Last King of Osten Ard

A while back I tried reading Dragon bone Chair intending to read the Memory Sorrow and Thorn trilogy. I just couldn't seem to get into it, and I gave it like 300 pages. I've heard the sequel series is a bit faster paced and is written a bit better being that it's newer and more current. My question is, can I start reading The Witchwood Crown and the rest of the series without having read the original trilogy?