Smaller than its predecessor, which doesn't hurt it at all; where The Long Way... literally travelled halfway across the galaxy, this one is about being stuck in one place - either one body or one scrapyard - and having to deal with that. Which not only makes it extra relatable under Current Circumstances, but also allows its characters to live more in this strange, harsh but ultimately optimistic world that Chambers has created. The writing is still more cinematic (or TV-matic) than literary, but it works, and she brings a few angles to the age-old are-AI-people Bladerunner shit that feel fresh. And any book that makes me pick it up before I get out of bed gets an above average grade from me.