John Varley is one of the best storytellers out there; and here his talents are on full display. The plot is a wandering jumble, full of dead ends, weird twists, and inconsistent pacing. BUT, that’s all because the main character/narrator is that kind of person, and there’s a ton of personality infused into the narrative. This character would never tell a story without asides, and off-topic background.
The plot itself is a complicated interwoven mix of at least 2 separate stories that need each other I order to resolve. This is not an audiobook to put on in the background–it depends your attention.
If I have one complaint it’s with the audio performance. Like most audiobook performers, the narrator tries to give each character a certain voice–or sound. This book has many female characters, and they’re critical characters. But this actor–when he voices a female–affects a high-pitched, breathy voice. Every female character sounds like a voice like someone imitating an airheaded-teenager in a comedy skit. It makes it hard to take the characters seriously–and you NEED to take these characters seriously.