"Exceptional freshness and suspense . . . full of startling revelations about human and puppeteer politics."--Booklist
"A far-future SF mystery/adventure set two centuries before the discovery of the Ringworld by humans. . . . . Intriguing human and alien characters and lucid scientific detail."--Library Journal
“A new Known Space book, particularly one with new information about Puppeteers and their doings behind the scenes of human history, needs recommending within the science fiction community about as much as a new Harry Potter novel does – well, anywhere. But Niven and Lerner have produced a novel that can stand on its own as well as part of the Known Space franchise.”--Locus
“If you’re a Niven fan, just go buy the book. It’s that good!...It’s the finest Known Space work in many, many years that I’ve had the pleasure to read. This is an essential read for anyone interested in how good science fiction can be.”--Green Man Review
“A very worthy addition to the ongoing Known Space future history.”--SciFi.com
“As we have long expected from Niven, it’s a great read, and Lerner—as Analog readers know—has the knack as well. You’ll enjoy this one.”—Analog Science Fiction and Fact
“Larry Niven and Edward M. Lerner have teamed up to write the prequel [to Ringworld], and it’s well worth reading whether you’ve read Ringworld and its subsequent books or not.”--SFRevu.com
“If a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, a lot of knowledge can rock worlds.”--Kansas City Star
