I created a flying familiar for one of my characters. The species is 'icuthar' - a tasteful mix of dragon and falcon, rather small and travel-easy. The name of the particular creature is Zuahyr.
Ah. Yeah, perhaps SJM suffers from the pressure of getting this series out quickly. Doesn't get much time to let it cook. Idk. I'm kind of indifferent about it on the whole. I can enjoy the story and not be eager for the next one up.
The general consensus is that basing fiction on real life isn't inherently bad. I'd even argue that building a fantasy culture on a real world culture is the opposite of lazy because it involves creative altering to fit your specific setting. Rare is the writer who simply knows everything about...