You’re free to feel however you like, and express those sentiments publicly.
And I’m even willing to concede that as his first publication, it’s a novelty. Furthermore, it’s a quality-made tome in terms of material and design.
But for any rational and economical student/collector, The Complete Works is a dream investment, at an unbelievable price.
It not only contains all E.A.'s solo-authored works (including Kingdoms of Flame of course), the printing, stitch-binding, cover materials, and unannounced accessories of this tome are set to be the highest quality out of all his releases.
He avowed to me on the phone yesterday that he believes this is the most ambitious work ever published in the history of magick, or at least, certainly black magick.
(A self-congratulating statement? Yes. But truthful? I believe firmly yes. The only other collection of books that could compare may be that of Aleister Crowley, or Franz Bardon. Too bad Aleister’s writing is obfuscatory and unnecessarily complicated, and Franz’s writing is demonically-repressed, and overly religious. What makes E.A. different is that he weaves practicality and prose together in an accessible way. It’s unmatched.)
I assure you that if a sorcerer were to acquire only Kingdoms of Flame, instead of The Complete Works, they’d be left to feel deep regret, because they’d be missing out on an epic scale.
P.S. Finally, the real beauty of The Complete Works is that it allows you to track E.A.'s own personal evolution and progression from newly accomplished neophyte to adept master over the elements, the heavens, and the hells.
There are priceless lessons in that.
Not to mention, E.A. is still alive, and is happy to account for, and clarify, his assertions, ideas, and techniques so even average-minded readers can understand.
For these major reasons, and more, I myself am getting and safeguarding as many copies as I can.