Every time I read a John Scalzi novel, I'm reminded what a good writer he is. This one's no exception. He handles the big picture and the small, personal details with equal deftness.

After I finished the epilogue, I jumped back to the prologue. With the knowledge of everything else that happens in the book, it was fun to see how this little piece of the story -- largely unconnected to the events in the remainder of the novel, featuring characters we wouldn't see again -- still added to the whole.

When I started reading the book, I wasn't sure if it was a stand-alone novel or the launch of a new series. When I got to the end, it was pretty plainly the opening volume in a multi-volume set. (Don't get me wrong -- the novel is complete in itself, but the ending indicates there's more to come.) Under normal circumstances, I'd have felt a twinge of irritation at this, but in this case I was relieved. I want more time with these characters, and I want to know just how they're going to deal with an empire in collapse.