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Entire and the Rose #3
City Without End
In this series Kay Kenyon has created her most vivid and compellingsociety yet, the universe Entire. Reviewers have called this "a grandworld," "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. Theruinous capability of the nanotech surge weapon he possesses ensuresdétente. But it is a sham. In what the godwoman Zhiya calls a fit ofmoral goodness, he's thrown the weapon into the space-folding waters ofthe Nigh. This clears the way for an enemy he could have never the people of the Rose. A small cadre led by Helice Maki is determinedto 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 thelives of ordinary people, entangling Quinn s sister-in-law Caitlin in adeepening 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 insurgencyagainst the Tarig lords and more, a woman risen high in the Entire'smeritocracy. 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 willingand 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 hisoverarching 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 dragoncourt, and Quinn's most implacable enemy, a warrior whose chaotic mindwill soon be roused from an eternal slumber.
453 pages, ebook
First published August 5, 2010
About the author
Kay Kenyon
48 books251 followersKay Kenyon is the author of nineteen fantasy and science fiction novels. Her work has been shortlisted for the Philip K. Dick Award, the John W. Campbell Memorial Award, and the American Library Association Reading List award.
Her newest fantasy series is The Arisen Worlds quartet.
"A story of powers and magic on a grand scale. This will be a series to treasure.” —Louisa Morgan, author of The Great Witch of Brittany.
The series is now complete, with Book 4, Keeper of the Mythos Gate on pre-order, with a publication date of September 3rd. The rest of the series is: Book 1, The Girl Who Fell Into Myth, Book 2, Stranger in the Twisted Realm, and Book 3, Servant of the Lost Power.
Other fantasy novels include The Dark Talents novels, a trilogy that begins with At the Table of Wolves, Queen of the Deep, and A Thousand Perfect Things. Connect with her at http://www.kaykenyon.com.
She lives in beautiful eastern Washington State in the foothills of the Cascades.
Her newest fantasy series is The Arisen Worlds quartet.
"A story of powers and magic on a grand scale. This will be a series to treasure.” —Louisa Morgan, author of The Great Witch of Brittany.
The series is now complete, with Book 4, Keeper of the Mythos Gate on pre-order, with a publication date of September 3rd. The rest of the series is: Book 1, The Girl Who Fell Into Myth, Book 2, Stranger in the Twisted Realm, and Book 3, Servant of the Lost Power.
Other fantasy novels include The Dark Talents novels, a trilogy that begins with At the Table of Wolves, Queen of the Deep, and A Thousand Perfect Things. Connect with her at http://www.kaykenyon.com.
She lives in beautiful eastern Washington State in the foothills of the Cascades.
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
April 5, 2009
City Without End is the third in the "Entire and the Rose" quartet by Kay Kenyon.
City Without End picks up where the (to me) disappointing second novel, A World Too Near leaves off. Titus Quinn has lost his wife, but did not destroy all of the Entire with the nanotech given to him for that very purpose. Helice Maki is free to scheme and seek her own goals. Sydney, Titus' estranged daughter, is now known as Sen Ni, continues her secret insurgency against the Tarig overlords. And then there is Ji Anzi, Chalin native of the Entire, who has given her heart to the man from Earth, Titus Quinn. Her journey is the most expansive, and surprised me as to where it led...
And speaking of Earth, things on Earth for Titus' extended family grow ever dicier as the stakes continue to raise, as the brightest star in Earth's sky is extinguished in the Tarig's quest to keep the Entire alive...
New readers to the city, like in most series, should definitely not start here.
If the quartet can be thought of as a chess game, the first novel introduced (most of) the major participants, the board and the milieu and the opening moves. The second novel expanded on this, but in a way that I felt recapitulated some of the weaknesses in second, middle novels in series. It is in this third novel, though, that things really start to accelerate. Plans, gambits, plots and secrets all move in a well orchestrated and naturally-flowing order. There are surprises, reverses and reveals that bring back the strength of the first novel, and just possibly, exceed them.
The environment and the science fantasy environment, which I do not lightly compare to the late Philip J Farmer's World of Tiers is, for me the highlight of these novels. Kenyon adds a couple of wrinkles to this environment which I only lament that she could have shown *more* of. The Entire is a fully envisioned artificial world that is simultaneously a BDO (Big Dumb Object), a universe of its own, and an expansive canvas to set her story.
However, for those of you who rely on well drawn characters for your reading satisfaction, rest assured, the characters are well formed and human, with all of the contradictions and confused natures that humans have. There are precious few one-note or one-dimensional characters here
The end of the novel is not a cliffhanger, but it sets up the factions in both the Entire and the Rose (Earth) for what I hope will be a finale and capstone worthy of the remainder of the series.
I highly enjoyed City Without End and will without reservation, buy the fourth and final volume, in hardcover, when it comes out. As I have said elsewhere, do start with the first book. BRIGHT OF THE SKY, and immerse yourself into the Entire yourself.
City Without End picks up where the (to me) disappointing second novel, A World Too Near leaves off. Titus Quinn has lost his wife, but did not destroy all of the Entire with the nanotech given to him for that very purpose. Helice Maki is free to scheme and seek her own goals. Sydney, Titus' estranged daughter, is now known as Sen Ni, continues her secret insurgency against the Tarig overlords. And then there is Ji Anzi, Chalin native of the Entire, who has given her heart to the man from Earth, Titus Quinn. Her journey is the most expansive, and surprised me as to where it led...
And speaking of Earth, things on Earth for Titus' extended family grow ever dicier as the stakes continue to raise, as the brightest star in Earth's sky is extinguished in the Tarig's quest to keep the Entire alive...
New readers to the city, like in most series, should definitely not start here.
If the quartet can be thought of as a chess game, the first novel introduced (most of) the major participants, the board and the milieu and the opening moves. The second novel expanded on this, but in a way that I felt recapitulated some of the weaknesses in second, middle novels in series. It is in this third novel, though, that things really start to accelerate. Plans, gambits, plots and secrets all move in a well orchestrated and naturally-flowing order. There are surprises, reverses and reveals that bring back the strength of the first novel, and just possibly, exceed them.
The environment and the science fantasy environment, which I do not lightly compare to the late Philip J Farmer's World of Tiers is, for me the highlight of these novels. Kenyon adds a couple of wrinkles to this environment which I only lament that she could have shown *more* of. The Entire is a fully envisioned artificial world that is simultaneously a BDO (Big Dumb Object), a universe of its own, and an expansive canvas to set her story.
However, for those of you who rely on well drawn characters for your reading satisfaction, rest assured, the characters are well formed and human, with all of the contradictions and confused natures that humans have. There are precious few one-note or one-dimensional characters here
The end of the novel is not a cliffhanger, but it sets up the factions in both the Entire and the Rose (Earth) for what I hope will be a finale and capstone worthy of the remainder of the series.
I highly enjoyed City Without End and will without reservation, buy the fourth and final volume, in hardcover, when it comes out. As I have said elsewhere, do start with the first book. BRIGHT OF THE SKY, and immerse yourself into the Entire yourself.
February 22, 2018
I really liked this series, and the 3rd book ramps up the pace even more than the second book. I almost gave this book 5 stars, but...
I felt the ending could have been wrapped up better. There seemed to be a few loose ends, which as a reader I am left wondering. If only Kay Kenyon had added another 50 pages, everything could have been seen to it's final conclusion.
I felt the ending could have been wrapped up better. There seemed to be a few loose ends, which as a reader I am left wondering. If only Kay Kenyon had added another 50 pages, everything could have been seen to it's final conclusion.
April 4, 2014
This series continues to interest me and frustrate me at the same time. Book 2 overcame the meandering slowness of Book 1 by giving its hero, Titus Quinn, and honest-to-god quest to keep the momentum going. Book 3, for the first two thirds, falls back into Book 1 mode, with lots of scheming, plotting, and aimless wandering, with the only driving force being that Quinn wants to arrange some quality time with his daughter. I notice that a lot of the character development isn't accomplished by people interacting with each other, but by characters thinking internally and at great length about other characters who aren't even in the room.
Anyway, with a third of the book to go the plot really picks up as a lot of the spinning gears click into place. The stakes are incredibly high: a group of savants from Earth plan to help the Tarig overlords of the Entire destroy our universe as an entry fee to let the savants migrate to safety. The central tension - that for one universe to survive the other must go extinct, is a great hook to drag me into the final volume. I do feel, however, that I'm being dragged at this point, but I care enough that I want to find out how all this ends.
Anyway, with a third of the book to go the plot really picks up as a lot of the spinning gears click into place. The stakes are incredibly high: a group of savants from Earth plan to help the Tarig overlords of the Entire destroy our universe as an entry fee to let the savants migrate to safety. The central tension - that for one universe to survive the other must go extinct, is a great hook to drag me into the final volume. I do feel, however, that I'm being dragged at this point, but I care enough that I want to find out how all this ends.
October 25, 2018
Probably 4.5*
A wonderful end to the trilogy, with the fate of the Entire and the Rose (our universe) hanging in the balance and being at least partially decided. Titus Quinn, Helice, Ji Anzi, Zhiya, and Tai all make wonderfully complex characters who are as fleshed out as necessary. Nobody acts in predictable fashion except possibly the Tarig. Interestingly, Kenyon (consciously or not) paints more vibrantly for denizens of the Entire than for Rose (Earth) creatures, which is appropriate to the alien nature of the other universe.
Although I share some critics' concerns that the series is slow-moving at times, I believe the build-up was worthwhile. The last 1/4 of this book moved at frantic speed, introducing a new race and new concepts, even to the stage where the last page was a little too rushed with an unseemly wrap-up of story threads and relationships.
I don't think I'll be reading the 4th book, only because it feels that this was the trilogy Kenyon intended to write.
A wonderful end to the trilogy, with the fate of the Entire and the Rose (our universe) hanging in the balance and being at least partially decided. Titus Quinn, Helice, Ji Anzi, Zhiya, and Tai all make wonderfully complex characters who are as fleshed out as necessary. Nobody acts in predictable fashion except possibly the Tarig. Interestingly, Kenyon (consciously or not) paints more vibrantly for denizens of the Entire than for Rose (Earth) creatures, which is appropriate to the alien nature of the other universe.
Although I share some critics' concerns that the series is slow-moving at times, I believe the build-up was worthwhile. The last 1/4 of this book moved at frantic speed, introducing a new race and new concepts, even to the stage where the last page was a little too rushed with an unseemly wrap-up of story threads and relationships.
I don't think I'll be reading the 4th book, only because it feels that this was the trilogy Kenyon intended to write.
January 3, 2013
This is the first truly excellent, not just 'huh, that's interesting' book of the series. I recommend it (& the rest of the series).
February 4, 2012
I think this one is the best of the series so far. Lots of action and developments, never a dull moment. Flew through it. On to the next!
May 24, 2013
Originally posted on my review blog, Stomping on Yeti, at the following location [http://yetistomper.blogspot.com/2010/... Words or Less: An undeniable triumph of world building, Kay Kenyon's The Entire and The Rose is a science fantasy tale of two worlds worth exploring despite the gradual pace dictated by occasional prose problems.[return][return]The Good: Absolutely unique world-building that combines science fiction and fantasy elements and continues to grow throughtout the entire series; Carefully plotted narrative that spans and evolves over four volumes; The world is exceptionally well integrated into the narrative rather than being adjacent to it.[return][return]The Bad: Early volumes have problems with jarring perspective changes; Worldbuilding often uses infodumping rather than in-narrative elements; The story isn't well segmented into individual novels, leaving readers with an all-or-none decision.[return][return]The Review: Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." Rarely is this truer than in Kay Kenyon's science fiction/fantasy hybrid quadrilogy. An undeniable triumph of world building split into four books, The Entire and the Rose is 1700 pages of complex characters and intricate narrative. The events of the series revolve around Titus Quinn, the first denizen of the Rose (our universe) to cross through into The Entire, a complex infinite world constructed by the harsh, alien Tarig and inhabited by a number of races of their creation. Several years before the series begins, Quinn and his wife and daughter were pulled into the Entire when the ship he was piloting broke apart mid-wormhole jump. Quinn returns months later in our time with no family and little recollection of what happened despite living in the Entire for over a decade. When science proves that his ravings about a second reality may in fact be true, Quinn returns to the Entire in search of his missing wife and daughter and to explore what, if any, benefit The Entire may offer Earth. As Quinn quickly becomes embroiled in the politics of the world he left behind, it becomes obvious that much more is at stake than the fate of his family. The plot only gets more complex from there, the majority of which takes place in the profoundly strange world of the Entire, although the story does take place in both universes. [return][return]To provide any more detail than that would ruin the game-changing revelations that occur frequently throughout the series, shifting plots and loyalties in unexpected but exciting ways. There are several power players on both sides of the divide and rarely is there any way of knowing who is playing who. If the Earth universe is referred to as the Rose, the other universe labeled as the Entire might be better known as the Onion. From the start of the series to the final pages, Kenyon slowly peels back layer after layer of world building, unveiling an amazingly concocted world. Religion, politics, cultural divides, a forever war, teenage cults, complex transit systems: the facets of the Entire go on and on. Kenyon details aspect after aspect of her created universe and she does an unbelievable job of unobtrusively bringing the elements she has previously cultivated back into the main plot.[return][return]It's a rare occurence but if anything there is almost too much world building. The Entire is inhabited by a number of races and species all of which are fairly unique when compared to the genre standards. However, a few of these races are almost superfluous, with not a single primary or secondary character coming from their ranks. Kenyon could have either edited them out or integrated them into the story as well as she did the primary species of Humans, Chalin, Tarig, Inyx, Hirrin, and Paion. The cultural depth of these imagined races is continually capitalized upon by Kenyon and as a result the few species that don't get starring roles ultimately fall to the wayside. [return][return]While the extraneous elements could have been handled better, the world of the Entire and the thoroughly constructed characters that inhabit it are the main attractions of the series. Kenyon's writing, on the other hand, leaves a little bit to be desired especially in the early volumes. Kenyon writes from an extremely tight third person perspective and she has an unfortunate tendency to jump perspectives mid-scene without warning, generating confusion and necessitating rereading just to confirm which character was thinking what. Kenyon gets better at this as the books go on but early on these jarring transitions occur disappointingly often especially considering a small change symbol (which is often used to switch perspectives between scenes) could have easily been used to remedy this problem. As the books progress, Kenyon does manage to reduce the frequency with which these occur. The third and fourth volumes are much stronger than the first in this regard.[return][return]Kenyon also has a propensity to take a "tell not show" approach to her worldbuilding and while the world is interesting enough, there is no in-narrative reason for the characters to lecture the way they do. Consequently, the books of The Entire and The Rose read somewhat slowly. While not a bad thing in and of itself, these are not necessarily beach reads and due to the complex nature of the world and plot, it should be read in its entirety for full effect, commanding a significant time investment on the part of the reader.[return][return]Additionally, it is important to bear in mind that this epic series would be best described as science fantasy. While Kenyon maintains the premise that all of the places and structures of her world are science-based, the science satisfies Clarke's axiom and is indistinguishable from magic. Anyone who goes into this series expecting to understand the physics underpinning the world will be sorely disappointed. Despite the trappings of science that frame the Entire, at its core it's a fantasy world; it exists and behaves the way it does because the story dictates the way it does. But it works and it works well.[return][return]Here are individual reviews of each of the four volumes in the series.[return][return]Bright of the Sky: Arguably the weakest book in the series, Kenyon's series debut suffers from exposition overload. Kenyon essentially sets up the story three times; first in the future Earth universe, than in the future Entire world, and then revealing Quinn's backstory and what occurred during his first trip to the Entire. With three full histories to explain in additional to all of the characters she introduces, it doesn't feel like a whole lot happens. The last fifty or so pages feel rushed when compared to the whole and while the end of the book comes at a natural stopping point it doesn't really resolve any of the threads introduced. With such a To-Be-Continued ending, it produces contradictory emotions - on one hand there was too little payoff after the slower prose associated with complex world building; on the other hand, A World Too Near beckoned from the shelf immediately. Bright of the Sky is also the book that suffers the most from those aforementioned perspective shifts. [return][return]A World Too Near: With A World Too Near and subsequent novels, the pace begins to pick up as Kenyon spends less time crafting her world and more time playing in it. Building on some of the surprises that emerge toward the end of Bright of the Sky, the principal conflict of the series is revealed and the battle lines are drawn. The question of who to trust is paramount and a looming decision allows Kenyon to really dig into her cast of characters. Where Bright of the Sky was about introducing the Entire, A World Too Near is really about establishing the key characters and fleshing out their motivations as they traverse the fantastic civilization. One of the most significant developments in this regard is the introduction of Helice Maki, another transplanted Earthling with an endgame that may or may not align with Quinn's. Upon entering the Entire, the plot evolves from a simple us-versus-them conflict into a more complex adventure. Although it suffers slighty from middle novel syndrome, A World Too Near really sets the stage well for the last half of the series. [return][return]A City Without End: The strongest and most science fictional of the volumes, A City Without End sees Kenyon accelerate the thread of Quinn's battle with the fearsome Tarig to a frenetic pace. Even though she still pens a few new characters, Kenyon's takes advantage of the gradual set up of the first two novels and really pushes the plot forward in unexpected directions. Unlike the other novels, A City Without Endalso includes a strong second plotline set in the Rose universe; one that could support an entire novel in and of itself. As it is, this thought provoking idea is only furthers the existing conflict. As the Rose and Entire plotlines collide on an unexpected battleground, the pages really start to turn. While the first two books were structured similar to classic "journey fantasies", A City Without End is more of a political SF thriller than a traditional fantasy. There is a great balance between closure and setup as Kenyon slams some doors and opens others, creating numerous possibilities for the direction of the concluding volume, Prince of Storms.[return][return]Prince of Storms: In the concluding volume of the series, Kenyon manages to wrap up the numerous threads of The Entire and The Rose while continuing to grow her characters in the face of new challenges. At first the final volume feels likes it would just be a prolonged epilogue especially after the spectacular ending of A City Without End but it's clear that Kenyon has a few more tricks up her sleeve. Prince of Storms takes a more fantastical approach to the Entire, taking advantage of some of the more unexplained intricacies of the Entire to raise the stakes once again. Reading the final book made it extremely clear how well Kenyon had planned out the entire series. Things that seemed to be throw away lines in the first two volumes were brought full circle, adding an appreciated cohesion to the story and lending credence to the final climax. Prince of Storms ends the series on a strong note, leaving the readers with a robust narrative that doesn't leave the door open for future derivative adventures. [return][return]Ultimately, The Entire and The Rose is more than a sum of its composite volumes, so much so that it was too difficult to reach a conclusion on one book before reading the others. The story flows through the pages like one of the arms of the Nigh (a river of exotic matter from the story), bearing strongly motivated characters through alternating periods of slow progress and torrential action. The narrative twists and turns unexpectedly, creating new letters to place between points A and B. At the core of Kenyon's series is her imagined Entire, rivaling any fantasy world for its complexity and surpassing the vast majority for sheer inventiveness. Despite some missteps in presentation, Kay Kenyon's The Entire and The Rose has created a unique science fantasy series that is worth reading, well, in its entirety.
May 14, 2017
I love this whole series, with great character development and dazzling world building. I read it quite a few years ago and I do remember that it took me the longest to stop thinking about that world almost daily. Very engrossing and it really stayed with me, and continues to do so.
I am going to re-read this book and the other three very soon.
I am going to re-read this book and the other three very soon.
Shelved as 'did-not-finish-or-start'
July 17, 2021DNS 7/16/2021
Read
March 13, 2022I read this book eleven years ago, and have no memory of it at all.
February 23, 2011
I enjoyed this one. It had a story that moved along pretty well, introduced some new characters and gave greater depth to some prior characters, and built up to a pretty entertaining conclusion. And yet, this one almost felt like a "reboot" of the series. There were new concepts introduced that were not even mentioned in the two prior books (the Red Throne and the under city and its denizens, for example). The characters seemed somewhat different from before (Lamar, for example, did not gibe well with the Lamar of the two prior books). Titus no longer is our main character, with the story told from his point of view in less than half of the book. And Booth was suddenly thrust without warning from minor secondary character to one of the main "bad guys." I got the sense (whether true or not, I don't know) that the author didn't have all of the details of her plot worked out when she wrote the first two books and was adding/changing a few things to lead to the conclusion she later planned for the fourth book. I will still read the fourth book, but I'm starting to wonder whether we will get a resolution to some of the themes introduced in the first books that I had found interesting.
One other quibble: is there a single female (or homosexual male) character in the book that doesn't either hate Titus or love him desperately? There are at least four female (and one gay character) that love him (Anzi, Caitlin, Zhiya, Suzong, and Tai) and three female characters that hate him (Helice, Sidney, and Cixi). Are there any female characters in this world who know Titus relatively well and don't have a very strong emotional response to him?
One other quibble: is there a single female (or homosexual male) character in the book that doesn't either hate Titus or love him desperately? There are at least four female (and one gay character) that love him (Anzi, Caitlin, Zhiya, Suzong, and Tai) and three female characters that hate him (Helice, Sidney, and Cixi). Are there any female characters in this world who know Titus relatively well and don't have a very strong emotional response to him?
November 21, 2009
A somewhat disappointing third volume to Kenyon's quartet. I dearly loved the first book, and enjoyed the second volume almost as much. But this latest entry into the series seemed to spin it's wheels a bit. The characters left me somewhat flat, and I have to admit I grew bored of the storyline.
From online reviews, I gather this might be a personal reaction on my part, and not a drop in quality of Kenyon's writing. Too bad. I was hoping to be dazzled.
From online reviews, I gather this might be a personal reaction on my part, and not a drop in quality of Kenyon's writing. Too bad. I was hoping to be dazzled.
April 29, 2011
This story continues along in its convoluted way, and I can't put it down. Lots of big crazy stuff happens in this one, but she manages to hold together a big cast of characters while keeping their personalities clear and distinct.
November 22, 2012
Third book in a series . . . Underwhelming, but I will probably read the fourth due to my obsessive-compulsive relationship with scifi and fantasy trilogies. I did love the image of the city and the world built by Kenyon is among the most complex and imaginative I have read in a long time.
March 11, 2009
Full review at my blog!
December 28, 2017
A fine addition to the series with intriguing hints of events to come.
October 21, 2009
Book 3 of the Entire and the Rose - good, absorbing, world-building SF. A fine series.
July 7, 2010
A well written book, but I really don't like the story or the style.
October 9, 2010
Nice end to the trilogy.
May 11, 2011
This series was good. Took a long time to read which is unusual. Which planet would you save?
January 20, 2015
This one started really slowly, but by the end the story was great!
August 8, 2015
My favorite of the four "Entire and the Rose" series.
November 24, 2015
Each book is better than the one before.
March 25, 2016
Great series.
April 7, 2011
The best book in the series, so far. I am realy enjoying Kay Kenyons books.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews