Much of this book is downbeat as an evil new regime cements its control of the school. There is a lot of moping among the cast about all the setbacks suffered. Things pick up when Soma decides to resist, but based on the fact that the books in this series all end on cliffhangers, I knew even as I read that there would be no real payoff this time around, so I couldn't invest myself entirely. As always, I'm looking forward to the next volume. ( )

Azami Nakiri has begun his reign of terror over the Totsuki Institute. Not only has he pinned his daughter Erina under his thumb and forcibly retired Dean Senzaemon, but now he's destroying all of the clubs and societies around campus.

The Home Cooking Society. (Megumi's beloved club)
The Bowl Society. (Nikumi just got some new members!)
The Shiomi Seminar. (The look on Jun's face broke my heart)
Polaris Dormitory...That's right. Even Polaris isn't safe and thanks to Eizan's underhanded methods even the Shokugeki looks like a futile effort to reverse their fates. ( )