The Summer Queen - Joan D. Vinge Book Review

Enter a review
of your own!

Other books by
author Joan D. Vinge

"The Summer Queen"
Message Board

Joan D. Vinge Resident Scholar Profiles

TOP SCHOLAR: cobweb

SCHOLARS:

Would you like to be a scholar and make five dollars per review? Click here to submit a review!

Review Summaries

" Tor, May 2003, 17.95, 671 pp. ISBN: 0765304465 The Winter clan's century and a half reign over Tiamat is ended and now its Summer's time to rule with Moon as the leader. Moon, vowing a different economic path through technology, has ended the harvesting of the Mers whose blood was the cash crop sellable commodity, providing off world longevity to clients. The Hegemony also has left the planet. Moon's former lover, Gundhalinu, attempts to save the Hegemony by trying to gain control over stardrive plasma spilled from a wrecked Old Empire ship. If he succeeds, faster-than-light travel will become available as it once was and Tiamat will no longer suffer periods of isolation. However, the Brotherhood seeks the immortality elixir allegedly found only on Tiamat while Moon clashes with opponents over the fate of the Mers, as these intelligent beings are the source of the elixir. She also must keep safe the ancient computer hidden under the planet's prime city that links the galaxy's clairvoyants. If the Hegemony obtain either the people of Tiamat will face endless winter, but if the Hegemony gain both the people of the galaxy will face eternal winter. Surprisingly the sequel to THE SNOW QUEEN is a tighter, albeit still very complicated, planetary thriller. The story line is loaded with many concepts though some get shortchanged because of the abundance. The key charcaters are fully developed (critical in this novel) so that the audience appreciates Moon's troubles and her former lover's endeavor. Joan D. Vinge provides readers with a strong galaxy tale that shows why she was nominated for a Hugo for this work (and won with the first story). Harriet Klausner

Crested sapwood supportable noradrenaline runout. "
Harriet Klausner, Resident Joan D. Vinge Scholar

Click above for the new Obama Girl Parody video!

Overall Review

Our unique search engine breaks down books and movies into dozens of literary elements, all of which are searchable.

Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot

Composition of Book
Descript. of chases or violence - 10%
planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 40%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 30%
Descript. of society, phenomena (tech), places - 20%

Tone of book - suspenseful (sophisticated fear)
FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION? - fantasy world/fantasy past
Political power play Yes
Political plotlets - saving govt/kingdom from external overthrow
Tech./$$$/Info hunt Yes
Stealing/recovering/destroying - method of transportation
Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book

Main Character
Identity: - Female
Profession/status: - Prince/Nobleman/King
Age: - 20's-30's
How sensitive is this character? - sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - very athletic

Main Adversary
Identity: - an organization
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - a moderate amount

Setting
A substantial portion of this book takes place on a non-Earth planetary body: - humans in a primitive/fantasy society
Planet outside solar system? Yes

Style
Person? - mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment
How much dialogue? - significantly more dialog than descript

Most similar books by Gordonator ranking
The Last Light of the Sun by Guy Gavriel Kay
When Dragons Rage - DragonCrown War Cycle 2 by Michael A. Stackpole
The Queen's Necklace by Teresa Edgerton
Lioness Rampant - Song of the Lioness 4 by Tamora Pierce
The Diamond Throne - The Elenium 1 by David Eddings

Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s).

Try our new Star Wars & Star Trek puzzle pictures! Click here

Advertise with us
Feedback
Star Wars Revenge of the Sith plot spoilers
Hobbits
The politics game
The lawyer game

3 Book search options!
1) Simple lookup
(title or author)

or
2) Detailed book search
(click here) or

3) One-click plot searches! Simply click on a plot below!

Animal Story

Clones

Coming of age

Cultural problems, alien culture

Explore/1st contact/ enviro story

Family relations

GIANT monster(s)

Horror story?

Inner Struggle

Lifeform altered?

Mental/magical powers focus

Parody

Political power play

Religious overtones?

Repressive society story

Robots, Computers, VR

Romance

Spying & Investigations

Tech./$$$/Info hunt

Time Travel story?

Training/Apprent.

War or Invasion

Games:
Trivia Masters!

Rescue your favorite
scifi characters from
slavery!

Talk to your favorite
scifi characters!

Eating New Yorkers
Computer Game

Pomeranians

Most recent TV & Movie discussions:

Alien Hunter : Alien Hunter 8/28/2008 1:25:23 PM

A Boy and His Dog: A Boy and His Dog 8/27/2008 6:32:04 PM

Charmed: What's wrong with Rose McGowan's chin? 8/26/2008 8:21:36 AM

Charmed: What kind of name is Piper for a girl? 8/20/2008 5:34:24 PM

Blade Runner: Blade Runner 8/14/2008 11:21:07 PM

The Mask: The Mask 8/14/2008 11:06:36 PM

Young Frankenstein: Young Frankenstein 8/10/2008 12:10:26 AM

Doctor Who: Who was the best companion? 8/8/2008 6:19:08 AM

Xena: How could anyone like Joxer? 8/7/2008 3:37:46 AM

Space 1999: Silliest Episode 7/30/2008 2:49:34 PM

Newest slaves:
Ensign Vorik 6:49:14 PM
George Costanza Alien 6:44:48 PM
Neelix 6:37:38 PM
Bo Derek 6:27:47 PM
Admiral Paris 6:19:39 PM
The Nerd Barclay 6:15:13 PM
Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) 6:05:23 PM
Icheb 5:59:48 PM
Christina Aguilera 5:57:22 PM
Dr. Zimmerman 5:56:09 PM
All slaves
(click here)

Celebrity interviews:
President George W. Bush 6:32:00 PM
Jan-Michael Vincent 2:16:51 PM
Captain Kathryn Janeway 3:47:46 PM
Jack ONeill (Richard Dean Anderson) 1:39:22 PM
Jennifer Aniston (Friends) 5:01:07 PM
All celebrities
(click here)