▁sequ el ▁la cks ▁the ▁vital ity ▁of ▁its ▁prede cess or ." ▁ ▁Roland ▁Green ▁in ▁Book list ▁calls ▁it ▁"[ b ] e aut iful , ▁intr icate ▁... ▁McK ill ip ' s ▁writing ▁again ▁has ▁the ▁same ▁cool ▁eleg ance ▁that ▁makes ▁it ▁a ▁pleasure ▁to ▁read ." ▁ ▁Kirk us ▁Re views ▁rates ▁the ▁novel ▁"[ o ] ften ▁char ming ▁and ▁invent ive , ▁but ▁the ▁plot ▁runs ▁out ▁of ▁steam ▁about ▁half way ▁through . ▁R ather ▁a ▁disappoint ment ▁after ▁previous ▁high ▁standards ." ▁ ▁Carol yn ▁C ush man ▁in ▁L ocus ▁finds ▁it ▁" d ream like " ▁with ▁" im ag ery ▁... ▁distinct ively ▁dram atic — color ful , ▁ev oc ative , ▁and ▁occasionally ▁sur real ." C ush man , ▁Carol yn . ▁Review ▁in ▁L ocus ▁no . ▁ 3 9 1 , ▁August ▁ 1 9 9 3 .</ ref > ▁ ▁Other ▁reviews ▁describe ▁it ▁as ▁" an ▁entertain ing ▁read " ▁( Austral ian ▁SF ▁News ), ▁and ▁stress ▁its ▁"[ l ] ush ▁imag ery ▁and ▁w ry ▁humor ▁... ▁McK ill ip ' s ▁rich ▁language ▁... ▁con ve ys ▁real ▁str angen ess ▁and ▁power ." ▁( Star log ) ▁ ▁The ▁book ▁was ▁also ▁review ed ▁by ▁Ros lyn ▁K . ▁G ross ▁in ▁SF ▁Comment ary ▁no . ▁ 7 7 , ▁November ▁ 2 0 0 1 . ▁ ▁Awards ▁The ▁novel ▁was ▁nominated ▁for ▁the ▁ 1