Both a continuation of Emilio Sandoz's story, thrusting him back into the politics and anthropology of an alien planet against his will, and an epic tale of rebellion and liberation on that alien planet. It takes a surprising amount of time to actually get Sandoz back to Rakhat, and by the time he gets there, the rest of the drama has unfolded to the point that he seems like a bit of a deus ex machina himself (which is kind of the point, considering the themes of faith and rejection of God). Although it has moments of incredible prose and emotion, Children of God ultimately doesn't feel like a necessary sequel.