I went ahead and read this without rereading the first three, partially because I wanted to read Bells this year and I realistically wouldn't have made it through a reread beforehand and partially because I thought it would lessen my chances of disappointment if I didn't have the first three books fresh on my mind. I don't know if it worked, but it didn't hurt. I appreciated the points of being faithful to the end and God providentially working to bring the right people to the right places to do His work. Cyrus showing up to the final showdown with a baby was kind of funny. I think I liked that Gilgamesh did indeed return and stay faithful at the very end, but I'm not sure I was convinced. And that is all that is coming to mind on the plus side.
Edit: I guess the answer to "was the destruction of Ashtown the End Times or AD 70?" is "neither," but closer to AD 70 than the End Times.

I agree on pretty much everything you disliked. Very frustrating that Mercy just got abandoned and I did not like the 'Angel of Death being bound by Solomon and obeying Cyrus' element at all. Everything to do with Solomon in this book grated for me.