JS&MN also suffers from attempts-to-be-progressive-about-gender-and-race-that-don't-really-work-out, to some degree, but I'm curious to see what you think of it all. Inherently it just has a really cool world mythology that isn't all that borrowed from existing mythologies, and two main characters that are interesting, so I hope you enjoy it.

That's definitely true re. King -- also, situations you inherently invest in. So many cases where it doesn't matter if you'd like the character in a sitcom or an ensemble cast: their life and current plight is impossible not to be on the edge of your seat about.