▁and ▁future ▁pass ages ▁" do ▁not ▁mesh ▁ter rib ly ▁well ", ▁and ▁that ▁it ▁is ▁" to o ▁long " ▁with ▁" to o ▁many ▁ideas ". ▁He ▁compla ined ▁that ▁the ▁book ▁was ▁difficult ▁to ▁follow ▁and ▁that ▁Bear ▁keeps ▁" mov ing ▁the ▁goal posts ▁as ▁it ▁su its ▁his ▁narr ative ". ▁Ke en ▁said ▁that ▁for ▁a ▁science ▁fiction ▁novel , ▁he ▁was ▁surprised ▁at ▁its ▁" lack ▁of ▁consist ency ", ▁and ▁called ▁it ▁more ▁a ▁work ▁of ▁fant asy ▁than ▁science ▁fiction . ▁He ▁said ▁the ▁" re vel ations " ▁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 ▁Oak land ▁Trib une ▁compla ined ▁that ▁Bear , ▁who ▁it ▁felt ▁is ▁not ▁strong ▁on ▁" craft ing ▁memor able ▁characters ", ▁" stru gg les " ▁with ▁the ▁novel ' s ▁multiple ▁view points . ▁The ▁review ▁added ▁that ▁while ▁he ▁" t akes ▁a ▁long ▁time ▁to ▁get ▁there , ▁and ▁arriv es ▁with ▁a ▁pal p able ▁sc ent ▁of ▁ant ic lim ax , ▁[ B ear ] ▁does ▁deliver ▁at ▁the ▁end ", ▁although ▁with ▁not ▁enough ▁to ▁satisfy ▁the ▁rev iewer . ▁ ▁Science ▁fiction ▁critic ▁Paul ▁Kin ca id ▁had ▁mixed ▁feelings ▁about ▁the ▁novel . ▁In ▁a ▁review ▁at ▁the ▁SF ▁Site ▁web z ine ▁he ▁critic ized ▁the ▁character isation ▁saying ▁that ▁he