Doomsday Book

I gave the Doomsday Book four stars out of five because I came into it with no expectations. I chose it at random from my library's combined sci-fi and fantasy shelves, and I found it striking. The dual narrative threads kept me curious through the story, and when the final act came down I discovered that I was invested in the characters.
Thus, three stars of the four are due to reader impact. I would not read this book again.
The technical side of the book is a mess; it is designed to be read once through, so there are constant repetitions and what feels like filler to the reader. Yes, it could be condensed down to a short story. No, it should not be, as the current length keeps the impact of the story.
I am not well-versed in history, but I definitely noticed what may be popular misconceptions. Yes, marriages were often at young ages in medieval times, but marriages pairing incredibly young teens with old men were rare. Small tidbits such as that gave the impression that the book was rehashing popular perception of the time; giving a theme-park version, if you will.
Take what you will, it's not for everyone. Now that I know what to expect I will not read any of the other books in the series.