The plot was a little convoluted but I liked how it handled the themes of purpose and companionship. Each point where Agni was exhorted to "live" felt impactful and changed the direction meaningfully. I appreciated that he had a decently complex psyche, variously despairing, hoping, and persevering throughout the story. He was also fairly self aware, which can be a rarity in these sorts of stories. I thought the "fake it til you make it" motif toward the end was an interesting idea from the author. I'm not really sure what I think of the commentary on religion, although it was one of the most prominent features of the story. Certainly, it was primarily portrayed negatively, as we see it sprang from delusion and caused suffering to both the in and outgroups. But there wasn't a hysterical condemnation and we do see how it brought some amount of structure and prosperity with both Judah's cult and Agnism. I think it did well to have more of a supernatural bent rather than lean into the scifi.
All in all, this was a page turner and decently thought provoking, and I enjoyed reading it. I'll probably go read CSM after this lol.