The texture of the world is its strongest element. In the same way a European-styled fantasy might have a street urchin speak in an approximation of a Cockney accent, here homeless children are greeted with a "wassup?" And why not?
The plot is occupied with the Robert A. Caro quote "Power doesn't always corrupt. Power can cleanse. What I believe is always true about power is that power always reveals." It places that focus into the context of a relationship alongside the hard power of a monarch.
I wouldn't say this does a lot with a little, but what it does do is unique and fun.