He started work on it at 15 and it was definitely published before he was 20. I do not remember the exact age he was though, somewhere between 17 and 19 I think. But as far as reception is concerned, keep in mind they did spend it was on the best seller's list for its demographic for over 121 weeks I think. It was well received. Now the film on the other hand...don't get me started on that.

But I do agree with them being kind of meh as you put it. I loved them at the time, but I was reading the first two when I was 13-15 or so. After a few more years I have come to acknowledge that as far as children's books are concerned, they are good, but that's it. They have lost appeal to older demographics, because to me, they never really matured. Unlike say, Harry Potter which by the time Deathly Hallows came around, it had gotten much more mature. And I would even say that DH was bordering the YA and Adult demographics.

Then again, by the time Brisingr and Inheritance were released, my own personal tastes took a turn for the darker, which may have contributed to my subsequent neutrality to the series.