I think most of us agree, The Circle of Magic books did not live up to the Alanna and Daine books. Why didn't they? I think the main reason is because they weren't set in Tortall. The main reason that Tamora Pierce is such a great writer is that her characters and settings are so interesting and imaginative. When she did the Circle books she had to start from scratch. The characters weren't as easy to love, and the setting wasn't as interesting. The other main reason was that the books were mostly about magic. Of course the Alanna and Daine books had magic, but the had way more action, and fighting.
I'm not saying the Circle of Magic books suck or anything. They're alright, and I do like them, but they don't inspire me the way the books set in Tortall do. I don't really care about the books enough to make a webpage devoted to them, or even go to a webpage devoted to them. Tamora Pierce is writing another quartet, the Circle Opens. I would rather she wrote more about Tortall, but that doesn't seem to be happening. Don't expect me to have anymore stuff on the Circle books than I already have. They're not good enough to do more.