Well. It all seems to be coming together now.

The first book seemed well written but a little unsure about where the story might head. Book 2 rectified that, but wasn't long enough to give a good impression of what direction that might be - there were still too many new things in it to give each enough space. Book 3 is much simpler in its plot, and starts tying some of the ideas from #2 together, revealing a first glimpse of what's actually being attempted here.