Ha! I agree with you! I cringed my way through the end of Children, and I really, really disliked God Emperor, and was bitter and disappointed and almost gave up on the series. Then I read Heretics, and I liked it, because it sort of went back to the original Dune(by that I mean, there was a plot. Ha.). And Chapterhouse went back to the pages of endless annoying rambling of GEoD. And the prequels....aie. *laments*

I only ever read the first Earthsea book, because I didn't like it at the time. I love Left Hand of Darkness, though.

~Chresimos