Status Updates From A Taste of Gold and Iron

This feels like one of mine. I only meant to read the first chapter. Oops.

I have to let go of Rowland's setting, but it's hard when they're using it to put all kinds of real-world historical research on display in thick paragraphs and long pages. It just doesn't mean anything to the story, and it's slowing everything down. "Ottoman Empire" pitch but just one religion and multiple gods so far, mixed ethnicities of names, no international conflicts, the romance is all miscommunication so far

Inspired by the Ottoman Empire but no mention of religions or divers peoples, barely any hierarchy, no slavery whatsoever. Every year, I sour further at the concept of selling a fantasy book on a setting or aesthetic. Rowland has done research, but on odd cherrypicked things. Meghan Whalen Turner wrote about slavery in her middle grade fantasy, but you can't stomach one mention of slavery in a romantasy for adults?