Every important character in this book, whether alien or human, sounds the same....which is to say, everyone sounds like bantering, clever, funny people who are committed to doing what needs to be done. If you're going to read characters who are "generic" in their own universe, this is not a bad way to go. :) This is entertaining fluff that neither insults your intelligence nor takes itself too seriously. You'll need to have read the previous books in the series to understand all the references to past events and the setting.