Struggled between three and four stars before I decided these are meaningless Internet points.

There's a structural problem - a novella that's supposed to be a novel. The characters and the world are introduced at length, really beautifully. I was made to feel for secondary and tertiary characters, and get comfortable with the bonds and repartee between the group. It's on the cusp of becoming a deep ensemble.

And then there's a rush to the end in which all of that setup is cast aside. I feel cheated.