As a Smashwords author myself (Elephant Park), I truly enjoyed this book, realizing what a complex undertaking it was. There are a few typos, but I could review my own work until the end of time, and there would still be errors. I must say I also read the book's predecessor, the Unearthling, naturally out of order.
I like the millenial theme of long spaceflight in SF, and have read many versions, this being one of the best, and most all encompassing, by making clear how Earth got to the point it was in the first volume. It deals well with human nature, has some great characters, and even deals extensively with the topics of religion and illogic. The science is reasonable if necessarily suppositional, and ecology is not ignored as it cannot be in this kind of plot.
This is not some Star Wars swashbuckling cartoon but rather a thoughtful book that is great fun too, and one might just learn a few things from it. I look forward to the next volume in the series.
(reviewed 14 days after purchase)