I'm pretty sure Paolini published at 19, not 15. And he BEGAN his writing when he was 15 (he graduated HS at this age), but finished after graduation. I for one am not a fan.
Sean: I am 20. And you're right to some extent, Mr. Lamora has a knack for making things work, but I do not think he is, as you put it, "smarter, faster, trickier and just plain better" than the other characters. Smarter and trickier perhaps, but that's why he's the "hero." He certainly got his chain yanked by the Grey King and his mage. Sure he beat them (he is the hero after all), but he lost three of his best friends in the process (sorry for spoilers, tough luck). And if you read the sequel, similar situations arise. One could also easily make the case that he does not succeed in the second book.