The final Culture novel, since Banks died half a year after publication. Story and characters are solid but what makes this one really stick out main focus being on a species that is about to sublime.

I really like the concept of some sort of ascension and often bemoaned that it received little coverage in previous books with Look to Windward discussing it the most. In that way, it was probably the best way this series could have ended for me, although I found the titular piece of music and the instrument invented for it while amusing in concept a bit gimmicky. The protagonist - Vyr Cossont - is also not the most interesting, more being carried through the story by events and other characters around her than showing much agency or even motivation herself. The supporting characters more than make up for that though, especially Berdle who, like Demeisen, is a ship’s avatar displaying that same playful seriousness that I liked so much in these novels. I could have done without the Banstegeyn arc though, that was a bit weird.

As mentioned before, the story is about a species - the Gzilt - during the last days before sublimation. Most of the story is spent chasing a piece of information that may or may not affect their decision to sublime. The end major spoilers for this bookleft me a bit melancholic, I had really hoped Vyr would survive throughout all the dangers she faced so she could sublime with the rest of her people… but in the end she simply decided not to. On the other hand, Banstegeyn and Agansu simply sublime with barely anything more than a slightly heavy conscience. I found the contrast a bit weird.

Not sure what I’ll read next, maybe The Three Body Problem, Hyperion, or something else entirely…