I'm a huge Smith fan & have been since reading Deathbringer many years ago. That being said, this was a mediocre book. The first 100 pages were je-June and filled with pedantic activity. However, once Elliot's childhood trauma has been revealed the story progressed sufficiently enough. Like reading Shakespeare's Tragedy of King Lear, a reader would be hard pressed to find a redeemable/likeable character; however, the violence & reckless abandon that Smith's characters often exhibit makes the work a worthwhile read.