Up to volume 3 now, and I was expecting something a lot worse. I was worried that the plot would be a simplified view of the American Civil War, but the American Civil War only serves as a loose inspiration for the setting. The plot is closer to the fantasy world of Berserk rather than the United States of the 1800s. There is Griffith-like character who serves as the villain and a Guts-esque protagonist who is betrayed in a flashback. The Griffith-like character, biblically named Cain, founds another nation. So, the plot is not super fresh, but is well executed. The characters aren't the most interesting, but Schaal is a serviceable lead. The pacing is fast, but consistent, and works for the narrative so far. Schaal's character development has proceeded steadily, without slumps.
The varied Incarnate designs are really entertaining and keep the series compulsively readable. The monster design is really important in such a series. As a previous reviewer touched upon, the Incarnate designs aren't as jaw-dropping as the designs of the most awesome Apostles in Berserk, but are pretty neat.
Going to stick with this. Schaal may not be the most engaging protagonist, but having her as the lead differentiates the series from being a Berserk clone. The plot has less of the build-up and less of the epicness in comparison to Berserk as well, but the trade off is that it's a faster, lighter read (and one that we may see the entirety of in our lifetime). I enjoy it a lot more than other Berserk-inspired series I've read, such as Claymore.