This is certainly the best science fiction novel I've read in 2019 so far and I look forward to see how Bear develops the characters and her impressively rich universe.
POPULAR SCIENCE
<i>Machine</i> is a <b>fascinating</b>, <b>compelling</b>, and ultimately satisfying <b>space opera</b> in a <b>vast</b>, <b>complex</b>, <b>weird</b>, and interesting universe
Locusmag.com
Elizabeth Bear is just as comfortable writing steampunk and fantasy as she is hard science fiction, and <i>Ancestral Night</i>, first half of a duology, brims with heady concepts and sleek far-future hardware. There is a mordant wit at work.
FINANCIAL TIMES
Bear has a <b>striking command</b> of <b>tension </b>and character, and a deep interest in ethics and human behaviour
Locusmag.com
Awesome, awe-inspiring space opera. Fittingly, it shifts from weighty themes to lighter humour with dexterity, grace and crackling dialogue
Daily Mail
Bear has constructed a fascinating, absorbing universe populated with compelling and intelligent characters who conform to neither clichés nor stereotypes. It's sci-fi of the top order.
popmatters.com