*nods* Yeah, I can see how you would have reacted that way! I had a similar mixed reaction to it, but I had a really hard time putting my finger on what about the book wasn't working for me. There was just something about Castor that didn't really engage me as a character, and something about the book overall that turned me off a bit. It was a little too gritty for grittiness's sake, I guess? Especially in the beginning, I just didn't really feel like Castor's world was a place where I wanted to spend a lot of time: it was too dark, too unpleasant, too lacking in likable people. It got better towards the end, but I think I'm still looking for another Dresden Files analog, where there's a large cast of people that I all like. The Castor books aren't really doing that for me so far.