If you're looking for what the cover hypes this book up to be, a historical thriller that leaves you anxiously turning pages, I suggest you find a different book. I was, quite frankly, bored. However, if you're looking for a history of medieval Bavaria with a plot line sewn in, this is your book. That's probably the downfall of being a historian who writes novels-you get backlogged in the details. To be fair, this book was well written, exceedingly accurate and the characters contained sustainable depth. The story just moved SO SLOWLY.