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biorg's review against another edition
5.0
I am unreasonably fond of this book. If you don't mind a dense-ish space opera with tons of characters, this one is for you!
The only hurdle would be the affronters. For some reason they bored me like there's no tomorrow, but the rest of the book filled me with so much excitement that I can't but give it 5 stars.
The only hurdle would be the affronters. For some reason they bored me like there's no tomorrow, but the rest of the book filled me with so much excitement that I can't but give it 5 stars.
lightiron's review against another edition
challenging
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
mandolyte's review against another edition
3.0
Ian Bank's Utopian view of the future is not without problems :-). This book relies a lot (more than most of his works) on multiverse theories. But I guess you have to go with it... it is science fiction after all. I hope to blog more on the culture series after I complete them.
ianjmax's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.75
madfil's review against another edition
3.0
(10 June, 2022)
Great set-up, interesting characters and many, many plot threads, all smartly woven together, could have made this story exceptional but Banks took shortcuts. There is also no real resolution to anything. Still good but disappointing at times.
The Culture's 'leaders', our future's philosopher kings by committee, are too benign but once they get going... oh boy! The Affront, our analogs in this, are despicable and kinda stupid. They deserved much, much worse than what they actually got. The excession itself was more plot device than anything else. Its power, purpose and origin would have made great reading but the author gave us a small glimpse of the first and nothing more.
Everything was wrapped up a tad too nicely for my taste.
Great set-up, interesting characters and many, many plot threads, all smartly woven together, could have made this story exceptional but Banks took shortcuts. There is also no real resolution to anything. Still good but disappointing at times.
The Culture's 'leaders', our future's philosopher kings by committee, are too benign but once they get going... oh boy! The Affront, our analogs in this, are despicable and kinda stupid. They deserved much, much worse than what they actually got. The excession itself was more plot device than anything else. Its power, purpose and origin would have made great reading but the author gave us a small glimpse of the first and nothing more.
Everything was wrapped up a tad too nicely for my taste.
jeghc's review against another edition
adventurous
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
5.0
thinkspink's review against another edition
2.0
I'm usually a big fan of Banks's work, but this one doesn't work for me. The good bits remind me of similar, better, sections in his other books, it's confusing, and when you do see a great idea which you wish was developed further it's typically never mentioned again. I'm also not convinced of letting the ships take precedence over the human characters.
jaji's review against another edition
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0