In no way would I recommend this book to a newcomer to the setting. Especially the beginning is messy and confusing.Parts of this book felt slow and dragged on while others discovered the ideology of the imperium in another, fresh light - something that a book set in the 41st millenium could not do- There were a lot of characters and the story jumped between each one irregularly. But nevertheless I enjoy the unique ideas presented. I also want to add that Garviel Loken as a character is nothing unique but his connections to some of the human characters were interesting and at parts even cute to read The story and especially ending are crammed in the last 50 or so pages and feel forced. I think if the tension was build up more it would've been more effective