I really enjoyed To Sleep in a Sea of Stars! It took off running in the first few pages and didn't stop, for which I am grateful since it's such a long book! It was definitely action packed and fast paced, making it a more plot-driven than character-driven novel, but over the course of the book the characters became more fleshed out and by the end I came to love them. One of the highlights for me was the scientific aspects of To Sleep in a Sea of Stars. The science was so meticulously and logically incorporated, and it was clear that the author did his research. All the theories and ideas were well organized, easy to understand, and consistent. The novel also dealt with themes of loneliness, destiny and drive, and sense of self, and explored the vastness of the universe and what it means to be on a certain path. The writing was lovely--descriptive and beautiful without being over the top or overcrowded with unnecessary information. For me, this had everything I wanted out of a space opera: aliens, spaceships, futuristic technology, strange new worlds, epic battles, intriguing science, characters you can root for, and even a hint of romance.