As a Locus Award nominee, this novel sounded intriguing, and its premise delivers imagination. North builds an unusual universe shaped by a distinctive fantasy-like system of power rather than scientific speculation. The setting is inventive. The characters are well sketched. The conflicts hold interest. The plot moves through enough twists to keep the pages turning.
The book falters in execution. The speculative framework has little scientific coherence, which weakens the setting for readers who expect rigor from science fiction. The alien races feel arbitrary rather than convincing. The ethical questions raised by the two god-like civilizations remain shallow and underdeveloped despite their central role in the story. Repeated digressions into gender discourse also feel intrusive and distracting rather than organic to the narrative.
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