How is Forsaken?

So I've tried to read both "Renaissance" and "The Secret Crusade", and found both of them to be rather lackluster, so much so that I didn't finish either.

I'm aware that "Forsaken" is actually not a novelisation like the others, and instead focuses on the entirety of Haytham's life (a character I very much enjoy). Does Bowden's style improve due to the fact he's not straight up adapting a video game to paper?

Also, how much does the novel cover Edward's life? If it's going to cover a lot of what happens in AC4, I'd rather just read it after October.

Thanks in advance.