Yeah, I probably overstated my case though I did say it was an ideal. Obviously books in an overarching, longer story can't have the same effect when read singly as when read as a whole. Still, I think they should at least make sense even if they'd have a much greater impact if read with the others. And that tantalizing glimpse should make readers want to seek out the others in the series. For me Dragonquest failed on both fronts, and Dragonsdawn on the second.