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Quantum Shadows
Bestselling author of The Mongrel Mage, L. E. Modesitt, Jr's Quantum Shadows blends science fiction, myth, and legend in an adventure that pits old gods and new against one another in a far future world.
On a world called Heaven, the ten major religions of mankind each have its own land governed by a capital city and ruled by a Hegemon. That Hegemon may be a god, or a prophet of a god. Smaller religions have their own towns or villages of belief.
Corvyn, known as the Shadow of the Raven, contains the collective memory of humanity’s Falls from Grace. With this knowledge comes enormous power.
When unknown power burns a mysterious black image into the holy place of each House of the Decalivre, Corvyn must discover what entity could possibly have that much power. The stakes are nothing less than another Fall, and if he doesn't stop it, mankind will not rise from the ashes.
At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
297 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 21, 2020
149 people are currently reading
354 people want to read
About the author
L.E. Modesitt Jr.
191 books2,583 followersL. E. (Leland Exton) Modesitt, Jr. is an author of science fiction and fantasy novels. He is best known for the fantasy series The Saga of Recluce. He graduated from Williams College in Massachusetts, lived in Washington, D.C. for 20 years, then moved to New Hampshire in 1989 where he met his wife. They relocated to Cedar City, Utah in 1993.
He has worked as a Navy pilot, lifeguard, delivery boy, unpaid radio disc jockey, real estate agent, market research analyst, director of research for a political campaign, legislative assistant for a Congressman, Director of Legislation and Congressional Relations for the United States Environmental Protection Agency, a consultant on environmental, regulatory, and communications issues, and a college lecturer and writer in residence.
In addition to his novels, Mr. Modesitt has published technical studies and articles, columns, poetry, and a number of science fiction stories. His first short story, "The Great American Economy", was published in 1973 in Analog Science Fiction and Science Fact.
-Wikipedia
He has worked as a Navy pilot, lifeguard, delivery boy, unpaid radio disc jockey, real estate agent, market research analyst, director of research for a political campaign, legislative assistant for a Congressman, Director of Legislation and Congressional Relations for the United States Environmental Protection Agency, a consultant on environmental, regulatory, and communications issues, and a college lecturer and writer in residence.
In addition to his novels, Mr. Modesitt has published technical studies and articles, columns, poetry, and a number of science fiction stories. His first short story, "The Great American Economy", was published in 1973 in Analog Science Fiction and Science Fact.
-Wikipedia
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 72 reviews
May 9, 2020
I think I wanted to like this more than I did. I've never read anything else by Modesitt but I admit to seeing and thinking I OUGHT to have been reading the books.
So when I did see a new release in Netgalley, I fully jumped on the bandwagon.
What did I find?
A rough-going opening that was more concerned with term-wrangling and a detective game of trying to get a grip on character and what kind of tale this was going to be. When I finally realized that we were dealing with *fairly* normal story bones underneath philosophical, mythological, and especially religious (or meta-religious) settings, I eased into the story and enjoyed the interesting action and mystery aspects.
Getting there, however, made me feel like we were playing catch-up with a big nod to some other big SF names, but put on a particular Modesitt spin. ... So what do I mean? ... I get the feeling like we're stepping into a hard-SF godlike story that blends neatly into multi-religious meta-comparisons with walking embodiments everywhere.
In one way, I love this kind of thing. In another, it REALLY has to be done well or I feel kinda cheated.
I get the feeling like a number of devoted readers, probably fans, are going to get into this book in a really big way. I personally didn't feel the weight of the things that came before, though, so most of it was lost on me.
I didn't get hooked, but I saw some potential. I'm wondering if I ought to have started ANYWHERE else, first.
So when I did see a new release in Netgalley, I fully jumped on the bandwagon.
What did I find?
A rough-going opening that was more concerned with term-wrangling and a detective game of trying to get a grip on character and what kind of tale this was going to be. When I finally realized that we were dealing with *fairly* normal story bones underneath philosophical, mythological, and especially religious (or meta-religious) settings, I eased into the story and enjoyed the interesting action and mystery aspects.
Getting there, however, made me feel like we were playing catch-up with a big nod to some other big SF names, but put on a particular Modesitt spin. ... So what do I mean? ... I get the feeling like we're stepping into a hard-SF godlike story that blends neatly into multi-religious meta-comparisons with walking embodiments everywhere.
In one way, I love this kind of thing. In another, it REALLY has to be done well or I feel kinda cheated.
I get the feeling like a number of devoted readers, probably fans, are going to get into this book in a really big way. I personally didn't feel the weight of the things that came before, though, so most of it was lost on me.
I didn't get hooked, but I saw some potential. I'm wondering if I ought to have started ANYWHERE else, first.
May 9, 2020
Corvyn is a powerful being, an independent conscience and policeman protecting a world called Heaven. The ten major human religions each have their own land governed by a Hegemon, sometimes a god or a prophet of a god.
Some unknown power burns the image of a trident into Corvyns home and he tours the ten countries on a detective mission to find out which entity is behind that Menetekel. He's lived through apocalypses in the past and fears that another one is dooming.
Despite the author's enormously prolific, I never read anything from him and wanted to get a standalone entry before digging into his Saga of Recluse or one of his other well-known series.
I found it extremely difficult to get into a reading flow which I never achieved throughout the book. Usually, literary SF like Gene Wolfe or Harlan Ellison is no challenge for me, but in this case the prose was overwrought at times. Every of the ten towns follows a similar pattern with an explicit description of the chosen hotel, a longer treatise of chosing a meal and ordering wine followed by magical eavesdropping of the other guests before going to sleep and visiting the power of the town on the next day.
Corvyn exploits considerable magic power with his shadow weaving, allowing him to travel through shadows, forging financial transactions and using it in his fights. He is an interesting character - intelligent in his philosophical discussions, outstanding in his taste, even cool with travelling his electromotor-bike. But I was never able to really connect to him and understood his motives only very late.
Modesitt tries an interesting mixture of far future SF with some Quantum technologies, adding magic abilities and mythical gods. It was never successful and I didn't highlight any insights. After a while I nearly didn't care for this routine of dialectics anymore.
The last few chapters pulled up the action lever and in comparison felt rushed and unorganic.
In summary, I found the novel not very convincing, it didn't grip me at all, and I can't recommend it.
Some unknown power burns the image of a trident into Corvyns home and he tours the ten countries on a detective mission to find out which entity is behind that Menetekel. He's lived through apocalypses in the past and fears that another one is dooming.
Despite the author's enormously prolific, I never read anything from him and wanted to get a standalone entry before digging into his Saga of Recluse or one of his other well-known series.
I found it extremely difficult to get into a reading flow which I never achieved throughout the book. Usually, literary SF like Gene Wolfe or Harlan Ellison is no challenge for me, but in this case the prose was overwrought at times. Every of the ten towns follows a similar pattern with an explicit description of the chosen hotel, a longer treatise of chosing a meal and ordering wine followed by magical eavesdropping of the other guests before going to sleep and visiting the power of the town on the next day.
Corvyn exploits considerable magic power with his shadow weaving, allowing him to travel through shadows, forging financial transactions and using it in his fights. He is an interesting character - intelligent in his philosophical discussions, outstanding in his taste, even cool with travelling his electromotor-bike. But I was never able to really connect to him and understood his motives only very late.
Modesitt tries an interesting mixture of far future SF with some Quantum technologies, adding magic abilities and mythical gods. It was never successful and I didn't highlight any insights. After a while I nearly didn't care for this routine of dialectics anymore.
The last few chapters pulled up the action lever and in comparison felt rushed and unorganic.
In summary, I found the novel not very convincing, it didn't grip me at all, and I can't recommend it.
March 30, 2020
One of the new releases I have really been expecting turned out to be quite disappointing, mostly because the setting was not that interesting and the main character lacked the sparkle that Rhenn, Quaeryt or the various Recluce heroes of the author had and which made those books such big favorites of mine; while the author's sf has been more of hit or miss with me, generally it provided at least some entertainment either through the setting, the action or the characters, but in this book which tries to be a far future sf with the cliche magic is advanced technology and vice versa, nothing really worked as I kept turning pages to find a hook to make me care about the book.
Overall, the author tried something different than in his large sf oeuvre and at least imho, he failed fairly completely at producing a readable not to speak entertaining novel, so I would give this one a pass
Overall, the author tried something different than in his large sf oeuvre and at least imho, he failed fairly completely at producing a readable not to speak entertaining novel, so I would give this one a pass
December 13, 2020
Modesitt challenges again!
I must admit this was heavy going until I got into the flow. I really wanted to love this--in the end I did. Enter a world where the major religions are confined to ten houses, with a few gods on the side who could become more depending on the added impetus of believers. (This idea I've met before.) A world where when things become out of balance a major catastrophe or 'the fall' could happen.
Something is afoot in Heaven. A symbol of a Trident, dark etched, has appeared branded into places where it shouldn't be able to, a disruption in a tightly balanced world.
Corvyn's task is to monitor the situation. A figure wrapped in shadows, able to weave and bend them to his will. (We've seen others in Modesitt's works do this). Corvyn's investigations take him throughout the ten houses.
Philosophical and religious thoughts form part of the background and as ever food and wine play a part, as Corvyn revisits favoured inns and restaurants, places that haven't seen him for many years.
As always I'm fascinated by Modesitt's ability to construct worlds and their belief systems. I place this novel alongside those that I find interesting and raised questions that have value.
Corvyn, and his electrobike, and black stedora always so carefully placed is an interesting character. My mind just couldn't resist going to those figures like the four horseman of the acopolypse, only more urban fantastical. I'm sure there's many more but they're lingering on the edge of my consciousness at the moment refusing to fully form.
Corvyn's commentary on the various houses and their peculiarities are as concise as they are cutting.
The story is dotted with references religious and mythological. I needed Wikipedia by my side to recall some. Like for example the significance of Ravens as messengers between heaven and earth, birds of prophecy and insight, connectors between the spirit world and the physical world prompting sometimes darkness and at other times a mysterious force when there's a need to reflect on actions.
Well all that works for me within this story, although maybe Corvyn's more an angel of judgement and balance.
Whatever, once again there's acres of images to reflect on and dots to join in this rather more challenging read.
A Macmillan-Tor/Forge ARC via NetGalley
(Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)
I must admit this was heavy going until I got into the flow. I really wanted to love this--in the end I did. Enter a world where the major religions are confined to ten houses, with a few gods on the side who could become more depending on the added impetus of believers. (This idea I've met before.) A world where when things become out of balance a major catastrophe or 'the fall' could happen.
Something is afoot in Heaven. A symbol of a Trident, dark etched, has appeared branded into places where it shouldn't be able to, a disruption in a tightly balanced world.
Corvyn's task is to monitor the situation. A figure wrapped in shadows, able to weave and bend them to his will. (We've seen others in Modesitt's works do this). Corvyn's investigations take him throughout the ten houses.
Philosophical and religious thoughts form part of the background and as ever food and wine play a part, as Corvyn revisits favoured inns and restaurants, places that haven't seen him for many years.
As always I'm fascinated by Modesitt's ability to construct worlds and their belief systems. I place this novel alongside those that I find interesting and raised questions that have value.
Corvyn, and his electrobike, and black stedora always so carefully placed is an interesting character. My mind just couldn't resist going to those figures like the four horseman of the acopolypse, only more urban fantastical. I'm sure there's many more but they're lingering on the edge of my consciousness at the moment refusing to fully form.
Corvyn's commentary on the various houses and their peculiarities are as concise as they are cutting.
The story is dotted with references religious and mythological. I needed Wikipedia by my side to recall some. Like for example the significance of Ravens as messengers between heaven and earth, birds of prophecy and insight, connectors between the spirit world and the physical world prompting sometimes darkness and at other times a mysterious force when there's a need to reflect on actions.
Well all that works for me within this story, although maybe Corvyn's more an angel of judgement and balance.
Whatever, once again there's acres of images to reflect on and dots to join in this rather more challenging read.
A Macmillan-Tor/Forge ARC via NetGalley
(Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)
January 23, 2022
Modesitt's latest science-fantasy started out really well, but the author never quite got all his narrative threads to knit together, I thought. The pacing is slow but steady. Other readers found the details of Corvyn's travels to be excessive, but I liked them. Thomas's review at https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... nicely outlines this author's narrative style.
His review and the publisher's preview will get you up to speed.
The book is not quite a polemic against religion, but certainly against fanaticism. The quantum-physics stuff is pure window-dressing, to my disappointment. I do like his slow-and steady world-building, but I found the ending confusing and not very effective. My rating: a wishy-washy 3 stars. I was hoping for better.
I also recommend Jim's review, https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
as another well-read SF/F fan's opinion.
This shouldn't be your first Modesitt read. If you are a fellow SF fan, start with his Adiamante, which I rated at 5 stars here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... I think it's his best straight-SF novel. Moral philosophy plus exploding spaceships! I don't find his fantasy novels to my taste.
His review and the publisher's preview will get you up to speed.
The book is not quite a polemic against religion, but certainly against fanaticism. The quantum-physics stuff is pure window-dressing, to my disappointment. I do like his slow-and steady world-building, but I found the ending confusing and not very effective. My rating: a wishy-washy 3 stars. I was hoping for better.
I also recommend Jim's review, https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
as another well-read SF/F fan's opinion.
This shouldn't be your first Modesitt read. If you are a fellow SF fan, start with his Adiamante, which I rated at 5 stars here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... I think it's his best straight-SF novel. Moral philosophy plus exploding spaceships! I don't find his fantasy novels to my taste.
December 22, 2021
An interesting blend of SF & mythology that was fairly bewildering at first. It reminded me of the first book of his I read The Timegod* or something Roger Zelazny would write. There was a bit too much wandering without much action, especially at first. I'm also not very interested in, but was treated to, what he had for dinner most every night. The lands were interesting, especially the names. I caught quite a few of the historical references, but not others. I have to admit to almost total ignorance when it comes to Hinduism - too many strange characters who seem to change their personalities completely depending on the story & I've never been able to keep their hierarchy straight.
The themes of belief & fanaticism were repetitive, but that might just be me. It's something I've thought of a lot & made my mind up about decades ago. As an atheist, I know just how pervasive, stifling, & blinding religious beliefs can be.
This might be better on a reread since I'm sure I missed some things due to trying to figure out what was going on. Nice reveals toward the end. None too surprising, but that was for the best. The clues were there leading to them & it made for a better ending.
Not really a 4 star read if only because there isn't much in the way of humor or other leavening for the heavy themes. It's just somewhat depressing given the current political climate.
*The Timegod was originally titled "The Fires of Paratime" when it was first published in the late 70s, a far better title, IMO. When he got a new publishing company, they reissued it under a new title but without any significant changes.
The themes of belief & fanaticism were repetitive, but that might just be me. It's something I've thought of a lot & made my mind up about decades ago. As an atheist, I know just how pervasive, stifling, & blinding religious beliefs can be.
This might be better on a reread since I'm sure I missed some things due to trying to figure out what was going on. Nice reveals toward the end. None too surprising, but that was for the best. The clues were there leading to them & it made for a better ending.
Not really a 4 star read if only because there isn't much in the way of humor or other leavening for the heavy themes. It's just somewhat depressing given the current political climate.
*The Timegod was originally titled "The Fires of Paratime" when it was first published in the late 70s, a far better title, IMO. When he got a new publishing company, they reissued it under a new title but without any significant changes.
Read
January 24, 2025I just walked past the bookshelf in my living room. There are 5 L. E. Modesitt, Jr.
books at eye level within easy reach (one grand illusion, 3 recluse, and one imager). I have close to 30 of his books, but I've read more for sure. He's one of my favorite authors. His work has a pretty wide range. The Saga of Recluse reminds me of David Edding meets Terry Goodkind, and with 34 years of books and counting, it's a great series for me because it takes forever. Imager might be my favorite fantasy world of all time (duh, I paint). I would describe it as "Brandon Sanderson and Robin Hobb are secretly jealous." The grand illusion is a bit of an acquired taste, but I'm here for it. Only this author could get me to read 3 books about government employees eating breakfast and going to meetings. Until a few years ago, I didn't know that Modesitt had a whole career before I was born writing science fiction. I've been working through it slowly.
This book is a complete deviation from anything I've come to expect from Modesitt. If I hadn't known it was him, I would have guessed Orson Scott Card. Not enders game card, although this IS technically a science fiction book. It reads more like the Alvin Maker books... or the memory of earth. It's got a lot of LDS influence. At the same time, it reads a lot like Heinlein.
Overall, I enjoyed it. It was fun to experience familiar ideas in new contexts. There is a critical subtext, particularly about the wealth and the control of the LDS church. The author seems to have less fondness for the religion than Card, but he is respectful. As a stand-alone, it's OK, but it doesn't feel complete. I'm crossing my fingers that book 2 is coming.
books at eye level within easy reach (one grand illusion, 3 recluse, and one imager). I have close to 30 of his books, but I've read more for sure. He's one of my favorite authors. His work has a pretty wide range. The Saga of Recluse reminds me of David Edding meets Terry Goodkind, and with 34 years of books and counting, it's a great series for me because it takes forever. Imager might be my favorite fantasy world of all time (duh, I paint). I would describe it as "Brandon Sanderson and Robin Hobb are secretly jealous." The grand illusion is a bit of an acquired taste, but I'm here for it. Only this author could get me to read 3 books about government employees eating breakfast and going to meetings. Until a few years ago, I didn't know that Modesitt had a whole career before I was born writing science fiction. I've been working through it slowly.
This book is a complete deviation from anything I've come to expect from Modesitt. If I hadn't known it was him, I would have guessed Orson Scott Card. Not enders game card, although this IS technically a science fiction book. It reads more like the Alvin Maker books... or the memory of earth. It's got a lot of LDS influence. At the same time, it reads a lot like Heinlein.
Overall, I enjoyed it. It was fun to experience familiar ideas in new contexts. There is a critical subtext, particularly about the wealth and the control of the LDS church. The author seems to have less fondness for the religion than Card, but he is respectful. As a stand-alone, it's OK, but it doesn't feel complete. I'm crossing my fingers that book 2 is coming.
December 2, 2020
Life is too short to finish this book. I read 1/3 of it and don't care to finish. I have read many of Modesitt's other books and the wordy prose and attempts at poetry were typical, as were the very detailed descriptions of the food. Here were some ways the world building left me confused: who/what are the hegemons? How are some immortal? Are all? Are there any people with regular mortal lives? How come Corvyn knows everyone's name, but no one knows who he is? Was the author really intending to mock the various religions or was that just how I was reading it? What's the threat of the trident? How can this world be so scientifically advanced and the people be living in generally medieval times? And all this would imply that there was a storyline, but if there was, I couldn't find it. The quantum shadows mentioned show up in the first 5 pages and then barely again. Corvyn is on a journey of discovery but all he discovers (so far) is some good food in the various religious towns, and yep, the trident is there too. And is he really set up to be a minion of Lucifer? Too much confusion, no plot progression, and I don't even care how it ends.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 16, 2021
4.5 out of 5.
This review is not a recommendation. You read this book at your own risk. This is a particular and peculiar book that is going to appeal to a narrow range of readers. I happen fall in that small slice.
I pretty quickly went from tepid and confused, to invested, and finally, to absolutely tickled by the end.
I can't really explain the book without spoilers but it reads a bit like a travelogue of a day(s) in the life of a far-future human (?) in a far future civilization. We're dropped in the middle of a very different culture and society from today, and yet it's all too familiar. There is only a single point of view throughout the entire book, so if you do not like the main character, you will not like the journey. (It's also a very, almost excruciatingly, focused and limited point of view.)
The story relies heavily on philosophical concepts, theology and mythology. Despite majoring in the philosophy of religion in college, and being a lover of all things mythology, I still needed to google quite a bit to catch all the religious/mythological references. I did not mind; I appreciated being challenged by an intriguing story.
My only criticism (editors take note) is this book would benefit greatly from a map and an appendix of characters (theological and mythical characters).
To reiterate, this book isn't for everyone. As another reviewer noted, either you absolutely adore L.E. Modesitt Jr. (this was the first time reading one of his novels for me), or you were a philosophy or theology major in college. Thankfully, I fell into one of those categories.
This review is not a recommendation. You read this book at your own risk. This is a particular and peculiar book that is going to appeal to a narrow range of readers. I happen fall in that small slice.
I pretty quickly went from tepid and confused, to invested, and finally, to absolutely tickled by the end.
I can't really explain the book without spoilers but it reads a bit like a travelogue of a day(s) in the life of a far-future human (?) in a far future civilization. We're dropped in the middle of a very different culture and society from today, and yet it's all too familiar. There is only a single point of view throughout the entire book, so if you do not like the main character, you will not like the journey. (It's also a very, almost excruciatingly, focused and limited point of view.)
The story relies heavily on philosophical concepts, theology and mythology. Despite majoring in the philosophy of religion in college, and being a lover of all things mythology, I still needed to google quite a bit to catch all the religious/mythological references. I did not mind; I appreciated being challenged by an intriguing story.
My only criticism (editors take note) is this book would benefit greatly from a map and an appendix of characters (theological and mythical characters).
To reiterate, this book isn't for everyone. As another reviewer noted, either you absolutely adore L.E. Modesitt Jr. (this was the first time reading one of his novels for me), or you were a philosophy or theology major in college. Thankfully, I fell into one of those categories.
October 10, 2020
I think this book took a bit too long to get started for me, but was pretty invested in it once things started to fall into place. Review to come!
September 1, 2020
I was immediately intrigued when I read the blurb for L. E. Modesitt, jr.'s latest science fiction novel. As you know, I'm a big Recluce fan and I relished the opportunity to read a stand-alone work from the author. Given the blurb, I was expecting something more scifi-esque. Quantum Shadows is more of a philosophical and thought-provoking read, and as such it's short on plot and characterization. It's a book that asks readers to consider things from a different perspective, which is always good. Unfortunately, there's not much in terms of a story per se.
Here's the blurb:
Bestselling author of The Mongrel Mage, L. E. Modesitt, Jr's Quantum Shadows blends science fiction, myth, and legend in an adventure that pits old gods and new against one another in a far future world.
On a world called Heaven, the ten major religions of mankind each have its own land governed by a capital city and ruled by a Hegemon. That Hegemon may be a god, or a prophet of a god. Smaller religions have their own towns or villages of belief.
Corvyn, known as the Shadow of the Raven, contains the collective memory of humanity’s Falls from Grace. With this knowledge comes enormous power.
When unknown power burns a mysterious black image into the holy place of each House of the Decalivre, Corvyn must discover what entity could possibly have that much power. The stakes are nothing less than another Fall, and if he doesn't stop it, mankind will not rise from the ashes.
Modesitt is known for his detailed worldbuilding and the backdrop for Quantum Shadows seemed to be fascinating. A planet called Heaven, on which all of mankind's religions are forced to live in relative peace, or else face the wrath of the Pearls of Heaven orbiting around the world, watching and waiting. Alas, the author kept his cards way too close to his chest. I understand that less is more often enough. But in this case, with the novel weighing in at only 300 pages, Modesitt could have provided a lot more information and elaborated on the various cities/states/villages and their respective religions without hampering the momentum of the tale. As things stand, the reader keeps going without understanding much of what is taking place. Even the finale fails to bring much in terms of resolution.
Essentially, Quantum Shadows is little more than a travelogue that depicts Corvyn's journey across the land in search of information about the mysterious tridents that keep appearing in holy places sanctified to various deities. Like George R. R. Martin, Modesitt has always been keen on food and drinks and Corvyn's meals are described at great length. The same goes for his many hotel rooms. Sadly, I would have liked to learn more about the various gods, angels, apostles, prophets, etc, as well as the tenets of their religions. But it wasn't meant to be. It often feels as though this is a new installment in an ongoing series, and that all the groundwork has been laid out in previous volumes. Indeed, the story moves forward as if the reader should be aware of what is occurring and the author wastes little time providing background information to help him along.
There is very little characterization to speak of. Corvyn is so enigmatic that even his POV remains shrouded in mystery. You do get to know a little more about him by the end of the book, but not much. The supporting cast is never truly fleshed out and is more or less forgettable. I have to admit that I was expecting much more of Modesitt in that regard and the end result is really disappointing.
The novel also explores themes such as sexism, freedom (of thought, of speech, or religion), culture, power, control, censorship, and the arts (especially music and poetry). The commentary can be subtle and at other times quite obvious. But with the plot being as thin as it is, I felt that such commentary would have worked better had the tale echoed with more depth.
I particularly enjoyed Corvyn's nightmares, which paint a very grim picture of humanity's various Falls. Through these short vignettes, one realizes that there is so much more to this story. I just wish Modesitt would have given us more. Because when all is said and done, Quantum Shadows doesn't feel like a full novel. So much seems to be missing. And it's a shame, for all the ingredients were there for another brilliant and entertaining read.
For more reviews, check out www.fantasyhotlist.blogspot.com
Here's the blurb:
Bestselling author of The Mongrel Mage, L. E. Modesitt, Jr's Quantum Shadows blends science fiction, myth, and legend in an adventure that pits old gods and new against one another in a far future world.
On a world called Heaven, the ten major religions of mankind each have its own land governed by a capital city and ruled by a Hegemon. That Hegemon may be a god, or a prophet of a god. Smaller religions have their own towns or villages of belief.
Corvyn, known as the Shadow of the Raven, contains the collective memory of humanity’s Falls from Grace. With this knowledge comes enormous power.
When unknown power burns a mysterious black image into the holy place of each House of the Decalivre, Corvyn must discover what entity could possibly have that much power. The stakes are nothing less than another Fall, and if he doesn't stop it, mankind will not rise from the ashes.
Modesitt is known for his detailed worldbuilding and the backdrop for Quantum Shadows seemed to be fascinating. A planet called Heaven, on which all of mankind's religions are forced to live in relative peace, or else face the wrath of the Pearls of Heaven orbiting around the world, watching and waiting. Alas, the author kept his cards way too close to his chest. I understand that less is more often enough. But in this case, with the novel weighing in at only 300 pages, Modesitt could have provided a lot more information and elaborated on the various cities/states/villages and their respective religions without hampering the momentum of the tale. As things stand, the reader keeps going without understanding much of what is taking place. Even the finale fails to bring much in terms of resolution.
Essentially, Quantum Shadows is little more than a travelogue that depicts Corvyn's journey across the land in search of information about the mysterious tridents that keep appearing in holy places sanctified to various deities. Like George R. R. Martin, Modesitt has always been keen on food and drinks and Corvyn's meals are described at great length. The same goes for his many hotel rooms. Sadly, I would have liked to learn more about the various gods, angels, apostles, prophets, etc, as well as the tenets of their religions. But it wasn't meant to be. It often feels as though this is a new installment in an ongoing series, and that all the groundwork has been laid out in previous volumes. Indeed, the story moves forward as if the reader should be aware of what is occurring and the author wastes little time providing background information to help him along.
There is very little characterization to speak of. Corvyn is so enigmatic that even his POV remains shrouded in mystery. You do get to know a little more about him by the end of the book, but not much. The supporting cast is never truly fleshed out and is more or less forgettable. I have to admit that I was expecting much more of Modesitt in that regard and the end result is really disappointing.
The novel also explores themes such as sexism, freedom (of thought, of speech, or religion), culture, power, control, censorship, and the arts (especially music and poetry). The commentary can be subtle and at other times quite obvious. But with the plot being as thin as it is, I felt that such commentary would have worked better had the tale echoed with more depth.
I particularly enjoyed Corvyn's nightmares, which paint a very grim picture of humanity's various Falls. Through these short vignettes, one realizes that there is so much more to this story. I just wish Modesitt would have given us more. Because when all is said and done, Quantum Shadows doesn't feel like a full novel. So much seems to be missing. And it's a shame, for all the ingredients were there for another brilliant and entertaining read.
For more reviews, check out www.fantasyhotlist.blogspot.com
November 27, 2020
Modesitt, L. E., Jr. Quantum Shadows. Tor, 2020.
I was disappointed, but not much surprised, to see quite few negative reviews of Quantum Shadows, L. E. Modesitt’s latest standalone novel. Those who did not like the book most often complained about its sidebar discussions of politics, religion, and philosophy, its slow pace, and its blend of fantasy and science fiction tropes. For me, most of those bugs are features. Modesitt is always slow and careful in building his worlds. Here we have a far future planet called Heaven. It isn’t. Each of the major world religions has its own center of power. Our protagonist travels between them on his electric bike, has a meal in the local restaurant, and gets the political lay of the land. In the end, we think we know the place, that is, until the plot pulls the pins on all our preconceptions. For example, until late in the game, we can kid ourselves that we are reading pure fantasy. Corvyn seems to be a mythic figure. Then the science comes tromping in. At that point, we discover that we are in a universe that could have been built by the Roger Zelazny of Lord of Light and that all the references to Poe were a distraction. We expected dragons, but instead we get starships. After writing more than 50 novels that combine science fiction, myth and fantasy, one can see why Modesitt would want to write an homage to Zelazny who had to have been a major influence when he began his career.
I was disappointed, but not much surprised, to see quite few negative reviews of Quantum Shadows, L. E. Modesitt’s latest standalone novel. Those who did not like the book most often complained about its sidebar discussions of politics, religion, and philosophy, its slow pace, and its blend of fantasy and science fiction tropes. For me, most of those bugs are features. Modesitt is always slow and careful in building his worlds. Here we have a far future planet called Heaven. It isn’t. Each of the major world religions has its own center of power. Our protagonist travels between them on his electric bike, has a meal in the local restaurant, and gets the political lay of the land. In the end, we think we know the place, that is, until the plot pulls the pins on all our preconceptions. For example, until late in the game, we can kid ourselves that we are reading pure fantasy. Corvyn seems to be a mythic figure. Then the science comes tromping in. At that point, we discover that we are in a universe that could have been built by the Roger Zelazny of Lord of Light and that all the references to Poe were a distraction. We expected dragons, but instead we get starships. After writing more than 50 novels that combine science fiction, myth and fantasy, one can see why Modesitt would want to write an homage to Zelazny who had to have been a major influence when he began his career.
April 27, 2020
Quantum Shadows By L. E. Modesitt, Jr
Modesitt is a philosopher. He likes to explore decision making and reality checks. This book does a snapshot of the world’s religions and beliefs and suggests a solution for equilibrium.
I enjoy Modesitt’s work but I admit I read more for entertainment and enjoyment than enlightenment. He frequently imbues his books with philosophic overtones but this was with a philosophic book with literary overtones.
If you are a Modesitt fan, you should read this. If you aren’t, this book won’t make you a fan unless you hold a degree in philosophy.
Modesitt is a philosopher. He likes to explore decision making and reality checks. This book does a snapshot of the world’s religions and beliefs and suggests a solution for equilibrium.
I enjoy Modesitt’s work but I admit I read more for entertainment and enjoyment than enlightenment. He frequently imbues his books with philosophic overtones but this was with a philosophic book with literary overtones.
If you are a Modesitt fan, you should read this. If you aren’t, this book won’t make you a fan unless you hold a degree in philosophy.
May 19, 2020
This book was fantastic. Not entirely sure what was happening during most of it - it's more like a philosophical and anthropological journey 'through the lands & restaurants' of Helios but I still loved it. The world-building is superb and I was completely invested in Corven, who may or may not be a good guy. Much like Rosewater - was immersed and carried along in a melt-water of superb writing & imagination on fire. 5 stars.
Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
February 20, 2021
Great premise: In Heaven, an actual place, not the mystical afterlife, the major religions of mankind each have their own land governed by a capital city and ruled by a hegemon. Corvyn, known as the Shadow of the Raven, alone retains the memory of humanity’s Falls from Grace. Falls, as it happened more than once, and now, despite elaborate institutions to preserve harmony and stability, something has gone awry. The symbol of a trident has been found burned into the holy places of the various lands, and Corvyn embarks upon a quest to find out who has defiled these places. And why.
That’s the good part. Also the effortlessly competent prose and descriptive inventiveness. The not-so-good part is that Corvyn’s quest is so leisurely as to approximate sleepwalking, except for the endless (although beautifully described) scenery, inns, meals, wines, and various otherwise-insignificant characters he encounters. Except for a very few high points, the story is utterly lacking in dramatic tension or shape. It’s an enjoyable peregrination, to be sure, one I especially enjoyed relaxing with at bedtime, but I could not help thinking the whole thing could have been cut down to the length of a short story and not an overly bulky novel.
That’s the good part. Also the effortlessly competent prose and descriptive inventiveness. The not-so-good part is that Corvyn’s quest is so leisurely as to approximate sleepwalking, except for the endless (although beautifully described) scenery, inns, meals, wines, and various otherwise-insignificant characters he encounters. Except for a very few high points, the story is utterly lacking in dramatic tension or shape. It’s an enjoyable peregrination, to be sure, one I especially enjoyed relaxing with at bedtime, but I could not help thinking the whole thing could have been cut down to the length of a short story and not an overly bulky novel.
January 18, 2021
Modesitt standalones tend to be much more about intrigue, especially in science fiction, and Quantum Shadows is no different. Fans of Malazan may enjoy this, as it does not in any way try to hold the reader's hand. If you know your stuff, you get the full depth of it, otherwise it's an intricate adventure in a far-future world. I enjoyed it immensely, and found it a real page-turner.
October 18, 2020
2 stars, Metaphorosis Reviews
Summary
Mankind has Fallen many times before, and Corvyn, a mysteriously powerful man, may be one of the few who remembers - and works as hard as he can to prevent another Fall. When a mysterious trident symbol appears, burned into the walls of the world's religious sanctums, Corvyn travels the world to discover what's behind it.
Review
Looking for a pastiche of Roger Zelazny stories? Take equal parts Amber, Lord of Light, Jack of Shadows, and Creatures of Light and Darkness, and blend well together. Add a dash of Recluce, and serve lukewarm.
To be fair, L.E. Modesitt has written his own stories about gods and superstition, touching on the subjects in – at the least – Timegod and The Parafaith War, so this story isn’t exactly foreign territory. But the extent to which he appears to draw on Zelazny is striking – from the protagonist’s name (Corvyn to Zelazny’s Corwin), to his power with shadows (see Jack of Shadows), to the backstory (Lord of Light, Creatures of Light and Darkness). Modesitt is generally inventive enough to hold his own, but I wasn’t more than a few pages into this book before I decided it was either homage to Zelazny or a blatant rip-off. By the end, I still wasn’t sure which.
Originality aside, the story has substantial drawbacks. Most of it is a travelogue among cities and ‘villages of belief’, which are essentially competing religious communities based on Earth beliefs. The surface the action takes place on is only vaguely described. For most of the book, I assumed it was an orbital, but there are suggestions it’s a planet – which is problematic, since Corvyn travels around most of it on a moped. A map would have helped. The backstory for the whole book is only vaguely hinted it, which is a shame, because it’s the strongest part of the book, and is only revealed – largely in passing – at the end. The Goodreads blurb for this book has more structural info than the book itself does.
There’s a lot that’s vaguely hinted at, and in fact the bulk of the book consists of a) travelogue, b) menu description (Corvyn eats in detail), and c) vague hints. Even when the hints are resolved, it tends to be in casual mentions. It’s doesn’t come across as subtlety and understatement so much as the author forgetting that this is an Important Reveal that the book has been Leading Up To. Every statement is hedged and so much information is intentionally withheld that it becomes frustrating to read, especially when the reveal is passed by without notice. Modesitt gets so carried away with this withholding that he forgets to provide us with adequate context, occasionally bringing in actors we don’t know of.
There’s also, unfortunately, a good deal of the repetition that has plagued recent Modesitt books. Just as in the latest Recluce books, we hear over and over again about the rarity of mage healers, in this book, Corvyn hands over his ID card to the same comments, over and over and over. He spends much of the book discussing broad philosophy with one religious leader after another, to no apparent purpose. It’s like a series of freshman seminars with no guiding purpose. By the halfway point, the book had become tedious, and soon after, I’d become quite tired of it. It was difficult to finish. A bonus, I suppose, is that – apart from books I already have, I think I’m finished with Modesitt as well.
If you’re really, really a fan of Modesitt’s recent books, you may enjoy this. But if you’re looking for Zelazny’s voice and ideas… read Zelazny.
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.
Summary
Mankind has Fallen many times before, and Corvyn, a mysteriously powerful man, may be one of the few who remembers - and works as hard as he can to prevent another Fall. When a mysterious trident symbol appears, burned into the walls of the world's religious sanctums, Corvyn travels the world to discover what's behind it.
Review
Looking for a pastiche of Roger Zelazny stories? Take equal parts Amber, Lord of Light, Jack of Shadows, and Creatures of Light and Darkness, and blend well together. Add a dash of Recluce, and serve lukewarm.
To be fair, L.E. Modesitt has written his own stories about gods and superstition, touching on the subjects in – at the least – Timegod and The Parafaith War, so this story isn’t exactly foreign territory. But the extent to which he appears to draw on Zelazny is striking – from the protagonist’s name (Corvyn to Zelazny’s Corwin), to his power with shadows (see Jack of Shadows), to the backstory (Lord of Light, Creatures of Light and Darkness). Modesitt is generally inventive enough to hold his own, but I wasn’t more than a few pages into this book before I decided it was either homage to Zelazny or a blatant rip-off. By the end, I still wasn’t sure which.
Originality aside, the story has substantial drawbacks. Most of it is a travelogue among cities and ‘villages of belief’, which are essentially competing religious communities based on Earth beliefs. The surface the action takes place on is only vaguely described. For most of the book, I assumed it was an orbital, but there are suggestions it’s a planet – which is problematic, since Corvyn travels around most of it on a moped. A map would have helped. The backstory for the whole book is only vaguely hinted it, which is a shame, because it’s the strongest part of the book, and is only revealed – largely in passing – at the end. The Goodreads blurb for this book has more structural info than the book itself does.
There’s a lot that’s vaguely hinted at, and in fact the bulk of the book consists of a) travelogue, b) menu description (Corvyn eats in detail), and c) vague hints. Even when the hints are resolved, it tends to be in casual mentions. It’s doesn’t come across as subtlety and understatement so much as the author forgetting that this is an Important Reveal that the book has been Leading Up To. Every statement is hedged and so much information is intentionally withheld that it becomes frustrating to read, especially when the reveal is passed by without notice. Modesitt gets so carried away with this withholding that he forgets to provide us with adequate context, occasionally bringing in actors we don’t know of.
There’s also, unfortunately, a good deal of the repetition that has plagued recent Modesitt books. Just as in the latest Recluce books, we hear over and over again about the rarity of mage healers, in this book, Corvyn hands over his ID card to the same comments, over and over and over. He spends much of the book discussing broad philosophy with one religious leader after another, to no apparent purpose. It’s like a series of freshman seminars with no guiding purpose. By the halfway point, the book had become tedious, and soon after, I’d become quite tired of it. It was difficult to finish. A bonus, I suppose, is that – apart from books I already have, I think I’m finished with Modesitt as well.
If you’re really, really a fan of Modesitt’s recent books, you may enjoy this. But if you’re looking for Zelazny’s voice and ideas… read Zelazny.
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.
March 27, 2021
I literally have degrees in both religious studies and philosophy and have read everything Modesitt has ever written and his daughter was one of my professors in law school and I still feel like I missed vast swaths of what was going on and being referenced. Reading this made me want to go back with a hardcopy and post-it notes and annotate it. If I had to explain it as a 10 second pitch I would say it's a mashup of Philip Jose Farmer's Riverworld & an intro to world religions textbooks from the perspective of a Rationalist who thinks atheists are ridiculous. It's kind of a screed about how religion is fine until proselytization turns into armed conversion... that goes into a lot of detail about fancy lamb dinners and wine pairings. Which, if you're into the travelogue style isn't a bad thing. But if you were looking for a wham-bang fast-paced adventure you probably weren't picking up a Modesitt book anyway, so that was fine.
May 18, 2020
Fantasy disguised as science fiction
I was looking forward to reading this book as I had enjoyed previous Modesitt books. But I threw in the towel at around third of the way through the book. There was no character development, little action, and overly described scenes. This is a fantasy story cloaked as science fiction by calling a mystical power quantum shadowing. I didn’t hate the book. I didn’t find anything in what I read offensive or objectionable. I just found that I was unmotivated to turn to the next page and asked myself why I was continuing to read as the book was giving me very little.
Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book via Netgalley for review purposes.
I was looking forward to reading this book as I had enjoyed previous Modesitt books. But I threw in the towel at around third of the way through the book. There was no character development, little action, and overly described scenes. This is a fantasy story cloaked as science fiction by calling a mystical power quantum shadowing. I didn’t hate the book. I didn’t find anything in what I read offensive or objectionable. I just found that I was unmotivated to turn to the next page and asked myself why I was continuing to read as the book was giving me very little.
Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book via Netgalley for review purposes.
May 5, 2022
I am a HUGE l.e fan and have read several of his series. However, this book was felt confusing and rushed. The main character has powers, but sometimes they aren’t described such as “he did some other powerful things…” there also wasn’t much background or set up. Plus, the character just kind of travels around and eats at restaurants. It was a pretty basic plot line, but was written in a confusing way. I did like the discussion around faith and truth between characters, but it’s definitely not a book I will keep to reread.
August 9, 2020
An ingenious spin that weaves the meta-fictional elements of theology, philosophy, mythology, and sci-fi into a fairly commendable narrative. This is the first time I've read anything by Modesitt, and I'm kinda impressed and baffled at the same time. As speculative fiction goes, this is pretty clever and ambitious, and the writing is reminiscent of Arthur C Clarke, Dan Simmons, and also some Neil Gaiman vibes.
The plot starts as a sort of mystery, a whodunit, and there are some archetypal motifs, symbolism integrated into the philosophical and theological implications apparent in the story. Every known myth from across the world is clothed in a new manner, be it Hindu, Christian, Islam, Buddhism, pagan. The premise and the title gives a fair assumption of the content, though the concepts of "Quantum" isn't elaborated further keeping it as something vague, esoteric, and beyond comprehension. This book is a hybrid product of sci-fi & mythology, and the story it tells gives a Paradise Lost feel to it.
I admire the way the author has dealt with the gods or Pseudo-gods across all faiths and beliefs. It is a deconstructionist take on the familiar archetypes, and hence the ethical repercussions of the narrative may sound blasphemous to the overly religious readers. I found it to be a very fresh perspective to deal with the dilemma surrounding various religions, and schools of faith. I also loved the way how the Raven is symbolised as a prototype god - the wanderer, the seeker of truths, and the Spiritus Mundi of all gods and the human race. Yup, I'm speaking of Odin here, who seems to be the main character that solves the conflict that might herald another fall.
The worldbuilding was fascinating, and it's modeled as a sort of Utopia called as Heaven (?), which posits another question of whether Modesitt is writing about some virtual world in a role-playing 3d game, or everything is just as it seems in the narrative. There's a subtle commentary on the themes of power, control, and censorship, and freedom of art in general. I found the discussions on poetry and music very enlightening, and myself being an sceptic, I was also able to follow the train of thoughts of the Raven, and enjoy his outlook on things.
The short chapters acting like interludes gives a hazy dream-like picture of glactic destruction, and it never makes clear whether it's in the past or the future. The power shown by the god-like beings are terrifying, though it's never explained. Neither are the powers of the protagonist is made clear to the readers, except his motive, and that he's capable of defending himself against powerful beings. I enjoyed his interaction with Shiva, but, it failed to give me the chills I was expecting. There isn't much action, and the few confrontations that happen are pretty much quick and brief.
I was intrigued by the story, and its inventiveness. Everything is turned upside down, but at its core, the premise remains the same - the eternal conflict that governs the entire existence, not of good and evil, but of truths and make-believes. The ending was lovely, and although it's a little confusing, it works quite well in closing the circle - like the worm Ouroboros eating its own tail.
The plot starts as a sort of mystery, a whodunit, and there are some archetypal motifs, symbolism integrated into the philosophical and theological implications apparent in the story. Every known myth from across the world is clothed in a new manner, be it Hindu, Christian, Islam, Buddhism, pagan. The premise and the title gives a fair assumption of the content, though the concepts of "Quantum" isn't elaborated further keeping it as something vague, esoteric, and beyond comprehension. This book is a hybrid product of sci-fi & mythology, and the story it tells gives a Paradise Lost feel to it.
I admire the way the author has dealt with the gods or Pseudo-gods across all faiths and beliefs. It is a deconstructionist take on the familiar archetypes, and hence the ethical repercussions of the narrative may sound blasphemous to the overly religious readers. I found it to be a very fresh perspective to deal with the dilemma surrounding various religions, and schools of faith. I also loved the way how the Raven is symbolised as a prototype god - the wanderer, the seeker of truths, and the Spiritus Mundi of all gods and the human race. Yup, I'm speaking of Odin here, who seems to be the main character that solves the conflict that might herald another fall.
The worldbuilding was fascinating, and it's modeled as a sort of Utopia called as Heaven (?), which posits another question of whether Modesitt is writing about some virtual world in a role-playing 3d game, or everything is just as it seems in the narrative. There's a subtle commentary on the themes of power, control, and censorship, and freedom of art in general. I found the discussions on poetry and music very enlightening, and myself being an sceptic, I was also able to follow the train of thoughts of the Raven, and enjoy his outlook on things.
The short chapters acting like interludes gives a hazy dream-like picture of glactic destruction, and it never makes clear whether it's in the past or the future. The power shown by the god-like beings are terrifying, though it's never explained. Neither are the powers of the protagonist is made clear to the readers, except his motive, and that he's capable of defending himself against powerful beings. I enjoyed his interaction with Shiva, but, it failed to give me the chills I was expecting. There isn't much action, and the few confrontations that happen are pretty much quick and brief.
I was intrigued by the story, and its inventiveness. Everything is turned upside down, but at its core, the premise remains the same - the eternal conflict that governs the entire existence, not of good and evil, but of truths and make-believes. The ending was lovely, and although it's a little confusing, it works quite well in closing the circle - like the worm Ouroboros eating its own tail.
December 28, 2021
Fair warning - I'm an unabashed fan of L.E. Modesitt's books. With that said, Quantum Shadows feels not only very much like many of his other works, but also seems almost to be a masterful homage to Roger Zelazny's Lord of Light.
As others have noted, the book is a very slow burn sort of read. So much so that I admit to feeling like I was dragging myself through the first 20-30 pages or so of the book. And then it hit what is, for me - the stride ... massive amounts of world-building and character explanation (more so than "development" because it's really just learning more about Corvyn and how the world around him works). After most of the story spent with that, we jump right to the intense crescendo of the climax, as, plans discovered need to be foiled and it's time for Corvyn to finally roll up his sleeves. In some ways, I'm reminded of the final pages of the Forever Hero trilogy - where three books come to a crashing close as all of Gerswin's plans come together.
There also seem to be many echoes of other of L.E.M.'s books hiding in here. At times, I was reminded of how it felt reading The Fires of Paratime (yes, I first discovered The Timegod before the retitling happened), as well as some of the other standalone or short-series books.
I can't help but wonder if, at least by design if not execution, this lives in some of the other series universes which he's written? Although, with nary a reference to a "fusactor", I suspect it may not.
If you like L.E.M.'s writing style, this should be right up your alley.
As others have noted, the book is a very slow burn sort of read. So much so that I admit to feeling like I was dragging myself through the first 20-30 pages or so of the book. And then it hit what is, for me - the stride ... massive amounts of world-building and character explanation (more so than "development" because it's really just learning more about Corvyn and how the world around him works). After most of the story spent with that, we jump right to the intense crescendo of the climax, as, plans discovered need to be foiled and it's time for Corvyn to finally roll up his sleeves. In some ways, I'm reminded of the final pages of the Forever Hero trilogy - where three books come to a crashing close as all of Gerswin's plans come together.
There also seem to be many echoes of other of L.E.M.'s books hiding in here. At times, I was reminded of how it felt reading The Fires of Paratime (yes, I first discovered The Timegod before the retitling happened), as well as some of the other standalone or short-series books.
I can't help but wonder if, at least by design if not execution, this lives in some of the other series universes which he's written? Although, with nary a reference to a "fusactor", I suspect it may not.
If you like L.E.M.'s writing style, this should be right up your alley.
September 27, 2023
The first Modesitt novel I did not enjoy, and I think I've read all of them. Probably more than 50.
I kept remembering Job: A Comedy of Justice, Lord of Light, and Jack of Shadows.
The first half is a travelogue through religions,
I kept remembering Job: A Comedy of Justice, Lord of Light, and Jack of Shadows.
The first half is a travelogue through religions,
August 3, 2020
3 1/2 stars.
I received a copy of Quantum Shadows in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Quantum Shadows is the latest novel from L.E. Modesitt Jr., and you just know that it's going to be a book full to the brim of science fiction and so much more.
Heaven is a world – a true world. In this world, there exist ten religions. It gets just about as complex as one might expect – gods, Hegemon, capital cities, and rules for each and every one of the major ten.
Corvyn is from this very world, and it's his job to contain some of the most important memories belonging to humankind. The sort required to prevent then from repeating history. Naturally, that means they're about to be thrown into a quest to save humanity.
I'm going to be upfront with you here. Normally I try to avoid science fiction or fantasy novels that are this full of religion. It's just not my cup of tea. Yet because it was L.E. Modesitt Jr. that wrote this novel, I felt compelled to give it a chance.
Maybe it's because of that bias that I found myself not loving this novel as much as I would have hoped, or liked. Still, I did enjoy it more than I expected, so that balanced out pretty nicely in my book.
You can really see Modesitt's philosophy background shining through here, and that was really fascinating to see. Still, this book is not like any of the others I've read by him, so consider yourself warned on that front.
I enjoyed being able to see something different and unique, both in this genre and from the author. I know I didn't end up loving it, but I still found the journey to be interesting. The concept behind Corvyn's character (and the job/burden they carried) was fascinating enough to have had me read the whole thing, and with good reason.
Check out more of my reviews over at Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks
I received a copy of Quantum Shadows in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Quantum Shadows is the latest novel from L.E. Modesitt Jr., and you just know that it's going to be a book full to the brim of science fiction and so much more.
Heaven is a world – a true world. In this world, there exist ten religions. It gets just about as complex as one might expect – gods, Hegemon, capital cities, and rules for each and every one of the major ten.
Corvyn is from this very world, and it's his job to contain some of the most important memories belonging to humankind. The sort required to prevent then from repeating history. Naturally, that means they're about to be thrown into a quest to save humanity.
I'm going to be upfront with you here. Normally I try to avoid science fiction or fantasy novels that are this full of religion. It's just not my cup of tea. Yet because it was L.E. Modesitt Jr. that wrote this novel, I felt compelled to give it a chance.
Maybe it's because of that bias that I found myself not loving this novel as much as I would have hoped, or liked. Still, I did enjoy it more than I expected, so that balanced out pretty nicely in my book.
You can really see Modesitt's philosophy background shining through here, and that was really fascinating to see. Still, this book is not like any of the others I've read by him, so consider yourself warned on that front.
I enjoyed being able to see something different and unique, both in this genre and from the author. I know I didn't end up loving it, but I still found the journey to be interesting. The concept behind Corvyn's character (and the job/burden they carried) was fascinating enough to have had me read the whole thing, and with good reason.
Check out more of my reviews over at Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks
October 11, 2020
I have hugely enjoyed quite a number of Modesitt's fantasy books and have also considerably enjoyed several of his science fiction books, so I was looking forward to his newest book. It's a standalone work that I would class as science fantasy, but which others might label as science fiction, ideas from quantum physics being used to explain elements that would otherwise seem fantastical. It's a departure from his earlier work in style and theme. Trying to prevent widespread devastation, the main character, Corvyn, journeys to regions with different religions/philosophies. He encounters pain and difficulties and nightmare along the way, and yet I found myself rather detached from his efforts. This is notable, because I typically find Modesitt's fiction highly immersive.
Overall, I would describe myself as interested by this book, but not swept up into it. In Modesitt's other books, his habit of including details of meals, architecture, and furniture, helped immerse me in the story. Here, perhaps because I was emotionally detached from Corvyn, they felt more like surface details. And while I recognized many of the mythic/religious figures in the story -- though a glossary might have been a nice addition! -- I lacked a personal connection to them. Corvyn's memories extend through many millennia and he was familiar with many of the large cast of secondary characters, but the book moved from one secondary character to another before I formed an attachment to them.
On the plus side, I liked the skilful use of poetry, which Modesitt has sometimes drawn on in the past, but is pervasive here. Importantly, I also liked the central theme of the menace of dogmatic faith and the destruction that can be unleashed by true believers. In summary, an interesting addition to Modesitt's huge body of work, but not one of my own favorites.
Overall, I would describe myself as interested by this book, but not swept up into it. In Modesitt's other books, his habit of including details of meals, architecture, and furniture, helped immerse me in the story. Here, perhaps because I was emotionally detached from Corvyn, they felt more like surface details. And while I recognized many of the mythic/religious figures in the story -- though a glossary might have been a nice addition! -- I lacked a personal connection to them. Corvyn's memories extend through many millennia and he was familiar with many of the large cast of secondary characters, but the book moved from one secondary character to another before I formed an attachment to them.
On the plus side, I liked the skilful use of poetry, which Modesitt has sometimes drawn on in the past, but is pervasive here. Importantly, I also liked the central theme of the menace of dogmatic faith and the destruction that can be unleashed by true believers. In summary, an interesting addition to Modesitt's huge body of work, but not one of my own favorites.
August 30, 2022
In the past, I've enjoyed reading several books by L.E. Modesitt Jr, (particularly those in his Imager series). This one overall was an uneven, difficult, tough slog of a read for me and my 2 star rating is likely more a 1.5 star rating.
For me, this book could have been helped with:
1) A simple map (ala Tolkien) depicting an overview of the world and where the ten (10) cities and landmarks are in relationship to each other. It seemed that too much of the text included the author explaining the distance in "milles" (not miles), to and from different cities.
2) A Glossary in the appendix at the end of the book would have allowed the author to provide an overview of the different gods, principalities, angels, etc., as it was increasingly difficult to follow who was connected to which city, etc. It would also have provided the author, an opportunity, if they wished, to describe, briefly, the various prior "Falls" and even how the belief systems in the world of Heaven compared/differed from their ancient historical roots.
3) The text and story is often repetitive (and boring in my opinion) and deals way too much with which hotel the main character will stay at; what the main character is going to order for dinner, lunch, breakfast, etc.; the colour of the server's "trousers"; and the various colours that different buildings are trimmed.
4) Some backstory as to how the Character became the person that they are would have been helpful. Did they ever have any human relationships? Were they born with their abilities or were they provided these and if so by who? So many questions and such a missed opportunity.
For me, this book could have been helped with:
1) A simple map (ala Tolkien) depicting an overview of the world and where the ten (10) cities and landmarks are in relationship to each other. It seemed that too much of the text included the author explaining the distance in "milles" (not miles), to and from different cities.
2) A Glossary in the appendix at the end of the book would have allowed the author to provide an overview of the different gods, principalities, angels, etc., as it was increasingly difficult to follow who was connected to which city, etc. It would also have provided the author, an opportunity, if they wished, to describe, briefly, the various prior "Falls" and even how the belief systems in the world of Heaven compared/differed from their ancient historical roots.
3) The text and story is often repetitive (and boring in my opinion) and deals way too much with which hotel the main character will stay at; what the main character is going to order for dinner, lunch, breakfast, etc.; the colour of the server's "trousers"; and the various colours that different buildings are trimmed.
4) Some backstory as to how the Character became the person that they are would have been helpful. Did they ever have any human relationships? Were they born with their abilities or were they provided these and if so by who? So many questions and such a missed opportunity.
Read
July 29, 2020This was vastly different from what I was expecting of a Modesitt book. I have to admit, it took me a bit to get into it, but I think that's due to expectations. So I paused the book, and came back to it after was able to open my mind up for an experience that I wasn't prepared for when I first started. That seemed to make a world of difference. The writing still had his typical philosophical undertones, which I greatly appreciated. I like when a book makes me think and see things from other perspectives,
Quantum shadows isn't a Sci Fi, it's a Science Fantasy, so know that going in. That's clear from the synopsis, yet I know there are others like me that don't always read the synopsis lol. I thought the world building was fantastic, and I was totally invested in Corvyn.
I don't know if this will be a good fit for people that are new to Science Fiction, but I do think that people who like Modesitt will, as long as they are prepared for the fact that it NOT a book like any other book hes' written ;)
Thank you Netgalley and Tor books for the e-galley and opportunity to share my thoughts.
Quantum shadows isn't a Sci Fi, it's a Science Fantasy, so know that going in. That's clear from the synopsis, yet I know there are others like me that don't always read the synopsis lol. I thought the world building was fantastic, and I was totally invested in Corvyn.
I don't know if this will be a good fit for people that are new to Science Fiction, but I do think that people who like Modesitt will, as long as they are prepared for the fact that it NOT a book like any other book hes' written ;)
Thank you Netgalley and Tor books for the e-galley and opportunity to share my thoughts.
July 12, 2020
Tor Books and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of Quantum Shadows. I voluntarily chose to review this book and my opinion is freely given.
The world, Heaven, is full of the Gods, everyone who the people worship. If a God makes a mistake, they get erased and have to begin again. The main character, Corvyn, has been through humanity's many Falls from Grace and wants to be sure that the world stays intact. After a black image is burned onto a wall by an unknown, it is up to Corvyn to stop it from triggering the next Fall.
The novel is an allegory- people need to listen to each other and let everyone be. This look at current society through the lens of science fiction is meant to make the reader think. Those looking for science fiction action should look elsewhere, as there is definitely more scenes involving brain power than muscles. There is a limited plot and little storytelling, making Quantum Shadows not one of this veteran author's best.
The world, Heaven, is full of the Gods, everyone who the people worship. If a God makes a mistake, they get erased and have to begin again. The main character, Corvyn, has been through humanity's many Falls from Grace and wants to be sure that the world stays intact. After a black image is burned onto a wall by an unknown, it is up to Corvyn to stop it from triggering the next Fall.
The novel is an allegory- people need to listen to each other and let everyone be. This look at current society through the lens of science fiction is meant to make the reader think. Those looking for science fiction action should look elsewhere, as there is definitely more scenes involving brain power than muscles. There is a limited plot and little storytelling, making Quantum Shadows not one of this veteran author's best.
May 3, 2021
This book is a continuation of the author's first books- The Timegods World (Fires of Paratime etc.) Mankind's technology is so far advanced that the most powerful have the powers of Gods and even adopt the personas of historical gods. As always they remain in competition with each other, want their truths to be the only truths , and they are capable/ have managed to in other alternates, destroy the planet, sometimes the solar system, sometimes more. There is technology to keep things in check, and one person, who can't also be a god, to keep the technology safe. He is less and more ...
Strongly reminiscent of Zelazny's Lord of Light. The book gets philosophical and poetic with a lot of imagery of "Heaven" the incarnation of what mankind can achieve. It is also a tribute to good food.
It's rather good but not compelling enough for me to give it five stars. Also it's very quotable about mankind's politics and religions.
Strongly reminiscent of Zelazny's Lord of Light. The book gets philosophical and poetic with a lot of imagery of "Heaven" the incarnation of what mankind can achieve. It is also a tribute to good food.
It's rather good but not compelling enough for me to give it five stars. Also it's very quotable about mankind's politics and religions.
May 27, 2021
I gave up on this one after 125 pages, mostly because I found the characters uninteresting and the setting almost Alice in Wonderland weird but not at all fun. I couldn't tell if it was taking place on a plateau on some distant planet, in someone's head, in a virtual world, or in some supernatural parallel dimension. I was similarly confused by the characters. Were they real, supernatural, digital...? Regardless of which, if any, of these it may be, the society made little sense, to me. The place felt like a game board, with different sections held by vying cults that were based on human religions, and the whole shebang overseen and kept in check (maybe) by an omniscient AI. I could be wrong about all of this, but since I was failing to grasp what was going on after 125 pages, I figured this book and I simply were not compatible. I know I wasn't enjoying it, so I put it aside unfinished.
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