This is one of Emily Short's best plots, which is saying a lot. You are a daring member of a secret group infiltrating a party, with a vibe like the Scarlet Pimpernel and plot with pleasant similarities to Shakespeare (masked figures, cross dressing women, court intrigue, etc.)
The game features a menu-driven conversation system where you can change the topic using 'TOPIC [SOMETHING]'.
I found the many characters interesting and intriguing. It took me a while to warm up to Short's typical character types in her games, but it's hard not to be a fan when you play so many very-high-quality games by the author.
Everyone mentioned some hiccups. I had to peek at a walkthrough once to get through a confusing area. But I find that highly polished, perfect games are often less enjoyable than the raw games where an author pushed boundaries (like this game) or poured out their heart (like Worlds Apart). Not that these aren't polished, but they contain some flaws. Great literature is similar; the long, boring setup in an Agatha Christie novel is what sets up the great conclusion, and often the boring part is where the best conversations and set pieces are.