This was my first foray into the Merchant Princes series. Somehow I didn't feel drawn into the prior books. But I tried this novel, the first in a new series of stories, and I was hooked. I don't know that I'll go back and read the previous stories, but I will definitely be waiting for the next installment of this series.
I've read most of Stross' books and, to me, this is his most approachable book in a long while. What I liked about it was the cast of characters as well as the way the story was told. While not all characters were fully detailed (nor did they need to be) the main ensemble was excellent. In particular, Grandpa Kurt was fascinating. One potential trap Stross avoided was simply alternating between story lines (and timelines); instead he let a series of scenes play out (constantly reminding the reader where they were). That helped me stay focused and engaged. Stross also avoided getting too grimdark, which I think has hurt some of his Laundry Files stories. He keeps an even tone and makes sure there is always some light ahead, even if things look dark at the moment.
Some few little things bugged me. For instance, how does Timeline 2 know to call another place Timeline 4 when they haven't discovered Timeline 3 yet? But that was probably a necessary construct to keep readers oriented, because otherwise it would be easy to get lost in the multiple plot lines. Notwithstanding the little things, I found this an excellent story with interesting characters, set in a complex multiverse
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