Rating: 
Summary: Excellent
Review: I only discovered Ms. Friedman relatively recently (In Conquest Born, which was a great book also), and I found this book an excellent read. I admit the underlying science may be implausible, but come on! I have found very few scifi books that can seriously claim plausibility. Also, there seems to be a whiff of political correctness to the story (all God's mutants have something to contribute...), but I found the concept intriguing nonetheless The story worked for me and I enjoyed the characters immensely. The mystery aspects of the plot made it all the more interesting. Unfortunately, I have read most of the books Ms. Friedman has written, so I have to wait until she writes some more!
Rating: 
Summary: Interesting new author.
Review: This is the first book I read by Friedman and was very much taken with her interesting ideas and her character development. I can't wait to sample her other works!
Rating: 
Summary: Not as Good as Her Other Books
Review: I'm sorry to say that this book isn't in the same league as C.S. Friedman's other books. First of all, I have problems with the back story: originally, mankind set out for the stars but then found that the star drive they were using mutated their genes. OK. But, then, why did all the people on any given ship have their genes mutate in the exact same way so that they produced a viable, fertile species? It seems to me, you would have ended up with a lot of unique, sterile, monsters. Oh, well. But, I think my biggest problem with the book is that it just doesn't grab my attention. As I read it (and the writing, per se, is good), I basically felt nothing. Everything, including the main character, is bland. I did enjoy the book, but that was purely from a mechanistic point of view. The story and characters never really meant anything to me. I hope Friedman can raise the excitement level in her future works to match that found in her other past works. This book, for all the work she obviously put into it, is basically filler.
Rating:
Summary: Read it!
Review: This book is one of the better sci-fi novels I've read lately. Although it has some weaknesses, such as few strong characters, over all I found it an engaging and intriguing read. C.S. Friedman creates a universe that is compelling, well developed, and full of unique ideas. I enjoyed her view of the future, and liked her treatment of everything technical, from the future of computers, to her form of interstellar space flight. The main character of the story is well developed, and the idea that diversity (and possibly madness) is essential for the success of humanity was inspiring. Possibly the weakest part of this story is how so few of the other characters are well developed. There's one or two that you really wish had been more active in the plot, and had appeared sooner. Another problem I had was that one or two of the concepts, especially the Gueran mutation, weren't explained to my satisfaction. Despite the weak parts, the story finishes with a bang, and I found myself avidly looking forward to picking it up every time I had to put it down.
Rating:
Summary: Totally compelling
Review: C. S. Friedman is a magnificent storyteller. This novel has a wonderful suspenseful plot, and she creates an imaginative and rich sf universe. Her characters are also complex and interesting; she can sketch a minor character briefly but in a way that makes him/her seem very real, and her heroine's character and situation are fascinating. She also writes very well, with exquisite detail.
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