I am back to one of my favorite hard science fiction writers, Stephen Baxter.
I read "Coalescent" to complete more of the Xeeelee saga. It is good, but not outstanding like "Timelike Infinity" and some of his other Xeelee novels. Not much science fiction here in Coalescent. But I liked the historical bits about Roman Britain, it's fall, the subsequent fall of Rome. After a slow start, I became engaged by the story of a desperate British roman girl and then grown woman trying to save her family during the collapse of roman civilizations. I think his other Xeelee books are better, though.
Despite this, I've moved on to reading "Exultant", the next in the Destiny's Children series (it was already gifted to me). I find it more engaging. It's set during the Xeelee conflict in the far future, inside the core of the galaxy and at Earth. Some fun time travel paradoxes explored here, timeloops caused by FTL travel are used to change battle plans, and have lead to thousands of years of stalemated conflict with the Xeelee.
— then moving on to "Unfinished Tales", then going on a trek through the entire Riftwar cycle, which are some 20+ books. 
