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zyx123's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
shankargopal's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
This was a good read and felt deeper and more absorbing than the first book. The characters and the concepts of Homo Quantus etc. were explored in more depth - it felt like the author had more time to do so in this book. I also liked the time travel experience. Having said that, the characters still felt a bit thin. Otherwise this would have been a solid 4 for me, but that pulled it down.
chlcrc617's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
arhgee's review against another edition
5.0
Really enjoyed this sequel. The Quantum Evolution books hearken back to the post-human genre popular in the 2000s and the Afro-futurism of Alastair Reynolds. Would recommend.
hank's review against another edition
4.0
Slow to get going and a bit repetitive at the beginning but great mind bending time travel plot and some morality thrown in. Stills is by far one of the best characters I have read in a while. I think I will read the rest of the series (I would have anyway) just for him. What is it about a character who is completely foul mouthed, has a disregard for just about anything and anyone and is simply awesome at his job? Probably appeals to the 13 year old in me (there is probably far too much of that in me).
Looking forward to the next one. This is fairly heavy on the tech and time causality discussions, those who aren't into heavy sci-fi should probably skip this series.
Looking forward to the next one. This is fairly heavy on the tech and time causality discussions, those who aren't into heavy sci-fi should probably skip this series.
pilebythebed's review against another edition
4.0
Derek Künsken follows up his mindbending debut The Quantum Magician with something remarkably different in The Quantum Garden. The book opens just after the events of his debut. Con man Belasarius is on the run when he learns that one of his enemies has decided to exact revenge on his whole community, the homo quantus, who live a peaceful life on an asteroid. Belasarius uses the time gates he stole in the previous book to go back in time and mount a rescue mission but this is only the start of his problems.
The Quantum Magician was a challenging debut. Künsken’s universe is complex and it was hard to get a handle on it while also working through the heist plot of that book. With the scene setting out of the way, the sequel is much more focussed and successful. The bulk of the book sees Belasarius and an old enemy going back in time to complete a mission that will allow him to save his people. Being a time travel story it is full of potential paradoxes and moral conundrums for both Belasarius and his companions.
The name of the book comes from a sapient vegetable species (Hortus quantus) that Belasarius discovers in the past that uses the time gates to support their intelligence. Unfortunately this tends to show up Künsken’s tendency to fall back on technobabble:
The Hortus quantus existed like a giant superposition of uncollapsed quantum states. And the nature of their consciousness was quantum. They existed in a kind of natural quantum fugue, without collapsing quantum fields.
Yet, despite this, Künsken manages to develop some emotional depth around Belasarius and his relationship with this new species.
Reducing the cast list also helps immeasurably. Besides Belasarius the focus is really only on a handful of other players and they are all fascinating. From the foulmouthed pilot Stills,to Belasiarius’s companion Cassie, to Colonel Ayen Iekanjika who has to grapple with her people’s chequered past, to the congregate hunter known as the Scarecrow. All, particularly Ayen, get satisfying arcs.
The Quantum Garden takes a massive piece of world building and runs with it. Leaving most of the details in the background, Künsken has crafted a satisfying, sometimes mind bending, time travel thriller with a philosophical edge. The end leaves no doubt that another book is coming in this series, which given the strength of this entry, can only be welcomed.
The Quantum Magician was a challenging debut. Künsken’s universe is complex and it was hard to get a handle on it while also working through the heist plot of that book. With the scene setting out of the way, the sequel is much more focussed and successful. The bulk of the book sees Belasarius and an old enemy going back in time to complete a mission that will allow him to save his people. Being a time travel story it is full of potential paradoxes and moral conundrums for both Belasarius and his companions.
The name of the book comes from a sapient vegetable species (Hortus quantus) that Belasarius discovers in the past that uses the time gates to support their intelligence. Unfortunately this tends to show up Künsken’s tendency to fall back on technobabble:
The Hortus quantus existed like a giant superposition of uncollapsed quantum states. And the nature of their consciousness was quantum. They existed in a kind of natural quantum fugue, without collapsing quantum fields.
Yet, despite this, Künsken manages to develop some emotional depth around Belasarius and his relationship with this new species.
Reducing the cast list also helps immeasurably. Besides Belasarius the focus is really only on a handful of other players and they are all fascinating. From the foulmouthed pilot Stills,to Belasiarius’s companion Cassie, to Colonel Ayen Iekanjika who has to grapple with her people’s chequered past, to the congregate hunter known as the Scarecrow. All, particularly Ayen, get satisfying arcs.
The Quantum Garden takes a massive piece of world building and runs with it. Leaving most of the details in the background, Künsken has crafted a satisfying, sometimes mind bending, time travel thriller with a philosophical edge. The end leaves no doubt that another book is coming in this series, which given the strength of this entry, can only be welcomed.
dang's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
kevinscorner's review against another edition
4.5
The first half of The Quantum Garden was just fantastic. It starts a couple of weeks after book 2 with Belisarius and Cassandra exploring the Time Gates. But unbeknownst to them, the Congregate holds the Homo quantum responsible for initiating their war with the Union. Their home world is destroyed and Belisarius and Cassandra must travel use the Time Gate to save their people. This first half was fast paced and exciting and I loved every page of it.
However, the second half slows down significantly with the next step of their plan—to find a new home. Belisarius must team up with Iekanjika (who he recently double crossed) to go back further in time. There, Belisarius takes a back seat as Iekanjika must confront secrets from her past and discover betrayals during the fraught origins of the Sixth Expenitionary Force she calls her family. That part was actually still pretty good, but there was this entirely unnecessary inclusion of Beliarius’ discovery of the Hortus quantus that was wholely unrelated to the current story, but is likely a set up for future installments. This just felt out of place. Interspersed throughout are excerpts involving the Scarecrow which also does not factor into the Quantum Garden’s story just yet.
The Quantum Garden was nearly a 5 star sequel for me, but the inclusions of several elements setting up more sequels took too much out of the book.
However, the second half slows down significantly with the next step of their plan—to find a new home. Belisarius must team up with Iekanjika (who he recently double crossed) to go back further in time. There, Belisarius takes a back seat as Iekanjika must confront secrets from her past and discover betrayals during the fraught origins of the Sixth Expenitionary Force she calls her family. That part was actually still pretty good, but there was this entirely unnecessary inclusion of Beliarius’ discovery of the Hortus quantus that was wholely unrelated to the current story, but is likely a set up for future installments. This just felt out of place. Interspersed throughout are excerpts involving the Scarecrow which also does not factor into the Quantum Garden’s story just yet.
The Quantum Garden was nearly a 5 star sequel for me, but the inclusions of several elements setting up more sequels took too much out of the book.
yvarg's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
frithnanth's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0