“A nice blend of hardware and humanity…with elements of today and a logically projected far future…Leaves a group of enthralled readers hungry for more.”

“This is a true space opera, full of suspense, and mystery, and stuff blowing up real good—but it’s the humanity of Powell’s vision that truly makes it something special.”

“A smart, funny, tragic, galloping space opera that showcases Powell’s wit, affection for his characters, world-building skills and unpredictable narrative inventions.”

“A quintet of narrators brings Powell’s magnificent space opera to vivid life…It’s a bold, ambitious story, with shifting points of view and multiple far-flung locales, and the audio adaptation would probably have been a mess if it had been the job of a single narrator. The team of five distinctive voices keeps listeners oriented—each of the narrators creates an easily recognizable character—and helps us know when the setting or POV has changed…An elegantly constructed sf story, beautifully written and expertly narrated.”

“It takes a village in this space-opera audiobook, the first volume in a new trilogy that examines the impact of war…The five narrators alternate chapters, voicing the rescue mission’s captain, an intelligent warship turned rescue vessel, a war criminal turned poet, a disillusioned spy, and an alien mechanic who can’t figure out these humans. The commonalities that come through their stirring performances are world-weariness and regret—and, in the end, hope. This series shows great promise, with its detailed surface barely scratched in this intriguing first novel.”

“A book dominated by strong women, hairs-breadth escapes, interpersonal conflicts, and ultimately, the dogged determination of human beings, and others, to become better versions of themselves.”

“An emotionally wrenching take on life in a war-torn far future…The pace picks up as the threads begin to come together, leading to an explosive finale with strong series potential.”

“A big book that hits all of the buttons that make space opera one of my favorite genres—a cold war ready to turn hot again, Big Dumb Objects, interesting and thorny interstellar plots and problems, and a set of compelling characters (including, memorably, an excellently depicted ship AI) caught in it.”

“Fast, exhilarating space opera, imaginative and full of life.”