I don't have the words for this book. Suffice it to say I was not expecting the magnitude of this book, the sheer scope of its drama. Nor was I expecting something as beautifully written and heart-wrenching as it is. This book is brilliant - not only because of the strength of its writing, but the inventiveness of its telling. Much of the plot contains stereotypical scifi tropes: refugee starships, a space virus, a rogue AI, space battles, etc. But it's told in the form of a dossier filled with memos, transmissions, IMs, recordings, journal entries, and interviews. It's difficult to craft a cohesive narrative using this style, let alone one that's 600 pages long. And yet, it succeeds. It surpasses good and enters greatness, especially in audio form, which has achieved a rare feat: the elusive, full-cast audio recording where everyone is good.

So much of this book is about the universe and its vastness, its emptiness, but also its life-giving nature. Some of the story's most poignant moments come in the form of AIDAN, the ship's AI, wondering at humanity. It's dark, bloody, and sad, but ultimately hopeful - which is what every work of science fiction should aim to be.