I liked this book quite a bit. I found the reviews on the cover to be very accurate; it was indeed difficult to put the book down or keep track of how long I had been reading.

The book seemed similar in many ways to some of my favorite episodes of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Socio-political issues, interpersonal relations, history... All intertwined like a fine tapestry.

Only annoyance was Mahlon Burden's burdening me with too much of his speaking in the end. :P