To much going on! Don't get me wrong, I like books i can take a bite out of, but 12 Houses, times 20 people, is 240 characters. Each and every one double crosses the other, so it's hard to tell where the loyaltly lies.
SPOILERS
And why didn't he do anything with the dragons in book 2? That was a cool ending to book 1; wy did he waste it? Granted, i just finished book 2, but he just left that storyline to moulder. And why didn't Theorn realize he killed the wrong kids? Hell, one of them was a cripple, with messed up legs! Arrgh!