Initially thought I'd let it go that we have no clue what Aion's goals are, thinking we were gonna get an explanation later on but...we're already at the finish line and I still don't understand jacksh*t lol. Ok, he wanted power. And then??? WHAT'S THE ENDGOAL, EXPLAIIIIIIIN

Re-read after 10 years, I didn't remember the toxic masculinity and the simplistic description of male/female interests&behaviours - although I suppose given the time it was originally published and the 12 y.o. narrator, it kinda makes sense.
Also, it just clicked in my head that Greg is a middle child which somehow explains certain things...

In the regular Wimpy kid-books Greg is kind of an anti-hero but in this one...he's an actual f*cking supervillain...
(The TWs may seem like a bit of an exaggeration but they're lowkey not)

I enjoyed the first volume a lot and I sooo wanted to love this, too....it was so long yet I learnt barely anything new about the world? We meet a bunch of new characters who barely add to the plot but we don't really learn much new of the realms. Definitely could've skipped a good chunk, I was wondering if the extra 100+ pages compared to the previous book would be justified but alas, naurrr. Felt kinda repetitive.
The "twists" you could see coming from a mile away;

when you have only 2 suspects, it's not that hard to guess...

the characters just seemed dumb this way, like whyyy can't u seee
Also, in the first book the girlies keep using magic even outside the realms but in this one they just...forget??or??? They're in the realms and never think to use magic for anything even though it's supposed to be unbound, so they could just say, fly distances but instead opt for walking. Seems like the author made the magic system a bit too OP by having no clear boundaries and tried to install difficulties despite it.
(Btw

lowkey mad Pippa was brought back just for her character to be butchered... Her ending was so bittersweet in the first volume, why take it back...
Also, why did everyone act like Circe was this crazy powerful evil witch, she was only a human who literally tried to seize power by just...talking lmao (+why did they not recognize Ms Moore at Spence, that wasn't explained either)
Speaking of which: where is the order? Who df are they? How are we supposed to think they're mighty if they can't even access the realms without Gemma?? I don't get iiiiit

)
Nevertheless, I still enjoy this world, clearly that's why I kept going, I like the writing, ideas, setting and would like to know how it all ends and so I dread look forward to reading the last installment in the series....800+ pages....help

Enjoyed this a lot more than Breach of Peace, the two kind of belong together anyway and make a whole. The characters feel real, we learn more about the world, the story's coming together; can't wait to see how it unfolds.