Keeping It Real Audiobook By Justina Robson cover art

Keeping It Real

Quantum Gravity, Book 1

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Keeping It Real

By: Justina Robson
Narrated by: Khristine Hvam
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In 2015 the Quantum Bomb exploded. An accident at an atom-smasher has fractured reality and opened Earth - now called Otopia - to waves of immigration from other dimensions, home to demons, fairies, elves and elementals. It is now 2021 and Lila Black, a special operative condemned to live as a cyborg after losing her limbs on a dangerous mission, has been assigned as bodyguard to Zal, a charismatic elven rock star.

Zal's decision to live among humans and do unelven things such as eat meat and exist as a celebrity has made him many enemies among his own people in Alfheim, some of whom have made threats against him. Black has to protect Zal from death or capture whilst uncovering secrets that threaten the relationships between the realms

©2007 Justina Robson (P)2009 Audible, Inc. Science Fiction Fantasy Adventure Paranormal & Urban Contemporary Suspense Thriller & Suspense Classics
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This series is awesome. Problem is, audible doesn't have rights to all 5 so you can do like me and get 3 of the 5, then get stuck never finishing the story. Just don't start it.

DO NOT BUY THIS

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I have listened to boo coos of Khristine Hvams narrated books and this does not sound like her, she could make the 3 Little Pigs the best book you have ever listen to, but something not right here.

Narrator voice

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The writing is poor. Full of explanation, not at all engaging. I heard enough.

Poorly written

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I really liked this book, I found the matter of fact treatment of elves, faries in the "real" world really interesting, and rewarding reading. I guess I am a techno geek, but I found the AI and human interaction made for good listening, though of course as always the AI was far, far too advanced for something available in 10 years from this date. The one thing both good and annoying was the fact that the author had the world of humans unclear about its own past.

As for the main character's self loathing, that was absolutely vital for any believability. There is no chance that the first such person would not have self loathing. Just look into any study of people with artifical limbs and their feelings towards them,and then consider someone who is at least have man made.

Clever and realistic

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My husband and I read this to each other on a road trip, and although we both loved it, he took it and finished it himself and I never got around to it. I downloaded it as my first free credit, and although the fourth and fifth hours were pretty monotonous, I loved the premise, the plot, and her word choice. Sometimes I thought that Khristine Hvam gave Lyla a very immature and silly voice, and certain sentences or phrases I'd reread to myself in the temper I thought they deserved. Hvam wasn't great. But it's not stopping me from downloading the next two in the series.

Yes, there was constant talk of Lyla's AI self (AI self, AI self...she must have said that a billion times) but to me it was very interesting because it's what Lyla would be considering as she made every calculated move on her journey. I loved the idea of the Quantum bomb splitting Earth's reality into five realms that already existed and Otopia rebuilding history with the new elves and faeries. I was totally into Zal's silly band, the No-Shows. And I would have played that game with him, yes, and probably failed.

I give it four stars. If you love campy scifi and elves and faeries and mech ladies with a billion weapons and "Battle Standard," give it a shot.

Very Enjoyable...for the most part.

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