My problems came from not having read Queen of Attolia for some four or five years. I loved The Thief, and reread it quite a bit, but I was so disappointed with QoA that I never re-read it. Thus when I was reading KoA, I couldn't remember if it had been established that Gen could fight now he'd lost his hand. I couldn't remember the exact circumstances behind his marriage, though I do remember being surprised by it at the time and finding it a bit odd, and not being at all sure it would work.

I fell in love with the series all over again while reading KoA, though.