Bookloving writer

What can I say about this book? I loved parts of it, for instance the setting - this world is fantastic. Some of the characters were great. I was so disappointed when some of them were just dumped along the way, or died. The heroine is a naive, selfish and not very smart woman. As you might be able to tell I don't like her very much, and that's a major drawback. The plot was disappointing too. The race - The Grand Ellipse from the title - was fascinating. It took the characters around the world, letting them experience all the various countries and cultures. Then when it ends the story more or less ends too. I could have given this book four stars, but as it was, I was considering giving it only two.