I found this volume a bit harder work than the previous one. The rather bland language came across more prominently, and at times it was even a bit confusing. I feel like there's some definite over-literal translation going on, and a freer hand would really have helped out.

This volume puts a very heavy emphasis on a new character, and I'm not sure she really stands up to it. There's a rather obvious plot arc around that which didn't do a huge amount for me. The sideplots featuring other characters were actually much more interesting to me this time around. I mean, I still read it in one sitting, so it clearly has something going for it. ( )