 In a review in the online speculative fiction magazine Strange Horizons , Tony Keen was critical of Bear 's novel , saying that the present and future passages " do not mesh terribly well " , and that it is " too long " with " too many ideas " . He complained that the book was difficult to follow and that Bear keeps " moving the goalposts as it suits his narrative " . Keen said that for a science fiction novel , he was surprised at its " lack of consistency " , and called it more a work of fantasy than science fiction . He said the " revelations " at the end still did not help explain what had happened , but that " by this point , it was for me hard to care " . A review in the Oakland Tribune complained that Bear , who it felt is not strong on " crafting memorable characters " , " struggles " with the novel 's multiple viewpoints . The review added that while he " takes a long time to get there , and arrives with a palpable scent of anticlimax , [ Bear ] does deliver at the end " , although with not enough to satisfy the reviewer . 
