While I have read the previous two books in this series I think the story line is just getting to convoluted. James is adding to many characters to his novels. The books written in a completely unfamiliar setting do not need the twist and turns of early Clancy novels I still enjoyed reading the story, but to often got lost when he would switch to a new character with no warning.
Not sure Not an handled his brother's situation very well , the guy is a traitor who tried to kill him and if I'm the emperor it's a good excuse to cancel the wedding , other than that the plot rumbles along well , Samaritan is too dumb and emotionally destroyed to realise that he is being used , it's the church not the empire that needs to be destroyed.