this post was submitted on 22 Jul 2023
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I felt very similar about The Eye of the World, even with the glossary. But I am so happy I stuck with it.
I've tried both more times than I care to admit and I can't do it. Malazan I think is doable if it hits me at the right time in my life but Eye of the World drives me right up the wall. Mat is my least favorite literary character in any series I've ever read, bar none. I have never wanted to reach through a book to strangle words more strongly than I did when I read Eye of the World and Mat starts up his stupid whiney dumb moronic mouth breather idiot horseshit.
He does get better and there is a reason for it all if that helps.
Unfortunately, it doesn't. The fact that Mat becomes the authors favorite or whatever does not help me stomach the walking sack of drippy garbage he is in the first book. The fact that a lot of people say it doesn't really pick up till book 5 or so doesn't help either. I probably wouldn't have been able to stick with stormlight archive if the first 3 books were as punishing to read.
The series doesn't pick up until 5? Or Mat being garbage? The first I don't really agree with. Egwene's experience in the second chills and the battle was really great. The third grants Rand his title and
spoiler
Tells Rand who he really is and he starts to embrace it. And sets up his people.Edit: "ramp up" and "pick up" are the same thing... I guess what im saying is I dont think it is slow by any means. At least not at that point. 8-10 is kinda going slowly, but it is cool with me because I have become so invested in the characters.
Bud, the foreshadowing isn't exactly subtle in the first book. Mat being garbage is what stops me from enjoying other characters. 5 books with a centerpiece character I can't stand is too many. Everything else about the book isn't bad, if a little derivative. It's just that I can't stand how actively shit Mat is with every decision and having the temerity to bitch about the consequences of his own fucking actions.