You know...I don't think I've ever read a series where that happened. And that is the kind of thing I'd remember. :/

And yes, someone should have caught these continuity errors and made the author fix it. That no one did makes me wonder if the books were edited at all, as in publishing the first draft. I've watched my friends slog through the hell of revisions for their editors (and agents) and this kind of error doesn't just 'slip by'.

Was this a well known published author with a big house?