When I first got this volume, I was slightly underwhelmed. I felt as though, despite more than half of the book focusing on the Rithmere Games, it didn't capture the feel of the original.
And in saying that, I also feel that there was too much focus on the Rithmere Games! Rather, should I say, there was too much focus on the fighting. Heck, the mangaka even managed to leave out several key plot points, such as the threat of the blood-thirsty crowd, the subplot about the previous winners disappearing, and there is no mention of Queen Bee Cider at all.
As I said before, there was a real heavy focus on the actual fighting, and I think I know why. The mangaka, Makoto Niwano, was originally a wrestler, and before making the Deltora manga he created several wrestling mangas. So, of course, the Rithmere Games was probably as good an excuse as any to depict gruelling battle scenes.
I could probably rant a whole lot more about the decline in art quality and several other choices, but I'll look as though I'm whining. XD;