In no real way is this a hard SF book, it's a romance with SF elements.
Kamoj Quanta Argali is the young ruler of an impoverished province on a forgotten earth colony. Her people had been adapted to the planet and had survived. Now they're discovered by one of the factions of the galaxy and she finds herself married to Havyrl (Vyrl) Torcellei a member of the Ruby Dynasty, about which she knows really nothing. When her ex-promised husband finds that she is married all hell breaks loose. Sometimes there's a fine line between romance and not upsetting indigenous cultures!
This could have been set in a fantasy world with magic instead of technology and Sea instead of Space travel and you really wouldn't have noticed a great difference. I suppose I was expecting great things because of the award but it was an okay read, not a great read.
