Waverider

In terms of message, I find the ending entirely disappointing. Throughout the last couple volumes, we learn that the 'voice' in the stone comes from... technology and was developed by the great-great-grandfather of the protagonist, with ghosts (or something ghost-like) of machines/robots being all around and able to help. But then it becomes the responsibility of Emily (and her family but more so Emily) to ensure that these shadows do not impact other worlds, like Alledia (where she has spent the past nine volumes). I don't like that it becomes an individualist lesson of how to stop shadows from taking over different worlds.

As a whole, the series makes me frustrated with the ways in which many of the characters' relationships feel... disconnected and forced. Other than a couple character combinations (Aly/Navin and Navin/Emily), everything just feels... like they forgot to ensure that their relationship was developed over the course of the story. Most relationships are already pre-existing (including Navin/Emily, but also Enzo/Rico and all of the Charnon robots), which makes it feel superficial when they're forced into interact with someone else or be worried about them.

As for the ending: I hate the Beauty and the Beast aspect. There was no foreshadowing that the curse the humans-turned-to-animals (like Leon, Rico, and Enzo—a fox and two cats, respectively) was tied to the shadows that have been trying to take over the universe. When Emily beats the shadows (through the power of being a protagonist—it is explained, but that's how it feels), everyone who you'd been accustomed to who'd been an animal... is suddenly human. For reasons.

Everything "bad" in the world (I don't know that I'd count this as bad, but whatever) is attributed to the same one cause. That's weird because that's... not how the world works, and I think it's disappointing that this is the direction the story took.

Trellis's whole arc gets... smashed into nonsense. He's the elf prince who doesn't want to be prince, he gives up the crown to another (Gabilan) in order to maintain peace, and then the school of stonekeepers has one person fail (because the voice is talking to them, trying to get them to give in), and Trellis steps in to tell them all to just... not. "We won't use these powers." This part isn't bad, actually. It's that, after Trellis tells them to stop and convinces them to leave their giant forms, the kids all start referring to him as 'your majesty' and then his ending is that he is the king of Cielis... so he becomes king again! Hoorah! ... Which doesn't feel earned, and it also doesn't feel like the kind of arc his story was building towards.

It's just a lot of stuff all at once. I think if it was drawn out to build the relationships and context for what happens, it'd be better... As it is? Frustrating.