So I promised I'd talk about Iain M. Banks' Look to Windward, a sci-fi novel that seems to be part of a greater series, with no information inside the book or on the cover as to where it sits within that series.
It starts slowly, and it took a while to get into the swing of things, but the story speeds up towards the end and becomes thoroughly magnificent, though never entirely gripping; as I remarked to Lauren, it is the perfect bed-time book as it is a joy to read, but you feel no remorse in putting it down and going to sleep, and with the exception of the last few chapters, there's little to force you to return.
The science is interesting and relatively low-key; instead of making a big deal of all the neato things Banks has thought up, it describes them as we would everyday objects - the amount of detail only extending so far as to inform the reader of function as related to the plot.
It's my first Banks book, and from other reviews I've read, it's one of his weaker works, which implies great things about the many other stories he's written. Look to Windward is moderately recommended, and I'll be off to the bookstore to buy more of his books as soon as my schedule allows.
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