I found this one of Bank's most satisfying works. Intelligent, high-flung science mixed with very believable characters, and shot through with the kind of grim melencholy I only previosly found in Consider Phlebas. Despite this it's a tale of atonement, and this renders it far more convincing than if Bank's had sought to reedeem his characters. My only complaint is that while he paints physically convincing sentient aliens (chelgrians) thier mentalities and failings are all to human. Not really a negetaive aspect just frustration from me that his wonderfully drawn alien psyches had little show in this book save as plot devices. Still despite this I believe Banks still sets the standard for space opera.