Although I found the constantly changing political relationships confusing, they were not critical to the core story of a young artist/dreamer thrust by tradition into the role of a warrior whose actions range from cowardice to bravery and whose motivations seem to waver like flickering candlelight. There are hints at the greater story to be told in the epic but the actions of this volume can be read and enjoyed on their own.
I listened to the AUDIBLE version and, for a story this complex, that can almost be a drawback as action plunges forward at great speed and it is easy to get lost. On the other hand one is swept into the drama and drawn forward at a furious rate as battles rage and family relationships play out. And then there are the gods. Again, the pace of the well-read narrative (excellent vocalizations!) left me somewhat baffled, but it was clear that some of the frictions were between religious factions within regions. I suspect reading, and seeing the names, I would have better remembered who was who.
So, action and adventure? A+ Clarity of motivations? C- Epic scope? A Delineation of good guys and bad guys? Ah, there you have in a nutshell the source of many of my confusions and yet probably the point of the story. There is no Snidley Whiplash nor Dudley DoRight; each faction has pluses and minuses and each person is nuanced. Even those you want to hate turn out to have golden moments.