When the book says "ah, it's in the same world as X much larger series but it's a separate story that can be read without exposure to the other books" I tend to take that pretty literally. I like Reynolds's writing style, his smart and scientific approach to space opera, and the clever expansion and ideas about a much wider universe inhabited by humans and all their many limitations. In this case, however, my lack of background knowledge does me a great disservice. Around every corner, it felt like there were references to people, places, and events that I wasn't aware of as a new reader in the series. But also there are some strange things (like a character who is actually two people suddenly and without warning, but in a way that makes it feel like the other character revealing this is tricking everyone including the reader) that didn't sit well with me. I would consider revisiting this if I read at least a few books in the massive Revelation Space series, but I couldn't follow it well enough as is.

3.5 Stars
While Inhibitor Phase is part of the larger Revelation Space series, the author has stated that it can be read as a standalone or entry point to the universe. Knowing this, I picked up this new release as my first Reynolds. 

However I have a strong feeling that my impression of this novel was lessened by my lack of previous knowledge about the universe. It was not that I was ever truly confused, but rather that I lacked a sense of full immersion. I just always felt like I was missing something. Saying this, I am intending to read through the Revelation Space books and will come back to re-review this one once I have a fuller understanding of the universe.

In terms of the writing and worldbuilding, I was immediately impressed. It's clear why Reynolds has built such a name for himself in the genre. The universe is detailed and expansive, which makes me excited to read more of work. 

For such a sprawling piece of space opera, I was quite happy by the intimacy of the character work. I thought the main character was quite likeable and good perspective to read from

In terms of the story itself, I absolutely loved the setup but I lost stream about 30% in and struggled to hold my immersion. Again I feel my struggle with the plot largely stemmed from my lack of background with the universe. 

Readers of the previous books will undoubtedly have a different experience than me and I would certainly recommend this book to them. For me, I still liked it, but it's clear that I need to go through the rest of the series before I can fully appreciate this one. Expect a re-review from me in the future. 

Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

**please note due to low rating I will not be leaving a public review for this book as I have not paid for it.**

Thanks so much for this free audiobook, however I just could not get into this story. Maybe it's because I'm coming into an already formed series?