This was super satisfying to read, and most of my hopes for this came true.
SPOILERS:
I wish Rugrat and Eric had each found a special someone. I like Rugrat with Raquel and I was kind of shipping Eric with Rosca but that could just be the romantic in me. I didn't understand why Rugrat and Raquel wouldn't have worked out they're both independent and can still each do their own thing and then visit each other regularly just like Blaze and Elise right?
I miss Gilly- her death was NOT okay and every time Eric thinks of her or mentions her I am stabbed in the heart.
However, the ending was super satisfying. The author does a great job of testing Alva's power and making the battle realistic and devastating. I feel like one of the main themes of this series is loss in war, and how even though fighting is necessary- the cost is high. He does a great job of tempering the power of Alva so it doesn't seem like an OP fight- but yet the Alvans still spank the United Sect Army and The Black Phoenix Clan.
P.S. Thank you Michael for giving us Mistress Mercy's final ending. I would have liked for her to get whipped with her own stupid whip- but Domonos killing her was satisfying enough.