Hard to review this novel and praise all that's great in it without spoiling it! There's at least 4-5 really clever bits I'd love to talk about that would spoil it, so I'll just be coy...

First off, it's a slow burn going in, but worth sticking with. I find Robinson consistently enjoyable as an author, even when I've felt a given novel is weak or underwhelming. But this one is neither. This is one of the most impressive "hard" sci-fi novels I've read in a long while, a highly inventive generational ship story with deep characters and a few surprising twists and reveals.

The emotional heart of this book dances around loss, acceptance, hope, love, discovery, aging and meaning, and "home" -- what it is, how one finds it or makes it. I wish I could say more, but I'd ruin it. Give this one a chance, and if you read it I'd love to talk with you about it...

To my friends who aren't that into sci-fi, I'd still recommend this one. Just be prepared for bouts of extended science exposition -- one of Robinson's strengths, put to skilled use here as it fleshes out several plot points and emotional themes to great effect.