I made the right call in how I approached coming into this volume after a while away from the series. With the background knowledge from the re-reads, more of the subplots fall into line, making me not as confused by what was going on in the worldbuilding. I really appreciated how Zariya took the time to hash out how deeply tied the Gallands, werewolves, and government are. It casts doubt on all corners. There are sympathetic parts to each, but which party is the lesser evil? My vote is werewolves. Dominic, with his role in the plot (now that it's known), is committed to poking out the hypocrisy everywhere. With more time with him, I imagine Coyote will continue to be more engaging.
Less time with the romance was also nice. In touching upon how Coyote's relationship with Keifer has developed and prepping for the next step in the werewolves' plan, we're able to see more of the side characters as people and not as solely filling up the page. The two scenes with Schneider specifically revealed more to his persona than what we've gotten so far (I liked it). When I got to the romance, I liked how Coyote and Marleen are more tender with each other, but the thought process in getting the two together was sus. IMO, it would have been stronger to build up their time together with Marleen's house arrest rather than sexual urges eventually taking over. We don't want any more open doors (iykyk).