You and I had very similar experiences with the Three Body Problem. What was interesting for me was I finished it and thought it was a strong middle of the road book - not amazing, but not terrible. I started the Dark Forest right after it and ended up returning it to the library and noting that I’d come back. I feel like the writing quality is the same in TDF, but now that I know the big reveal from book 1, intrigue just isn’t as satisfying.
You and I had very similar experiences with the Three Body Problem. What was interesting for me was I finished it and thought it was a strong middle of the road book - not amazing, but not terrible. I started the Dark Forest right after it and ended up returning it to the library and noting that I’d come back. I feel like the writing quality is the same in TDF, but now that I know the big reveal from book 1, intrigue just isn’t as satisfying.