I’ve tried to read this book at least twice before and bounced off. I haven’t read the previous books in the series, and though this Culture novel is reputed to be the best entry point, there is no on-ramp for the new reader.

It turns out to be a fun space adventure with an unfortunately difficult structure, featuring two-fisted mercenary Zakalwe: a professional military advisor and covert agent of the Culture.

The Culture, while peripheral to the action, is the most interesting idea present: a post-scarcity society of space wizards who are vastly powerful and vastly moral. Their disregard for physical and resource limitations locates this book in fantasy rather than science fiction.

They also provide the perfect backdrop for a character like Zakalwe: a no-nonsense military man who barks tough-guy one liners at his effete handlers and incompetent clients. Honestly, I’m a sucker for that stuff. I read Tom Clancy books and like them.

But half of the chapters break away from the action for flashbacks to Zakalwe’s centuries-long history of warfighting. Some of those are worthwhile (like an entertaining episode where Zakalwe is briefly beheaded), but in most of them he just drinks and broods about his mysterious dark past. It all leads up a twist that the astute reader will see coming a light-year away.

So I qualify it as good, not great. There are interesting ideas and engaging scenes if you can get to them. Just be ready to skim.