Although set in the future, this book is more like high fantasy than sci-fi and technology is basically treated like magic. There are also strong mystical overtones throughout. I do like high fantasy, but that genre has to walk a fine line between earnestness and just pure silliness. I think this book is more of the latter than the former. The book is also told from the point of view of a single character and with 900 pages to get through the single reference point gets old fast, or at least it did for me.
Also, when reading this book I kept remembering David Brin’s brilliant polemic against elitism in Star Wars and our myths in general. I think a similar charge could be leveled at The Broken God.