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I quite enjoyed it but I think I shared some of issybird's complaints. There was the hint of the ridiculous in some of the set-up.
However, because I came at this as a work that influenced Martin's Game of Thrones, I found I was reading from a slightly off-centre perspective. I was feeling the similarity - the casual cruelty of youth in power, the plotting, the torture, the sex.
I too found it a bit pulpy and camp, but I also found it entertaining enough that I will want to read the second one. I also liked that I knew nothing about this period of time, (although I'm no history major by any stretch).
However, one complaint I did have was that the writing itself didn't impress me as much as I would have liked. The translation may be partly to blame, but I found that quite a few scenes lacked impact, particular the death/torture scenes.
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