Humans landed on Mars for the first time in 2050, which would've been a momentous occasion if weren't entirely overshadowed by the wormhole generators that allowed humanity to quickly and easily colonize planets 100s of light years away. In the present day of 2380, humanity has established itself on over 600 planets in a spherical volume 400 light years wide. All of the alien species humanity has come across have been peaceful. The sentient AI that humanity developed is a friend and ally. Rejuvenation allows the elderly to become young, over and over again. Even death has lost much of its sting, as memories can be backed up and implanted into clones. For many it is a golden age, but the discovery of a star that disappears in less than a second is an omen of the troubling times to come.

Dudley Bose, an astronomer, discovers the disappearing star and believes that it's his chance for fame and fortune. Adam Elvin is a revolutionary socialist trying to reform the Commonwealth, though his actions have become much more mercenary. Paula Myo is a senior investigator obsessed with a case she's been pursuing for nearly 150 years. Nigel Sheldon oversees the organization that controls interplanetary transit. Justine Burnelli is a member of one of the most powerful families and is deeply involved in politics. Wilson Kime landed on Mars and now all these centuries later his expertise is needed again. Oscar Monroe leads an exploratory team finding new planets to colonize. Ozzie Isaac created the wormhole generators and now lives an itinerant lifestyle throughout the Commonwealth. Mark Vernon has had enough of fast-paced urban life and moves his family to a frontier planet that guarantees a slow and cozy lifestyle. Kazimir McFoster is a teenage member of the Guardians of Selfhood who believe that a being called the Starflyer secretly controls humanity. Mellanie Rescorai begins as a teenage trophy girlfriend to an old wealthy man.

That's not all of the viewpoint characters. The narrative continually switches between perspectives, often several times per chapter. For much of the novel it seems like a mosaic of lives as they don't often intersect. Depending on your preferences this may present itself as a slog of seemingly endless filler or a detailed depiction of everyday life in the Commonwealth. For me, it was more the latter. I loved the setting.

Here are some things I found to be notable. There are literally dozens of neologisms that are only used once, as are many characters and specific details. This creates a veneer of very detailed worldbuilding. There are several LGBT and non-white characters. Heterosexual sex happens a few times. I was reminded of Dan Simmon's Endymion with one of the storylines. Hamilton is another author I didn't think I liked, but turns out I do. This is first novel I've read by him, though I'll be reading many more if they're like this.