I am so glad I found this gem. I was worried that there would be no one else to take up the Iain M Banks mantle, but Reynolds does a great job of conjuring big space, big science, big characters, yet in a plot that keeps trim and does not feel baggy. The last chapter is especially good, as I really did not see how he was going to be able to pull off a satisfactory ending in just 20 pages or so. I was anxious that this was going to be a cop out. But this writer delivers, and it is good to feel in safe hands.