**Spoilers** **Spoilers**
The third in the Culture novel deals with the Culture's response to war. I was wrong in my previous post about the structure of the series, in that this novel doesn't concern itself with an obvious outside threat. Instead it deals with an individual, Zakalwe, who isn't even a member of the Culture. Instead he comes from a war like planet and is used by the Culture to interfere in wars that affect the interest of the Culture, which hovers like a shadow over the events in the novel. They use his expertise but he is not always deployed on the winning side - he gains a reputation as a mercenary for hire and is feared throughout the region.
The novel revolves around the long term relationships between a brother, Zakalwe, his sister, Livueta, and their close male friend, Elethiomel whom the siblings father is fostering. Eventually the planet they come from splits into a vicious civil war with the two boys siding on opposite sides. Zakalwe's side eventually wins but a horror occurs on the battleship Staberinde that Elethiomel had built, still haunted Zakalwe. For Elthiomel perpetrates untold evil in his attempt to win the civil war.
A young woman and a drone from the Culture guide Zakalwe through his conflicts and endeavour to work through his past. Zakalwe's motives are confused but often revolve around finding his sister who was involved in the horror on the Staberinde. The twist in the end when we find that Zakalwe is actually Ethiomel and that he had killed the brother and replaced him in an attempt to atone, hence the sister's constant avoidance of him.
Not as I expected - I thought we would see some of the Culture's ships in battle but a much cleverer book with a solidly told story.
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