I feel sort of guilty about not liking this book--like I really should have liked it--but the characters and the plot just really failed to draw me in. The protagonist is a mishmash of librarian and English person stereotypes, and I disliked most of the side characters, finding very little in the way of redeeming qualities in them. There are interesting points and funny moments, but not enough to carry the book, really. I read mostly in the hopes that the main character would finally stand up for himself and give the council what-for.