RaveLos Angeles TimesIt’s important to note that you don’t have to read the first book to enjoy this one; Scalzi does an impressive job of bringing the story up to speed in the first 20 or so pages ... It’s an interesting choice by Scalzi to explore how a religious organization could run a mammoth society—of course there is a great deal of corruption, backstabbing and other political games at play and really it’s the families who are in control. At times it reminded me of one of the great science fiction space operas, Dune. There is a similar sense of scale, not to mention the murky politics and family rivalries. The world-building is breathtaking, it’s almost impossible not to get drawn into this system of the far future. Scalzi avoids the trap that many science fiction writers fall into—that of techno-babble—and makes accessible this far future on a distant planet. A large part of that is due to the way he writes—a fierce intelligence combining a sharp, at times acerbic, wit. With a fluid style and an incredible imagination, his work often becomes compelling reading.
Richard K Morgan
PositiveLos Angeles Times\"When Morgan writes, the vision he creates is a vibrant and meticulously detailed world that feels so real you could reach out and touch it ... The book has an almost tangible quality, it’s fast and frantic with a lot of action ... Mixed in with the thriller-esque action and cyberpunk backdrop is a hard-boiled noir story (think Philip Marlowe or Sam Spade) complete with a twisting and turning plot that keeps readers on their toes.\
