I've probably owned this book for at least ten years, maybe more, and I haven't gotten around to reading it. I'm a big fan of John Ford, starting from when I first read Growing Up Weightless when it was first released.

But this one is a historically based novel, and I tend to like that sort of SF&F novel less than others. I think the main reason for this is that I don't know that much history, which is kind of pathetic. So the book's detailed references to various historical personages are sometimes lost on me. But I'm just dumb.

So far the book is pretty interesting, even if I can't place it in a real historical context. I still think I prefer Ford's more recent work (this one is from the early 80s) but it's enjoyable. I don't think I've really gotten to the core of plot, as the main players are only just meeting each other. Hopefully I won't get lost later on.

I think I actually have an easier time following very complex fictional worlds (like those of Gene Wolfe's creation) because even if the author is oblique, there's less assumed shared knowledge between the reader and author.

Update: I gave up.