Incredibly imaginitive and thought provoking despite brief moments of heavy-handedness. I will definitely read more by Banks. ( )

Jernau Morat Gurgeh is a master “Player of Games.” In fact, he is so masterful, that he is becoming jaded and cynical. His success allows him to live an idyllic existence surrounded by friends and admirers. Like a mountain climber who has crested Everest, what’s left? Cue a series of events that will lead him to a hidden empire – The Empire of Azad. This entire culture is built around a game – a game so complex that the winner becomes the emperor.

I greatly enjoyed this novel mostly due to its fresh, unique storyline. I guess the only thing that comes close in my reading history was “Ender’s Game.” You can feel the clarity of plot that Banks had in his mind when he wrote this and that makes it an accessible and engrossing tale. In addition, the Culture universe is complex and sophisticated, filled with cool space megastructure, amazing ships, and interesting AI self-aware minds and drones. This is my second read in the Culture universe and it’s a fun place to explore.

As to downsides, my primary disappointment was with the Empire of Azad itself. I liked the ambiguity of ‘Consider Phlebas,’ where it was often difficult to determine who to root for. In that tale the main character saw flaws in both the Idirans and the Culture and that led to subtleties and a realistic texture. In this book, while there are still flaws in the Culture’s approach, once the underbelly of the Empire of Azad is revealed, there is no longer any doubt of who to favor and that weakens that plot in my opinion. At that moment, you know how the book must end. I also felt like Gurgeh accepted some plot points way too easily, which went against his earlier-established character and values. Unfortunately, I can’t explain this deeply without revealing spoilers. None of this ruined the novel, but ultimately, it lessened the ending greatly in my opinion.

Four puzzle-pieced stars for this wildly imaginative, energetically paced, and intellectually constructed space opera entry into the Culture universe. You’ll want to break out your Risk Shadow Forces board game (or any sci-fi related strategy game) after you’ve read the last word. ( )

I really enjoyed this book. In an unusual move, I picked this up not that long after putting down the first book in the Culture series halfway through. I had enjoyed the half of the book I'd read, but then I suddenly realised I really didn't care about the main character at all and couldn't be bothered reading another page. The Player of Games doesn't suffer from that same flaw. I found the plot far more compelling and the main character far more engaging.

It is very well written for science fiction, with clear prose that seems well thought out. There isn't a big emphasis on style, but it's very effective storytelling. The author does a great job of always having something moving the story along, whether it's big picture ideas or a character's own struggles. I loved that the protagonist, Jeurat Gurgeh (spelling?), is really well grounded and we are given a good reason to care about him from the very beginning. I can see how it might be difficult to make readers care about anything in the post-scarcity world of the Culture, but Banks manages to really make all of the events mean something.

I could have done without the really gratuitous violence and sex, and I feel like the moral failings of the Azad Empire would have been more powerful if they had been closer to those on Earth, but they didn't detract from the experience. I loved Banks' lack of judgement in relation to sex and gender in the rest of the book, it was really just the pornography, sexual violence and exploitation that felt over the top to me.

It appears this is the best of the Culture series, so I won't be rushing back to read another one, but when the time is right, I'll definitely be returning to this fascinating and engaging reality. ( )

Excellent, friendly science fiction. Not one of those books where the science or the world-building is the center of it all, although those aspects are fascinating. I enjoyed it very much. ( )

The Culture 2