Ah yes, another Culture novel visited. From the end of the Idirian war, it’s long felt after effects and early Special Circumstance meddling (botched.) What could be better?
The story sits on Masaq orbital, holding many billions of lives in its balance. Zooming in further to the life of a Chelgrian composer named Ziller. Who is an ex-pat from his homeworld, giving it up due to a caste system that is broken, one that incidentally a huge civil war played a part of (Hi SC!)
Through the travelings of this exile, the coming of a Chel Major to do what… suicide mission, but how? But why?
The many generations of reflections and affectations that created this crazy moment and many players across many landscapes so vast it’s hard to tame if not name them all.
It’s quite a journey. Very enjoyable, full of thrills and questions. Deep moments that stretch time itself and some moments and actors too short visited and to what end I can’t really understand.
It’s a good book, a good read, and you’ll find a lot of races and people you have heard of and put them into more context than you might have before which is nice. Some relationships are a bit extraneous and some others never have given enough time but over and above all–it’s a Culture book and it continues it’s interesting storytelling of both the past and a moment to the future.