I was torn between rating this novel at either a 3 or 4 stars. I elected for a 3 star rating because of a few factors. #1 the tale did not arrive at a logical breaking point; the 6 major components of the novel did not feel as if they were cohesively summarized. #2, two of the 6 major segments of the novel were neither on a literary par nor equivalently interesting with the other 4.

I will attempt the second novel in the series later, to see what comes next. Perhaps the threads of this tale will become more obvious to my old, slow brain.