I really enjoyed getting back into the bastard's world, although honestly, most of the novel was pastoral and catching up with the main character after almost two decades of living without adventure. When the story picked up, the intrigue was decent and the developments hinted at greater things for the future. It was almost like enjoying his comfortable life was a well earned and just reward for what happened to him as a child. Being drawn back into the world of royalty seemed inevitable because of his children, his friendship with the Fool, and the decline of Nighteyes. He needed to find a new reason to live, and becoming a teacher seemed right to me. 
 The plot really began much later in the book, and while I don't have a problem with that, per se, I did feel a little like the later action was an afterthought. Or the pastoral was only a means to make sense of the later action. Either one or the other was fine, but together I was left with an odd disjointed feeling. 
 That being said, I still really enjoyed the characters and the direction it's taking. I'm still very interested in seeing the developments.