Storyline: 3/5 
 Characters: 2/5 
 Writing Style: 2/5 
 World: 4/5 
 The Snow Queen has lurked curiously on my reading list. Joan D. Vinge was nominated for the Nebula Award for it and also won the Hugo. After this series, Vinge disappears from major science fiction lists, and I know little about her since her 1992 sequel. I really didn't know what to expect. Initially, I was pleased with what I was reading. This is the kind of world that is a pleasure to discover. The path from a blank canvass to what Vinge unveiled here is one only a visionary can walk. And artistry it was. The (view spoiler)[ lost civilization (hide spoiler)] motif was excellent. This was a world that formed the plot; it was not embellishment. The history and religion, the science and the geography, the political systems and myths all define the characters and directed the plot. It was a pleasure to read a novel that was so well integrated. 
 Still, the flaws are both many and mighty. Even though the bigger picture world is lush and imaginative, the smaller scenes were often dull or awkwardly put together. Skipping forward over time often happened at odd intervals, missing what should have been important character developments. What were supposed to be mini-dramas - to spice up the story - fell flat and failed to give us richer characters or memorable experiences. These scenes were meshed together abruptly, lacking the integrated transition that a good novel deserved. The world picture came together oddly as well, key information given far later than was appropriate. The socio-political statements on discrimination never found that perfect place between insight and creativity. Worst of all, perhaps, was that all the pieces seemed to be in place for the ending 150 pages before the back cover. That left the reader with a long trek through a novel that had already presented its best. 
 The flaws in this should have - and in many ways did - overwhelm the story. The bigger picture world was, however, astounding. Craftily fit together with untold possibilities and implications, this was the way to open a mind to wonder. The world was never fully realized, but my awe of it carried me through the many low points of the novel.