Kay Kenyon’s first book in the Entire and the Rose series has something of an identity crisis. No one seems to know how to market this: sci-fi or fantasy? Bright of the Sky neatly strides both worlds - literally - to create a universe rich with culture, sympathetic characters that are truly flawed, and a plot that mimics reality more than the paradigms we’re used to. Fans of fantasy world building will be thrilled with the new series.

Bright of the Sky follows Titus Quinn as he journeys from our universe (the Rose) to another - that of the Entire, “graciously” created and ruled by the powerful and oppressive Tarig alien race. Quinn reached the Entire by mistake two years ago and came back with precious few memories of his time there; little enough that everyone felt he’d just gone mad at the loss of his young daughter and wife in the spacing accident. When scientists discovered truth to Quinn’s parallel universe claim, they sent him back, hoping he could regain his knowledge of the place. Quinn hopes to discover the whereabouts of his wife and daughter. But he also has the directive from his company to gain knowledge of how to travel freely between the realms, a quest made necessary by blackmailing Quinn. He also discovers that he gained notoriety in his first trip to the Entire, a place where those of “the Rose” are instantly recognized as intruders and unwelcome. Titus Quinn must overcome his torrid past in the Entire and pass by unnoticed, balancing his personal and professional goals to return to the Rose.

Book 1 of “The Entire and the Rose” series

“Marcus Sund came awake all at once. “Lights,” he said.
The cabin remained dark. “Lights,” he repeated, louder this time, but with the same result. He sat up. The station hummed with life support - the ProFabber engines churned in their collosal duties - but something was missing from that profound vibration.

The most intriguing part of this book is the culture and world building involved in the Entire, and because most of the story takes place there, this might be better classified as a fantasy book. The Entire does have knowledge of the Rose, and the Tarig race fashioned all of the other races off examples from the Rose. For example, the Chalin people loosely resemble the ancient Chinese, appearing mostly human, pursuing control of emotions in a vaguely spiritual manner, ruled by feudal lords with an important scholar class. But the Tarig rule the Entire with an iron fist, and their first commandment is to withhold knowledge of the Entire from the Rose. So while the cultures in the Entire take cue from the Rose, deeper knowledge and conversation remains off-limits. How the Tarig created the universe remains a mystery through the first book. How the Tarig maintain control is made very clear: they’re credited with the immortal life that all in the Entire enjoy, their intelligence is nearly omniscient, and they punish all lawbreakers with swift death.

Because of this social structure, most of the action in this book takes place through politics and intrigue. If you want fantastic space battles or duels, you will have to look elsewhere (at least for few hundred pages). The pace is very strong through the first few chapters of the book and settles into a rolling quest once Quinn reaches the Entire. Quinn’s journey does not always go as you expect it. Dangers that are foreshadowed never come to pass. Misadventures and inconveniences pop up and make perfect sense, but can occur unexpectedly.

The characters are multi-dimensional in a way that goes beyond what most authors attempt. Quinn is flawed deeply, not superficially. He starts off the book a violent hermit, shunned by the world who initially rejected his story of the Entire. His notoriety in the Entire is not just the product of xenophobia - he’s done some awful things, and continues to do so, though we understand his motives and can sympathize with him, even if empathy is difficult. Those who support and oppose Quinn have their own clear objectives and secrets. Even the Tarig are not just bad guys; their self-created reputation for grace is not complete rubbish.

Initially the fantasy world is a little difficult to believe, with sentient races popping up as convenient and other devices revealed in a very linear plot, parallel to the motion of the adventure. But the book probably falls shortest in the descriptions of the Rose and our own future universe. Corporations rule the world and their money is made from space travel. Standardized testing separates savants from the average. The average live off company welfare, occupying themselves with meaningless jobs or entertainment media. Most of the characters in the Rose we encounter are “savvies” and are in the upper echelons of the ruling corporations. But these high-intelligence characters are petty, capricious, and pathetic. Their lives are run like soap operas and their social graces don’t exist. Some might argue with me that this is a good representation of those who have high IQs, and certainly we’ve all met the uber-smart who are more in touch with their intellectual pursuits than emotional development. But I feel that making one universe so completely dark breaks our immersion and makes the single shade difficult to accept, especially in contrast to the dynamic Entire.

Bright of the Sky is a cliffhanger, but is not unsatisfying. Some of the major issues are resolved or morphed into new issues, and nearly all of the important questions are answered, leaving us with more questions. This is a deep and addicting way to introduce us to an intricate world and an exciting new series.