Do I Bother Finishing 'The Baltic Pilgrimage'?

Look, I don't like to cast shade on anyone's writing. Everyone has a vision.

But this book contains the passage:

"His packhorse and his marching horse were also tended to and brushed personally by Ludwig as well as his servants, though not with as much care and love with which Ludwig instilled within his gently gestured strokes of the brush against Golgotha's thick, lush devil-black hair and mane and tail-so black, so dark was Golgotha that it seemed the blackness was not just a color but an absence of color with what appeared to some to swallow up light that was nearby so that a dim aura of a hazy gloom seemed to surround Ludwig's steed, Golgotha."

And I just realized that that passage was one sentence.

I think it means that Ludwig's destrier is black and beloved of Ludwig. I feel like this was unnecessary, though 'devil-black' is an interesting descriptor. Not helpful, mind, but certainly interesting.

I checked this beast out on Hoopla because I am writing a post about the Balts as a companion to my post about the Teutonic Order. There weren't many books to choose from, and I thought it might at least give me some ideas. So far, what I got was an interesting sea serpent design.

Do I bother finishing it? What do I gain? It's historical fantasy, which is unusual for me. It's nice to branch out sometimes. Perhaps I can see how to not write.

Please tell me I don't write like this. I'm not sure this person understands how words work.

I mean, I'd probably write the forgoing as:

"His servant brushed his courser and allrounder while Ludwig curried Golgotha's light-swallowing black fur with gentle strokes."

Of course, this would be how Ludwig is introduced with a few lines of dialogue between the two of them, at which point a shout above deck would herald the attack of the very cool sea serpent. Excuse me, serpentius as they are called in the book.

We'll see if I drop it.