The ending is very very rushed, not just a bit. True to its root, though, it's also a tragic ending. I hope Ning, Bai, and Liu meet again in the next novel. There's a lot of plot device and characters/factions that are not used, seemingly because the author "axed" that plan and speed run the book towards the ending instead. It's a shame. There's a lot of pomp about the three big factions, but in the end, it's just a "background noise" mostly... That said, it is still a good ride for me. It could have been so much more, but alas, it is what it is.