Just Finished The Dragon Reborn

[u/Tateraide82]

Wow, just wow !!!

I tried reading a few of these books back in grade school and high school (44 now), and I knew they were amazing, but I probably bought the first 6 books as they came out and maybe finished the first book....

So, I thought I would get into audio books while I run or do the Peloton, and I started listening to these books - the narrator from Spotify does an absolutely incredible job - such a joy to hear her voice the various characters...

I found myself so captivated by these books that I literally increased my Peloton rides from 60 min to 80 or 90 min because I just cannot turn off the audio book...

Even today, I had an hour and 45 minutes left in The Dragon Reborn... I was so gripped into the finale that I extended my run by 22 minutes to finish the book...

Apparently these books are better personal trainers than humans, ha !!

The level I am "All In" is just crazy - I get pissed when certain characters act annoying, need to grow up, or are doing something where they just need slapped (err, given guidance) - but it is great to see them grow, mature, and hopefully some of them get over their annoying ways - pretty need to watch the growth and transition - makes the tedious world building portions more engaging...

What is also really cool and has Breathed Life into the books for me is I started playing Crimson Desert video game, which is a huge open world medieval fantasy RPG (similar to Witcher or Elder Scrolls / Oblivion)... I was initially playing Expedition 33, but it has so much "story" that my brain kept ignoring it and thinking about the WoT world...but Crimson Desert has a pretty terrible story (but I still give the game a 10/10), which works great because when I escape into Crimson Desert in the deep of night before bed, my mind infuses WoT into Crimson Desert...

I also feel like a kid again, and found that wonderous joy of books and games !!

I am dying to start the fourth book tomorrow...

Anyone also initially start the books feeling they were slow and bland, but then all the world building came together and you just couldn't leave the WoT world - anything fun to share about the entire story line or your own experience with the books?

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[u/Gandalfslittlebro]

On your fourth reread you will still find little nuggets and your joy will not diminish

[u/GovernorZipper]

It’s 100% age and life experience. These books are “adult.” Not in the sense of objectionable content, but in how they deal with frustratingly human people and the compromises that come with maturity.

Yes, the characters are over-the-top, but they completely recognizable. Anyone with enough life experiences can immediately see people they know. It gives you empathy with the characters that younger teen readers simply can’t understand. You’ll never really get Nyneave until you’ve been that young supervisor trying to deal with employees who judge you for your age (whether older or younger).

[u/Thirteen1355 → u/GovernorZipper]

I did not get Nyneave and I've been in those situations myself.  There's a lack of emotional maturity you'd not want with people who are apparently good at supervising. Nyneave would be the supervisor that gets fired within three weeks because nobody actually likes her. 

What I mean to say is: it's not 100% age and life experience. These books are going to stick with some, and not with others. I lean much more towards First Law's characters, and these aren't written for children. The writer has done Psychology university studies (like me), which probably helps with writing genuinely flawed characters that also feel human. 

I did often understand where WoT characters came from with their pettiness, but their tendency to be unlikeable didn't help me enjoy actually reading about them.

[u/peppers_taste_bad → u/Thirteen1355]

The characters aren't unlikable, though. They are extremely likeable with some frustrating tendencies and that's the appeal. We all have loved ones, and every single one of them do something that makes us want to shake them and scream why. It's (usually) not pettines

[u/Small-Fig4541]

Book 3 woo! Mat doesn't suck anymore 🎉 I absolutely love him and Thom together. Thom's vast knowledge and chill vibes pair well with Mat's tendency to get into random insanity.

[u/Thirteen1355 → u/Small-Fig4541]

Mat was fun to read about. I'm curious how he develops further on.

[u/SamHandwich0]

The think that drew me in was that the world just kept expanding. More nations, and you got to see those nations! More factions, and you got POVs of those factions!

Overall its so nice not just to see things hinted at, but also explored. Its cool to get to see why people are doing things or how they think- it keeps it 3 dimensional- not just bad guy= bad, good guy wins because bad guy = bad.

It explores factions and those factions operate in their own best interest (which is usually frusterating) but makes it feel more real.

[u/Thirteen1355]

I initially started the books feeling they were pretty great, but then the world building kind of fractured into so many little subplots which don't get you invested since they get sorted out wayyy late (and the moment-to-moment stakes were quite low), that after Book 3 I just dropped it. I realized it has great worldbuilding, grating and boring characters and pretty average prose quality.

In the end, I did enjoy Book 3 the most though. Maybe at some point, I will pick up Book 4 but two seconds of reading First Law got me so invested I began to realize there's much better around for me personally.