It wasn't a book I expected to like much, but I thought I'd give it a try.
The first chapter surprised me, it was grittier than I expected. The book as a whole still isn't any dark, macabre fantasy, but it's more mature than it seems. The writing is nice, sometimes quite great, and the characters and story caught and held my interest. I really enjoyed the book, and it's one of the few times I've eagerly awaited a sequel to a random book I picked off the shelf.