Kirkus Reviews said that the novel had "some brisk action closes the proceedings, but otherwise, mediocre problems and solutions--our hero has little idea how to Google for information and spends most of his time asking his friends for gossip.

"[1] Publishers Weekly said "Modesitt cleverly weaves together disparate threads of information to form a complete tapestry.

"[2] Jackie Cassada reviewing for the Library Journal said "Prolific sf author Modesitt (the "Spellsong Cycle") creates a far-future tale of intrigue and mystery featuring a tough but admirable sleuth.

"[3] Throughout the book, Modesitt makes tongue-in-cheek references to a number of other science fiction and fantasy authors.

These are usually in the form of statements or thoughts by a character, and often jumble the order of the authors names or of their novels.