For all that's spelled out in too much black and white, Schroeder's characters are mostly convincing and real, including the kind of resourceful, clever, sometimes funny and brave people you'd like to be able to count on as friends in times of crisis.
Herat's a great one for explaining things; perhaps there's an excess of explanation and exploration of the wildest ideas to please readers who don't like the arias overly digressive in their space operas.
Some of the ensemble "set pieces" are fantastic writing: a celebratory party in a monastery which turns into a high-stakes power game, the final and furious showdown...
The many changes of scenery are generally smooth and sometimes surprising, the big cast includes murderers, rebels, adventurers, the monastic community that upholds the Cycler Compact's concepts of "permanence", marines and even not-so-little green men.
There are hidden treasures, high tech and underhand behaviour, cunning twists on some more recent astronomical discoveries — including brown dwarfs — and a new look at the old idea of doomsday weaponry. Oh, and there's a love story.

'Permanence' is a very different novel from 'Ventus', and that, for all its minor flaws, is one of its strongest merits.
Not one to let go of good ideas, the Canadian writer also likes to develop them at his own place, as shown in his pursuit of "inscape" (Works of Karl Schroeder). With luck, he'll find time for a new novel.