I think the second book is superior. Although it as a less organized style and is not as cleanly structured, it just from various third-POV perspectives, it ages two years past the teenagery of the first book, and it starts the series on its real goal: the game of nations.
There's a lot of similarity, but the 2nd-4th books are clearly different from the first, to my mind. It's like one book was just The Book, but with book 2 the author decided to make it The Series. It comes off that way, at least.
And, um, I LOVED THE SECOND BOOK. The third and fourth were entertaining, but I've done book 2 reading and audiobook. I recommend reading it. The same mythological storytelling is present, and the fooled-again misdirection, but Gen's character is broken down an analyzed a lot more in book 2, to the series' benefit. In hindsight (listening to The Thief after reading books 1-3), I think the Gen of the first book isn't much at all like the Gen we know through most of the series. A lot of it is pretense, but pretense that you kind of ease into so it seems plausible.
If you don't like the second book, then by all means drop. But I usually tell people to read book 1 just so they can properly read book 2. Don't quit before the main entree!
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There's a lot of similarity, but the 2nd-4th books are clearly different from the first, to my mind. It's like one book was just The Book, but with book 2 the author decided to make it The Series. It comes off that way, at least.
And, um, I LOVED THE SECOND BOOK. The third and fourth were entertaining, but I've done book 2 reading and audiobook. I recommend reading it. The same mythological storytelling is present, and the fooled-again misdirection, but Gen's character is broken down an analyzed a lot more in book 2, to the series' benefit. In hindsight (listening to The Thief after reading books 1-3), I think the Gen of the first book isn't much at all like the Gen we know through most of the series. A lot of it is pretense, but pretense that you kind of ease into so it seems plausible.
If you don't like the second book, then by all means drop. But I usually tell people to read book 1 just so they can properly read book 2. Don't quit before the main entree!