Aliette we Bodard's work always strikes me as elegant and finely crafted (to borrow a phrase) and somehow alien. Much of that is her subject matter: she delights in settings and people that differ markedly from the average 21st century human and their stories she can tell because of it are beautiful. But they are also a bit cold to me. I enjoyed reading this book, I thought that both corrupt and execution were excellent, but it was an aesthetic pleasure rather that the full body emotional response that my absolute favorites engender. I will definitely continue with this series and I look forward to seeing where it goes from here on out.