Lastly, the Staff of Blue could've really helped Kira solve some problems at the end of the book, which now ends on a cliffhanger for the sequel.

Because of course there's going to be a sequel.

No more spoilers please - I want to savour the (unpleasant) surprises to come. :p

Either it's Chris can't write a woman disease, or is was the same damn thing that was going through his head when he wrote the hairless groin scene.

It's probably both. His attempts at writing a female protagonist are just painful.