Thanks, I’m glad you liked it so much!
To address a few specific points:
Callum
Teeeechnically, Callum hasn’t fully taken that leap into what a lot of people would consider “truly” cheating…but you’re definitely right that he’s stringing the MC along, and arguably cheating in spirit, so that certainly doesn’t excuse what he’s doing! In the next flashback chapter, you’ll get the option to put your foot down and force him to actually make a choice between you and Charlotte.
That said, though:
I’m not gonna argue the point itself, but I’m gonna request that you (and anyone else reading this) not be quite so aggressive in expressing your (otherwise valid) opinions, if only for the sake of pre-emptively keeping the conversation civil and under control. Thanks in advance.
This is…fair. This was intentional to an extent (I wanted to remove the illusion that the talisman completely changed Callum and that he wasn’t himself at all at the end—it may or may not have had an effect, but he was always like this to some degree). But if it’s actively making him less interesting as a character I might have to tweak some things along the way 
We’ll see!
Charlotte
Weirdly, I’m actually sort of intrigued to see a less positive opinion on Charlotte! (Most people so far seem very willing to forgive her flaws—which is also totally valid, by the way! But not quite what I was expecting when I first wrote the character )
I will tell you that she is very much not perfect—but as with Cortez, her flaws are more internal than external. Obviously, she’s very talented and intelligent (that’s not going to change), but technical skills aren’t the only things that define a person’s competence or ability to function in certain contexts, and there’s a lot that Charlotte will struggle with as the game goes on. Of course, keep in mind that it’s eventually you, not her, that leads your army to near-success. 
For what it’s worth, though, I actually don’t think she’s two-faced at all! Other than her mother (which is, obviously, a touchier subject), she’s actually very comfortable showing multiple sides of herself in front of most people—note that she feels no need to hide her nastier behavior toward you from Callum, or, for that matter, her affectionate behavior toward Callum from you. Unlike Callum, she’s not trying to fool anybody (except her mom)—she just genuinely doesn’t like you, and isn’t afraid to show it.
The “bitch” part is honestly fair, though. 
She’s done a lot of fighting at that point, and by then, she’s on her last legs and winded enough that she can’t just handle it by herself. She actually does need your help at that point (or at least for you to serve as a distraction).
As for feeling useless, this was, I felt, necessary to communicate just how deeply the MC’s life was upended by the Ashbarrow Massacre. It’s a catalyst for many things, including the MC’s journey from an innocent civilian to a hardened warrior. As such, your skills, and your ability to meaningfully contribute, will increase as the flashbacks go on. Hopefully you won’t be feeling useless for too long!
Others
I’m glad you don’t find her unbearably annoying! I personally like Valerie, and I know a lot of other people do too, but I’m also very aware that she can be…a lot. So yeah, it was very important to me that I allow the MC to not necessarily love her immediately (or at all).
A few people have brought this up, actually, haha. I guess I’m gonna need to include an option at some point for the MC to realize that they have a type.
Oh no 
Did I make it too obvious that it was Landon?? I knew I shouldn’t have made him so friendly right off the bat!
Circle
They dedicate a lot of their magic to keeping their existence secret. A lot of illusion magic is involved. As Valerie mentions, “mind-wiping” gets employed sometimes (though, as you might have read in Chapter II-1, this method becomes unreliable the deeper things get ingrained in long-term memory, since Will magic is mostly limited to surface thoughts).
It’s still not perfect, obviously. A number of Mundane do learn about the Circle’s existence, and in these cases, the Circle is sometimes forced to negotiate with them to keep the secret. (And some, less honorable chapters of the organization might just…make the problem go away.) There have been a couple instances where the Circle came close to being unveiled, and chapters have been forced to completely relocate their bases and schools to avoid being discovered by people that could actually prove their existence.
Pretty big! They have chapters in most major countries across the globe. You’re not really gonna see any besides the Stillport chapter, though—unless there’s a potentially world-ending crisis, most chapters mind their own business and work independently from one another.
It actually is a coincidence, though it’s possible Dragon Age influenced me subconsciously…
Thanks again for leaving such detailed thoughts! Hopefully I managed to address enough of your concerns/questions.
