Maybe it's because I'm a belligerent warrior in the genre wars, but the historical inspiration for this fantasy didn't appeal to me. I liked it better when the core of Moorcock's work was science fiction and/or fantasy.

Also, the depiction of rape is intolerable. My edition has the original ending and the rewritten, supposedly toned down ending. It reminded me of a sleazy old Russ Meyer film, or those compilations of horrific violence against women in "classic" old movies where big name male stars are shown sickeningly, endlessly slapping women.

So overall, I think this is the worst Moorcock book I've ever read and I think it should just fade into obscurity.