This novel is basically what I was hoping Overlord would be: a scheming protagonist who's willing to get his hands dirty in the face of overwhelming odds, with wacky subordinates and extremely dangerous enemies working behind the scenes. He's not a boring invincible hero/villain, his friends and subordinates aren't slavishly loyal to him, and many of the antagonists are quite capable in their own right. Mind, there's a lot more comedy and less dramatic irony, but that really works in this novel's favor. The only real problem is that the chapter organization can be a bit loose, which can make it a little hard to follow during the first 30 or so chapters. Keep with it though, and your in for a real treat.
