Sure, this is well written, but I can't handle Tess. Possibly it's because I read that this is (somehow unintentionally?) very reminiscent of Tess of the D'Urbervilles which I hated. Now I can't stop seeing the similarities.

Tess is just a mean drunk, and I don't like her, or have any desire to continue her story. At 20% it's only just getting to the "of the road part" and I was promised dragons, but it's not enough to keep me going.

It's a terrible shame, because that book cover is a masterpiece.