There is clearly too much hard work, research, and intelligent speculation in Coalescent to make it a book to dismiss. But it's only with serious reservations that I can recommend it. I think that Baxter — never a writer to piddle around in the shallow end of the pool — tried to tackle too much here. The story of Regina, her descendants, and the strange society of the Order was complex and engrossing enough without Baxter's needing to throw in so many potboilerish thriller elements. (Not to mention a cheesy space opera coda with lots of raygun carnage.) Maybe in the sequel, he will merge his endless flow of ideas into a final product that's just a bit more coalescent.
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