I loved this book from start to finish.
Alastair Reynolds' mastery over atmosphere and style is on display from the outset. As the novel jumps through time with each of Coade's "awakenings" you can almost feel author's enjoyment at the opportunity to capture the style of the era.
While these vivid descriptions and dialog are what drew me in initially, it's the unraveling mystery that made it impossible to put this book down. The foreshadowing was enjoyable over the top, building from subtle hints to overwhelming crescendo. The biggest kick is that as I was slowly piecing together the whole story so was the main protagonist, just from the opposite direction: I was eager to figure it all out and Coade was in active denial of it! Not to mention classic hints such as anagrams and homophones ("I am Coade" quote is pure gold!).
All this intrigue is wrapped into hard core sfi-fi concepts like space exploration, aliens, AI and topology. At the heart of it is the theme of identity which grounds the entire novel. In concert with good character work and proper consequences it gives finale the emotional kick it deserves.
Speaking of finale, Reynolds manages to avoid the pitfalls of rushed endings common in some of his other writing. Pacing here is great, and I had enough space to process the gravity of the story's climax.
All in all, a perfect novel.
