A bit slower than Consider Phlebas to pick up the pace, but great nonetheless. Changing all the characters and settings was a bit unsettling at first, but in the end I'm glad I picked up this saga that's not exactly a saga. I didn't know the Culture novels were independent of each other, but I'm glad they are. This was just #2, and I sure hope all of the others will be 5-stars masterpieces just like the first and second books!