In this series Kay Kenyon has created her most vivid and compelling society yet, the universe Entire. Reviewers have called this "a grand world," "an enormous stage," and "a bravura concept."
On this stage unfolds a mighty struggle for dominance between two universes. Titus Quinn has forged an unstable peace with the Tarig lords. The ruinous capability of the nanotech surge weapon he possesses ensures detente. But it is a sham. In what the godwoman Zhiya calls "a fit of moral goodness," he's thrown the weapon into the space-folding waters of the Nigh. This clears the way for an enemy he could have never foreseen: the people of the Rose. A small cadre led by Helice Maki is determined to take the Entire for itself and leave the earth in ruins. The transform of earth will begin deep in a western desert and will sweep over the lives of ordinary people, entangling Quinn's sister-in-law Caitlin in a deepening and ultimate conspiracy.
In the Entire, Quinn stalks Helice to the fabled Rim City, encircling the heart of the Entire. Here he at last finds his daughter, now called Sen Ni, in the Chalin style. Outside of earth-based time, she has grown to adulthood. He hardly knows her, and finds her the mistress of a remarkable dream-time insurgency against the Tarig lords-and more, a woman risen high in the Entire's meritocracy. Quinn needs his daughter's help against the woman who would destroy the earth. But Sen Ni has her own plans and allies, among them a boy-navitar unlike any other pilot of the River Nigh-a navitar willing and supremely able to break his vows and bend the world.
Quinn casts his fate with the beautiful and resourceful Ji Anzi who-sent on a journey to other realms-holds the key to Quinn's heart and his overarching mission. But as he approaches the innermost sanctuary of the Tarig, he is alone. Waiting for him are powerful adversaries, including a lady who both hates and loves him, the high prefect of the dragon court, and Quinn's most implacable enemy, a warrior whose chaotic mind will soon be roused from an eternal slumber.
From the Trade Paperback edition.
Industry Reviews
"In the third Entire and the Rose novel, the conflict between the Entire's rulers and those who would save the Rose comes to a head...The series' fast-paced adventure, solid world building, and fascinating characters wind this volume to a satisfying conclusion and promise lots more intrigue in the next." -- Booklist, February 15, 2009 "Having introduced her remarkable alternative universe and its colorful array of characters, both human and alien, in the previous books, Kenyon simply cuts loose, ratcheting the story's action ad dramatic tension right off the scale. If you still haven't added Kay Kenyon to your reading lists, City Without End leaves you without any good excuses to keep ignoring her. To think that Kay Kenyon has more to offer, in light of how much she's given us in these stories already, is thrilling to contemplate. I really don't know where she'll go from here. And that's more than enough, not only to keep me on tenterhooks for the next volume, but to have you jumping into book one the first chance you get." -- -SFReview.net, February 2009 "With Bright of the Sky and A World Too Near, Kay Kenyon established herself as one of the most underrated science fiction authors out there. In my opinion, The Entire and the Rose is without a doubt one of the most fascinating scifi series on the market today. Kay Kenyon's latest is full of surprising twists and turns, and the plot moves forward at a crisp pace. No offense to Peter F. Hamilton and other scifi authors in the middle of ongoing series, but The Entire and the Rose could well be the best game in town right now." -- Pat's Fantasy Hotlist, March 11, 2009 "The story line is action-packed as the players eventually converge in a supernova finish. Fans of the trilogy will appreciate this superb ending - even those who read the previous entries will find the plot multifaceted and at times especially early on convoluted." -- reviewed by Harriet Klausner in MBR Bookwatch, The Midwest Book Review, March 2009 "Lush, captivating and entrancing - City Without End is both a solid novel on its own and a great furthering of the story Kenyon is telling in this saga. There was a strong sense of closure upon the conclusion of the volume, but the unresolved plot elements still linger enough that the concluding volume Prince of Storms will be most welcome upon its publication." -- SFFWorld, June 8, 2009 "The stage is now set for the final volume in what is already looking like one of the classic science fiction series of our time." -- SF Site, July 2009 "[Kenyon] demonstrates mastery of techniques necessary to create plausible, memorable worlds through which her characters walk...Kenyon's plots develop along intricate, satisfying lines, but what sets these books apart is her subtext--the morality of choice...Kenyon seems to be asking the question ' What would you be willing to give up to have a universe where ____?' Each of us can fill in the blank for ourselves, but the question doesn't change. What would you be willing to give up?" -- Internet Review of Science Fiction, July 2009 "... a pleasantly old-fashioned final race to save Earth's universe, the Rose, from being consumed by the alien Tarig to power the Entire, a parallel universe... The plot is intricate, if not always coherent, with heroes and villains eventually sorted out just in time..." -- Publishers Weekly, January 2009 "...contains a complex story line as so much is going on in the parallel universes. The storyline is action-packed as the players eventually converge in a supernova finish. Fans...will appreciate this superb ending..." -- Merry Genre Go Round Reviews blog (Harriet Klausner), January 2009
