I enjoyed spending time with this older character and his self-made family. Reminded me of Fritz Leiber, although it's been a while since I read that. I'm not sure that I'll be back for the sequels, but the world, while a little [non--Thomas Friedman-y] flat was rich and the people were beginning to unbend and come to life by the end so, given a beach—or a comfy chair—I'll probably pick up the next one.