I’ve enjoyed the previous books in the series, but unfortunately, this one didn’t live up to my expectations.
The author seems to be attempting to create drama and evoke emotional situations repeatedly, but these attempts often fall flat. As the series progresses, the lead character becomes increasingly snobbish. At this point, it feels cliché, reminiscent of every noble character who acts disdainfully towards the main character in other stories.
Moreover, the author appears insistent on portraying a supposedly very old and incredibly intelligent character in a way that contradicts their established traits. In certain situations, the character is inexplicably dumbed down, seemingly just to manufacture more drama.
To give an example, without giving away spoilers, when someone warns the main character that “someone close to you is going to do something bad,” the character instantly thinks this means that someone PHYSICALLY close to him is going to do something bad Its completely out of character. It’s hard to believe that a character who consistently analyzes situations so thoroughly would overlook such a basic interpretation.
Throughout the book, there are similar situations where instead of taking action, the narrative dedicates 2-5 minutes to the character expressing emotions like anger or frustration. This repetitive approach feels forced and has led me to lose interest in finishing the book. Despite having only 1½ hours left, I really dont care how it ends.