What an... odd book. I've heard that Jack Vance is a fine writer, but I didn't see much sign of it here. The whimsical inventiveness of the various cultures and traditions were cute, but also had a very strong overtone of exoticisation and othering of people. These cultuers are being presented as curiosities, not as people, which leaves a bad taste in my mouth. (I did rather enjoy the bit at the academic conference, though.) 

The pacing was a complete mess: Jaro's whole childhood is built around his desire to go to space and uncover the mystery of his past, so it's awfully deflating when his missing father just . . . turns up and tells him what happened. The mystery plot then turns into a revenge plot--but even the revenge plot is pretty anemic. All of the plot is pretty anemic. Things just kind of happen, one after another, with very little structure or direction.

Overall, I'm not impressed, and feel no need to read more by this author.