This book was a very quick read; easy to keep track of even with distractions. I polished it off in a couple of days and enjoyed it. The book seems very tidy–each of the seemingly unrelated threads advances at a good pace and signals ties for later.
The book examines intelligence and self awareness from several angles, including an AI coming into its own and a bright ape that masters representation and communication, questioning exactly what level of intelligence has rights…
The threads are bright and obvious and lack the subtlety of LeGuin in Powers. Despite that, it’s a fine read, clearly the beginning of a series; I’ll keep my eye out for the next.