My initial impression from the first episode that this was rather cheap on all accounts proved true.
And yet, I liked the performances of Iwan Rheon and Sara Martins who put some sparks of life into otherwise shallow and boring characters.
Not much else can be praised though. Anthony Hopkins said a few lines of wisdom then was removed quickly. The VFX is indeed as bad as everyone else is saying, especially noticeable in backgrounds, crowds and beasts. The music is usually way to epic, sometimes even annoying. In the first few episodes some bush drums are being played whenever Moe Hashim comes on screen which is super cheesy. The way the showrunners integrate sexual content feels pretty weird as well. On the one hand, they have the extras show as many shaved male butts and female breasts as possible and on the other hand except the lead actors and actresses from showing private parts even in orgy scenes where everyone else is completely naked but them, who are conveniently always covered in clothes. Thats neither romantic nor erotic, just very artificial - just as the show overall.
If you are interested in this setting, the show is good enough to run in the background while you are on your smartphone.