My trusted sources and others liked this book so I was excited to read it. I was not disappointed :-) It’s a tale of interesting humans in a future with plausible advanced technology. But it’s much more about the political structures which have evolved and the people in them. I have not extensively read history or philosophy and so a large number of references and allusions skipped right by me. However I was drawn into the personal tale and the world immediately. I kept on wanting to read more each evening even though I was usually exhausted. I was not disappointed at the ending but I’m glad that I can more or less immediately start book 2. Highly recommended

Beautifully written, with a vastly rich and complex world. The most unique fourth wall breaks in recent years. And a story concept that puts into perspective the morality and ethics of progress. The problem: it’s too philosophical for its own good. I mean it when I say it’s “beautifully written”, it wasn’t long before I found myself sucked in by the writing style alone. I didn’t really care what was happening in the story, I was fascinated by the shear linguistics. But as I grew accustomed to it as the book went on, I took a step back just to catch myself up on the story, and I realized how minute the story’s presence was. It almost seems as if it takes place in the dead space between the words, like the real story is hidden in subtexts. As intriguing and idealistic as it is, Too Like the Lightning is more philosophy than science fiction.

A belabored examination of baroque political system that hopelessly upstaged any hope of storytelling.

Politics told in poetry and Latin that just happens to take place in a future world. It's barely sci-fi and the Latin along with the twenty different names for the fifteen different people along with their genealogy in the book made me completely disinterested. None the less I finish any book I start and I'm glad I'm done. As is popular today I'm sure they'll be two more books so I will find out what happens through Wikipedia.