DevolutionWhile I have always been an avid fan of Nora Roberts, almost compulsively so, I have found myself of late growing weary and and disappointed. Nora, the queen of characterizations, has reached the end of her archetypes. From the first introduction of Stella, a seasoned NR reader can easily predict with whom she will be paired, befriend and the demons to be fought. Roz and Logan and Harper have appeared before, each with her or his 'clever' thoughts and glib language and inevitable reactions. Nora's writing has grown lazy, with each character sharing the same pedestrian voice, and without context, each is nearly indistinguishable from the other. I long for the days of Honest Illusions and the McKade brothers, when I was surprised by the genre and amazed by Nora's ability to defy the cliches of romantic traditions. When will we see her kind again?