Surface Detail by Iain Banks

[samvara]

New culture novel but would probably stand alone. Lededje Y'breq wants revenge for her abuse and subsequent murder. Her highly personal tale is woven through a much bigger one exploring of the use of virtual realities as Afterlives - specifically Hell(s) and the galactic war raging around it.

I usually love his books but for me this tipped over the ‘too gross’ line where the suffering described doesn’t justify the payoff the story achieves.