Arthur C. Clarke's Venus Prime: The Shining Ones

Was quite suprised with this book. Blake and the crew of the "Ventris" are taken on board of the the Worldship that was Amalthea, joining Sparta who had made contact with the alien, Thowintha. The alien entity on board takes them on a journey of knowledge through space and time, which changes many things for them, perceptionally and in Sparta and Blake's case, physically (gills are somewhat handy when living in a vessel that is filled with water). The finale of the book leaves a lot of questions, and you sit back a little thinking, "ok, how?" but typical of Preuss's good work, it is a very enjoyable story.