Rule number 1 reads loud an clear. Keep it Cozy, no biggitry.
I say federate, and anyone violating that rule can have their comment delete with a warning. If it persists, ban the user. If this becomes an overwhelming issue, defederate.
(I'm biased as I think defederation breaks lemmy into smaller, weaker, and more boring communities).
I think a number of people like to troll just a little at least, but I don't think most people make it their whole persona. I suspect we may get some trolls who would genuinely like a community about books.
Maybe I'm an optimist, but I think it's at least worth a try.
How does one feel relaxed while reading GOT?