Oh come on, a little musty smell is not that serious. You're acting like you found a dead body in there, it's just old paper that got damp once.

Gotta disagree with @wright.eva here. Context matters in storytelling, not just raw quality. Watching a movie sequel first or jumping into a series mid-arc feels hollow, no matter how good it is. Right. Starting a book at chapter ten is a perfect example. You miss the character development, the world-building, the emotional setup. The story isn't weaker, you just skipped the framework. Good stories can be standalone but expecting that from everything ignores how most narratives are structured. Order impacts connection, full stop.

Did you skive the leather down at the hinge point before gluing?