More intricate, more plausible, more significant than any debut I can recall -- Cory Doctorow The kind of science fiction that makes me excited all over again about what science fiction can do -- Jo Walton Thought-provoking, disturbing, occasionally perverted, and always entertaining. Worldbuilding at its richest * Kirkus Reviews * Incredibly ambitious and groundbreaking... Palmer writes gloriously lush prose stuffed with asides, allusions and nods to the reader' * Guardian * Admirable in its scope and attention to detail... A book thats quirky and makes you think' * Concatenation * A powerful, beautifully written novel... It is a mystery, historic document, social commentary and futuristic science fiction all combined to make an excellent novel' * Concatenation *