I'm going to call it right now: this is probably going to make my Goodreads' list for "longest book read in 2022." 720 pages, amiright?

Too bad they weren't 720 pages that culminated in a jaw-dropping, show-stopping perfect ending. Instead I found myself scratching my head at the end, saying, "What was the point?"

The book moved quickly and had some interesting story lines in play, as is usually the case with anything Stephenson writes. And I had hopes that when he finally wove them all together, I would feel the satisfaction of all the pieces falling into place in a way that revealed something I'd been too obtuse to spot before. But no. It's like when you watch a "smart action movie" where you assume it's going to be more than just car chases and you'll find some clever reveal that makes you appreciate it on a different level – but the reveal never comes.

On the plus side: Stephenson often offers small lessons in geography and history, and this book is no exception. The cast is pretty diverse. If you're unfamiliar with geo-engineering, it's a good introduction to those concepts.

One other thing that bothered me: in his attempt to write a strong, empowered female character (the Queen of the Netherlands), he sort of turned her into an unfeeling robot who liked to demonstrate she was hip to having "f*ckboys." It didn't feel authentic to that character and was unnecessary to the plot.

I'll stick with REAMDE, thanks.