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Common Knowledge

Legal name: Kenyon Overcast, Katherine L.
Birthdate: 1956-07-02
Gender: female
Education: University of Minnesota
University of Washington
Occupations: science fiction writer
fantasy writer
short story writer
urban planner
advertising copywriter
Organizations: Broad Universe
Short biography: Kay Kenyon is the pen name of Katherine Kenyon Overcast. She majored in English literature at the University of Minnesota and went on to graduate studies at the University of Washington, hoping to become a writer. She worked as a model, an advertising copywriter, and an urban planner, which may have informed the worldbuilding in her science fiction/fantasy works. Her first novel was The Seeds of Time (1997). She published six stand-alone novels before embarking on a four-volume series called The Entire and The Rose: Bright of the Sky (2007), A World Too Near (2008), City Without End (2009), and Prince of Storms (2010). About a dozen of her short stories have been published in anthologies. Her work has been translated into several foreign languages. She lives in Wenatchee, Washington, and chairs the Write on the River writers' conference.
Nationality: USA
Birthplace: Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
Places of residence: Wenatchee, Washington, USA
Duluth, Minnesota, USA
Associated Place (for map): USA

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88 reviews

sibylline 934 reviews

A Thousand Perfect Things by Kay Kenyon

[[Kay Kenyon]] has created an alternate history where there are only the continents of Anglica and Bharata, the first exploiting the second as Britain exploited India. Anglica is relentlessly materialistic, logical, devoted to the scientific method while Bharata puts value on the spiritual, mysterious, and magical. The Anglicans have built a pontoon bridge that spans the ocean between them. So the Harding family, with young Astoria (Tori) who has a club foot, is connected to Bharata in a show more unique way as Tori's grandfather found the location of the revered golden lotus and took a small piece of it secretly. Tori, because of her disability, has been allowed to work with and for her grandfather as a naturalist even though women are not allowed into the elite of the sciences. The plot turns around finding the golden lotus. Everyone knows that only Tori has the clues necessary to find it, and both Anglicans and Bharatans have their own reasons why they want her to do just that. The Bharatans wish to break free of Anglican tyranny and the Anglicans wish to strengthen their control and misjudge the depths of Bharatan determination to become independent. This is NOT YA, by the way; the themes are more complex. The violence is understated, sexuality is explored bluntly but not overdone. [[Kay Kenyon]] should be better known, this was a fine read, totally absorbing. The pontoon bridge was a bit hard to suspend disbelief of, but what the heck! **** show less

Jun 1, 20164 other reviews

sibylline 934 reviews

Bright of the Sky (Book 1 of The Entire and the Rose) by Kay Kenyon

Started cautiously, but I'm swept up. There is 'enough' of everything necessary: decent writing, characters, and world-building to keep me on board, plus a dollop of fey or weird (in the older sense). Such as calling our universe 'the rose'? But the story is growing on me. I suppose the weakest thing is the starting premise, esp the bad guys and gals, but as new aspects of the Entire are revealed, I suspect they and their schemes will fall by the wayside, more scaffolding than central, where show more Kenyon began but not where she will end. The premise? An alternate universe touching ours. Titus Quinn, a pilot, falls into it with his wife and daughter. after an error destroys a research space station far afield. This universe, called the Entire is in a wheel/spoke shape and is, in a sense, entirely artificial, created by the Tarig, humanoid, but evoking serious non-human insectile/reptile -- taller, faster, stronger, and the kind of rational that allows for insane cruelties along with beauty. They have created the residents of the Entire from sentients they have observed on worlds in the Rose, although they would appear to favor their human creations, known as the Chalin (alabaster--way beyond our white--skin, jet black hair and golden eyes, like but not like, us). To keep everyone occupied there is a Long War against a somewhat mysterious enemy which pretty much all able-bodied residents must participate in. I could go on and on about the residents and captives of the Entire, but suffice it to say, they are many and interesting. There are evocations much else I've read in the sf and fantasy genre--but used with energy and originality mostly--and the line here between magic and science is as thin as the membrane between these two 'verses. All things I enjoy. My one quibble is that Titus Quinn feels a bit Conan-y, the amazing guy you just can't get ride of, but he deserves a place as much as anyone in this book which does have a Mrs. Murphy's stew quality. The most compelling character is his daughter, Sydney, left (not by parental choice) to her own fate on the Entire, who has been ritually blinded (by the Tarig) and sent to partner with one of the sentient warriors, the Inyx, who resemble gigantic horses with horns who communicate telepathically and who live in their own portion of the Entire. Towards the end of Bk 1 a larger (and much more interesting!) plot is revealed. I look forward to learning more, especially about the Tarig, what their origins are and what motivated them to create the Entire. And how fares Sydney, the daughter. ***1/2 - leaving room for higher marks as we go. show less

Aug 13, 201526 other reviews

wonderlande 425 reviews

Bright of the Sky (Entire and the Rose, #1) by Kay Kenyon

Interesting universe, but I found it to be difficult to penetrate (sorry, this may be a terrible pun). Character motivations were so subtle that they were opaque. Things sounded cool but I had so much trouble understanding what the hell anything actually was. The bright? The River Nigh? The Entire itself? How does travel work? What are the Tarig? I've enjoyed sci-fi that didn't make a lick of sense to me before, so that shouldn't have been a barrier but I think that because none of the show more characters seemed to understand how the Entire works, I couldn't just take it on faith that it did work.

The pace is a little methodical as well, so I was often distracted by newer, shinier books. Probably that contributed to my lack of understanding, but it wasn't entirely the reason it took a month and some to get through it. I'll read the next book at least, because while I wouldn't call the ending a cliff hanger, it is very clearly the very beginning of an arc and I'd like a little more closure. show less

Jan 1, 202326 other reviews

KingRat 640 reviews

Bright of the Sky by Kay Kenyon

Do I ever have mixed feelings about this book. As one review I read put it, there are two main characters in Kay Kenyon’s Bright of the Sky: Titus Quinn, and the Entire. I really like the Entire. I love exploring new worlds, seeking out strange new civilizations. On the other hand, I’ve found nothing redeeming so far about Titus Quinn, amnesiac space ship pilot and the first human to travel to the Entire. What’s so annoying about Quinn is that he doesn’t make choices. He always picks show more the most difficult way to do something, and then gets in everyone’s face is they dare question him.

(Full review at my blog) show less

Jun 17, 200826 other reviews

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