Going Under [Paperback]

In GOING UNDER, cyborg hero Lila Black of Otopia, formerly Earth, continues her quest to emerge from her personal Hell (see SELLING OUT); take whatever steps are necessary to locate and destroy -- or render harmless -- the boxes that might let the spy agency that created her take control of her body; and learn the truth about the technologies that were used to make her what she is today. All in all, it's a typical fantasy/sci-fi coming of age story :). Need I mention that sometime between SELLING OUT and GOING UNDER she married half-elf/half-demon rock star Zal and demon assassin Teazle? Or that an invasion of Mothkin is plaguing Otopia and demanding her attention?

As in KEEPING IT REAL, the central dilemma of GOING UNDER does not emerge until the middle of the novel, when Lila and Zal find themselves cast deep into coldest, most dangerous Faery. To survive they must either avoid or thwart Lost Jack, a faery of immense power, and it doesn't look likely they will be able to do either. It's here that GOING UNDER connects most clearly to conventional high fantasy, as Lila and Zal and friends bump into the Lord of the Hunt, someone who may or may not be Queen Mab, etc. Nevertheless, GOING UNDER maintains the cyberpunkish edge of the earlier books and continues to develop the sci-fi cosmology of the Otopian universe.

Beyond the action and the sci-fi sheen of the series, one of its strengths is the ongoing dialog within Lila and between she and her companions about who she is. Is she somebody extraordinary, or simply a regular person thrown into extraordinary situations? Are her self-doubts justified, or just self-delusion, denial, and useless self-indulgence? Is she a doer of good, an agent of the Light (and we see clearly what apparently-cynical Robson thinks of such people late in the novel), a disloyal selfish child, as some in the agency think, or is she just herself? In many novels, these kinds of ruminations are often tedious and forced and consist mainly of babbling. Robson is wise and kind enough, I guess, to pull this off without awkwardness or (too much) sentimentality.

While according to one review, the "real" action doesn't start going until halfway through the book, I found all of it engaging and worthwhile. There were certainly elements that didn't quite make sense -- explain to me again why Teazle led them on that wild goose chase that got a close friend killed? -- and bits that could have been left out, but nevertheless I thought this was the most solid entry in the series so far.

This is the third book in the Quantum Gravity series by Justin Robson. There are supposed to be at least 5 books in this series. The fourth book "Chasing the Dragon" came out in August of 2009. This was a decent book, I liked it better than "Selling Out" book 2, but there are still some things that are a bit crazy about this book especially towards the end. I listened to this as an audio book and the quality was okay but not the best I have heard.

The book start with Lila Black in Demonia. Right away we find out she has married both Zal and the demon Teazle and they are honeymooning in Demonia. The honeymoon consists primarily of fighting off various demon assassins to prove herself worthy of her husbands. Then Malichi shows up and tells Lila that her and the boys are needed in Otopia to deal with the Moth Crisis that is going on. Lila and Zal end up being pushed into fairy before they are ready and then the whole gang is suddenly dealing with events in the realm of fairy that are way bigger than they are. Lila is also continuing to change as her machine and natural body parts become less and less separate.

This was an interesting book. If the first book in the series was about the elven world and the second was about Demonia, then this book is about the fairy realm. As has been the case with these books there is a lot going on and it seems like Lila (Or maybe Robson) looses site of what the main story plot is. The book is a bit slow to start as we get to watch Lila, Zal, and Teazle "relax" in Demonia. Once they get pulled into the Fairy Realm then things really pick up pace and get very interesting. This book is more linear than the last book was and doesn't switch viewpoint as much.

The biggest strength in this series is the world building. The characters are also very interesting. The biggest thing I have a problem is with the plot; it kind of skitters around everywhere. There are so many things that are mentioned but never really addressed. For example the worlds cracking apart is talked about but never really dealt with, getting rid of the Moths appears to be a major goal of the stories but is dealt with in passing, Lila and Zal's Game is brought up once but never really dealt with, etc. etc. I am still unsure about how I feel about Robson's writing style. It takes me a bit to get used to, but after I get used to it I am okay with it.

The usual cast of characters is brought into the book and sometimes I found them overwhelming. Now we are not just dealing with Lila and Zal, but Lila, Zal, Teazle, the imp, Malichi, and Tath...not to mention all the side characters. I guess I just feel like this book could have been tighter and a bit better planned. I won't include any spoilers but the end of the book left me kind of confused and dissatisfied, not to mention it didn't really sum up anything.

Overall, I am still fascinated by Robson's world and her characters. I am disappointed in the plot and how it goes all over the place bringing up a million new issues but resolving none of them. Will I read the fourth book? Probably. This is a very creative and intriguing series and that draws me to it, but I may not read any more after that it the plot is still scattered.

For what was meant to be a lighter set of books than her previous works the Quantum Gravity series has become very heavy going. The heroine has been in a sprial of depression, frustration and anger since book 2 which shows no sign of abateing. The mythological components are poorly explained and where they are explained it is in exposition heavy parts of the text. The hero's escape from no-escape perilous situations are a blur of confusion which without fail lead into further depression and peril without let up. I thought "Living next door to the God of love" was excellent, as was everything before Quantum Gravity, this series has lost me.

› Go to Amazon.com to see all 11 reviews  3.8 out of 5 stars