I spaced out my reading of this volume more than I did the previous one, and it definetly made it a better reading experience. By gradually reading it over time, I was less annoyed by the fact that there's hardly time for character development. Reading the (previous) compendium like a novel really messed up the pacing.

That said, I do hope that there's an ending in sight for this story. I still mostly enjoy following these characters through their ups and downs, but there's only so many ways a story like this can go before it starts to wear out its welcome.