This started out well, but it was too long, and suffered rather a lot from--as it turns out--being book X in a very long set of connected tales. The references to all the bits I found fascinating and intriguing and inventive---the Red Company, Fitzroy Angursell, the 9 worlds before and after the Fall---were all shunted into the background in this book (because they're covered in many other series in this universe). And instead we got a long, thoughtful, personal reflection on what it means to leave behind your people and your culture to pursue a better world, only to be met on your return home with family and friends who fundamentally cannot understand what you've done or why it's important. And I think that would have been a really lovely 350 page book. It did not need to be a 900 page book. There are only so many times we can see Kip having emotional conversations with his family about how they don't understand him before it feels repetitive; there are only so many times his colleagues and his emperor can sing his praises to his family on his behalf; there are only so many times people in his home city can be ignorant of how important he is in the capital of the empire before it starts feeling entirely unrealistic. Given how close-knit the home city is and how quickly news and gossip travels, I just can't believe Aunt whatserface is truly ignorant that her nephew has been second in power too the emperor for years at this point when she complains about the arrest of her son for corruption. 

I did rather like the writing style and world-building. I don't know that I'll read more in this particular sequence, but I am curious to know if the other ones combine the bits I liked about this with some actual plot.