Another solid entry in the series, but it had a few elements that detracted from my overall enjoyment compared to the prior two books.
The storyline is, well, confusing. I read online that the print version includes a disclaimer from the author stating that the confusion about the setting is intended. That statement isn’t included with the audiobook, so there were definitely multiple points that I doubted I would make it through. I am glad I stuck with it, though. It turned out to be very interesting, but I can see why some people consider this a make-or-break book for the series. It was even more confusing listening to it when I couldn’t go back and re-read sections I didn’t understand, and the content didn’t lend itself as well to an audiobook style.
On the topic of the audiobook, when you have such incredible talent as Jeff Hays, WHY is there an atrocious cameo from some YouTuber that sounds like he recorded it over Zoom?! I cannot emphasize enough how bad the sudden change in audio quality and delivery was; I even turned the book off for a bit. It happens early enough in the book that I almost worried this guy would appear throughout, but thankfully, his cameo is brief.
Overall, by the time I reached the end of the book, I knew I was absolutely hooked on this series, but it was a rough ride getting there at times.