Linda Nagata

More of a 4.5 since I wasn't super-enamored of any of the characters -- though I did like many of them. The story and the mystery at the heart of it are top notch. The science is spot on, and the science fiction elements were well-thought-out.

Far-future sci-fi has always intrigued and fascinated me. A lot of it falls short of course, but whe it's well-done, I find it hard to put down. And that was certain the case here. I listened to it in just a couple days and will be jumping right in to the sequel.

The scope of this story, in space and in time, is worthy of the label space opera. While hardly unique, The lack of faster-than-light travel (and communication) expands the timescale and lends a different feel to it than it would otherwise have. Have decades or more for the characters to do things, resolve issues, presents interesting challenges for the story telling and Nagata handles them deftly.

Nicole Poole does an amirable job as narrator, managing distinct and believable voices for male and female characters alike.

… (mer)