I read the first two books in bahasa Indonesia. I was worried that perhaps the translation made it less enjoyable for me, so I read the third one in English. The translation was not bad per se, but I think some location names would be better left untranslated. For example, I cannot, for the life of me, fathom what nuance "Sektor Tribatu" is supposed to give. 
 My actual problem? It is probably because I don't like being in Mare's head at all. Once we got a change of POV, I found myself adding one additional star to this book. Evangeline's POV chapters are the most intriguing. I'd rather be friends with this metal-bender (view spoiler)[princess (hide spoiler)] than the lightning girl. 
 My intense dislike for Mare aside, the major problem is this being set in USA some centuries (milleniums?) in the future, yet it feels so...medieval. Like our current civilization is not contributing anything at all. Every time Julian the historian showed up I wish he would not ruin the story further for me by explaining some nonsense about how our period connects to theirs. I would much prefer this to be strictly set in alternative world instead. 
 Could we also talk about how they throw the generals and kings to the war front all the time? Are these so-called "key people" that disposable? Am I actually reading Lord of The Rings here? This linked quora thread explains why in modern warfare, it might not be a best idea to put generals (and even more so, kings/state leaders) in the war front. 
 But then again, aside from frequent, vague mention of "machinery" or "factories" here and there, the war (and the world in general) does not seem modern at all, yes. 
 Final verdict : It would be a really thrilling read if you care enough what would happen next. I could not care less about Mare; she could die (she probably would) and I would not bat an eyelash. However I do want to know whether Norta would become a republic, and what would become of Evangeline, and Iris Cygnet, so I am not DNF-ing this series anytime soon. 
 Well, it's a good thing that King's Cage is just "okay" for me (with one additional star for Evangeline), because otherwise how would I survive until the publication of the 4th (and HOPEFULLY last) book, right? 
 Right?