I am halfway through this book and I'm wondering when it's going to take off. So many reviewers have called it "fast-paced," a "thriller," etc. I'm finding it plodding and dull. I came here to re-read the reviews to convince myself to keep reading it, that at some point, something interesting will happen. So far, it's just 2,500 pages or so of character development or set-up or something...boring is the word I would use. Now I know why it was $2.99.