But I suspect that will come later.
There's loads of description (maybe too much?) so you get a good feel for the world from quite early on. I like the idea of a fantasy version of Venice withGodfatherovertones. It certainly works as a setting for thievery, as Locke & Bug note on the barge in chapter 1.
I like the interplay between the characters, and knowing what's coming later it makes me a bit sad too.
Still torn on whether I like the Interludes. I think if I imagine it like flashbacks in a film then it works fine for me. It just takes more adjustment in a book. What I really like is that it shows us that Locke is not the stereotypically perfect main character you so often see in fantasy series (you know, the ones whose mistakes even work out for them).
Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read. - Groucho Marx
