The book is alright, if a bit of a chore to read. It didn't pull me in. The interesting characters don't get much time in focus (e.g. the Marquis), while the boring/uninspiring characters get too much (e.g. Richard, the protagonist). It attempts the dry humor of Douglas Adams with some degree of success, but often just falls short one bit.

I found the short after-story "How the Marquis got his Coat back" much more interesting and fun to read than the main story, which is saying something. The Marquis is an interesting character, and having his POV actually makes for an enjoyable read as you want to learn more about him and what he does. That stands in sharp contrast to Richard from the main story, who starts uninteresting and remains the same throughout.