I literally just finished the book.
It got so dull in parts I wanted to give up on it.
The best parts are in the last three acts in the story, especially when you get past the war. I would not recommend this book.
Mellick admits in the foreword that it is not good book because it was written while he was so young.
Given that I would be willing to read something else by him but I can honestly say after a while the act of reading this was a bit tedious.