Of course, as a book by Neil Gaiman, there is no way this could be anything less than great. It is. But, it being by Gaiman, it still somehow disappoints.

The story is very episodic, and it is clear from very early on that each subplot will be important in the great resolution. Every character has a specific role to play, and only a handful of them are unexpected. Especially some of the chance encounters are so brief and unresolved that they really feel like puzzle pieces to be inserted in their place later on. That's a little sad and surprisingly sloppy, since it can be felt that the story has been constructed with great care and even more love – for the characters and for the places. Every little story is fun to read, and filled with a sparkling sense of wonder. It is only in putting them together that it feels laboured.

The ending is unsatisfactory to the point that it calls for a sequel, and that's maybe where the book's greatest chance lies: if everything could be made whole in a second book, then there would be no reason to complain. But as it stands, this is probably Gaiman's weakest work to date – at least pertaining to the plotline.