I can see why this is such a classic. The Watches of Moscow are made up of cunning and cruel characters, both Light and Dark playing a complex game. Anton, the main point- of-view character, is little more than a pawn in these schemes, but his doubts and decisions drive the plot forwards. Some of the plans within plans did seem excessively convoluted, but maybe when you're hundreds of years old, you simply have nothing better to do with your time. An interesting read and I'm looking forward to the next one.