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I really enjoyed this book. At first I was a bit annoyed when it was obviously going to be nothing but back-story and only a tiny bit of plot (in the present), but I really started getting involved in this mini-histories.
Like others, Rachel's story really got to me. It was such a fantastic story.
But there's a lot to this novel that left feeling inadequate that I couldn't put the pieces together. We have several characters of different types - the P.I., the soldier, the diplomat, the priest, the poet, the scholar and the templar (not sure where he fits really). As I was reading the stories, I was thinking about the religion tie-in during the priest's tale - the evidence of an ancient Christian religion and its relationship with the Shrike. During the poet's tale, I was thinking about art as a form of creation - poetry creating the muse who is inspiring the poetry. Rachel's story has a strong link to the story of Abraham in the Bible and it's message of sacrifice to save a people at a time when the people look like they're approaching an end. The Consul gives us an interesting angle on humanity - the expansion and digestion of simpler and happier cultures - a form of history repeating. The P.I. creating another link between poetry/art and what is to come while exploring a more cyberpunk angle, with the entertaining Bogart-esque noir feel.
I felt like Simmons was saying something I just wasn't hearing clearly enough, but it was tantalising all the same.
OK - the abrupt end was painful and I'll have to find time to read the second book before too long to see if I can follow where Simmons is leading me. But besides that problem, I remained entertained for the duration.
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