The more Brandon Sanderson I read, the more I realize that he is a spectacular worldbuilder and a really strong plotter, but only mediocre in actual writing. This book was instrumental in me realizing that, because The Frugal Wizard’s Guide for Surviving Medieval England is mostly gimmick, and without a powerful plot and world behind it, it feels like a gimmick. The writing isn't bad, but it's not spectacular, and it wasn't doing anything to connect me to the story or the protagonist. And the story kept being interrupted by pages from the in-world guidebook, which seemed to be operating as both a repetitive gimmick and as a substitute for world-building. In plot, concept, and commitment to the gimmick, it really felt like something a high schooler might write. Which is not at all what I expected from Brandon Sanderson.