The characters spend the first third of the book agonizing over strategy and their own insecurities while weeks pass in the story with no meaningful narrative development. There are a lot of tired tropes at play here, including the suggestion of a love triangle that seems totally unconvincing and contrived. Some of the action occasionally comes across as indulgent. Despite its warts, this is an effective page-turner, and the taut final act includes some truly weird twists that make the whole journey worthwhile.