REVIEW: A DANCE WITH DRAGONS

A DANCE WITH DRAGONS

BOOK FIVE OF A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE

BY

GEORGE R.R. MARTIN

ISBN: 978-0-006-48611-4

Pages: 1117 (+appendix)

Publisher: Harper Voyager (UK)

First published: 12 July 2011

This edition published: 15 March 2012

On the cover:

(From the publisher's website.)

WARNING: THIS COVER COPY CONTAINS SPOILERS FROM PREVIOUS BOOKS.

The review is however spoiler-free. (Apart from naming characters who have survived.)

The future of the Seven Kingdoms hangs in the balance.

In the east, Daenerys, last scion of House Targaryen, her dragons grown to terrifying maturity, rules as queen of a city built on dust and death, beset by enemies.

Now that her whereabouts are known many are seeking Daenerys and her dragons. Among them the dwarf, Tyrion Lannister, who has escaped King’s Landing with a price on his head, wrongfully condemned to death for the murder of his nephew, King Joffrey. But not before killing his hated father, Lord Tywin.

To the north lies the great Wall of ice and stone – a structure only as strong as those guarding it. Eddard Stark’s bastard son Jon Snow has been elected the 998th Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch, but he has enemies both in the Watch and beyond the Wall, where the wildling armies are massing for an assault.

On all sides bitter conflicts are reigniting, played out by a grand cast of outlaws and priests, soldiers and skinchangers, nobles and slaves. The tides of destiny will inevitably lead to the greatest dance of all…

   It is becoming more and more clear with each of these books that the point of view (PoV) characters have little or no agency of their own. They are not the ones instigating what is happening, they just react to events set in motion by others. Or to put it bluntly, there is no real protagonists here, only antagonists who we do not get to see the motives of.

   This makes for rather dull reading, passive characters aren't really much fun to follow. It also makes for some really lazy plotting. By depriving us of PoVs from people who have plans, and are getting things to happen, Martin can pull revelations out of the blue whenever he feels like it. This comes off as desperate rather than clever to me. They crop up whenever the story has gotten stuck in a rut, and seem to take the place of planning ahead of time where the story is going. Additionally, they reveal how much of a mess the story has become at this stage.

   There are some really good chapters in this novel. Mostly they are lead-up chapters, and foreshadow coming events, but there is a lack of follow up to them. Instead of refreshing a stale narrative, they quickly stall and their storyline gets stuck in the same rut as the other threads of the tale.

   It really is starting to get disheartening. Every time a new PoV is introduced it feels fresh, and it gives the impression that it will help the story move forward. But after a few initial chapters, where we usually gets a new perspective and even some movement in the story, things stop moving. We get page after page after page, etc, of intrigue. In itself there is absolutely nothing wrong with intrigue, it gets us closer to the characters and adds depth to a story. However, when it gets to be like it is here, where the intrigue seems to be the story, it makes for a story that is just running on empty.

    Not only that, but here there is an abundance of settings that should, and sometimes do, bring variation to the narrative. Instead we get the same type of intrigue in a different location. What should be diverse storylines giving us a different flavour of this world becomes a parade of slight variations on the same theme. Court intrigue is pretty much the same wherever it happens. The end result of this is that the different storylines becomes so similar that they melt together in the readers mind.

   I mentioned new PoV characters, and there are some in here. They are however not as important as characters that are introduced in the story but don't have a PoV. Revealing who the newcomers are would be rather massive spoilers, so I will constrain myself to saying that it makes it feel a bit like we are following the wrong characters at times. Almost everyone we follows react, instead of act.

   For the most part though there is nothing wrong with the characters in themselves. They are interesting people, but they can be very annoying. This has mostly to do with their lack of agency, it gets frustrating reading about someone who does little or nothing without being forced to do so by events set in motion by someone else.

   There are one, or possibly three, characters that stand out from this though. Arya has a journey all of her own, one that hardly seems connected to the rest of the story. It is always refreshing when one of her chapters come up. The lack of connection to other events makes it feel out of place, although I'm sure she'll get drawn back in the main story at some later point.

   Daenerys's storyline has been bogged down for a while, but events here suggests that may be changing. I really liked the direction her journey seemingly is taking her at the end of this novel, and I hope she'll continue on that path.

   The last story thread that takes off in a new direction is one that is introduced here. I don't want to ruin it for anyone, but I will say that although it felt a bit like cheating to introduce it at this late point it still gives some hope that this long slog will come to an end that will at least make it feel worth it.

   I feel that this review is a bit unfocused. Unfortunately that is unavoidable when the novel it is reviewing mostly seems to lack any focus at all. There are too many storylines, and they are too similar. Added to that there is the sense that we still haven't gotten any idea of where this is heading. Yes, the ultimate prize is the throne of Westeros, but there is so much else going on that it doesn't seem to matter much.

   Way too many pages are devoted to chapters that don't move the storyline forward. I can still see a good story inside this, but it is a series that is becoming so bloated that it gets harder and harder to see. I am invested by now, so I will follow this to the end. But with each volume Martin makes it harder for me to believe that end will be a good one.

REVIEWS:  A Game of Thrones   A Clash of Kings   A Storm of Swords   A Feast for Crows

LINKS: George R.R. Martin   Harper Voyager

REVIEW: BLOOD OF DRAGONS

Cover art by Jackie Morris

BLOOD OF DRAGONS

BOOK FOUR OF THE RAIN WILD CHRONICLES

BY

ROBIN HOBB

ISBN: 978-0-00-744413-7

Pages: 535

Publisher: HarperVoyager UK

First published: 1 March 2013

This edition published: 14 March 2013

On the cover:

Dragons will fly over Kelsingra once more...

Dragon blood and scales, dragon liver and eyes and teeth. All required ingredients for medicines with near-miraculous healing powers. The legendary blue dragon Tintaglia is dying of wounds inflicted by hunters sent by the Duke of Chalced, who meanwhile preserves his dwindling life by consuming the blood of the dragon’s poet Selden Vestrit.

If Tintaglia perishes, her ancestral memories will die with her. And the dragons in the ancient city of Kelsingra will lose the secret knowledge they need to survive. Their keepers immerse themselves in the dangerously addictive memory-stone records of the city in the hope of recovering the Elderling magic that once allowed humans and dragons to co-exist. In doing so they risk losing their own identities, even their lives.

And danger threatens from beyond the city, too. For war is coming: war between dragonkind and those who would destroy them.

    This novel is really the end of a long journey, one that begun in Ship of Magic , the first book of the Liveship Traders Trilogy, continued in The Tawny Man trilogy, to end here with the fourth book in The Rain Wild Chronicles. It is the story of the return of dragons to the Realm of the Elderlings, the story of the end of one era and the beginning of a new one.

   Dragon lore has been an important part of The Rain Wild Chronicles, in some ways it can be said to be the central theme of the quartet of books. We really learn a lot more about how dragons work in Hobb's world here, and much more about how they relate to the Elderlings. It's really a testament to Hobb's writing abilities that there is so much information being divulged in this book without there ever being parts that are info-dumping.

   The dragon lore is integrated in the story, and is very much a part of it. At times it's also something that adds tension and suspense. Hobb also manages to give the dragons a natural lace in the world, they don't feel like they are a beast that is inserted into a more realistic setting. They are a part of the setting and when it comes to the story of this quartet they actually add much to the worldbuilding as a whole.

   Worldbuilding is an important part of not just this novel but the whole of The Rain Wild Chronicles, although a more correct term would be society building. Throughout the story we have seen the characters grow from a group of outcasts into a whole new society, one that is integrated with the dragons and will undoubtedly play an important part in the world Hobb has created.

   All of this culminates in this novel. This is where we get (most of) the answers to what all that has gone before really means, all the while getting some glimpses that raises questions of what this will mean for the future.

   Hobb has managed to make all this an organic experience, a growth that blooms here at the end of this part of the story. And there is more layers to this than just the immediate one that the story of the dragon keepers suggests. We get to see how this all links back to the Elderlings, a lost people that has left traces that can be seen throughout Hobb's world.

   My interest in history meant that the discovery of what was before became as much of a joy to me as the present history of the setting. But the history doesn't intrude, it is intertwined with what happens in the present of the story and adds a lot to what is happening in the now.

   The characters experience a lot of growth and discovery in this book, the non-humans as well as the humans. Hobb has always been good at creating characters that are easy to get attached to. And spending as much time as I have with the characters of  The Rain Wild Chronicles as I have through these four novels, I have really gotten to know them. It is a fulfilling experience to see them come to the end of this stage of their journey in this book.

   These are really the most diverse cast of any of Hobb's books set in the Realm of the Elderlings. The dragons of course add to this, they are certainly an important part of the cast, but the others are also a diverse group that will make it easy for the reader to feel a connection to at the very least one of them. That they all have different personalities and personal journeys makes me confident when making the claim that this is the best cast Hobb has created for her four Realm of the Elderlings stories.

   I also feel the need to mention that those that want female characters in their Epic Fantasy will find several of them here.

   It is impossible to evaluate the story of this book in total isolation, as it is book four of a quartet. But not having read any of the preceding books since City of Dragons was published a year ago I can say with confidence that this is a novel that in itself offers a great deal to the reader. There is a lot of things happening here, we have three main storylines that are connected, and the smaller "bonus" story of the Rain Wild birdkeepers that has been running in the background.

   The main stories are of course connected and here they really come together to full effect, as the novel progresses the level of tension grows towards the crescendo of them meeting. Hobb does a very good job in letting these three storylines develop their own internal drama, and really shows off her storytelling prowess when she finally lets them come together. And although the one story who is set outside of the Rain Wilds does feel a little bit of a side trip at times, it becomes clear by the end of the novel that in the long run it may have almost as great an impact on the overall story of the Realm of the Elderlings.

   This is really one of those Epic Fantasy novels that is truly hard to put down. Once the beginning has settled you in to what is happening it keeps building all the time, and the urge to see what happens in the next chapter becomes greater and greater.

   The ending is a bit bittersweet. It is a very nice ending to this part of the story, but you realise that this is just the end of the beginning. I don't know what plans Hobb has for future stories, but the story of Kelsingra has just started and I hope we get to revisit it in the future. -And that is a great feeling to be left with after four good sized books.

   This is really a book that has it all. The worldbuilding is excellent, the characters are a joy to follow, and the story itself is a thoroughly immersive journey into an Epic Fantasy world.

   Fans of Robin Hobb, and of dragons, should be utterly satisfied with both this book and The Rain Wild Chronicles as a whole. And this is really something that every fan of Epic Fantasy should do themselves the favour of reading.

More Robin Hobb reviews, including for the first three books in The Rain Wild Chronicles, can be found here.

LINKS: Robin Hobb  HarperVoyager

REVIEW: THE KING OF THE CRAGS

Dragon illustration: Dominic Harman

Cover design: Sidonie Beresford-Browne

 

THE KING OF THE CRAGS

MEMORY OF FLAMES BOOK TWO

BY

STEPHEN DEAS

 

ISBN: 978-0-575-08379-0

Pages: 366

Publisher: Gollancz

First published: 15 April 2010

This edition published: 10 February 2011

On the cover:

*SPOILER WARNING*

If you haven't read book one, The Adamantine Palace, this will contain spoilers.

(The review will be spoiler free, so you can still read that.)

Prince Jehal has plotted and murdered his way to power. Speaker Hyram is dead. Queen Shezira faces trial for treason. Jehal is married to her daughter, Lystra, and has the new speaker, Zafir for his lover. He has everything he ever dreamed of. And is learning that dreams can become nightmares...

 

On the edge of the World Spine the fires of rebellion are burning. A fire fueled by an ancient prophecy. The Red Riders are coming. And the flames that will come on the wings of dragons are flames that could engulf the world.

 

For

 

Out of the sun there shall come a white dragon, and with the white dragon a red rider. Thieves and liars shall quiver and weep, for the rider's name shall be Justice, and the dragon shall be vengeance.

   This book picks up where The Adamantine Palace left off, and throws you right into the action. And there's quite a bit of action in this book, but it is nicely balanced with the courtly intrigue that we came to know in the first book.

   There is a lot going on with the royal intrigue in this novel. What we saw in the first book escalates nicely, and you really feel that the events are starting to build to something momentous.  Deas also manages to make it near impossible to predict what is happening. There are some twists to the plot here that are not as much telegraphed as they are a telegraph-pole coming out of nowhere and hitting you in the face.

   Deas is very good at pulling off the unexpected turn. This makes reading a joy, as the discovery of what is going to happen makes it for a novel that becomes a fast read. Of course this is mostly because you will be driven by the suspense to read "just one more chapter".

   There's more than enough happening here to make a much thicker Fantasy novel, but Deas doesn't waste his time. We don't get the padding that some Fantasy authors do, Deas concentrates on getting the plot moving. And the reader gets a whirlwind of a ride that doesn't leave much room for rest, something that is in my opinion a very good thing.

   Dragons are again a very central part of what is happening. We get more information on how they function here, and the gradual revelations of how dragons function in Deas's world is very interesting to read.

   The dragons do not at all feel like the cardboard-cutouts they can sometimes be in Fantasy. They are an integral part of the world, and they have a history of their own. Linking this history to the rest of the story is done in a way that makes them feel like a natural part of the plot. And there is more than enough originality in that part of the story to make for a very interesting addition to the lore of dragons in Fantasy.

   Deas has managed to write a great second book. There is plenty of action here, and the plot is full of unexpected twists and turns. While the novel does do some building up to the next book, that is hardly noticeable when you read, you are far to busy taking in what is happening at the moment.

   This is a great continuation of The Adamantine Palace, and at the same time it gives you an urge to know what is going to happen next. As a second novel in an Epic Fantasy series, this is certainly one of the best I have read.

   The Memory of Flames has just gotten even better with its second installment.

REVIEW: The Adamantine Palace

LINKS: Stephen Deas  Gollancz  Gollancz Blog

REVIEW: THE ADAMANTINE PALACE

Dragon illustration: Dominic Harman

Cover design: Sidonie Beresford-Browne

THE ADAMANTINE PALACE

MEMORY OF FLAMES BOOK ONE

BY

STEPHEN DEAS

ISBN: 978-0-575-08374-5

Pages: 369

Publisher: Gollancz

Published: 19 March 2009

On the cover:

There will be flames

The power of the Realms depends on its dragons. Jealously guarded, nurtured by their handlers, ridden by the aristocracy, they are bred for hunting and war. But only the alchemists and the mysterious liquid they administer to the dragons stand between the Realms and disaster; for without the liquid, the dragons would be returned to their natural fury: Unbiddable, terrifying, awesomely strong, able to destroy an entire army, to burn a kingdom to ashes.

Prince Jehal is thinking of other things. Of power over all the Kings and Queens of the Realms; and he is prepared to charm, lie, betray, plot and murder to get it. Nor is he alone in his ambition. Queen Shezira has her daughters and she means to use them as she herself was used, to gain the ultimate prize, marrying them off to secure her influence and power.

All sell-sword Kemir is thining of is money. Of freedom from the un-ending arrogance of the dragon riders. And maybe a little cold revenge against the warlords who both need him and despise him.

And now a dragon has gone missing...

   Dragons: In many ways they are a cliche of Fantasy, the ultimate symbol that says "Here be Fantasy". And as a mythological beast they are a part of the collective consciousness of human history. So basically the question with a book like this is; does it add anything to dragon lore, or is it just a rehash of old tropes?

   Fortunately what Deas does with dragons in his book feels really fresh. They are a source of power, a weapon for the aristocratic elite, their main means of controlling their territories. And they also function as a deterrent, a weapon of mass destruction you don't want your enemies to unleash on you in retaliation.

   But this story isn't just about dragons, it is also about the intricacies and intrigue of politics, and here lies the mayor plot points. Deas manages to create a very interesting set of characters in the royalty of his world, characters that are complex and intriguing. They are all well developed and believable, you will recognize their type, but they will sometimes surprise you. At times this makes for a wild ride of a plot, with lots of twists and unexpected events, something that is evident as early as the prologue.

   There isn't really all that much action as such in the book, but the story itself is pretty fast-paced and it has a plot that makes it very easy to read "just one more chapter" for far longer than you originally intended too.

   One of the strengths of the book is how the different threads work together. There are different sub-plots that compliments each other and add to the whole.

   The worldbuilding is very well done. Deas has created a world that feels real, and also has a distinct feeling of having developed - especially on the geopolitical scale. There is very little infodumping, and you learn about the world without it being intrusive into the story.

   There is as I mentioned above quite a bit of information on dragons, and how they function in this world. The dragon lore is really interesting and adds greatly to the realistic feel of the novel, and you get a feeling that what you learn will have repercussions in the story later. I found this to be one of the best, if not the actual best,  descriptions of dragons I have ever read, and just that justifies giving this a try.

   This is a great first novel, it will satisfy fans of Epic Fantasy with its realistic setting and intricate story. And there is so much here for anyone who has an interest in dragons to love. It is the first volume in a series that I think any fan of Epic Fantasy will enjoy. This is a fast-paced story with lots of action and intrigue that is hard to put down, and Deas's writing will have you reading into the small hours.

   A word of warning: If you like this book by page 50, be sure that you have the next volumes at hand. You will want to continue reading after you finish this book.

LINKS: Stephen Deas  Gollancz  Gollancz Blog

REVIEW: CITY OF DRAGONS

 Cover art: Jackie Morris

CITY OF DRAGONS

BOOK THREE OF THE RAIN WILD CHRONICLES

BY

ROBIN HOBB

ISBN: 978-0-00-727380-5

Pages: 425

Publisher: HarperVoyager UK

Published: 23 April 2012 (UK) 1 March 2012 (Aus) 7 February 2012 (US)

On the cover:

Kelsingra awaits for those brave enough to enter…

The dragons and their keepers have discovered Kelsingra but so far only Heeby has succeeded in flying over the river to enter the fabled city. The other dragons, with their deformed wings and feeble muscles, are afraid to risk failure and humiliation.

But wondrous things await in Kelsingra, a city built for dragons and their Elderling keepers. Alise, overwhelmed by the treasures she finds there, records her finds for posterity. Once the rest of the world knows about the riches the city contains, nothing will ever be the same again.

Already, rumours of the city’s discovery have floated down the Rain Wild River and reached envious ears in Bingtown and beyond. Adventurers, pirates and fortune hunters are coming in droves to pillage what they can from the city. As is Hest Finbok, Alise’s husband…

Meanwhile, Selden Vestrit finds himself a prisoner of the ailing Duke of Chalced, who believes him to be some sort of dragon-man whose flesh and blood may work miracle cures.

Where is Tintaglia, the great sapphire-blue dragon, when all have such need of her? Has she really abandoned her beloved Selden and the fledgling dragons forever? Or will she too return to seek the wonders of Kelsingra?

   I feel like I have waited forever for this book, I was hoping Hobb would continue the story about Kelsingra when I finished Dragon Haven. (Nothing was announced back then, and the two first books were talked about as a split one-shot.) It has been a longer wait than is usual between books in a series, so I was very curious as to how the story would continue.

   This novel starts where Dragon Haven finishes, nothing has really happened since the end of the last book. It also doesn't change the concept of the two preceding books, which can in a way be summed up as exploration not action.

   Since there is some archaeology (, at least sort of,) involved I think a good way of explaining this volume of the Rain Wild Chronicles is that it is like a documentary about the Ark of the Covenant. So if you are looking for Raiders of the Lost Ark, you will probably be disappointed by the slow pace and lack of action.

   I mentioned the slow pace, for me that was not a problem. It's not slow in a "come on, something has to happen soon" way, but rather a case of the narrative taking its time. There's plenty of time to get to know the characters even better, and see how they have been changed by the events that have happened since the story started in The Dragon Keeper.

   It is however in its place to mention that there is a slight tendency to go to far in the "infodumping" in places, and I'm sure this will not be to everyone's liking. And this novel, and the whole Rain Wilds Chronicles-series, is not for readers who are impatient and want lots of action.

   What I really found fulfilling here is that we are starting to see quite a bit of the details, and inner workings, of what is hinted at in Hobb's previous books in the Realm of the Elderlings setting. There are some links that go so far as back to The Farseer Trilogy, and there is a direct link from The Tawny Man Trilogy. And of course The Rain Wilds Chronicles is in many way a direct continuation of The Liveship Traders Trilogy.

   This time around we also get a point of view from one of the main characters from The Liveship Traders. And she is in many ways set up to take an even bigger role in the next volume.

   Her characters are, in my opinion, the greatest strength of Hobb, and the ones we meet here are no exception. The novel mostly centres around the female characters, although there are a couple of male points of view. Most of the characters are also young, this does not mean the story is Young Adult, but it does mean that there are character interactions that are perhaps more often found in Young Adult novels.

   If you are looking for Epic Fantasy with female characters this is a good series. In this novel we get another one, and she is a welcome reacquaintance with someone from The Liveship Traders Trilogy. And if you, like me, enjoyed that trilogy this is definitely a must.

   Back to the story. Although it is slow, there is a lot happening towards the end of the book. And one of the events is a great revelation that feels like it could have repercussions for the whole of the Realm of the Elderlings setting.

   The end of the book is very much a set up for the next, and as far as I know final volume in the series. It has a very "middle volume non-ending" in many ways, but I had no trouble with that. There was enough happening that I felt satisfied, although I must say I am already a bit impatient for the next book to be published.

   All in all this was a very good book from Hobb. It does take its time, but that felt justified to me. And after reading eleven previous books in this setting I got a satisfying feeling that everything is at the point of coming together. This is a real treat for Hobb fans, and a really great exploration of the history of dragons and Elderlings.

Reviews: The Dragon Keeper  Dragon Haven  The Inheritance

Links: Robin Hobb  HarperVoyager  Voyager Blog

REVIEW: DRAGON HAVEN BY ROBIN HOBB

 Cover illustration: Jackie Morris

DRAGON HAVEN

BOOK TWO OF THE RAIN WILD CHRONICLES

BY

ROBIN HOBB

ISBN: 978 - 0 - 00 - 733581 - 7

Pages: 570

Publisher: Harper Voyager

Publishing Date: 4 March 2010

On the cover:

Return to the Rain wilds.

The dragon keepers and the fledgling dragons are forging a passage up the treacherous Rain Wild River. They are in search of the mythical Elderling city of Kelsingra, and are accompanied by the liveship Tarman, its captain, Leftrin, and a group of hunters who must search the forests for game with which to keep the ragons fed. With them are Alise, who has escaped her cold marriage to the cruel libertine Hest Finbok in order to continue her study of dragons, and Hest's amanuensis, Bingtown dandy, Sedric.

Rivalries and romances are already threatening to disrupt the band of explorers: but external forces may prove to be even more dangerous. Chalcedean merchants are keen to lay their hands on dragon blood and organs to turn them to medicine and profit. Their traitor has infiltrated the expedition and will stop at nothing to obtain the coveted body parts. And then there are the Rain Wilds themselves: mysterious, unstable and ever perilous, its mighty river running with acid, its jungle impenetrable and its waterways uncharted.

Will the expedition reach their destination unscathed? Does the city of Kelsingra even exist? Only one thing is certain: the journey will leave none of the dragons nor their human companions unchanged by the experience.

   Unsurprisingly this book follows directly on from the events of "The Dragon Keeper". It does start off with a info-dump prologue that at first glance looks like a unnecessary read if you come directly from the previous book. But the prologue not only recaps the events of  book one, Hobb has hidden some interesting new info in it, so it is an essential read.

   This book takes place wholly away from the civilization of the Rain Wilds, and follows the journey of the dragons and their keepers further into the wilds. Not only the physical wilds of the Rain Wild River, but also the wild landscape of the human psyche.
   Parts of the book looks at the dynamics of a group of individuals who are cut off from civilization. Some of what happens reminded me of "Lord of the Flies", and i would not be surprised if Hobb has drawn some of her inspiration from William Golding's novel.

   There is a bit more action here than in "The Dragon Keeper", and the overall pace of events is stepped up a bit. There are still passages that are largely devoted to character building, and that is certainly still a large part of the story, but there is quite a few events happening in the physical world too.
   It quickly becomes clear that there actually was a bit more happening in book one than was told to the reader. This was mostly very natural, as it was hidden from the point of view characters at the time. One development did make me feel a bit cheated as I felt the character should have noticed earlier, or at the very least had a feeling of something going on.

    One thing that there is certainly more of here than in book one is romance. Not that it is in any way turned into a "Romantic Fantasy", but there is a bit of "action" in the book. This comes naturally with the story, and at least one of the developing relationships has been telegraphed since early in the previous book.
   Robin Hobb also manages to sneak in some surprises on the romance front, and one of them comes as such a surprise that I doubt anyone will catch on before the reveal.

    What was the most interesting part of the book for me was finding out about the relationship between humans, dragons and elderlings. This is revealed in more detail here than in any of Hobbs previous works. This relationship between three races is something that has been part of Robin Hobb's fantasy world since "The Farseer Trilogy" and to see what looks like most of the mysteries revealed is very satisfying.

    Having mentioned earlier in this review that there is more action here than in "The Dragon Keeper", I feel the need to say that it is by no means an action oriented adventure. But as with the previous volume in "The Rain Wild Chronicles" I felt that the slow pace fitted the story.
    I've read several reports that these two books were first intended as one, and I have no trouble believing that. It might be possible to read this book as a standalone, but I would definitely recommend you read these to books as a split volume and begin with the first one.

    The ending of this book, and as far as I know "The Rain Wild Chronicles", was a bit of a letdown. Not because it was a badly written ending, or that it didn't finish the story. It did however leave me with a lack of closure that almost screams for a follow up. I hope it comes in the form of another trilogy from Robin Hobb, and that she's working on it now, because I want to read it as soon as possible.

LINKS: My review of "The Dragon Keeper"   Robin Hobb   Harper Voyager

REVIEW: THE DRAGON KEEPER BY ROBIN HOBB

Cover Illustration: Jackie Morris

THE DRAGON KEEPER

BOOK ONE OF THE RAIN WILD CHRONICLES

BY

ROBIN HOBB

 

ISBN: 978 - 0 - 00 - 727374 - 4

Pages: 553

Publisher: Harper Voyager

Publishing date: 25 June 2009

On the cover:

17 Damaged Dragons, 13 Misfits, 1 Impossible Quest.

Guided by the great blue dragon Tintaglia, they came from the sea: a Tangle of serpents fighting their way up the Rain Wild River: the first to make the perilous journey to the cocooning grounds in generations. Many have died along the way. With its acid waters and noxious airs, it is a hard place for anyone to survive.

People are changed by the Rain Wilds, subtly or otherwise. One such is Thymara. Born with black claws and other abhorrences, she should have been exposed at birth. But her father saved her and her mother has never forgiven him. Like everyone else, Thymara is fascinated by the return of the dragons: it is as if they symbolise the return of hope to their war-torn world. Leftrin, captain of the liveship Tarman, also has an interest in the hatching; as does Bingtown newlywed, Alise Finbok, who has made it her life's work to study all there is to know about dragons.

But the creatures which emerge from the cocoons are a travesty of the powerful, shining dragons of old. Stunted and deformed, they cannot fly. Some do not even have wings; others seem witless and bestial. Soon they are seen as a danger and a burden: something must be done. Far upriver, so far it is shown on no map, lies the legendary Elderling city of Kelsingra - or so it is believed. Perhaps there the dragons will find their true home. But they cannot get there on their own: a band of dragon keepers, hunters and chroniclers must attend them.

To be a dragon keeper is a dangerous job: their charges are vicious and unpredictable. and there are many unknown perils: none are expected to return, or even survive...

   Robin Hobb is one of my favourite fantasy authors, and in my opinion her trilogy "The Liveship Traders" is one of the best Fantasy series ever written. So obviously I was excited to hear about this book, and could not wait to get my hands on it and read it, something I did when it came out. I actually re-read it for this review.

   The Dragon Keeper's starts out with a retelling of some of the events of Hobb's "The Liveship Traders" from a different perspective. And it continues with events happening at the same time as "The Tawny Man" trilogy, and an event in that trilogy is mentioned. 

   Despite all that, this book is not a direct follow-up to any of these two trilogies, it is however a continuation of events from "The Liveship Traders". I feel it is more a independent companion volume to that trilogy, and you do not have to read the 2500 pages of "The Liveship Traders" to read this book. In fact if you're unfamiliar with Robin Hobb's work, you can safely start here.

   If you have read and like me enjoyed "The Liveship Traders" however this book is essential reading.

   The story of The Dragon Keeper is about two thing, both of which are helpfully mentioned in the full title, Dragons and the Rain Wilds.

   

   The Rain Wilds of Robin Hobb's world remains a rather mysterious place despite appearing in "The Liveship Traders", but here most of that veil of mystery is lifted. Many of the things that have previously only been hinted at are talked about openly here. This demystification does not make the Rain Wilds a less interesting place. To me it lends depth, character and believability to the place.

  The story of the Rain Wilds society is mostly told through the eyes of the teenager Thymara. Her deformities make her an outcast, and through her we see the darker side of the harsh life along the Rain Wild River.

   The dragons in this book in many ways mirror the inhabitants of the Rain Wilders. They are flawed creatures, and do not resemble the god-like noble beasts that dragons usually are portrayed as in fantasy. This is both refreshing and necessary to give credence to the relationship between the dragon sand their keepers. It is through this relationship that the reader, at the same time as the keepers discovers the nature of Hobb's dragons.

    Not only do the dragons of this book differ from the kind you usually find in Epic/Medieval fantasy, so does the story. You will not find any dark lord that has to be defeated, no orphaned boy has to rise to save the world and there's a distinct lack of wizards lurking in the background.

   There is a quest, but it takes backstage to the development of the characters and it only starts towards the end of the book.

    

    Robin Hobb's writing has never been the most action-filled fantasy. "The Farseer Trilogy", her fastest paced so far, is slow compared to most other fantasy in a secondary world setting. And this is unquestionably the slowest paced Hobb has ever been. Not to say nothing happens, it does. 

   

    When I had finished this book I felt satisfied with the journey Hobb had taken me on. The detailed character development was both refreshing and relaxing. It was good reading fantasy that allowed me to really get to know the characters, and if that sounds interesting you should try this out.. 

     I would also recommend this to anyone interested in dragons and their interactions with humans. And finally, this is definitely an essential read for anyone who wants to gain more insight into the world of the Farseers and the Cursed Shores.

   

That said the ending of the book is rather sudden, there is no great cliffhanger, and it doesn't feel like a natural ending. This should be no problem for anyone reading it now, the follow-up "Dragon Haven" is out now. And I review it here.

LINKS:  Robin Hobb   Harper Voyager