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I wasn't thrilled with the last book in the trilogy, and while this one was better - because at least the things that were happening felt relevant and weren't pointless side quests - I still wasn't all that invested in the story and got through via a prodigious amount of skimming.

I don't know whether it's the writing itself, or just a lack of investiture in the story, but there was just so much extraneous description type stuff that I could get away with skimming without actually missing much of the story.

Meh.

I didn't even find myself caring that much when (view spoiler)[three of my favorite characters were killed off. I mean, would've rather Kairo died sacrificing herself after realizing how much of an ass she was, but, no, it's 3 of the better characters... (hide spoiler)]- which I assume was on purpose, as the author was probably trying to wring the most tears out of us, but even then I was like, "Well, that sucked" or "That was stupid and these people are stupid", but no real emotional reaction at all.

Maybe it's just because the build up to certain events made it so obvious that it was more a foregone conclusion, in some cases, and so lost it's momentum?

I don't know.

Anyway -

Now for a rant.

One thing that really started bugging me in book 2 and continued in this last book was the repetitiveness of the descriptions, especially certain phrases.

I got tired of hearing how pale, like Iishi snow, all the Kitsune clan are - because of course we need our heroines to be pale beauties, because colorism is real.

I also got tired of the phrase "bee stung lips". Yes, Michi is a beautiful and sultry femme fatale. I'm sure we all get it by now without repeatedly lingering on her curves and her litheness and her fucking "bee stung lips".

And of course Hana, because of her mixed race, has blonde hair and "too large eyes", because, clearly, white features are deemed attractive, as evidenced by an abundance of anime.

Really, as I read it I realized how, despite the claims of it having strong, kick-ass female characters, the whole thing is really very male gazey and weeaboo.

Though, in defense of it's weeaboo-ness, this story would probably be really good as an anime, because the story itself, while somewhat predictable, isn't all bad. There are some decent characters, and some decently flawed characters, and a nice lesson about environmental pollution and whatnot, and lots of action and fight scenes.

So I sort of take back what I said earlier - I think it is the writing that's the problem. I think this story would be much better served in a visual medium, to cut out a lot of the clutter of the narration.