A Closed and Common Orbit

I remember starting this immediately after finishing the first book a few years ago and just not liking it. This was completely different! Where were all the characters I'd loved so much in the first one? I dropped it because I wasn't really feeling like reading it, but finally picked it up again today.

It's easily just as good as the first book. An overwhelmingly optimistic character-driven book of identities. Loved it.