I would give this a 3.5 rating. Pieces of the story were reminiscent of The Hobbit (complete with a mission to slay a dragon!) but without any specific history of the people or the lands. It was enjoyable in that the characters were for the most part likeable and their journey on foot an interesting one. 
 I've read Ishiguro's Never Let Me Go and The Remains of the Day. All 3 books were easy to read with very straight- forward prose and characters. Each book had a feeling of suspense or promise, that never really pays off in the actual writing, although it may be that the author wants you to resolve that on your own. I've obviously enjoyed this author, as I've read several of his books, but none of them have truly resonated with me yet.