In all honesty, volume 17 was a bit boring for me. About 75% of the book is the tournament, and one with no real stakes for Fran. The remained was for the most part big fights as well. Don't get me wrong, the fights are over-the-top and would fit in a shounen action anime quiet well. The lack of stakes in tournament just drag it down for me, that and I want at least more going on than just fights. O well, at least the one flashback of one of the contestants was after the duel and it does add a bit more depth to the world. All in all, not the worst in the series, but certainly not in the top either at least for me.