by Catherine Asaro
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 ...
A space opera/romance. The world-building is interesting & reminds me of CJ Cherryh, and the reference/allusion to physics is nice & clever, though I sort of wonder why they would present quantum physics in the same way as we do if they develop all their science independently.
For a Nebula winner this one was a little thin, though there were interesting gender and genetics issues raised. I'd probably give another of her book in this series a chance.