Brilliant. Madcap. Uncontrolled chaos that occasionally breaks, like ragged clouds, to reveal unexpected revelations. Space opera at its best. Fantastic, inventive, marvelously complicated, filled with characters you can't decide whether to loathe or love. Layers and layers of story that keep you changing your mind about whose side you're on. There's so much action it feels like a condensed version of a 1000 page story, but I couldn't imagine it written any other way.