Parts of this book were 5 stars—this is very good science fiction. I liked the structure better than the first book in the series; separating the timelines by act rather than alternating chapters worked a lot better for me. But even so, the end became too convoluted, and at no point did the book ever pull me in. The omniscient point of view makes sense and may have been the only way a book like this wasn't 1000 pages, but it kept things at a remove and interfered with immersion. Despite the book's obvious quality, I never felt connected or attached to any of the characters or, more crucially, their arcs. This is not that sort of story and by no means necessary, but for me it does disqualify it as an all-time fave, it seems. That said, my admiration for this series is enormous, and it's undoubtedly a fantastic addition to the canon of modern science fiction. I'll certainly finish the series and someday likely reread the set.