There's a lot to love about this novel. The Chaucerian frame is fantastic, and the style gets a constant changeup. I love the connected novella form and there are so many subverted tropes. We start with a subversion of the Great White Hope come to save the savages. We get a twist on the faery tale. We get a solid Resnick-styled heartstring tugger with the Scholar. And the cyberpunk noir is a pure delight. And that delight is only magnified by a solid wink to Gibson's Neuromancer being part of the history of this world. 
 When I get a chunk of time to commit to these, I'm going to revisit Hyperion and its sequels. I'm certain there's more to unpack in this novel now that I know where it's going. I'm also going to read Chaucer's Knight's Tale and Wife of Bath's Tale before going back to the Soldier's Tale.