I play this game for over a month now, and still can't get enough. For a one handed person, used to play copy/paste Mass effect tipe of games yes it can be hard. But if you love challenge, detail, exellent combat, tons of stuff, replay value (my char is now lv.196, max is 712), this game is heaven. Way better than any Gothic, Dragons age, Risen, NWN and stuff.
For me this game is GOTY all the way. Is it hard? Yes, but is fair. After time you learn and then you die only if you make a mistake. Opponents do not cheat (you can when you learn and if you want to) This game is never ending challenge.
And yes, you can dodge. If you take your time and learn how.