The first chapter almost lost me, but I'm glad I stuck it out. This book takes Clarke's third law to extremes like few other books, which can be off-putting or exciting, depending on your tastes. The world-building is reminiscent of Ancillary Justice, which remains one of my favorite books of all time. I'll definitely read the next books, and I'm tempted to give this one five stars, but it's on the edge, and probably closer to 4 than 5.