I have a hard time getting into non-hard-scifi / space-operas. It felt like the rules were loose. Good read, but didn't move me the way Children of Time and seq

I have a hard time getting into non-hard-scifi / space-operas. It felt like the rules were loose. Good read, but didn't move me the way Children of Time and sequels did. Ie, Children of Time felt like something Stephenson or Andy Weir would write; Shards of Earth felt more... I don't know. Almost satire?