skygiants

Other people have now said pretty much everything I was going to say. But: I think that the problems I have with the book (which are the same as the problems I have with parts of Dorothy Dunnett's books) are, aside from melodrama*, a certain preciousness of situation which is off-putting. I think this is what bothers me, also, about the Sephardic issue-- not that it's an implausible situation so much as it is an overly pretty and convenient one. I can't stand it when it feels as though events in books have been contrived at so an author can inject his or her private fascinations. Russell's are less thoroughly researched than Dunnett's, which makes them more obvious, but both authors are equally guilty.

I'm curious to hear what you think of Children of God... I remember not liking it as much. I'm vaguely planning to read Russell's newest book, which apparently involves T.E. Lawrence. As T.E. Lawrence is a character who seems to invite melodrama and overpreciousness, I experience dread.

*and by melodrama I really mean this tendency you mentioned to pile more and more suffering upon the main character, the better to make him holy with. This is something which both authors sort of disavow, but still do.