Comment: When I learned about Shrine of Amana, I dreaded my arrival in this area. But, IMO, it's OK. Maybe I skipped something (because I didn't find the second bonfire), but running from the first to the third bonfire was alright— a slow walk without rushing. Boss run is fine too. For the first time, it's better to kill priestesses with bow and clean the area for invasion fights. On consecutive runs, you can just go left to hide behind pillars and not trigger knights. IMO, there are WAY WORSE areas in DS2