This is a simple review of a flawed book in a very, very ambitious series.First, I noticed what others have as well — the first half of the book is much more engaging than the remainder. This appears to be related to the vast scope of the series.The first book (written… see below) is set in a world far away from our Earth, and involves species that bear a strong resemblance to humans, but are quite distinct, with very different histories leading back to a long-disappeared ancient race.This book

Having enjoyed the first volume of the Skolian Saga I started this book with high expectations. They were met - in part.The beginning of this book is wonderful and the story of Tina and her friends helping Althor escape Earth is exciting. Where the novel failed for me was in the depth of mathmatical and scientific detail. Catheraine Asaro is no doubt brilliant and her excitement for her subject leaps from the page, but I would have been happy with less. I grasped her theories well enough to 'bel...

Notes:Currently on Audible + (Publication Order)

This is the second book in Catherine Asaro's Skolian Empire Saga and is also another not-to-be missed read for hard-core scifi fans and romance readers looking for a well-written futuristic love story.Ms. Asaro has created another extraordinary heroine and hero while maintaining a non-stop action filled read. I now know why these books appeal to so many different types of readers - there's adventure, romance, political intrigue and interesting future societies and theories that boggle the mind.

Part of me wants to say I liked this a lot more than 3 stars, but parts of this book really annoyed the crap out of me.Asaro brings the awesome-sciencey fun like she always does with the physics and explanations of physics terms and ideas that I am not terribly knowledgeable in. Her ability to bring complex physics theories and ideas into her books are why I like this series so much.She didn't have as much political intrigue in this book, which is something else I really enjoy about the Skolian

I rarely like the short summaries of the Skolian Empire books. I always enjoy the stories. What makes me like them so much is the characters. In CATCH THE LIGHTNING, a young Earth woman is plucked from her 1987 life of poverty by a Skolian prince. Her Mayan genetic heritage creates an attraction between Tina and Althor that they cannot deny. It also offers hope for the dying, inbred Skolian family, if Althor, Tina and their Jag ship can escape their many enemies and get home.CATCH THE LIGHTNING

TL;DR version - Tina is a waitress. She meets Althor. They run away. They're captured by mercenaries, they run away, (view spoiler)[ they end up on Raylicon and escape through the web. (hide spoiler)] I was disappointed. I read this (as an audiobook) after listening to 'Primary Inversion' and 'The Radiant Seas'. This is quite different.For starters, the main character is a 17 year old empathic waitress on Earth in 1987, but in a different VERSION of Earth, one where the time streams may have be...

I thought I was strong but apparently not strong enough to complete this book. I want to be clear here. This book is not poorly written. My dislike is based on personal preference. I decided to read this series because I am interested in SciFi written by women and with women as the protagonist. Asaro more than delivers in that regard. Asaro is an intelligent woman. I totally admire that. Totally.This book has all of the elements I like, space travel , political intrigue, colonisation, tech. Asar...

I loved this book. I will honestly say that it is one of my favorites now, even above Primary Inversion. The characterization was amazing. And it was so cool to be transported from the ghettos of Los Angeles to high-tech civilizations in the stars. The romance between Althor and Tina was sweet, if a bit rushed. Also, the ancient civilizations on the desert planet mixed with high technology and intellectual knowledge = amazing!I loved the science and the math behind everything, too. I won’t prete...

I know a lot of people don't like SciFi because of all of the gadgets and what not. And Asaro loads her books with gadgetry and physics. But I love it!There's a reason why the tricorder looks like so many of the gadgets we use everyday. I especially felt vindicated (to my old man anyway) when one of the characters mentioned all moments happening at the same time. We've been arguing whether or not time travelers can actually change the future for years now. Or wait, was that from another book? I'...

Catch the Lightning is probably the most mis-placed book in the Skolian series, since it happens so much later than book 1 and later than the next several books. The shift from Soz to 'Tina and Althor was jarring, and I kept looking around for a way to remember which timeline I was in and which characters were related to whom.And that's just unfair to this book, which is sweet all on its own. I re-read it twice in a row (because I was still waiting for my roomies to finish reading and returning

I'm hard pressed to even finish this audiobook. The first complaint I have is that's it's written in past tense, so there is plenty of "I learned later," or "Now I know." I've seen and read other books with narrators' retellings that were handled with much more finesse.My next issue is with the narrator's approach to a few things. Most female voice actors struggle representing deep male voices, which is understandable. But Althor, this brilliant enhanced man from space sounds like a big doofus.

I liked this book, as I think I've liked everything I've ever read by Asaro. As with most of her books, it is a mix of space opera and romance, but doesn't go overboard with the romance. What I particularly enjoyed in this book was the dedication. It was dedicated to two teachers from my high school, one of whom (David Dansky) also had a big influence on my life. It was nice to see him recognized.

Oh, my this was not good. Man from futuristic space-going civilization lands on modern-day Earth, seduces the 17-year-old virgin from the 'hood, the one with a heart of gold and friends at the university who can help him get home. Oh, good heavens, please, no. Skeev meets cliche.

2.5 Stars for me!My rating range of this story... 2 - 3 Stars If significant, why? Main Character Ratings... H = 5/10h = 7/10Narrator Rating(s) M = n/aF = 7/10If below 5/10,why?Was cheating involved? NoAny major triggers to be aware of? NoAngst Level? Moderate Light, Moderate, Heavy or Please Stop3 Stars for me! Internal Monolog? Moderate Light, Moderate, Heavy or Please StopScenes with heat... Not really What point does it start? 25% How much of the story? 2% Anything beyond M/F? No If yes, e...

My main problems with this are the romance between the 60-something(?) guy and the 17 year old girl. It's okay though, they justify it by saying she's mature for her age and that Mexicans have babies young anyway. >:( Also the story puts a young woman in unsettling and often traumatic situations, then repeatedly decides that isn't enough and makes sure she's raped or almost raped.But its also pretty bad that the author is soooo in love with her own world-building that she spends a good 60% of th...

Tina Pulivok is living in Los Angeles after moving from South America. She is descended from the ancient Mayans and now lives alone in a violent and run down part of town. She meets a strange man while walking home one night from the bus station.He is Althor, a member of the Imperial Skolian Command on his way to an important meeting in Washington. Unfortunately his starship is not only lost in space but also time. He has travelled into the past to an Earth that belongs to an alternative univers...

I re-read 1 & 4 first, because of internal time order and what the library had, then this. The first was good, the fourth was terrible, and this is in the middle. The author posits the faster than light technology can also travel time and universes, all so she can build her backstory of the Raylican empire and have the idiotic coincidence of one Rohn just happening to meet another and instantly fall in love. Still, at heart she's a hard SF author. The story stops a few times while she talks abo

A blend of hard sci fi and a romance novel. I liked the former but not the latter. The plot felt pretty thin. The world is mostly interesting but I don’t like the strong emphasis on royal families and aristocracy. I’m also not keen on historical stuff, and a lot of this book was focused on ancient Mayan myths and language. This book also didn’t build the world up far beyond what the first book established. In fact, a lot of it was just a rehash. I’ll give the next book in the series a try becaus...

DNF couldn’t get over the relationship between a teenager and much older starlord with hardly any time to actually know each other but the fate of the world hangs in the balance ugh. I had about an hour and a half to go in the audiobook and I just couldn’t make myself finish it. Did not like any of the characters, either. I guess two stars because the world is still interesting and use of language is good.

A. I was not as excited about this book as I was the first. But it had me sucked back in by the end. A little to much romance in this sci-fi for me. I’m still going to keep reading this series. A woman is accidentally discovered on a past earth from another dimension that can save the Skolian Empire.

Catch The Lightening is a book in two parts. The first part is set on Earth in an alternate 1980s. This I found rather boring and not my type of book. The second and, in my opinion, the better part (but not by a lot) was set off Earth.Really not for me.

I enjoyed the first half of this book while the action was on Earth. Once they got into space it became pretty boring and I gave up with about 100 pages left.

Not as exciting as the first book

Really enjoyed the hard sci-fi, the sentient ship connection w/ pilot, and LOVED that the main character is a Latina; but was left a little confounded by the character relationships and gender roles.

Catch the Lightning was enjoyable. I liked the incorporation of Mayan culture. The world, dynamics, and relationships were interesting.

What a confusing, disjointed plot. I was so confused as to which Althor he was for the longest time. A not good ending to this most beloved series.

1-2 stars

Totally entertaining

3.5 of 5 stars