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Review title: Hard to Get Into, But Worthwhile
Product review: "The Integral Trees" is a novel from Larry Niven's "Known Space" that can be read without any prior familiarity with his other work. In this sense it is "stand alone." However, it helps to have read his other books to have a feel for this universe.This book was difficult for me to get into. Part of the problem is that the fascinating world involved is so far different from our own. Time has to be spent reading and reviewing the charts provided from time to time to figure out how things are happening. Another reason for difficulty of getting involved in the story is that too much information is withheld, leaving the reader wondering for too long about what certain things mean.A final drawback is weak character development. The Smoke Ring itself takes center stage, so much so that the characters are mere shadows in the grand scheme of things.This is, however, wonderful science fiction. The fictional world created is truly remarkable and worth exploring.
