A Google user
I dreamt I was trapped in the titular starship after a late night spent reading this. Some of that may have been caused by eating too much cheese, but I think Bear's storytelling deserves much of the credit.
I love Bear when he's writing hard sci-fi in deep space in the distant future. This book adds a fair helping of horror to the mix, in the thoughtful manner of Moon. Thrilling, frightening, captivating.
Timothy Anderson
Not Bear's best, not his worst. Not much in the way of character arcs, it's too short for that; but perhaps an interesting character discovery. It's a hard read, you'll be tempted to put it away after just a few chapters, but read it until the end anyway.
A Google user
I was very pleasantly surprised by this novel. It has the same breathless sense of adventure that I have come to miss from most recent sci-fi: big ideas, real dangers, and a real sense of mystery.