Well, the complete WTFery of the first book continues apace. Palmer is no less adept here at writing the 18th century novel of the future, complete with all the melodramatic tropes one would expect AND complex questions of theology and philosophy in the process. She does to Fielding what Clarke did to Thackeray with Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell.
It...helps to have read the first book recently because it took me a while to remember what words meant and who everyone is and what was going on...insofar as anyone knew what was going on at any point.
I initially found the lack of resolution less frustrating than the cliffhanger at the end of the first book, but then all the questions that Palmer failed to answer sprang back again. She gives answers, but so few of her answers are more than matters of opinion. The theology aspect is particularly thorny.
Send more books, please.