Honestly, I do agree. The original premise is fairly standard, it's the latter half that truly pops off. I think it's wotth it to go through the setup, but I won't push back on it dragging initially. That future culture would be the most interesting.

Have you read anything from the Imperial Radch series by Ann Leckie? Ancillary Justice? It's high concept world building on a universal scale that delivers. Leckie is my new favorite author.