About 3/4ths of the way in and I have some takes. It's trying incredibly hard to be highbrow but still have magic and sci-fi. So far, it's a book about people moreso than their surroundings which is odd considering how zany the setting is, with plot teasing out some "international" politics. Not very compelling just yet.

Trying to be highbrow reason the first: lot's of references to things you'd only learn from if you read the kind of book the author wants this book to be. Philosophy, but not the household names. De Toqueville, Epicurus, and other 2nd order figures that only really get brought up in classical academia.

Reason the 2nd: the narrator patronizes the reader. A lot. Like has preemptive dialogues with the line of arguments/questions he/she/they presume the reader has. Sometimes about pronoun use, or misogyny, etc. It sort of makes sense in the context of the story which is an account of the past, for the target audience of an 18th century Westerner. Very unique and kind of enjoyable in that sense I guess.

Thus far, it's a lot more of a drama than a Sci-Fi or Spec-Fi book. Going to stick the rest of it and at least one more in the series out because it's staging itself well for being good, just not there yet.

The whole book is exposition to set the stage for the rest of the series. By itself, this book sucks (edit after finishing the series: it's so worthwhile, and much of what happens in this book bears significant importance later in the series), but the characters are somewhat compelling at this point. Still very highbrow/lofty – most of the time it works and isn't too hamfisted.

I've changed my mind. As a sci-fi books, it sucks. As a political drama set in a futuristic setting, it's top of class

related