stirred both praise and controversy due to its mix of romance with hard science fiction. The book won the Sapphire Award for best Science Fiction Romance of 1998 and has been described as an example of the best in science fiction romance literature, along with works by Lois McMaster Bujold, Robin McKinley, Sharon Shinn, Patricia C. Wrede and Caroline Stevermer, Emma Bull, Mercedes Lackey, Anne McCaffrey, Barbara Hambly, Joanne Bertin, Patricia Briggs, Patricia A. McKillip, Lisanne Norman and Elizabeth Marie Pope. Asaro has been accepting of the term romance despite the controversy and has expressed pleased surprise that her works attracted the interest of the romance community. Notes and references 1997 American novels Saga of the Skolian Empire Novels by Catherine Asaro Tor Books books