I think she lacks sometimes in her actual storytelling ability. There are great sequences and there are a lot that are sort of patched together and somewhat less than engaging.

I categorize her as somewhat average when compared to other fantasy authors. Credit to her for some original ideas and a slightly different twist to her world and development. However, she does little to distinguish her stories or her characters as anything particularly engaging.

Basically, what you see is pretty much what you get. If at the end of the book you don't find yourself much of a fan, that opinion probably won't change much in subsequent books. If you do like what you're reading, then Carey probably won't disappoint you in her other books. She is very consistent in what she writes.