The only reason this book gets more than 1 star is because it is Arifureta.
Prequels are always a difficult thing to write because we already know how they end, so making things interesting to that point can be a great challenge. And 500+ pages of stuff that just didn't matter to me was a chore. A chore that took several MONTHS to get through. I guess I made myself a victim of the sunken cost fallacy that I'd read some so I should finish it.
Oddly, the bonus stories in this one were the most interesting part of the book instead of the part that brings down the quality of it.
You DO NOT need to read this series. You really don't. It does not really add value to the original. Stick with the mainline books unless you are a HUGE Meledi fan (which I never have been).
It's a shame that these volumes came out so far apart from each other because it makes it tough to remember who some of the side characters are when they're given a lot of focus here. But I thought this was a very emotional and well-done finale that had me tearing up quite a bit by the last 100 pages or so. We all knew that the Liberators would fail, but how swiftly victory was stolen from them was still heartbreaking to see. It also sets up the main Arifureta story nicely, and I'm excited to read the final volumes of that, especially with the extra chapter at the end. A great series with a lovely and fun core group to see interact.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.