“Ian McDonald’s never written a bad novel, but this is a great Ian McDonald novel…McDonald has ten details for every detail proffered by other sf writers. Not gratuitous details, either: gracious ones…We meet…a panoply of great passions and low desires.”

“[In] his superb near-future series launch…McDonald creates a complex and fascinating civilization featuring believable technology, and the characters are fully developed, with individually gripping stories.”

“McDonald specializes in big cast sf with exotic settings, and this volume excels on those points.”

“McDonald does a masterful job of alternating perspectives to paint a fascinating picture of family drama and corporate greed set against a backdrop of imaginative postcyberpunk technology, and Adriana’s backstory, told in a series of confessionals, adds depth to the plot.”

“As the main narrator, Thom Rivera deals the most with the audiobook’s Portuguese words, particularly character names, which figure prominently…Suzanne Toren provides a compelling narration of the portions of the book told from the point of view of the matriarch. She delivers her part with a nuanced mix of nostalgia, steely determination, and dominance. Soneela Nankani’s performance also succeeds. This complex tale presents a large cast of characters, explicit sex, and family drama in a harsh environment that breeds strong competition and greed.”