Whats up with Linden being way weaker in Runes?

[NightBlaze]

yeah..she forgot the basics or something. Before she could use the ring with little effort, now its way beyond her it seems like. I think she needs to improve if she is going to be effective against LF

[jacob Raver, sinTempter]

Im not good with words (Why I don't post much) so please excuse me. I'm on my 3rd read of Runes and one thing I notice about Linden is she seems to lack focus and or concentration through most of the book. The first reason I believe is her son. The second reason is her love for TC. The third reason is her love for the land. The forth problem is she is not a leader.

Her main focus is her son but as time goes by in the land she realizes how much she misses TC and how much she loved the land. She is also coming to grips that she is in charge. This all plays in her problems with using wild magic let alone the unknown factors like Kevin's Dirt, Esmer, Ceasures, etc.. Just a thought.

Continuing this thread:

EP, you're good with words, not necessarily poetic, but direct and poignant. You're sentence structure is impeccable. R U here, HP?
Hello-hell-hel-he-h-hello-hell-hel-he-h...

It seems to me that even the Linden who stood up to the sheriff has disappeared, and while it might make sense because of her son and so on, it makes for a very poor start for the story. I'm half way through the Runes, just re-met the Ramen and comparing it to LFB's page count, Cov has already just met FF!

I'm trying to stay with the slower writing style, trying to "get to know her" better, trying to stay with the details SRD is presenting...

I like how the characters' viewpoints are off, different in the same scene, but that's about it.

You know what, this book is exactly why I don't watch TV shows, or read serial novels: I think the writer gets lazy without the pressure of the primary and/or greater plot issue/development that must climax or reach fulfillment at the end of the novel or trilogy, like Foul's Message and the needs it creates that create more needs and on throughout the first Trilogy, a tight weave of a plot puts necessary constraints on a writer. Sequels to popular novels don't...create...needs...to create...more...needs. Umm, yah.