This book makes for a perfect vacation read. Fashion, demons, mind-control, love, passion and sex.. what more could you want in a beach book? The story is very original, so much so I am at loss to compare it to anything else I've ever read (maybe sci-fi romance novel meets Steven King?); it kept me reading, wondering what odd thing or idea might be presented next. My favourite thing about the book is the way Couto writes, everything from people to light is described in a way that makes you at feel like you could touch it. I am not often a fan of books that do this kind of thing, but its the WAY it's done is really very entertaining...the comparisons are sometimes so crazy and visceral I found myself laughing out loud... "a man with a face like chocolate suet", "walls that curved and ran like ridges in thick cream, slowly poured over the rusted crenellations of some long forgotten machine". These are not even close to the best ones. Next time through, I'm using a highlighter... some of the passages are worth repeating (and re-reading). The cover art gives you nothing to go on. I recommend you "look inside" and sample a few pages. Great fun.