I purchased this book during a time when I was scouring for books based on the end-of-year recommendation lists from diverse sources. In this particular instance, it was the BSFA list. It combined two elements that I have a passion for - music and science fiction. Moreover, it was a winner of the Arthur C. Clarke award. So, one might wonder how it could possibly not be worthy of being read.

However, in reality, this serves as a clear illustration of why I should perhaps a) adhere to what I know I enjoy and b) not place excessive reliance on awards and recommendations. This book simply failed to captivate me in the slightest. The science fiction aspect is rather minimal. Apart from one incident involving a global computer virus, it can be classified as SF mainly because it is set in the near future. The music is mostly in the background, and I found the political aspects of the story rather challenging to follow. The characters might be musicians, but I didn't take a liking to any of them. Additionally, aside from the fact that one of the main three is female, I had difficulty differentiating between them.

Consequently, I will not be purchasing any more books in this series, and this particular one will soon be making its way to the charity shop.