I would say that the first half of the first book was a bit too much LitRPG for my taste. Just felt like reading a videogame.

Just read the entire first book. It’s an easy read. If the first half is annoying, know that it gets better. I almost quit on it halfway through but stuck it out and quickly read all of the other books as well.

I highly recommend the audiobooks. They put a tremendous amount of effort into them and it really elevates the experience.