This novel, which at first glance seems to promise luxury and languor in the tropics, delivers its plot points in sharp, savage bursts, much as the dyaks swooped down on the English settlers after months of uneventful living (except for the jungle rot, tropical disease and delusions of imperialism). It's a compelling read, one that I will go back to, but having been introduced to maias and dyaks and Dutch naturalists by Patrick O'Brian and the lovably flawed Stephen Maturin, I felt more sure of where I was going (the short glossary is a joke). The journey through the fictional Gideon Barr's empire is misleading, heartbreaking, infuriating. Nonetheless, it's a trip full of wonder and well worth taking.