Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it...
Recently, I read the The Caryatidsby Bruce Sterling. Set in the mid-2060s it's outside of what I consider to be Bruce's sweet spot of 20 to 30 years into the future.
I was worried a bit use of a three world power system with each power representing different world view. There is a long history of opposing sides in science fiction representing opposing ideas. Generally, in these scenarios the author "proves" his favorite idea is best by having its side come out victorious. Fortunately, Mr. Sterling does not give into this impulse and at the end of the book all the sides remain balanced.
The title characters of The Caryatids are 4 "sisters" cloned from the DNA of there war-criminal mother, and all of the sisters loath each other. Going into the book, I found this notion too artsy by half. However, over the years Bruce Sterling has matured from I guy who is good at coming up with ubercool future gadgets into an accomplished storyteller, and for the the most part I think he managed to pull off the clone thing.
On the whole I would give it 3 out 5 stars.