
In retrospect, I ought to have expected this kind of treatment, because any book that comes with an introduction or forward by the author is usually just an apology before an insult. Characters went through so many changes that I didn't feel like I could relate to them anymore: they might as well have been replaced with new actors or clones.

Every time I reached a portion of the story that felt like the end, I'd look to see five hours of remaining play time.

The book-part-chapter-subchapter structure is needlessly confusing-like picking up a fresh cucumber only to find some dude with a really sharp knife has turned it into a net. Maybe I met this book at the wrong time in my life, or maybe it holds some subtle observations about the human condition I wasn't able to appreciate, but I had to force myself to finish it. I am not feeling the urge to try anything else from Clive Barker which is rather unfortunate. I had a hard time finishing Weaveworld and found myself paying more attention to house chores hoping to hear the ending credits so I could move on to a better read. well I am not sure, too a jaded fairy who wants to watch the world burn simply because she wasn't allowed to be part of the rug, and finally a crazy nothingness that is just sad and angry it lost its charge.

I never once felt the motivation for any of the characters, from a detective who is bad because. From the main villain, who isn't really a main villain because she is too weak to control her lackeys, to a secret back up villain who takes far too long to appear, and finally a lackey who hired his own lackeys that lack as much as him.

The set up was simple, fairies hid from the world to escape mankind and the fairy killer, an unlucky couple frees them from their hiding place, and a bunch of people interact while failing to make you care about any of them. This book was recommended to me by a fan of Clive Barker as a great first book to experience and I honestly struggled to finish it.
