I liked parts of Cities. I liked the flawed characters - Syndey Carton and Madame de Farge - but found some of the other characters hopelessly noble. I would never have picked it up, or finished it, if it hadn't been assigned reading. What did you like about Great Expectations?

I am not trying to underestimate her powers of pulling it all together so that I'll be all "...oh!" - but it hasn't happened yet.

I suspect the last book will pull things together somewhat, but not in the ways I am expecting - a long-term strategy for malice containment/eradication, Farmer/Lakewalker education, Dag and Fawn in a healthy established community.

I enjoyed Passage more than the previous two books - okay, Beguilement and Legacy are pretty much my least favorite Bujold novels - but I'd have to reread it at this point to come up with any deep thoughts.