Spoilers for the entire trilogy.
The Monkey Warlord annoyed me. He said to Rin ‘Vaisra wants you, not us.’ Uhm, did he forget that Vaisra killed his fellow warlords?
Wish the Rooster Warlord was still alive since there is a focus on Tikany.
Rin hated the collaborators because ‘how could they turn on their own people’ when she literally spared Su Daji who did the same thing. Plus, she’d seen Vaisra and Daji go at it. Why could she not understand that if Su Daji had her reasons, the village collaborators did.
Rin got betrayed and lost her powers again?! Ugh, so repetitive.
Souji annoyed me and I was glad to see him die but at the same time I don’t think Rin should be relying too much on mob violence. One day that mob could turn on her. Yes, she has her powers but still.
Also, it annoys me how it took too long for Rin to gain a sense of charisma. That’s what leaders are supposed to be, charismatic, but it took way too long and we didn’t see enough of it. Especially since people in the South are worshipping her.
The time period of the setting confuses me. The Hesperian women wear 1860s clothes and yet they also have bombs?
The third book misrepresented Venka and Rin’s relationship. It says ‘Venka and Rin hated each other so much they would have physically fought each other.’ I never got that vibe in the first book. It was obvious Venka and Rin disliked each other, but not to the point of fantasising about violence. Rin’s hatred was focus on Nezha at Sinegard.
What exactly was the point of Riga being related to the Yins? Riga never mentions his relation to Nezha when going through Rin’s mind. Vaisra and Nezha never mention their relation to the Dragon Emperor.
The Trifecta were killed off just like that. What wasted build up.
Okay, turns out Kitay has Hesperian prisoners too? Where does he keep all of these prisoners and what does he do with them?
How come the Hesperians left Sister Petra behind when it was mentioned they prioritised getting the Gray Company scholars out?
Who exactly burnt those opium fields? If the Southerners did that, then what was the point of growing them all?
Turns out Rin still has poor charisma. Could she not have said she’ll use it said opium to exchange for food to feed them?
And then Rin finally decides to let Nezha kill her? I think this needed more build up.
Honestly, I was wishing that Rin took over all of Nikara just like Mao. Yes, Mao winning isn’t a good outcome, but is Chiang Kai-Shek winning really better?
The third book was the opposite of the first in which it diverted too much from history.
I’ll make a final overall conclusion post next.
by InfernalClockwork3