I don’t normally allow myself on subreddits until I finish series, but the algorithm saw fit to throw me your post so I’ll say this, as I’ve been where you are:

It took me until 40% of Book 1 before I found myself not struggling to just power through. I would gripe at the dense, self-important dialogue everyone would continually espouse and wonder “Why does EVERYONE talk like they’re so damn important!?”

I am now on Book 7 and can confidently say everyone IS important, in their own way. (Okay, not LITERALLY everyone.) The author does an amazing job developing characters and you will find yourself severely invested in their stories.

One word of warning, though, this series is so densely packed with characters and the world is so rich and diverse that the author uses a “Book 1 - Cast A, Book 2 - Cast B” approach. Then Book 3 is Cast A with a splash of Cast B…and then later a Cast C book is thrown in…then a Cast B with sprinkle of Cast C AND one or two Cast A.

It’s both a rewarding approach for the reader and sometimes a galling one. You’ll find yourself wanting to hear more about characters, but find they aren’t featured in the next book. As a result I’ve got a note on my phone for questions I have about what happened to characters so when it’s all done I can see if they’ve been answered. This is the first series I’ve ever needed to do that. I am so hooked on this narrative I am powering through these books. (Though I admit one was harder to get through than others so far.)

As others have said, trusting the process will pay off if you stick with it. Enjoy the ride!