This is a big improvement over its predecessor, Children of Time. Here's why: Tchaikovsky wants to write about evolution, which, even with the accelerated mechanism he invents, takes a long time. This leaves a narrative difficulty - protagonists keep dying, often before there's time or reason to care about them. There's much less of this compared to the first volume and the contrast between the more conventional narratives highlights the problem. If you managed to get through Children of Time I think you will be pleasantly surprised by this sequel.