Ugh, Neil Gaiman ensnared my interest for this one and I felt compelled to give it a full read just to see why. I can assure you, he's got something in him that is not in me. This book was HARD to get through. I never found myself caring about anyone but the Italian doctor and even she felt expendable by the end. Surely the book was a treat for many a false-history reader, but Game of Thrones this is not. I did finish it, so it wasn't so bloody awful I couldn't bear it... but it was barely worth the effort and time. I do not feel as if I gained anything having done so. If you ARE a alternate history junky then you probably have already read this. If you haven't then this is probably the best example I have found of a book that rewrites history, throws in fantasy, and utterly confuses you all at the same time. Good luck!