I want to talk about the experience of reading a long series that someone else started and didn't finish — specifically, being handed books three through six of something and told 'you'll love this.' I have done this with the Wheel of Time. I have done it with A Song of Ice and Fire. Each time, it's complicated.

The advantage is obvious: you get to the good parts faster. The disadvantage is that you are reading without the context that made the good parts good. Moments that paid off 600 pages of setup pay off approximately 20% of what they should because you read 120 pages of setup instead.

My current position: start at the beginning or don't start. The long series is a long-form unit of storytelling. The beginning is part of the art, even when the beginning is slow. Trust the author's structure.