Template: A Novel of the Archonate (Planet Stories)

There's a lot to like about this novel:  an interesting, creative, and engaging setting; an unusual lead character; and a good mystery to keep the pages turning.  The settled galaxy is known as The Ten Thousand Worlds, and each of the handful we're introduced to in Template are culturally distinct and memorable.  The first half of the book especially is extremely engaging and quite the page-turner, as the author has the admirable trait of letting the reader figure things out and avoiding info-dumps.  The story slows down once the main character reaches the homeworld of the female love interest, and the rest of the book, while satisfactory, is not as original or tightly-plotted.  Template is one of many novels set in The Ten Thousand Worlds, and I'd like to check out others.