It's a great action packed story set in a Hard Magic System fantasy world .I is clear that the author isn't the best but he manages to convey the story creating unique characters giving them all some depth.
I really liked how the author didn't abuse Chekhov's gun. Many authors tend to get lost trying introduce and explore all the elements and end up losing the story. But the author manages to create a coherent world.Not that this can redeem how he concluded the last ark:
They randomly throw in that humans are actually demon-human hybrids that survived that cataclysm as a lazy excuse to have Adjest survive
.
It was really engaging to see how the starling party evolves along the story ,slowly exploring different places along the story ,(even places set in the past).
Of course the story isn't perfect. In the epilogue,the side characters suddenly lose individuality in favour of the empire:
I really don't understand how Romantica went from being a battle mage /merchant of great skill, from an independent country
,with a mercenary group under her to being the empire's modist .
And Pram who is simple minded and peaceful
! ends up being the sword of the empire
. It was even hinted that they'd go together with their abilities and explore/exploit the unknown (It had even less sense when we see what Desir is doing ALONE in the epilogue).I found it almost offensive.
I don't like how a Adjest is portrayed either. We see how strong she is at the beginning and how she is supposed the have a dignified aura, but the author's bad writing messes that impression with what she says and does .
Her power levels are the definition of inconsistent. Towards the end she is supposed to be at her peak (and be the strongest of the team) ,but doesn't do anything noteworthy in comparison the Pram/Desir . She is even pushed around
Pram's over-prolonged last battle against Pierot was also terrible. If Pierot was really that strong or Pram was really king class it should've ended sooner (neither or them are specialised in extended battles and pram is literally Pierot's counter)
Lastly I must mention the Tower of magic is an existence completely incompatible with being under the empire.
Desir's position within the empire is incompatible with being the master of the tower so the ending is not only cliche but imposible. If he had left the tower then it would be posible (there would still be conflict with being the empire's "king's guard mage" and king consort at the same time)