i enjoy this story a lot. in following carl since book 1 i think his character has been fleshed out quite a bit, and i really do enjoy the character dynamics that are present. but i’m having more and more of an issue with carls seemingly purposeful obviousness with the AI and what is going on. it seems to be more of a purposeful flaw of character rather than a legitimate one that makes sense in the story. frequently we see carl identify and solve puzzles and navigate social situations (although brash) with intelligence and a goal in mind. but carl seems to completely disregard the AI when it comes to this. the AI very clearly is creating a specific dynamic with carl. it personally spoke to him with a vessel, yet carl seems lost and confused as to what is going on. especially when he received that achievement regarding the human group of assassins who went after mineshaft owners. it feels like it was being put off for another book, but not in a way that made sense character wise and instead felt like poor event pacing from the author. i’m incredibly excited for the next book, and this remains one of my favorite series although this little detail tended to ruin most of the big moments in the book for me.