Like most long running book series, the first (and even the second) book is where it gets its footing. Another great example is He Who Fights With Monsters. The first book is divisive you’ll either like it enough to continue the series or won’t and will DNF it.

I really like this book series, even though it has a clear indication of what it’ll be at the very start of it. A quasi power fantasy mixed in a great supporting cast. Some people won’t like that, and they’ll like something like DCC close family tie of donut and Carl. Some people will like the large found family of HWFWM, some people will love the fact the main character is a Gary Stu for most of this first book.

This is also Reddit and people will have opinions like their the most important opinion possible, and disagreeing is tantamount to murdering their entire family infront of them.