Liked this a lot, but there were some weird snags.
First, that opening. It reads like a "last time on As The Wyrd Turns" kinda thing, but it doesn't feel like it lines up with the ending of Liesmith? Also, I feel like there were some things glossed over in that timeskip-- Sigmund is moving in with Lain? After two months? Nothing more about what his Dad thinks about Lain, who he recently hit upside the horns with a pan? Nothing more about Sigmund and his Dad's little family drama re: Sigmund's mum? You could totally sell me on that, but I didn't get any explanation.
Anyway, and then we get into the main plot, which I thought was quite solid. Really enjoyed Lain's "in a hard spot, pursue all possible options because something's going to pan out eventually" approach. Felt very real and very /OH LAIN/. The twist from the last book got some good play, with some nice identity crisis stuff for Lain, while Sigmund's settling into sharing some brain space with Sigyn quite well.
I liked the main plot but there was a bunch of stuff that I either wanted more about or I wanted to play into the plot more. For example, I spend most of the book convinced Prudr (I am not trying those characters rn) and Valdis were going to end up together? Em's whole social justice-y background was alluded to in the first book, but I felt like her approach to the dead's protest rally was still a little out of left field. I got very excited about the gender fluidity/identity stuff, but would have liked to see more.
I did love all the stuff with Hel and the dishonoured dead tho. Would read Wayne and Em's adventures in friendship with Hel so fast.
Also, Sigmund banging Lain for the first time when Lain's in his fluffy dinosaur bird form was great. You know that kid romanced Garrus every time.