Great book. Read it once when I was a kid back when it came out and always hoped for the many sequels Anthony had planned. It has been out of print for many many many years and I am glad that I finally have a copy once again.
Decent book, but as the author puts it in the author's note at the end, it's a history of central asia disguised as space opera, and not very well disguised at that. It's a quick read and moderately entertaining.