Dresden Files started off good then ramped up so much quality continuously. So I'm staying optimistic for Cinder Spire.
Codex of Alera started off strong though. I like the later books more, but it's not like with Dresden good, very good, ..... omg best book ever.
Another difference with Alera is that the first book started off with a big diverse cast of characters, and all of them, even the villains, develop through the first book. Dresden Files have the advantage that characters are introduced slowly throughout the books. Both series have such incredible characters. Jim set the bar and standard for characters in fantasy literature.
Cinder Spires might be at a disadvantage because the settings like habbles, tunnels, and ships, are so confined. The characters are coming from similar backgrounds. They are variations within the nobility, with different status but still the same class. Then you need wildly different characters like Folly and Rowl to shake things up. The end result just pales in comparison to Jim's other works.