it's definitely the calm before the storm.
I just realise why I feel this series a bit off-putting, it was the fact there are a lot of traumatised backstory but there are no real evil villain and no real embodiment of complete goodness. It makes readers like me feel frustrated but we don't know what to blame. This kind of story make it too realistic, and for someone who enjoy an escape from reality, it was a bit suffocating. Still, the series is really worth reading. Thank god I didn't drop it midway.