The Quantum Roseis the story of Kamoj Argali, the young ruler of an impoverished province on the backward planet Balumil. To keep her people from starving, she has agreed to marry Jax Ironbridge, the boorish and brutal ruler of the prosperous neighboring province. But before they can be wed, a mysterious stranger from a distant planet arrives on government business in the wake of interstellar war. He sweeps in and forces Kamoj into marriage, throwing her world into utter chaos.
This interplanetary adventure, Beauty and the Beastwith a science fiction twist,focuses on a compelling love triangle while also covering the clash of very different cultures and an approach to war that science fiction has almost never considered.
Catherine Asaro writes science fiction, fantasy, and romance in six series and three stand-alone novels. The Quantum Rose won the 2001 Nebula Award for Best Novel, and The Spacetime Pool won the 2008 Nebula Award for Best Novella. She grew up near Berkeley, California. She earned a BS degree in chemistry with highest honors from UCLA, an MA degree in physics, and a PhD in chemical physics from Harvard University. She has appeared as a speaker at many places, including Harvard and the National Academy of Sciences. She is a member of SIGMA, a think tank that advises the government as to future trends.
Anna Fields (1965–2006), winner of more than a dozen Earphones Awards and the prestigious Audie Award in 2004, was one of the most respected narrators in the industry. Trained at the Actors Theatre of Louisville, she was also a director, producer, and technician at her own studio, Cedar House Audio.