Sharrow is on the run. She has to find the last Lazy Gun before the Huhsz find her. Her combat team soon reforms to help her and capers ensue.

Banks effortlessly manages to create a rich universe filled with his unique ideas: Lazy Guns, sial races, etc. No sign of Minds, SCUs, or GSVs anywhere! Instead of the utopian Culture, we see a capitalist society with lawyers and taxes. Don't worry, you don't meet many lawyers in the book.

I kept comparing it to Consider Phlebas. Perhaps because they both revolve more around teams than his other books. I found the group dynamic was much improved from his debut effort. The story was much more coherent too.

Strangely, I felt this was a reasonably light-hearted Banks novel. Action, fun, and intrigue. If you don't usually delve into Banks' non-Culture efforts, then I urge you to try.