A further thought

Since I wrote the previous entry, I got into a discussion with my sons on this topic, and they confirmed something I'd thought, but didn't mention because I suspected it might have been an unfair impression caused by the reasons I mentioned earlier. But since they've confirmed my own feelings, I'll mention it.

One of the reasons I took a while to get into the Codex Alera was simply because it wasn't as good as his later books. There was a definite sense of something formulaic about the plot and the writing. So I wanted to reassure you that they do get decidedly better, as do his Dresden books (not that there's anything wrong with his early ones, it just seems that he gets better and better -- which is definitely what you want from a writer!)