u/SuccessfulDuty7481

Started this book a few hours ago, and to say I'm impressed with the extensive vocabulary is an understatement. I really like the way Robert Jordan describes details, although I can already see how it could get tiring at times if you're into more fast paced books.

Any advice on what I should keep in mind while reading this series? Is it similar to GOT in any way? And should I get emotionally attached to any characters, or should I prepare myself? 😂

The main reason I started this series is because I read the third book, The Dragon Reborn, some years ago without having any idea what was going on and somehow managed to understand it (not to the full extent, obviously 😭).

So please, no spoilers! Just looking for advice/tips for a first-time reader.

For example, take books like ACOTAR. The MC initially starts off with no friends whatsoever, but as the story goes on, she gains her so-called friends.

Except... her friends are her husband, her husband's best friends, Mor —her husband's cousin and then Amren.

I mean, these are Rhys's friends, not the MC's. How are we supposed to believe that she/he has an actual independent friendship with these people when they were already his friends before she came along?

And it goes the other way too. A lot of books have adopted the morally grey, nonchalant shadow-daddy character who's grumpy, has no friends, and of course has no family because he's Traumatized™.

Then the MC comes along and suddenly she's his entire world. He worships the ground she walks on and would let the world burn for her.

Like... can these people please have friends of their own? Friends outside the romance, friends with inside jokes, friends with embarrassing stories about the other.

However if the case of the MC falling in love with someone who was already their friend it would make sense for them to have the same friend circles. Like PJO is a good example of that narrative. Annabeth n Percy both share most of the same friends because they were friends from a younger age.

And before someone says, "you should try reading something else then," obviously I did. That's how I noticed this dilemma.

Has anyone else been struck with this?