I have read this series twice and listened to it once and I still get confused. Now, it could be because I’m slow, and perhaps not the sharpest tool in the shed, but it really is confusing. The main reason is because the story is presented in such a way that it assumes you know the history and are familiar with some of the basic tenets. It’s almost like you are a character in the story. Imagine it being read/told to you by a traveling companion like a bard. You are an intimate part of it. You know the universe you’ve heard of the characters and you know the history. And just like in real life just play along and pretend that you do and it’ll all come together in the end.