Yeah, Graceling didn't end up making my all-time-favorites list for pretty much the reasons you say. (Also for the addition of a subplot after the climax; it didn't work for me, quite, though I think it could have if woven into the earlier bits differently.) I do think that Cashore intends to revisit the characters in the future, though, so things may yet transpire! (I'm not holding my breath, of course. Her ideas about love seem to diverge somewhat from mine, which I think is interesting, but makes it harder to identify with where things go.)

I know that you've read the first book I talk about -- I had a difficult time figuring out just how to describe the set-up, since it's not a straight forward I-like-you-but-I'm-afraid-you-don't-like-me scenario. It's I-think-I-hate-you-but-now-I-feel-guilty-about-that-and-you-may-be-my-secret-correspondent-and-I-promise-I'm-not-a-villain-and-egads!-love! Which doesn't summarize very well without the rest of the context. ;)