The anime is airing and hopefully it will be able to attract as many new readers as it can get.
I did not expect this to switch gear. Bloody, full of brutality and a form of greed on the battlefield. Then it becomes hilarious ---but also gets better in my opinion, I appreciate the author to stick to the initial premise and make the struggle of the main character wandering in a harsh world.
Thorfinn made a big mistake, a sin that is too big to be redeemed, something that kept him from turning into a better human being.
I quite liked the story when it entered in the middle, because Thorfinn did not receive much spotlight and was shadowed by Askeladd as the strongest figure until his death came.
You can say this is not what I thought when you got horror first. But I still love the development, no matter how people say about the current arc. From what I see, everything changed after Thorfinn became a slave. And he got something out of those empty moments. And now he was tested to make a decision after the people around him urged and narrowed him to run away.
The story ultimately did not develop into massive process of political intrigue and how Thorfinn was made a major figure in the field.
So, lastly, if you want entirely action in it ---or in smoke, a big discussion about how a country changes, don't read this. It's more about how people live their lives, and it changes when death is linked to their ego.