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Venus Ascendant #2
The House of Saints
The Stunning conclusion to the Venus Ascendant series, from the world of The Quantum Magician.
George-Étienne and his children have formed The House of Styx, after finding a mysterious artefact on the surface of Venus herself. But with the discovery comes great risk, not only from a planet that kills with its very touch but also from the banks and powers of old Earth, who will stop at nothing to claim this new technology for themselves.
From humble origins, The House of Styx is determined to become one of the most powerful families in the known galaxy or die trying.
George-Étienne and his children have formed The House of Styx, after finding a mysterious artefact on the surface of Venus herself. But with the discovery comes great risk, not only from a planet that kills with its very touch but also from the banks and powers of old Earth, who will stop at nothing to claim this new technology for themselves.
From humble origins, The House of Styx is determined to become one of the most powerful families in the known galaxy or die trying.
600 pages, Hardcover
First published August 29, 2023
22 people are currently reading
395 people want to read
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December 5, 2025
Included in a reading vlog where I continue 5 star series: https://youtu.be/UBim4eK1W3Y
Written review on the way!
Written review on the way!
April 13, 2024
Nearly four years ago (wow), I gushed over The House of Styx, a Venusian planetary romance that swept me off my feet and into the clouds of Earth’s harsh neighbour. If you haven’t read my (spoiler-free) review of that book, go do it now so I don’t have to retread all the praise I gave it—all of which applies to The House of Saints, and then some. Derek Künsken brings this duology to a satisfying close
Spoilers for the first book but not for this one. (Also, shout-out to whoever thought to include a recap of the first book at the start of this book: more of this please, publishers!)
The D’Aquillons (those who survive, anyway) have aligned themselves with two other coureur families into a political unit called the House of Styx. Now they are in a race against time to secure and exploit the new resource they have discovered—a stable wormhole embedded into a cave on the Venusian surface, leading to another solar system rich in resources. Their behaviour attracts the attention—and animosity—of what passes for a government on Venus, not to mention the transnational bank to which the government is beholden. The politics are a powder keg, and one misstep could set everything alight—or, equally, plunge them into the depths with no hope of return.
I didn’t spend much time discussing the wormhole in my review of the first book (it is, after all, a spoiler), so let’s start there. This is such a cool novum. Like, I get that as a prequel series to Künsken’s Quantum Evolution novels, which established the primacy of wormhole technology. But it’s so unusual to see a story wherein one end of a wormhole is in space and the other end is on the surface of a planet, much less the planet Venus. It’s a perfect “what if” starting point from which Künsken extrapolates excellently. The challenges of working on the punishing surface of Venus create plenty of conflict even before we consider the politically charged situation in the upper atmosphere.
As I opined in my review of Flight From the Ages And Other Stories, Künsken’s creativity sets him apart in this generation of science-fiction authors. He has an incredible facility for harnessing dependable tropes of decades past while balancing them with fresh, wild, almost ludicrous ideas of his own imagining. The House of Saints is no exception. Do you want submarine warfare in the clouds of Venus? Do you want death-defying feats on the outer skin of a habitat? Do you want asteroid tethering, wormhole-mouth-moving, jaw-dropping feats of microgravity maneuvering? Yeah you do.
If that were all, that would be enough. I’d give this book three, maybe four stars, and move on to my next fix. But it’s not all. This book has heart. Künsken balances an action-packed plot with rich, meaty character development, and it takes my breath away.
No character embodies this ethos more than Émile. In The House of Styx, he was largely an irresponsible wastrel, written off by his father and largely unlikable. The House of Saints sees Émile evolve in such a satisfying way. He doesn’t suddenly turn into a hero; rather, he goes on a journey of redemption, an imperfect one that is far from simple or linear. It takes guts and gumption to write unlikable characters and to ask the reader to trust you enough to help them grow into rounder, more sympathetic protagonists—but the emotional payoff, in my opinion, is so worth it.
The same goes for Pascale’s story arc and her relationship with Gabriel-Antoine. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that this was the part of the book I was most anticipating. Pascale in The House of Styx is an example of how a cis author with a good sensitivity reader and editor behind him can get it so, so right with a trans main character—and that continues to be the case here.
Honestly, some of Pascale’s scenes were difficult for me to read in ways I was not expecting. I was only seven months into my transition when I read The House of Styx—and this was during the height of the pandemic and lockdowns too, mind you. Everything about my transition was fresh, exciting, nerve-wracking. Just encountering such great trans rep made me feel so seen. Now I’m four years into my transition, whereas for Pascale only a few months have gone by. I was always more open and more certain than she was—at the start of The House of Saints she is only out to two people, and her coming out is a slow and somewhat painful experience, especially where Gabriel-Antoine is concerned. And it’s so fascinating to me, because as an aro/ace gal, I never had a lover whose reaction to my coming out was a concern of mine—yet so much of Pascale’s experience of coming out still feels relatable and painful to me. That fear of rejection, the impatience to see physical and emotional changes, the apprehension over how to ensure continual access to gender-affirming care, how to come out over and over to each person in your life … oof, yeah. It’s all here, my experience yet not my experience. And my feet were always firmly on solid ground in an atmosphere that wasn’t trying to eat me!
Above all, what stood out to me the most about Pascale’s journey in this book is how delicate it is. Künsken does not rush her coming out, does not rush to resolve the conflict this creates with Gabriel-Antoine or others in her life. I love the creative way he uses the limited third-person perspective to convey how she is in transition: even with the same conversation, the spelling of Pascale’s name shifts depending on whether the speaker knows she has come out. When they don’t, the book uses the male spelling, Pascal, which is pronounced the same. So we, the readers, hear the difference, but the characters who aren’t in the know don’t. With each new person who learns, each time Pascale asserts her identity, calls herself George-Étienne’s daughter, etc.—my heart swelled. There is such power in a beautiful depiction of the struggles and rewards of transition.
Beyond her transition, Pascale experiences remarkable growth as a protagonist and a heroine. She doesn’t set out to be in the spotlight, to be an agitator or an insurrectionist. Yet push does indeed come to shove, and she rises to the occasion—and then some, as the book’s epilogue indicates. We love to see it!
Honestly, if I have one criticism of The House of Saints, it’s simply that its climax comes a bit late and the denouement is a bit rushed as a result. I would have liked a bit more cooldown, a bit more time to see the fire subside into embers and then ash. The plot itself is nearly perfect, the resolution the right amount of messy and tenuous—I just wish there had been a longer, more sustained note of tension and mess and more wrapping up than we got. Still, I have to commend Künsken or his editor, whoever resolved on this being neither one book nor three but two. There is something very reassuring and satisfying about a proper duology.
Which brings me full circle: The House of Saints, like the first book in the Venus Ascendant duology, is satisfying. It’s much more than that, of course—but it is most definitely that. Unlike The House of Styx, this one didn’t surprise me as much, for I knew what to expect—and my expectations were high. So high, I was a bit worried this book couldn’t live up to them. It does. And then some. Of everyone currently writing science fiction out there, Derek Künsken is one to watch. Each of his books just seems to be better than the last.
Originally posted on Kara.Reviews.
Spoilers for the first book but not for this one. (Also, shout-out to whoever thought to include a recap of the first book at the start of this book: more of this please, publishers!)
The D’Aquillons (those who survive, anyway) have aligned themselves with two other coureur families into a political unit called the House of Styx. Now they are in a race against time to secure and exploit the new resource they have discovered—a stable wormhole embedded into a cave on the Venusian surface, leading to another solar system rich in resources. Their behaviour attracts the attention—and animosity—of what passes for a government on Venus, not to mention the transnational bank to which the government is beholden. The politics are a powder keg, and one misstep could set everything alight—or, equally, plunge them into the depths with no hope of return.
I didn’t spend much time discussing the wormhole in my review of the first book (it is, after all, a spoiler), so let’s start there. This is such a cool novum. Like, I get that as a prequel series to Künsken’s Quantum Evolution novels, which established the primacy of wormhole technology. But it’s so unusual to see a story wherein one end of a wormhole is in space and the other end is on the surface of a planet, much less the planet Venus. It’s a perfect “what if” starting point from which Künsken extrapolates excellently. The challenges of working on the punishing surface of Venus create plenty of conflict even before we consider the politically charged situation in the upper atmosphere.
As I opined in my review of Flight From the Ages And Other Stories, Künsken’s creativity sets him apart in this generation of science-fiction authors. He has an incredible facility for harnessing dependable tropes of decades past while balancing them with fresh, wild, almost ludicrous ideas of his own imagining. The House of Saints is no exception. Do you want submarine warfare in the clouds of Venus? Do you want death-defying feats on the outer skin of a habitat? Do you want asteroid tethering, wormhole-mouth-moving, jaw-dropping feats of microgravity maneuvering? Yeah you do.
If that were all, that would be enough. I’d give this book three, maybe four stars, and move on to my next fix. But it’s not all. This book has heart. Künsken balances an action-packed plot with rich, meaty character development, and it takes my breath away.
No character embodies this ethos more than Émile. In The House of Styx, he was largely an irresponsible wastrel, written off by his father and largely unlikable. The House of Saints sees Émile evolve in such a satisfying way. He doesn’t suddenly turn into a hero; rather, he goes on a journey of redemption, an imperfect one that is far from simple or linear. It takes guts and gumption to write unlikable characters and to ask the reader to trust you enough to help them grow into rounder, more sympathetic protagonists—but the emotional payoff, in my opinion, is so worth it.
The same goes for Pascale’s story arc and her relationship with Gabriel-Antoine. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that this was the part of the book I was most anticipating. Pascale in The House of Styx is an example of how a cis author with a good sensitivity reader and editor behind him can get it so, so right with a trans main character—and that continues to be the case here.
Honestly, some of Pascale’s scenes were difficult for me to read in ways I was not expecting. I was only seven months into my transition when I read The House of Styx—and this was during the height of the pandemic and lockdowns too, mind you. Everything about my transition was fresh, exciting, nerve-wracking. Just encountering such great trans rep made me feel so seen. Now I’m four years into my transition, whereas for Pascale only a few months have gone by. I was always more open and more certain than she was—at the start of The House of Saints she is only out to two people, and her coming out is a slow and somewhat painful experience, especially where Gabriel-Antoine is concerned. And it’s so fascinating to me, because as an aro/ace gal, I never had a lover whose reaction to my coming out was a concern of mine—yet so much of Pascale’s experience of coming out still feels relatable and painful to me. That fear of rejection, the impatience to see physical and emotional changes, the apprehension over how to ensure continual access to gender-affirming care, how to come out over and over to each person in your life … oof, yeah. It’s all here, my experience yet not my experience. And my feet were always firmly on solid ground in an atmosphere that wasn’t trying to eat me!
Above all, what stood out to me the most about Pascale’s journey in this book is how delicate it is. Künsken does not rush her coming out, does not rush to resolve the conflict this creates with Gabriel-Antoine or others in her life. I love the creative way he uses the limited third-person perspective to convey how she is in transition: even with the same conversation, the spelling of Pascale’s name shifts depending on whether the speaker knows she has come out. When they don’t, the book uses the male spelling, Pascal, which is pronounced the same. So we, the readers, hear the difference, but the characters who aren’t in the know don’t. With each new person who learns, each time Pascale asserts her identity, calls herself George-Étienne’s daughter, etc.—my heart swelled. There is such power in a beautiful depiction of the struggles and rewards of transition.
Beyond her transition, Pascale experiences remarkable growth as a protagonist and a heroine. She doesn’t set out to be in the spotlight, to be an agitator or an insurrectionist. Yet push does indeed come to shove, and she rises to the occasion—and then some, as the book’s epilogue indicates. We love to see it!
Honestly, if I have one criticism of The House of Saints, it’s simply that its climax comes a bit late and the denouement is a bit rushed as a result. I would have liked a bit more cooldown, a bit more time to see the fire subside into embers and then ash. The plot itself is nearly perfect, the resolution the right amount of messy and tenuous—I just wish there had been a longer, more sustained note of tension and mess and more wrapping up than we got. Still, I have to commend Künsken or his editor, whoever resolved on this being neither one book nor three but two. There is something very reassuring and satisfying about a proper duology.
Which brings me full circle: The House of Saints, like the first book in the Venus Ascendant duology, is satisfying. It’s much more than that, of course—but it is most definitely that. Unlike The House of Styx, this one didn’t surprise me as much, for I knew what to expect—and my expectations were high. So high, I was a bit worried this book couldn’t live up to them. It does. And then some. Of everyone currently writing science fiction out there, Derek Künsken is one to watch. Each of his books just seems to be better than the last.
Originally posted on Kara.Reviews.
March 31, 2024
Wraps up the duology started in The House of Styx. High body-count, which I’m ambivalent about, but it’s a tale (mostly) well told. If you liked Styx, you’ll want to read this. Saints gets the job done, but at some cost to my willing suspension of disbelief. By story end we’re down to teenagers and children carrying on the fight!
You won’t be surprised when the Good Guys win, but you may be taken aback at some of the details. I enjoyed the ride, by and large, but found Saints confusing to follow at times. Fortunately, Künsken includes a detailed Dramatis Personae to keep track of the very large cast of characters.
For me this was a 3.5+ star read, rounded up. If you’re a Künsken fan, you won’t want to miss it. Good hard stuff, with careful attention to practical engineering details. Bravo!
In a nice appendix, the author lists all of his stories and novels in his Venus Ascendant and Quantum Evolution universe, in tidy chronological order.
This is very likely to gain him a sale of his collection Flight From the Ages And Other Stories ($7 Kindle).
And Künsken leaves the door open for further Venus stories down the line . . .
My Kindle highlights: https://www.goodreads.com/notes/19820...
You won’t be surprised when the Good Guys win, but you may be taken aback at some of the details. I enjoyed the ride, by and large, but found Saints confusing to follow at times. Fortunately, Künsken includes a detailed Dramatis Personae to keep track of the very large cast of characters.
For me this was a 3.5+ star read, rounded up. If you’re a Künsken fan, you won’t want to miss it. Good hard stuff, with careful attention to practical engineering details. Bravo!
In a nice appendix, the author lists all of his stories and novels in his Venus Ascendant and Quantum Evolution universe, in tidy chronological order.
This is very likely to gain him a sale of his collection Flight From the Ages And Other Stories ($7 Kindle).
And Künsken leaves the door open for further Venus stories down the line . . .
My Kindle highlights: https://www.goodreads.com/notes/19820...
October 22, 2023
If you like hard science fiction with complex engineering in an exotic planetary environment...meet Derek Kunsken.
If you like an author who is stitching together a series of books and stories as a complete Future History, the way Heinlein did (or attempted to do)... meet Derek Kunsken.
If you like stories about strong families that have a lot of problems but come together when necessary, and have a member who is transitioning gender in a very realistic and sympathetic fashion... meet Derek Kunsken.
What Derek Kunsken is doing with this series about colonizing Venus (start with 'The House of Styx', then this book) is nothing short of remarkable. He's working with the knowledge we have of Venus and positing a realistically possible way to colonize the planet's atmosphere. Venus is more deadly the further down into the atmosphere you get, so of course the most hardscrabble families are at the deeper layers. I also appreciate that they are Quebecois, so there's a lot of French slang and swearing involved.
Honestly, I've never seen a more realistic depiction of a challenging planetary environment than what is happening with his colonists of Venus. He's managed to write a series that excels in engineering, environmental science, politics, family dynamics, and resource extraction. This feels like a real place with real people, nevertheless in the most threatening environment you can imagine.
For people who feel like science fiction has strayed too far away from 'the hard stuff' and its roots in a classic sensawunda... meet Derek Kunsken.
If you like an author who is stitching together a series of books and stories as a complete Future History, the way Heinlein did (or attempted to do)... meet Derek Kunsken.
If you like stories about strong families that have a lot of problems but come together when necessary, and have a member who is transitioning gender in a very realistic and sympathetic fashion... meet Derek Kunsken.
What Derek Kunsken is doing with this series about colonizing Venus (start with 'The House of Styx', then this book) is nothing short of remarkable. He's working with the knowledge we have of Venus and positing a realistically possible way to colonize the planet's atmosphere. Venus is more deadly the further down into the atmosphere you get, so of course the most hardscrabble families are at the deeper layers. I also appreciate that they are Quebecois, so there's a lot of French slang and swearing involved.
Honestly, I've never seen a more realistic depiction of a challenging planetary environment than what is happening with his colonists of Venus. He's managed to write a series that excels in engineering, environmental science, politics, family dynamics, and resource extraction. This feels like a real place with real people, nevertheless in the most threatening environment you can imagine.
For people who feel like science fiction has strayed too far away from 'the hard stuff' and its roots in a classic sensawunda... meet Derek Kunsken.
August 6, 2024
Aussi intense que le premier 😯
November 18, 2023
4.6/5. I liked this more than the first book in the series. Maybe that's because I started reading it at 6:30 am, but I think it has more to do with the character development and the overall messaging.
This book lets us see the end results of the growth the characters started in the first, which I love. We're seeing both the positive and negative consequences of the actions characters have taken and the decisions they've made. I love witnessing that. The first book put you in these characters lives and made you love them, House of Saints puts them into situations where they have to make more intense life or death decisions, and grow through the consequences.
I also love the inner monologues we get from the characters in this book. No one we meet, much like real life, thinks they're the villain. Even the oppressive bankers don't see themselves as villains. It does a great job of demonstrating the slippery slope that people take to make decisions that harm others, all too often in the name of expediency.
This book lets us see the end results of the growth the characters started in the first, which I love. We're seeing both the positive and negative consequences of the actions characters have taken and the decisions they've made. I love witnessing that. The first book put you in these characters lives and made you love them, House of Saints puts them into situations where they have to make more intense life or death decisions, and grow through the consequences.
I also love the inner monologues we get from the characters in this book. No one we meet, much like real life, thinks they're the villain. Even the oppressive bankers don't see themselves as villains. It does a great job of demonstrating the slippery slope that people take to make decisions that harm others, all too often in the name of expediency.
December 24, 2024
Superbe conclusion de l'histoire commencée dans le tome précédent. Alors que d'autres auteurs auraient pu inventer des technologies qui font qu'habiter sur Vénus ne représente aucun défi particulier, et ainsi se concentrer sur d'autres aspects de l'intrigue, dans ce roman, s'adapter aux conditions difficiles de cette planète est ce qui guide en bonne partie l'histoire et les différentes péripéties vécues par nos personnages. Et cela n'empêche pas le reste de l'intrigue d'être super intéressant et les personnages d'être très bien développés.
September 10, 2023
That was an awesome book and a spectacular follow up to the first book. Everything is so realistic. I genuinely feel like I’ve lived on Venus. The author is gifted.
June 27, 2024
Après avoir adoré l’astuce et le vertige de son Magicien Quantique et son Jardin, j’avais eu une sacrée surprise en découvrant sa proposition de voyage sur Vénus où imaginaire et sociologie s’était magnifiquement percutés. J’attendais donc beaucoup de cette suite et fin sur la planète. Malheureusement si ce fut un divertissement très efficace, l’histoire fut un peu trop « Vénus à Vénus » pour moi.
Derek Künsken est un peu l’auteur de la surprise pour moi. Il a une capacité folle pour m’entraîner là où je ne l’attends dans des univers que je pensais sérieux et complexes mais qui se révèlent surprenant. Cela a fonctionné dans plusieurs de ses écrits mais c’est un peu tombé à côté dans ce tome-ci, avec une surprise qui ne m’a pas vraiment convenue. Après la fin de sa précédente aventure, je pensais qu’il avait lâché les chevaux en matière de SF vertigineuse et qu’il allait m’entraîner dans une aventure incroyable à dos de trou de ver. Ce ne fut malheureusement pas le cas, je suis restée pieds et poings liés à Vénus, sur Vénus même, et j’ai eu du mal à accepter cela.
Cela se lit pourtant toujours avec autant de facilité, ayant une plume des plus accessibles et fluides. Les chapitres sont courts rendant la lecture dynamique. On replace très facilement les différents personnages et lignes scénaristiques, notamment grâce à un résumé fort bienvenu en début de tome. L’intrigue en plus devient vite limpide et n’a rien de complexe, ce qui rend la lecture aisée et même addictive au bout d’un moment, mais le vertige de la découverte, lui, a disparu.
L’auteur, contrairement à ce que j’attendais, propose une SF éloignée du sense of wonder, pour quelque chose de bien plus simple où il est question d’un côté de dysphorie de genre et de l’autre de guerre contre un consortium politico-financier qui souhaite mettre la main sur les richesses de Vénus. Ça ne ressemble pas beaucoup aux promesses que j’avais cru percevoir dans le tome 1…
La première partie, très centrée, sur Pascal/Pascale et ce que son changement de sexe occasionne chez ses proches, ne m’a pas beaucoup plu. C’était fort long et répétitif, sans réel progrès jusqu’à la fin du volume en plus. Certes cela a un petit côté réaliste et c’est quelque chose de rarement abordé dans la SF que je lis, mais est-ce que cela m’oblige à aimer quand c’est maladroitement écrit et intégré ? Non.
La suite plus axée sur les tensions avec La Banque et le Gouvernement fut plus entraînante à lire, créant plus d’action, de rebondissements, donnant plus de vie à cette lecture un peu morne dans un premier temps. La Maison de Styx ne se laisse pas faire, combat ces oligarques qui veulent tordre le droit pour prendre leurs richesses, fruits de leur labeur. Ils se rebellent et c’est addictif de suivre leur résistance, dans les airs et sur Vénus, à l’aide notamment de leurs découvertes précédentes. Cependant, je dois aussi reconnaître nombre et nombre de facilités de la part de l’auteur, comme la construction d’un vaisseau en état de marche en à peine 12h… C’est bien de vouloir faire divertissant, c’est mieux de faire crédible.
Alors pourquoi est-ce que ce fut tout de même une très bonne lecture ? Parce que j’ai trouvé l’aventure diablement addictive à lire. Je voulais vraiment savoir si Pascal(e) allait être accepté(e) et allé(e) aller au bout de son projet, s’ils allaient réussir à lutter contre La Banque et leur Gouvernement, s’ils allaient faire quelque chose de ce trou de ver, etc. Il y a en plus ici toute la genèse du futur univers de l’ensemble des textes de l’auteur comme semble le dire la chronologie qu’on retrouve dans les dernières pages et moi, j’aime les auteurs qui bâtissent de tels univers tentaculaires où tout est lié. Reste maintenant à voir si les autres lecteurs suivront et si l’éditeur français aussi. Je croise les doigts.
Suite avant tout fort divertissante, La Maison des Saints a eu le mérite de me surprendre avec une proposition différente de celle que j’attendais. Plus « Terre à Terre » et moins WoW que prévue, cette lutte contre un consortium policito-financier dans un contexte de petit peuple ouvrier voulant qu’on respecte ses droits est diablement d’actualité, ajoutez une dimension sociétale « genrée » et vous avez un texte très actuel qui a tout pour plaire, même s’il ne défrise pas comme je l’aurais souhaité. Ça me donne envie de relire les autres romans de Derek Künsken avec ceci en tête et je croise les doigts pour que son oeuvre continue d’être traduite chez nous.
Article complet : https://lesblablasdetachan.wordpress....
Derek Künsken est un peu l’auteur de la surprise pour moi. Il a une capacité folle pour m’entraîner là où je ne l’attends dans des univers que je pensais sérieux et complexes mais qui se révèlent surprenant. Cela a fonctionné dans plusieurs de ses écrits mais c’est un peu tombé à côté dans ce tome-ci, avec une surprise qui ne m’a pas vraiment convenue. Après la fin de sa précédente aventure, je pensais qu’il avait lâché les chevaux en matière de SF vertigineuse et qu’il allait m’entraîner dans une aventure incroyable à dos de trou de ver. Ce ne fut malheureusement pas le cas, je suis restée pieds et poings liés à Vénus, sur Vénus même, et j’ai eu du mal à accepter cela.
Cela se lit pourtant toujours avec autant de facilité, ayant une plume des plus accessibles et fluides. Les chapitres sont courts rendant la lecture dynamique. On replace très facilement les différents personnages et lignes scénaristiques, notamment grâce à un résumé fort bienvenu en début de tome. L’intrigue en plus devient vite limpide et n’a rien de complexe, ce qui rend la lecture aisée et même addictive au bout d’un moment, mais le vertige de la découverte, lui, a disparu.
L’auteur, contrairement à ce que j’attendais, propose une SF éloignée du sense of wonder, pour quelque chose de bien plus simple où il est question d’un côté de dysphorie de genre et de l’autre de guerre contre un consortium politico-financier qui souhaite mettre la main sur les richesses de Vénus. Ça ne ressemble pas beaucoup aux promesses que j’avais cru percevoir dans le tome 1…
La première partie, très centrée, sur Pascal/Pascale et ce que son changement de sexe occasionne chez ses proches, ne m’a pas beaucoup plu. C’était fort long et répétitif, sans réel progrès jusqu’à la fin du volume en plus. Certes cela a un petit côté réaliste et c’est quelque chose de rarement abordé dans la SF que je lis, mais est-ce que cela m’oblige à aimer quand c’est maladroitement écrit et intégré ? Non.
La suite plus axée sur les tensions avec La Banque et le Gouvernement fut plus entraînante à lire, créant plus d’action, de rebondissements, donnant plus de vie à cette lecture un peu morne dans un premier temps. La Maison de Styx ne se laisse pas faire, combat ces oligarques qui veulent tordre le droit pour prendre leurs richesses, fruits de leur labeur. Ils se rebellent et c’est addictif de suivre leur résistance, dans les airs et sur Vénus, à l’aide notamment de leurs découvertes précédentes. Cependant, je dois aussi reconnaître nombre et nombre de facilités de la part de l’auteur, comme la construction d’un vaisseau en état de marche en à peine 12h… C’est bien de vouloir faire divertissant, c’est mieux de faire crédible.
Alors pourquoi est-ce que ce fut tout de même une très bonne lecture ? Parce que j’ai trouvé l’aventure diablement addictive à lire. Je voulais vraiment savoir si Pascal(e) allait être accepté(e) et allé(e) aller au bout de son projet, s’ils allaient réussir à lutter contre La Banque et leur Gouvernement, s’ils allaient faire quelque chose de ce trou de ver, etc. Il y a en plus ici toute la genèse du futur univers de l’ensemble des textes de l’auteur comme semble le dire la chronologie qu’on retrouve dans les dernières pages et moi, j’aime les auteurs qui bâtissent de tels univers tentaculaires où tout est lié. Reste maintenant à voir si les autres lecteurs suivront et si l’éditeur français aussi. Je croise les doigts.
Suite avant tout fort divertissante, La Maison des Saints a eu le mérite de me surprendre avec une proposition différente de celle que j’attendais. Plus « Terre à Terre » et moins WoW que prévue, cette lutte contre un consortium policito-financier dans un contexte de petit peuple ouvrier voulant qu’on respecte ses droits est diablement d’actualité, ajoutez une dimension sociétale « genrée » et vous avez un texte très actuel qui a tout pour plaire, même s’il ne défrise pas comme je l’aurais souhaité. Ça me donne envie de relire les autres romans de Derek Künsken avec ceci en tête et je croise les doigts pour que son oeuvre continue d’être traduite chez nous.
Article complet : https://lesblablasdetachan.wordpress....
November 1, 2024
The newly formed House of Styx is working carefully to set up a base on the surface of Venus, something never attempted before because of the dangers... but they've got a prize nobody else knows about, a wormhole to another star system entirely. However, the government of Venus, and the Bank it's indebted to, has started to clue in on their operations, if not the exact prize, and wants to seize it and send a message by punishing the family's theft of resources from the community. Meanwhile, the family has its own set of social problems, from long-standing resentments and recriminations over deaths, to the romantic troubles of Pascale, who's first love is perfect except for the one secret that may tear them apart... that Gabriel-Antoine doesn't see who she really is.
The first book wowed with the well-thought out look about what living in the atmosphere of Venus might look like, the extreme precautions needed and the dangers of getting it wrong, combined with both personal family drama and the wonder of a portal to the stars. And, occasionally, it tore the heart out with sudden deaths of major characters. Well, be warned, there's more of that in this, it's not a happy story, it's a tale of a struggle in an inhospitable environment against the bank and government beholden to them. Even without people being mustache-twirling villains (and, although there certainly are some evil people, a big chunk of the antagonists are just ordinary people trying to do the best they can in a unfortunate system, and probably think of themselves as being in the right), it's fundamentally a story of a small group rebelling against an established government, and some of those people are going to get stomped on. And, if you're aware of the established lore in the universe (this is the second part of a duology set in the past of a larger space opera series) you know it's got to come out a certain way, so the story has to pay that off. That means that this story necessarily has to involve or at least be the start of a major change in society.
That was fairly well-handled, as it went, although part of me wishes it went a slightly different way, because although I enjoy the storylines involving the political upheaval, for me, the major source of the sense of wonder of the duology was the idea of a small group of Venusian settlers discovering a wormhole and how they investigate and exploit that resource, how that turns the planet from a marginal existence to one of the power players of human society, and how the discovery changes human civilization as a whole. And certainly, there's some of that in here, but only the early stages, and once the conflict between the House and the Government really kicks off, it's shoved into the background and never really regains the focus, it's left to the readers imagination... and to a certain degree, for good reason, because you can't really do the kind of scientific exploration during a crisis like that, and once it's over one of the major sources of conflict in the book is over, so it's probably right to end it... but still, I wanted it, I wanted a hundred more pages of them just peaceably exploring the wormhole and finding out cool things about it. I'm probably weird, but for me it's what would have been a delicious sauce on top of everything that I could dip my bread into, and, instead, there was just enough for the main course (and maybe not even enough to really enhance every bite of that for me).
Still, that minor disappointment aside, this book was a lot of fun (in the way a book where characters you love might die tragically can be fun), and kept up the standards of the other books in this universe well. I may not have liked it quite as much as the others, just because of that hope for more focus on the parts I was really interested, but it's not enough to really quibble, and even a "not as good as previous ones" book is still good enough to cement the author as one of my favorite modern SF authors. Easy four stars.
The first book wowed with the well-thought out look about what living in the atmosphere of Venus might look like, the extreme precautions needed and the dangers of getting it wrong, combined with both personal family drama and the wonder of a portal to the stars. And, occasionally, it tore the heart out with sudden deaths of major characters. Well, be warned, there's more of that in this, it's not a happy story, it's a tale of a struggle in an inhospitable environment against the bank and government beholden to them. Even without people being mustache-twirling villains (and, although there certainly are some evil people, a big chunk of the antagonists are just ordinary people trying to do the best they can in a unfortunate system, and probably think of themselves as being in the right), it's fundamentally a story of a small group rebelling against an established government, and some of those people are going to get stomped on. And, if you're aware of the established lore in the universe (this is the second part of a duology set in the past of a larger space opera series) you know it's got to come out a certain way, so the story has to pay that off. That means that this story necessarily has to involve or at least be the start of a major change in society.
That was fairly well-handled, as it went, although part of me wishes it went a slightly different way, because although I enjoy the storylines involving the political upheaval, for me, the major source of the sense of wonder of the duology was the idea of a small group of Venusian settlers discovering a wormhole and how they investigate and exploit that resource, how that turns the planet from a marginal existence to one of the power players of human society, and how the discovery changes human civilization as a whole. And certainly, there's some of that in here, but only the early stages, and once the conflict between the House and the Government really kicks off, it's shoved into the background and never really regains the focus, it's left to the readers imagination... and to a certain degree, for good reason, because you can't really do the kind of scientific exploration during a crisis like that, and once it's over one of the major sources of conflict in the book is over, so it's probably right to end it... but still, I wanted it, I wanted a hundred more pages of them just peaceably exploring the wormhole and finding out cool things about it. I'm probably weird, but for me it's what would have been a delicious sauce on top of everything that I could dip my bread into, and, instead, there was just enough for the main course (and maybe not even enough to really enhance every bite of that for me).
Still, that minor disappointment aside, this book was a lot of fun (in the way a book where characters you love might die tragically can be fun), and kept up the standards of the other books in this universe well. I may not have liked it quite as much as the others, just because of that hope for more focus on the parts I was really interested, but it's not enough to really quibble, and even a "not as good as previous ones" book is still good enough to cement the author as one of my favorite modern SF authors. Easy four stars.
July 29, 2024
As much as I enjoyed the first volume of this Venusian saga, I hated the second, for three main reasons: the bludgeoning by transgender activism, a truly flawed ethic, and the heavy improbabilities of the scenario.
Pascal's coming out was nice in the first volume. He becomes the subject of a heavy pamphlet for transgender people in the second, which takes up entire chapters. Derek reminds me of John Norman and his Gor saga: he bored his reader by interspersing an unbearably misogynistic chapter with each episode of a good fantasy story that prefigured the works of David Gemmell.
Derek reveals an anarchist and anti-democratic tendency that he sells us with government abuses but which in detail reveals some deep problems with morality. ** spoiler alert ** He doesn't hesitate to sacrifice most of his characters to the "cause", even Pascal(e) who lets "the love of his life" die without any remorse. Only the youngest survive and have understood everything about the policy that Venusian society finally had to follow...
These very young people are also capable, with only a few of them and in the most complete destitution, of building a fleet and overthrowing the Venusian government. If the previous improbabilities of the scenario were not enough, we fall to the ground. It is quite incredible that after having written novels as accomplished as The Quantum Magician, Derek falls back into such immaturity. That he started to frequent radical conspiracy groups is the only explanation that appears to me.
Pascal's coming out was nice in the first volume. He becomes the subject of a heavy pamphlet for transgender people in the second, which takes up entire chapters. Derek reminds me of John Norman and his Gor saga: he bored his reader by interspersing an unbearably misogynistic chapter with each episode of a good fantasy story that prefigured the works of David Gemmell.
Derek reveals an anarchist and anti-democratic tendency that he sells us with government abuses but which in detail reveals some deep problems with morality. ** spoiler alert ** He doesn't hesitate to sacrifice most of his characters to the "cause", even Pascal(e) who lets "the love of his life" die without any remorse. Only the youngest survive and have understood everything about the policy that Venusian society finally had to follow...
These very young people are also capable, with only a few of them and in the most complete destitution, of building a fleet and overthrowing the Venusian government. If the previous improbabilities of the scenario were not enough, we fall to the ground. It is quite incredible that after having written novels as accomplished as The Quantum Magician, Derek falls back into such immaturity. That he started to frequent radical conspiracy groups is the only explanation that appears to me.
October 23, 2023
Pressure so extreme C02 becomes a supercritical fluid, clouds of superheated hydrochloric gas, surface tempretures that melt lead. But still one of the most promising real locations for human colonies off earth.
Derek has built a world that doesn't hand wave the tough realities of possible colonisation but embraces it. That shows how the extreme winds and unique physical forces molds the society. This book betrays a deeply optimistic view of human adaptation but one that portrays all human endeavours as always teetering on a knife-edge between self- determined triumph and self-inflicted catastrophe.
I particularly love the use of vertical space. How the 60+ km of atmosphere are rendered in a 3D environment only pilots on earth truly get to live.
The science is impeccable, both the hard science of materials and environments but also the social science of banks and governments and debt.
Finally the story is gripping, the deep connections of love, loss and responsibility that ties families together. It's hard to read because the stakes are never eased and there is no plot armour for the characters.
For those that struggle with the French names and terms, or indeed any book that's not rooted in british-american language and culture, push through. The real world is a big complex place, having the mental flexibility to imagine across cultures is the first step in exploring the real endlessly diverse beauty of our planet and the vast societies in it.
Derek has built a world that doesn't hand wave the tough realities of possible colonisation but embraces it. That shows how the extreme winds and unique physical forces molds the society. This book betrays a deeply optimistic view of human adaptation but one that portrays all human endeavours as always teetering on a knife-edge between self- determined triumph and self-inflicted catastrophe.
I particularly love the use of vertical space. How the 60+ km of atmosphere are rendered in a 3D environment only pilots on earth truly get to live.
The science is impeccable, both the hard science of materials and environments but also the social science of banks and governments and debt.
Finally the story is gripping, the deep connections of love, loss and responsibility that ties families together. It's hard to read because the stakes are never eased and there is no plot armour for the characters.
For those that struggle with the French names and terms, or indeed any book that's not rooted in british-american language and culture, push through. The real world is a big complex place, having the mental flexibility to imagine across cultures is the first step in exploring the real endlessly diverse beauty of our planet and the vast societies in it.
November 27, 2025
(same review for both Venus Ascendant novels)
I loved the Quantum Magician, and was hoping for more of the same, but this wasn't even close. It was barely about Venus and what they found on the surface. Instead, it was about petty village politics, and pretty standard YA coming-of-age stories, in an interesting setting that was barely used at all.
There were a couple of highlights: The Downs Syndrome character was interesting, and actually made use of the environment, since the lower atmosphere was such a dangerous place. The way he fit into the family and dealt with others growing up was unique. Also, the young people who worshipped Venus and scarred their bodies with acid were interesting. The kind of alienation they felt, living on another planet that was so hostile, and their response to it, took good advantage of the setting.
As for everything else (the petty politics and coming of age), it wasn't badly done, it was just so far from what I look for in Sci Fi books. It was conventional and could have happened anywhere, and usually that content is there to make us care about the characters. But here it was pretty much the entire story, and the rest of the plot was just a backdrop.
I loved the Quantum Magician, and was hoping for more of the same, but this wasn't even close. It was barely about Venus and what they found on the surface. Instead, it was about petty village politics, and pretty standard YA coming-of-age stories, in an interesting setting that was barely used at all.
There were a couple of highlights: The Downs Syndrome character was interesting, and actually made use of the environment, since the lower atmosphere was such a dangerous place. The way he fit into the family and dealt with others growing up was unique. Also, the young people who worshipped Venus and scarred their bodies with acid were interesting. The kind of alienation they felt, living on another planet that was so hostile, and their response to it, took good advantage of the setting.
As for everything else (the petty politics and coming of age), it wasn't badly done, it was just so far from what I look for in Sci Fi books. It was conventional and could have happened anywhere, and usually that content is there to make us care about the characters. But here it was pretty much the entire story, and the rest of the plot was just a backdrop.
July 8, 2025
The final book in this duology lives up to its hard-sf roots, featuring hard-scrabble dynasties on Venus, corporations and banks making bank on the backs of the poor, and the ramp-up to a full diaspora.
Pretty cool stuff, all told. Worth it if you're into the common-folk grasp their freedom kind of story.
The only thing I didn't quite connect with was a few of the characters, but fortunately, there are a lot of characters. Nothing too onerous. It's a sprawling tale of survival, adaptability, and even a bit of a revolution.
Think the rash of Mars books from the '90s and now give Venus, with its extremely inhospitable environment, a try.
Honestly, I love the idea better than the execution, but I don't really have many complaints. It's ambitious.
Personal note:
If anyone reading my reviews is be interested in reading my SF (Very hard SF, mind you), I'm open to requests.
Just direct message me in goodreads or email me on my site. I'd love to get some eyes on my novels.
Arctunn.com
Pretty cool stuff, all told. Worth it if you're into the common-folk grasp their freedom kind of story.
The only thing I didn't quite connect with was a few of the characters, but fortunately, there are a lot of characters. Nothing too onerous. It's a sprawling tale of survival, adaptability, and even a bit of a revolution.
Think the rash of Mars books from the '90s and now give Venus, with its extremely inhospitable environment, a try.
Honestly, I love the idea better than the execution, but I don't really have many complaints. It's ambitious.
Personal note:
If anyone reading my reviews is be interested in reading my SF (Very hard SF, mind you), I'm open to requests.
Just direct message me in goodreads or email me on my site. I'd love to get some eyes on my novels.
Arctunn.com
November 1, 2023
Great story, loved the world of Venus and the families.
Would have been 5 stars but theres too much French that means nothing to me, a non French speaking person - I imagine all the habitat names meant something significant or association but they were totally lost on me and the narrator (Justine Eyre) on the audio book was a terrible choice, all spoken in a weird strained voice except the French words which suddenly spoken with a strong perfect French accent for some reason. The juxtaposition between the two voices was really offputting.
"the capstal de profenduer" is just gobbledegook to non French speakers, the author needs to know this, he's losing part of the world building to most readers by putting non English words into an English version of the book. You mentioned Quebec, the names are French, we get it, it's French Quebec, keep the English versions of the book English and the French versions of the book French, translate 100% not 95%
Would have been 5 stars but theres too much French that means nothing to me, a non French speaking person - I imagine all the habitat names meant something significant or association but they were totally lost on me and the narrator (Justine Eyre) on the audio book was a terrible choice, all spoken in a weird strained voice except the French words which suddenly spoken with a strong perfect French accent for some reason. The juxtaposition between the two voices was really offputting.
"the capstal de profenduer" is just gobbledegook to non French speakers, the author needs to know this, he's losing part of the world building to most readers by putting non English words into an English version of the book. You mentioned Quebec, the names are French, we get it, it's French Quebec, keep the English versions of the book English and the French versions of the book French, translate 100% not 95%
September 16, 2023
The House of Saints is the conclusion to the Venus Ascendant duology by Derek Künsken.
It continues where The House of Styx left off, as the family fight for autonomy from the government which begins nefarious methods to keep it's investments secure.
This was an excellent ending to the story, with the hallmarks of the first novel continued here - plenty of hard science on living in the clouds and the exploration of the surface; likeable, realistic and flawed characters searching for answers, all set in the harsh, hot environment of Venus.
It was a little slow to get going, but once it did it was faced paced until the end. One of the best SF series I've read for sometime (and definitely the best set on Venus).
It continues where The House of Styx left off, as the family fight for autonomy from the government which begins nefarious methods to keep it's investments secure.
This was an excellent ending to the story, with the hallmarks of the first novel continued here - plenty of hard science on living in the clouds and the exploration of the surface; likeable, realistic and flawed characters searching for answers, all set in the harsh, hot environment of Venus.
It was a little slow to get going, but once it did it was faced paced until the end. One of the best SF series I've read for sometime (and definitely the best set on Venus).
November 23, 2023
A Surprising Prequel to The Quantum Evolution Cycle
A fitting end to the beginning of the birth of the Venusian Congregate. Strong but imperfect characters grasping for the dream of freedom from crushing colonial debt. The narrative draws you into the conflict while still maintaining a high level view of the effect of small actions on the politico-economic strategic situation. Small characters rise up to do great things. Sacrifices are keenly felt. Victories are both bitter and sweet.
It’s a good story filled with solid science and an effective plot. A good end to the beginning.
A fitting end to the beginning of the birth of the Venusian Congregate. Strong but imperfect characters grasping for the dream of freedom from crushing colonial debt. The narrative draws you into the conflict while still maintaining a high level view of the effect of small actions on the politico-economic strategic situation. Small characters rise up to do great things. Sacrifices are keenly felt. Victories are both bitter and sweet.
It’s a good story filled with solid science and an effective plot. A good end to the beginning.
May 23, 2024
House of Saints starts slowly, dealing mostly with oppressive politics, subterfuge and straining relationships.
It took me a while to get through the first half of the novel.
Things heat up in the second half, and we get to see more cool engineering as our beloved characters try to survive under the oppressive conditions of Venus, the government and the bank.
I finished the second half of the novel in one day.
I especially enjoyed Pascal's continuing transition story, it is nuanced and beautiful.
Note that This is not The Quantum Magician, it is slower, it broods.
P.S.
Venus Rising is a duology, so we get an ending.
October 13, 2024
House Of Saints is filled with sorrow and loss, but also hope. The two books of this series are beautiful. The detailed worldbuilding meshes well with the sibling series, but is separate enough to be fresh and new. Künsken lovingly handles issues of gender identity, poverty, and the crimes people commit for survival, sometimes with a gentle caress and sometimes with a fist to the face. He explores how governments react to those self-preserving crimes, and also how the governed may deal with their intuitions.
There is a lot of hard SF here too. Near-future science on a vivid and believable Venus drive the story.
There is a lot of hard SF here too. Near-future science on a vivid and believable Venus drive the story.
September 5, 2023
A fabulous conclusion to this duology!
September 29, 2023
Svag 5a, men ändå.
December 6, 2023
So stretched out and so much death but we got a lot more about the plot point I was interested in, though again I want to know more about how they will continue to build and progress
January 21, 2024
Just like House of Styx this has a slow start but steadily ramped up to a exciting end. Very well developed world and society.
January 28, 2024
4.5 stars - really well done “lead up to the diaspora” duology.
April 16, 2024
Great.
August 15, 2024
The plot moved along better than in the first volume. I still had issues with some of the dialogue (too trite) and pacing in some parts.
February 2, 2025
It's a little slow at times, but it's a fun read. I wish more of the central characters had survived until the end.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 3, 2025
4.5. Tremendous space opera.
December 19, 2023
I wanted to dive into a good long space opera. But I got hung up by the many French terms that I had to google. And the characters were a little flat. The patriarchy here wasn't very appealing although it is presented as a family saga. Daddy rules. I suspect the the Quebecois readers would get more out of this story and have a greater appreciation of thd cultural references. I found my mind wandering.
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