I enjoyed this book more than the previous one, probably because I spent less time trying to figure out what was going on (and more time trying to remember who the hell everyone was. I have no memory. Authors who rely on me remembering the main character's name from the previous book will be disappointed.)
But the premise and the sheer scale of the epic fantasy held my attention and the little things mattered. The weirdness of the world (and Hurley is amazing at weird!), the way that cultures actually differ properly from one another, the entire premise. Perhaps not remembering the characters worked out in my favor. It kept me from getting attached. Will probably read the third, although a significant portion of characters who I like are dead. Still, I want to know what's going on.