A bit more than "Skyrim with no dragons", I guess the correct description would be something like "Skyrim/The Witcher" set in medieval times with no fantasy/magic element whatsoever.
If the game clicks for you, it'll take you a lot of time to explore it all.
It is challenging and very frustrating at the beginning, but precisely because of that it is very rewarding as you progress and the character starts to get more proficient. The way the RPG and story elements intertwine opens up quite a wide range of ways to advance, which makes it all the more engaging: like you can go pretty much all the way with no combat skills or you can devote yourself to become more of a warrior, albeit far from a death machine like a late game Skyrim character.