Well, I do have to say that I enjoyed this much more than I thought I would. It's quite dark, and the main character is clearly an anti-hero, but at times it seemed a bit over the top. In the end I did care about the main character somewhat, but it certainly didn't hold a candle to Abercrombie, which is the closest to this in style I've read to date. It was a quick read that carried me along from beginning to end without interruption, though. It was certainly action packed. I'm rather torn about the whole thing. I suspect I'll be re-reading it in the near future to clarify my feelings about it, and will certainly read the future novels, if for no other reason than to see how the author's skill develops.