Ventus is one of those scifi novels that strikes a great balance between plot, characters and new technologies - and a few old ones. One of my favorites and it's free on his website (or you can donate something for a novel that offers both education and entertainment with 4 stars on Amazon and 4.6 on Manybooks) if you're looking for something to occupy your weekend until winter finally sails away.

Set in the far future, mankind has settled on Ventus with the help of terraforming nanotechnoloty. There's a hitch - they've lost control of the technology and have to live with limitations on their advancements as part of the "wildlife" of the planet. While pre-industrial humans living in a "magical" world is interesting, he also explores offworlder intervention to stop a dreaded AI that has sent part of its self to the planet.