The issue is she's supposed to make up for it by being the best fighter around, that's her intended asset, compensated by severe inability to perform well in non-combat situations. At the time, this worked beautifully: she was the only 'magic-fighter' sort of character around. Then, new characters came in. Fucking Ssarak is better than Alaira in every way. He's stronger, smarter, CAN FLY, has super special racial abilities, gets along with everyone, and has a better mastery of magic and absolutely no crippling weaknesses like Alaira has. That isn't to say he has none, but Alaira's got NOTHING on him. She should be a HELL of a lot more useful in combat, but no, she's half elf and a girl, so she loses out despite basically being a fucking mutant with THIRTY YEARS of bloodshed and strength training. 

So yeah, I'll say it now, eysires are fucking bullshit.