I was really enjoying this book until about the last quarter, when I started to wonder how on earth it was going to come together in a satisfactory ending. Despite the unsympathetic traits of most characters, I still wanted to see an ending which balanced their conflicting needs in an interesting way. And it really didn't, IMO. 
 It gets three stars for a compelling vision, and colourful characters who are all incredibly flawed in their own way, leading to some interesting moral ambiguities. I just wish the plot had lived up to its setup.