Keeping it Real

 Keeping it Real by Justina Robson 333 pgs

Summary from Goodreads: The Quantum Bomb of 2015 changed everything. The fabric that kept the universe's different dimensions apart was torn and now, six years later, the people of earth exist in uneasy company with the inhabitants of, amongst others, the elfin, elemental, and demonic realms. Magic is real and can be even more dangerous than technology. Elves are exotic, erotic, dangerous, and really bored with the constant Lord of the Rings references. Elementals are a law unto themselves and demons are best left well to themselves.

Special agent Lila Black used to be pretty, but now she's not so sure. Her body is more than half restless carbon and metal alloy machinery, a machine she's barely in control of. It goes into combat mode, enough weapons for a small army springing from within itself, at the merest provocation. As for her heart, well, ever since being drawn into a game by the elfin rockstar Zal (lead singer of The No Shows), who she's been assigned to protect, she's not even sure she can trust that any more either.

And here's what I thought: I re-read this and it's been enough years that most of the story was completely new to me. Robson has a different kind of take on elves than you might expect, and she creates a really cool world here. The idea of the Quantum Bomb takes this story in some really interesting directions. There is some humor in this story, and Lila Black is a character that I liked. The story is a mashup of cyborg sci-fi with fantasy, and there are some great parts to this book. At times, the story did seem to veer into odd directions and I had completely forgotten that there were some romance elements in this story. But, it was fun to read again and I might look for the second book in the series in the future.