Raven Stratagem

Yoon Ha Lee's universe is dense and complex, with a bewildering civilization at its heart. I read SF to be bamboozled by new ideas, to leave my head spinning, and Lee delivers this quality in spades. Yes, it is baffling at times, and you're thrown in at the deep end of calendrical law, hexarchate relations and exotic weapons, but there's also plenty of treachery, backstabbing and massive space battles - all the good stuff in other words. Okay, you need to read this book carefully, but it'll reward you. This series (and you really should read Ninefox Gambit before attempting this) could well turn out to be some of the best SF of the decade.