On one hand, this was some good hard sci-fi. There's an interesting universe to be explored, a plot that takes some time to get going, and a main character that I was lukewarm about but eventually understood and maybe even liked.

On the other hand it had a balls to the wall, take no prisoners attitude about the universe Leckie created. You either get on the ride and understand it all, or you don't. No learning curve. I might have enjoyed it a little bit more had it been just a touch easier to get into.