novel about Hermes in combat with Hephaestus in modern world

At first, this seemed like another Tom Holt novel, but delved into seriousness later on, you might say as a Terry Pratchett would.

Without spoiling certain events, I want to express my frustration with a couple things. First, the time-scale of the plot wasn't always clear, so I would turn the page to find that suddenly four years had gone by during that vague couple of expository paragraphs. Second, the plot was disappointingly separate from "current events" of the time. Third, and most frustratingly lacking in clarity: the ambiguous identity of certain characters and their avatars. In a book where ambiguity is not the point (unlike, say, a Borges or Calvino), why not be more clear about some of that world-building detail? Fourth, the two romantic relationships referred to right at the end of the book. Why was this not foreshadowed more? How do the two pairings relate to each other? Will things become complex? Unfortunately (unless I should blame the translator), I don't think this fogginess was desired. I do think this should have been a more traditionally formatted book, with clearer segues between plot points and clearer insertions of philosophy into plot.

In conclusion, Nadolny only wishes he were Gaiman crossed with Holt. ( )