This is what good Science Fiction should be. Challenging, intriguing and broadly scoped, it's an amazing novel with fascinating characters- human and alien. A must read for fans of the genre.

Make sure that when you read this, you don't let the fairly murky beginning make you put the book down. The story does a very good job of clearing itself up and explaining everything fairly well by the end. Although it did take me a second read to fully comprehend every little detail (such as the dogs using vibrating protrusions from their head and shoulders to read their packs thoughts, it's not telepathy) it was totally worth taking the journey all over again. Once you've read this, I strongly recommend taking a look at its prequel, A Deepness In the Sky. Another fantastic book that follows the main character's history with the Qeng Ho fleet, millennia before the events of this book.

Epic, thoughtful, internally consistent space opera.

I loved the opening chapter … and then came the doglike telepathic symbiotic warriors? Ugh. I suppose those aliens are as good as any, but from that chapter I knew exactly where this novel was heading. Okay, maybe I didn’t know exactly, but it was enough of a disappointment for me to stop reading. I just have no patience for the “children among aliens” plot devices.

Semi-mystical mental fog.

Awesome