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Selling Out (Quantum Gravity #2)

by Justina Robson (Goodreads Author)

3.66 of 5 stars 3.66 · rating details · 743 ratings · 39 reviews

Book two of the Quantum Gravity series sees Lila Black drawn into the intoxicatingly dangerous demon realm. Capricious, in love with beauty, demons are best left to themselves. This is not easy when they can't resist tampering with humans.

Justina Robson's new series is a joyful melding of science fiction and fantasy brought together in the figure of the dangerously lovely

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Paperback, 360 pages

Published October 31st 2007 by Pyr (first published 2007)

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Dec 21, 2011 Shara (Calico Reaction) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Don't get me wrong, the book comes together in the end, despite the billions of maddening questions and unresolved subplots. But I enjoyed it. Emotionally, it resolved, even if events didn't. I still find myself confused as to particular details due to my reading of the text, but I'm not too upset, because I'm pretty certain Robson will explain them all (even if it is in a rather roundabout way) in the next book(s). Plus this is the kind of story I see myself sitting down and reading over again...more

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Aug 01, 2011 Michael Mcclelland rated it 3 of 5 stars

I'd hoped by Book 2 of this series that the heavy lifting (describing the multiverse, races and philosophies, development of the identities of and relationships between the main characters and the reader, etc) had been done, and that subsequent books would dwell more on an actual storyline. Alas, there are more worlds to know, more creatures to draw within our circle and only by book-end do we get a concrete and purposeful vision for the reader to hang their hat upon.

It's not easy-going for the...more

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Dec 30, 2010 Karissa rated it 3 of 5 stars

This is the second book in the Quantum Gravity series by Justina Robson. I liked the first book really well, but I wasn't as impressed with this book. The plot was too hacked up, and the storylines that the different characters followed seemed unrelated. Despite that, the world is still really intriguing and the characters re-joined at the end of the book making me want to read more about them. I listened to this on audio book, and while the audio book was okay, it wasn't the greatest reading I'...more This is the second book in the Quantum Gravity series by Justina Robson. I liked the first book really well, but I wasn't as impressed with this book. The plot was too hacked up, and the storylines that the different characters followed seemed unrelated. Despite that, the world is still really intriguing and the characters re-joined at the end of the book making me want to read more about them. I listened to this on audio book, and while the audio book was okay, it wasn't the greatest reading I've ever heard. The reader had trouble doing male voices without making them sound annoying.

Lila Black is sent to Demonia on a mission to find how Zal became part demon. Meanwhile Zal gets stuck in the elemental realm (after having words about Lila with Malichi over an odd game of cards) and spends time there trying to get out. Malichi journeys to the Interstitial realm to learn more about ghosts. Eventually they all end up back together, but how all this is related to the problem of the cracks in the six different worlds is all a mystery to me.

I had some trouble understanding what this book was getting at. Lila didn't do much in Demonia besides get into trouble and meet an imp; okay so she gets into *a lot* of trouble. Meanwhile Zal (who is on his way to meet her) ends up in the Elemental Realm and spends a lot of time there trying to get back out without dying. Zal's part was kind of boring and dreamy and really only had one important reason for happening as far as I could tell. Totally unrelated to all of this Malichi ends up in the in-between Interstitial space learning about ghosts. If all of this stuff sounds unrelated, well, it pretty much was. I am fairly certain that everything that happened will play a major part in later books, but for this book it was mainly just disconnected and random.

The way Robson switched between Lila, Zal, and Malichi was hard to follow. She stopped at odd places in one character's story and then switched to another character. I just found the switches to be unnatural and, at points, it made the story hard to follow. I also got kind of sick of Lila's constant whining. It was crazy how she followed what the Agency told her blindly; although this is finally explained late in the book. Zal and Lila barely see each other the whole book and that was also disappointing. Another odd thing was that the game between Zal and Lila (which took up a good portion of Book 1) was rarely mentioned in this book.

There was also a lot that was done well in this book. The descriptions of Demon culture were very interesting. Where "Keeping it Real' focused on the Elven world, the majority of this book is about Demonia. Also you get to learn a lot more about both Zal's and Lila's past. It was great to finally meet some people from their past and learn more about what shaped their backgrounds and drives them. Teesil was an awesome addition to the story, as the lead assassin of Demonia, and I look forward to him being a bigger part of the next book.

The ending of the story was absolutely fantastic; I was impressed with how Robson brought the characters together and set things up for a great book 3. Really the ending was the most exciting part of this book and is the only thing making me interested in reading the next book of the series.

Overall, I have mixed feelings about this book. Some things were awesome, some things not so much. I will read the third book because this book seemed to be setting things up for a great story in the third book. (less)

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Jan 06, 2011 Carol rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: sci-fi, fantasy, female-lead

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Three and a half stars. I enjoyed the first and final thirds of the book. Robson has beautiful wording at times, and flashes of humor that make me smile while reading. The first third is a lovely description of Lila experiencing Demonia. In the middle, I was frustrated with Lila having seemingly random emotional outbursts, with no back story. For instance, in one section, she has shut down and retreated into an emotionless space (but without switching on her AI emotion override), then in the ne...more Three and a half stars. I enjoyed the first and final thirds of the book. Robson has beautiful wording at times, and flashes of humor that make me smile while reading. The first third is a lovely description of Lila experiencing Demonia. In the middle, I was frustrated with Lila having seemingly random emotional outbursts, with no back story. For instance, in one section, she has shut down and retreated into an emotionless space (but without switching on her AI emotion override), then in the next line, she is yelling at Malachi, a good friend, to "shut up." I gathered the book was about an emotional journey for Lila, but I felt like a lot of it was excessively emotional, with wild mood swings from one paragraph from the next, without narrative hints as to what was provoking it. Some was flatly unrealistic, like her shock at discovering her mentor/friend/manager Sarasilien as a sexual being. I just found it odd, but maybe it was supposed to highlight her emotional immaturity.
I was also surprised to find she was merely a "diplomat's secretary" before her transformation into bionic woman, when the hints we had gotten in the previous book seemed like her role was much more important, to wit, Alfheim not allowing Otopia tourists (therefore making a diplomatic corp even more important at establishing relations), and her role at persuading a member of the Alfheim security to act against self-interest by escorting her and a co-worker. To back track into a secretarial role might have been to heighten the conflict she is undergoing internally, but seems unlikely given Robson's world set-up. Should we accept the background of diplomat's secretary, then her brazen, "act first" approach to interacting with other cultures becomes even more odd--surely a diplomat's secretary would be more discrete and knowledgeable about cultural interface. In one section she notes how her boss' blunt language is undoubtedly offensive to the elves, yet she uses the same bluntness herself, all the time with Tath.
Emo aside, I enjoyed the developing character of Malachi, and the world building of Demonia. Although I tried to read closely, I found Zal's detour into Zoomenon and subsequent discoveries baffling. Robson attempts to throw readers into her world with some initial backstory, but once her readers get that initial description, are often presented with actions and narrative developments without much context. The ghost ship lost me completely on first reading.
The final third finds Lila returning to Otopia and confronting her past and her sister. I found myself caring again about what she was experiencing and reading closely instead of skimming. The various pieces of Malachi's and Zal's investigations came together into a satisfying conclusion as they meet up with Lila again. I'll definitely read the next book, but not yet sure the series is personal library-worthy.(less)

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Jun 24, 2011 Cathy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: twitter-author, read-in-2011, science-fiction, elves-fae, angels-demons, great-cover, fantasy, dragon, dogs

3.5 stars. I like that the worlds got a lot more complex. It not quite the simple elves, demons, fairies anymore, there are lot more layers. Maybe a few too many layers, there are an awful lot of characters floating around but not a ton of character development. It isn't terrible at all, just not as rich as I'd like. Also, it doesn't quite connect emotionally as much as I'd like, which made me dock it about half a point. But I still like Lila a lot, and I like Zal more than I did in the last boo...more

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Feb 01, 2012 Jacob Proffitt rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: sci-fi, audible

These books are distinctly Sci-Fi rather than Urban Fantasy, for all they include elves, demons, ghosts, etc. This is one case where the cover art enhances the contents by cueing you into the potential genre-misdirect—i.e. the cover screams Sci-Fi and that's all to the good.

This book probably deserved 3.5 rather than four stars. Though well-written and with deeply realized characters, it was more disjointed than the first book and included long diversions into alternate viewpoints. Still, I appr...more

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Mar 07, 2010 Raj rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: sci-fi

The second in the Quantum Gravity sequence, six years after the Quantum Bomb has broken down the walls between realities, special agent Lila Black has returned from her first assignment to the Elven lands and is immediately sent to Hell, in more ways than one.

What I loved about the first book in this series, Keeping It Real, was the heroine. Lila is a wonderful character, and not just because she's a one-woman nuclear-powered army. She's a fully rounded person, trying to come to terms with the a...more

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Apr 09, 2009 Nicky rated it 3 of 5 stars

This is definitely a curl up with a cup of tea and ignore the real world book, it's so entirely fantastical. There are several strands joined together around the main cyborg chick Lila Black - Is she selling out or merely learning to love herself - bit of a cliche that one I guess, but engagingly done, with a trip into Demonia, hell and the underworld.

I think I was more interested in the circling characters and what Robson did with them - Zal, the elf of shadow/light, part demon, crossing over i...more

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Aug 18, 2011 Julia rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: science-fiction, fiction, fantasy, dropbox

The flip side of the Elves are the Demons, and it's an interesting to orient alongside Lila to this wide open culture. Perfect for a woman so repressed, the scar tissue is being torn from one than one of Lila's hidden wounds. Zal and Malachi are up to their own adventures, but truthfully, I am impatient every time the story takes me away from Lila.

Lila spiralsndown into her own Hell, and her crisis of soul has lessnto do with loathing her mechanised body (as in book one), as with facing the grea...more

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Aug 02, 2011 Nev Percy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Justina Robson is on top form with this Lila Black series. Don't be put off by the genre-crossover 'pitch' of cyber-babe meets elves and fairies and magic and what-not -- it's really good stuff!

The writing is incredibly tight, and the various otherwordly goings-on are as lean as befits frantic action but have the internal consistency to suggest a really well thought out basis. In several places I've read through, breathless and only half-understanding what's occurring, but knowing that this is a...more

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May 19, 2009 Jason Pettus rated it 5 of 5 stars

(Reprinted from the Chicago Center for Literature and Photography [cclapcenter.com:]. I am the original author of this essay, as well as the owner of CCLaP; it is not being reprinted here illegally.)

So once again, it's time for me to pen a single essay concerning an entire series of genre books; because once again I'm tackling a combination of back-titles and a new title from our good friends at genre publisher Pyr, who earlier this year sent me an entire giant box full of cool-looking books mer...more

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Apr 29, 2008 Brownbetty rated it 3 of 5 stars

Definitely not the sort of series where on can jump right in on the second book. Lots of different POV characters, no explanation of why you should care about them, and little indication that their stories will eventually tie together. Happily, I had read the previous book.

Continues to be decent, although the theme of this book seems to be that the protagonist avoids critical self-reflection and seeks life-threatening situations so that she needn't think about other things too much, and it times...more

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Jan 01, 2011 Yolanda Sfetsos rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: sci-fi, adult-futuristic

Selling Out is another action-packed, interesting book that expands on Lila's life, as we get a taste of her human side and the family she left behind, and she starts to understand a few truths about why she was really made/saved from death. The spirit of the elf she carries inside (Tath) becomes like an inner voice that both helps and frustrates her, and she even gets herself an imp companion.

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Oct 08, 2011 Joanna rated it 3 of 5 stars

Volume 2 is heaps better than volume 1, and by the end, it's almost all making sense. It's not really an urban fantasy/crossover/rough fantasy novel any more, more of a sci-fi thriller with fantasy elements.

Dare I risk volume 3? I can't decide ... maybe I will finish all the other books I have on hand, and see.

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Mar 08, 2009 Molly rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is a very enjoyable series; a good blend of cyberpunk and fantasy. The characters are interesting, the premise is really compelling, and nothing is black or white. The writing is a tiny bit erratic but some of the passages are amazing. I highly recommend these books.

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Mar 12, 2013 Perry rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-fantasy

Second book really knocked it out of the park.

Was a little worried about trucking on after the somewhat lackluster book 1 but this one definitely stepped it up a few notches.

Clever, inventive and at times inspired in the creation of the vibrant demonic culture, book 2 is definitely a fantastic read.

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Mar 16, 2009 Guy rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: science-fiction-and-fantasy

OK, there is now no doubt: Robson just can't write very well. Despite being disappointed by the first book in the series I was willing to give her another chance... but in my library it is two strikes and you are out. Strike two.

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Nov 24, 2009 Michelle Cristiani rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

Better than the first in the trilogy, and I'm learning to deal with the fact that I have no idea what's going on half the time in a lot of these books. That said it was very good.

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Jan 25, 2012 Larry Kenney rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: fans of urban fantasy

Shelves: urban-fantasy

Not a lot i can say that hasn't already been said. As I enjoy a well thought out setting as much as any other aspect of a book, I can say that her vision of Demonia is superb. Well thought out and unique. For that reason alone I recommend this books.

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Jun 16, 2011 Cyndie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Bonne surprise, on peut dire que ça bouge dans ce roman, j'adore le personnage de Lila et j'ai hâte de savoir ce qui va se passer dans sa relation amoureuse.

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Mar 23, 2010 Jen Marin rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction-mythopoetic, fiction-speculative

I am really enjoying this series. The author blends ideas from various cultures and mythos in a thoroughly modern cybermythic adventure.

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Jan 23, 2013 Kara-karina rated it 4 of 5 stars

I bit too much nfodumping but i did like it and I am determined to read on the next book. Review soon...

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Aug 03, 2011 Steve rated it 3 of 5 stars

Hmmmmmmmmmmmm.......didnt enjoy this as much Book 1

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Dec 24, 2010 Tasula rated it 3 of 5 stars

A bit confusing, but good.

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Jan 08, 2010 Lynn Calvin added it

Elves with tech

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Jan 15, 2013 Mike Franklin rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, science-fiction, all-read

A brilliant sequel.

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Aug 21, 2009 Deirdre rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fromlibrary, wishlist, sci-fi

Sometimes a bit confused this could have done with me revisiting the first book in the series to check on relationships and other issues.

Lila Black is a great character and in this story she ends up in the Demon Dimension. She;s still dealing with the issues brought about by her cyberwear and her new lifestyle and the men in her life.

I like this series and really will have to purchase copies for my own library.

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Sep 13, 2011 Tal rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: sf-fantasy, library-book

cyborg meets fantasy.

it was ok - the world(s) are interesting, the heroine a little too angsty and oblivious, the ending is (relatively) happy.

*shrug* i'd read the next in the series, but i wouldnt actively look for it

edit: rereading in Sept 2011, i liked this book a lot more - i liked that the heroine was a fully 3d character (like the others) with her own agenda and rationalisations and blind spots.

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Jan 06, 2009 Michele rated it 3 of 5 stars

I liked the first book in the series a lot better.

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Jun 01, 2011 GaiusPrimus rated it 4 of 5 stars

Loving this series.

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About Justina Robson

Justina is from Leeds, a city in Yorkshire in the north of England. She always wanted to write and always did. Other things sometimes got in the way and sometimes still do...but not too much.

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Quotes from Selling Out

“Max smiled, the smile of comfort, the one you give to someone who's made a big mistake and is suffering the consequences, the one that doesn't help but shows you understand.” — 3 people liked it

“No duelling. No summoning of imps or other manifestations of elements potentially damaging to the records, including but not limited to: elementals, imps, sprites, ifrits, goblins, vile maidens, elohim, and major, minor and inferior spawn. No praying. No cursing, except by staff. The library is closed on public holidays. Donations welcome."
-Demonia Library” — 1 person liked it

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Selling Out (Quantum Gravity #2)

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