Starts out with great promise and then crash lands on a low-tech Void planet where you slog through hundreds of pages of uninspired politics leading up to an uninteresting Socialist revolution. Very disappointing.

Ambitious first part of two science fiction novel. Well developed characters and settings. A little thin on actual science but contains a good deal of imagination. If you enjoy a long science fiction story that takes awhile to come together then this is worth reading.

Peter Hamilton is, hands down, one of the best science fiction writers ever. His characters are all well rounded and the world's they live in are amazingly detailed. Some may complain that he spends too much time setting the scenes, but I enjoy the lavish details. I really enjoyed this book, and can't wait to get to the next.
As an aside, if you haven't read Pandora's Star and the sequel Judas Unchained you really need to, you won't be disappointed.

Couldn't finish it.

Easily one of the best books I've read all year. Emotionally invested with all the characters, and that is no easy trick. Last few pages I was laughing to tears. No kidding~
Read it,
Cheers