first twelve volumes...
March 19, 2017
I have loved Asaro's Saga of the Skolian Empire, but this one is my least favorite and took me about three years to finish reaching as i woudl put it down for long periods of time in between making progress. I am looking forward to seeing what happens in the next part of the saga.
February 16, 2021
All the other books pushed the story further. Not this one. I had no idea where this was going, or what the point of it was, even up to the end - other to make sure all the Roca's children gets a book?
January 3, 2023
This took me a minute to get into. After coming off of Kelric and Jaibrol III's peace talks, I was not ready to read about one of the brothers I've never read about. I would like for all of the kids to have their own books but that doesn't happen for some reason.
November 30, 2017
Del just isn't an interesting character to me. I skipped his story & just read the bits where the rest of his family showed up. The writing is great as always.
August 11, 2018
The worst in the series. I would elaborate but if the writer doesn't put any effort in, why should I?
March 6, 2021
Typical Asaro Skolian Empire book. Read pre pandemic, but didn't log, so I don't remember specifics.
May 6, 2021
Well dam, these booms just keep getting better and better. Make sure you have plenty of tissues at hand.
Read
November 26, 2023This was hard to get through for me which had nothing to do with the book.
March 12, 2024
Not sure I get the bad reviews on this one. This was maybe my favorite so far in the Skolian series. The main character is so much more relatable than many of the others.
March 14, 2025
Take away in lyrics:
“You gotta do what you gotta do,
Trust your family and they will trust you too.”
Powerful.
“You gotta do what you gotta do,
Trust your family and they will trust you too.”
Powerful.
July 25, 2016
Del is a Skolian prince, but he has no interest in taking a formal position among his people. He's not in line for the throne, he's not a military genius, and he doesn't feel he can contribute in any real way. He's a classically trained singer, and his family would like to see him take up the title of Skolian bard, but that's not what Del wants to do. He loves rock music, something none of his people can understand. He doesn't want to be a prince, he just wants to... to SING!
While on Earth, Del accidentally winds up singing for a top music executive, thinking he's just being given a tour of the studios so he can check them out. The minute Ricki hears him sing, she knows she has to sign him to her label. He's going to be huge. Del is delighted, but the people who are supposed to be watching him consider it a nightmare. With his status as prince, if anything happens to him, a rabid fan or an overeager crowd pushing a bit too rough, the entire Skolian empire could consider it an act of war. They can't rein in his enthusiasm, though, since antagonizing someone as politically connected as Del isn't high on their list of things to do, either, and to get him out of the contract he's signed they'd have to make his identity public, negating the protection they've given him so far.
Del loves the rock life he's fallen into, and his music is well received on Earth. He's got to keep what he's doing a secret from his family, though, knowing they'd never approve and would haul him back home the instant they discovered he sang public concerts with his unorthodox music and even danced in public. The double life is stressful, but Del is happier than he's ever been and has no intention of giving it up, not even when his success brings him to the attention of some dangerous people.
One of the neat things with Diamond Star is that Asaro actually wrote out all the songs from Del's album, with some help from band Point Valid, and the resulting CD is available from Starfleet Music, turning the book into an interactive rock opera. The sound on the CD wasn't what I personally had imagined from just having read the book, and mentioning Point Valid more than once in the novel as as an example of rock done right smacked of gratuitous cross-promotion, but there's a reason I'm not a music reviewer, so your mileage may vary.
As for the book itself, it's a fun space opera with surprisingly dark undertones. Most of the story focuses on Del, his black sheep status within his family, and his music career, but since war between the Skolians and the sadistic Carnelians has only recently ended, anger and resentment is running high, and the post-war setting becomes important.
I really liked Del as a protagonist, which is fortunate for me because he's very much the driving force of the story. He follows the age-old formula of being special without knowing it, but he's uniquely flawed and thinks little enough of himself I'm not sure he ever really grasps his own specialness. His family issues and feelings of being misunderstood make him easily relatable, and while he might occasionally seem flaky on the surface, he always seems to pull it together in time.
Sum-up? Very fun story with two separate climaxes, a likeable protagonist and interesting political undertones. If the rest of the books in the Skolian saga are like this one, I may have to invest in them all. It should be noted I'm generally a fan of space opera as a genre, but this is a good one, even so.
While on Earth, Del accidentally winds up singing for a top music executive, thinking he's just being given a tour of the studios so he can check them out. The minute Ricki hears him sing, she knows she has to sign him to her label. He's going to be huge. Del is delighted, but the people who are supposed to be watching him consider it a nightmare. With his status as prince, if anything happens to him, a rabid fan or an overeager crowd pushing a bit too rough, the entire Skolian empire could consider it an act of war. They can't rein in his enthusiasm, though, since antagonizing someone as politically connected as Del isn't high on their list of things to do, either, and to get him out of the contract he's signed they'd have to make his identity public, negating the protection they've given him so far.
Del loves the rock life he's fallen into, and his music is well received on Earth. He's got to keep what he's doing a secret from his family, though, knowing they'd never approve and would haul him back home the instant they discovered he sang public concerts with his unorthodox music and even danced in public. The double life is stressful, but Del is happier than he's ever been and has no intention of giving it up, not even when his success brings him to the attention of some dangerous people.
One of the neat things with Diamond Star is that Asaro actually wrote out all the songs from Del's album, with some help from band Point Valid, and the resulting CD is available from Starfleet Music, turning the book into an interactive rock opera. The sound on the CD wasn't what I personally had imagined from just having read the book, and mentioning Point Valid more than once in the novel as as an example of rock done right smacked of gratuitous cross-promotion, but there's a reason I'm not a music reviewer, so your mileage may vary.
As for the book itself, it's a fun space opera with surprisingly dark undertones. Most of the story focuses on Del, his black sheep status within his family, and his music career, but since war between the Skolians and the sadistic Carnelians has only recently ended, anger and resentment is running high, and the post-war setting becomes important.
I really liked Del as a protagonist, which is fortunate for me because he's very much the driving force of the story. He follows the age-old formula of being special without knowing it, but he's uniquely flawed and thinks little enough of himself I'm not sure he ever really grasps his own specialness. His family issues and feelings of being misunderstood make him easily relatable, and while he might occasionally seem flaky on the surface, he always seems to pull it together in time.
Sum-up? Very fun story with two separate climaxes, a likeable protagonist and interesting political undertones. If the rest of the books in the Skolian saga are like this one, I may have to invest in them all. It should be noted I'm generally a fan of space opera as a genre, but this is a good one, even so.
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