That’s totally fair and I get that. What I’ll add is that “the slog” is well-written and interesting, it’s just that none of it appears cohesive for a long time. You find yourself thinking, “What does any of this have to do with a larger narrative?” It does have a larger narrative, but my memory is that it takes approximately 300 pages for you to get it.

Me! I came here to write that I’ve read it! The first 300 pages were a slog, but once I hit the Eschaton Debacle, it was smooth sailing.