Bad. The setting of the Culture is interesting but the author's sense of storytelling and pacing is horrible. For a series about the Culture, I was surprised that the novel is from the viewpoint of someone who is fighting against them. I learned very little about the thing I wanted to read about.

The story is bogged down by internal monologuing, info dumps, and scene changes to the literal other side of the galaxy. There are a number of chapters that are entirely superfluous -- the worst of which is a digression onto an island of religious fanatics (no spoilers but the chapter name actually tells you what will happen). The writing is so long-winded that you'll start skimming, and then immediately miss a throwaway line that is critical to the next few pages of action. Even during the climax of the novel, the author decides to break up the action with internal monologuing from two entirely new characters.

I was looking to discover more about the Culture but this wasn't that. Apparently all the books are one-shots, so if I am going to attempt this again, I'll sort by highest rating and start there.

Terrible pacing and bad writing -- I strongly recommend against.

The cannibal arc was entirely without redemption, and even the finale in the Command System we have to break it up with sudden interludes from both the pet drone and the lizard (both of them!).

And why is the climax not even about fighting the Culture? It's a ridiculous drawn out search of the underground tunnels, with fighting between two characters that are supposed to be on the same side. There was effectively zero explanation why they were fighting each other - Horza should have just left if he knew he wasn't necessary. But instead everyone dies because whatever, author fiat. Oh, and the Mind was okay? I guess? Was it important to the war?

I found the appendix that gave a summary of the war to be more thrilling than the novel itself.