COVER REVEAL ROUND-UP (XIX)

   It's been a few months since I last did this. (You can see part of the reason for that here.) I haven't kept a very close look on covers since then, so I have definitely missed some. But these are some of those that caught my eyes.

   I assume that those that read this has caught the news that there will be a new Fitz & Fool novel from Robin Hobb in August 2014. This is the cover for the US edition, coming from Del Rey. The art is by Alejandro Colucci. I'm hardly objective when it comes to a new Realm of the Elderlings book from Hobb, but I really like this cover. (You can read the first excerpt from the book here.)

   This is the third book from Kim Curran. I was pretty excited about the ending of the last one so I am of course very excited by this one. The cover is by Larry Rostant. and the book will be out in August 2014 from Strange Chemistry. As always, Rostant has made a great cover. I really look forward to getting my hands on this one.

  The third book in The Long Earth series will be out from Doubleday on 19 June 2014. I like this cover quite a bit. It does fall into the (sometimes overused) realistic Mars expedition image, but it is a good one.

NOTE: What is it with all the Mars books coming out recently, and in the not to distant future?

   The second Stephen King novel of the year has gotten a cover. This one will be out in November this year, and I assume this is the US cover. (More info here.) Not much to say about this one. It's got King's name on it, the title, and some lightning. Only the first one of those will be necessary for most book-buyers, so this will do the job. -I am looking forward to reading this though.

   Strange Chemistry has some great covers. I'll include this one with art by Sarah J. Coleman in that statement. I really like the style of this one, it's an image that makes me want to read the book. And since I already have an e-ARC I will try to do that before its release on 6 May.

   This is the cover by Alejandro Colucci for an Angry Robot Books release on 1 July 2014. This is a really great piece of art. I would gladly pick this up without knowing anything else about it than having seen this cover.

   This is the cover for the first book in a new series, it will be out 17 March 2015 from Orbit. Photo by Shirley Green, illustration by Don Sipley, and design by Lauren Panepinto. It's no secret that I like Gail Carriger's books, and that would make me excited for this one no matter what was on the cover. But I like the covers for Carriger's books, and this fits neatly into the style of those that have gone before. -A bit more info on the author's website.

   This is the third book in the second trilogy from Deas. It will be out from Gollancz 19 June 2014. I like dragons, and these are good looking ones. Looking forward to this one.

   This is the third book in this series, it will be out in January 2015 from Solaris Books. The cover art is by Jake Murray. I think the covers for these books just get better and better. And this image really makes me want to read this book.

   And Finally, the US cover for the latest Discworld novel. Out from Doubleday 18 March 2014. (It's weird that Pratchett has delayed release in the US. Maybe it's a contract issue?) Every time I see a US Pratchett cover I have to wonder why they don't just reuse the UK ones. They're not all bad, this one is actually quite good, but the comparison to the UK ones will always let them down.

HIGHLIGHTS OF MY BLOGGING YEAR 2013

   I was toying with the idea of making a more normal "Best of 2013" post, but when I looked back at what I actually posted in 2013 I quickly decided to drop that. What I instead will do is highlight some of the books I blogged about last year that I for some reason or other feel deserves a second mention. So, here goes:

   Let's start with Stephen King. I reviewed seven King books this year, and they were actually all quite different. It would be hard for me to pick just one of them, fortunately I don't really need to. What I will do is recommend Joyland, the book that was actually published in 2013. It's a great novel that should be suited to everyone who likes a good story.

  On the Science Fiction front I reviewed far from the amount of books I intended, but I still managed to review twelve books who got that tag last year. Again it would be hard to pick just one of them, but I will go with the same criteria as above, and pick one that was actually published in 2013. Uhm...screw that, I'll have to pick two. Control by Kim Curran, and Then Will the Great Ocean Wash Deep Above by Ian Sales. They are very different books, and while I enjoyed both of them I am sure not everybody will. But check them both out and chances are one of them will be worth it for you.

   On the Fantasy side of things I managed to review fifteen books. Not a lot, and not any real choices when it comes to those published in 2013. My choice there would have to be the fourth book in Robin Hobb's The Rain Wilds Chronicles, Blood of Dragons.

   I managed to review thirteen Alternate History(/Steampunk) books last year. [Note to self: Do a post on Alternate History/Steampunk one of these days.] And...I'm having trouble picking just one book here, so I'll go with two; Fiendish Schemes by K.W. Jeter and The Prince of Lies by Anne Lyle. Two books set in completely different eras that are excellent examples of this SFF subgenre.

   I also reviewed three tie-in books last year, two Star Wars, and one Doctor Who. I haven't read tie-in fiction for a couple of decades, but these three all gave me the incentive to explore that often neglected segment of SFF further. The one that I would highlight of the three is Star Wars: Razor's Edge, the first Empire and Rebellion novel, by Martha Wells.

   I only reviewed one anthology last year, but I want to highlight that once again, and I urge you to pick it up; Tales of Eve edited by Mhairi Simpson.

   Of course I didn't only review books that were first published in 2013, and I absolutely have to give you another heads up on some of those that were published earlier.

   First of them is The Red Knight by K.T. Davies. It's an Epic Fantasy novel I think you really shouldn't miss.

   Secondly I have to remind you of a really fun Urban Fantasy novel that is set outside the usual place such novels go, Snake Agent by Liz Williams.

   I could have mentioned several other books here, but instead of getting overlong I'll just suggest you take a look at the posts I did last year and see if anything catches your eye.

   This year I'll try to get more reviews up than I did in 2013 (, no promises though). I will continue to do a mix of new and older books, and my quest to review every Stephen King book published will continue.

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 WILFUL PRINCESS AND THE PIEBALD PRINCE

Cover art by Jon Foster

THE WILFUL PRINCESS AND THE PIEBALD PRINCE

BY

ROBIN HOBB

ISBN: 978-1-59606-544-4

Pages: 184

Publisher: Subterranean Press

Published: 28 February 2013

On the cover:

One of the darkest legends in the Realm of the Elderlings recounts the tale of the so-called Piebald Prince, a Witted pretender to the throne unseated by the actions of brave nobles so that the Farseer line could continue untainted. Now the truth behind the story is revealed through the account of Felicity, a low-born companion of the Princess Caution at Buckkeep.
    With Felicity by her side, Caution grows into a headstrong Queen-in-Waiting. But when Caution gives birth to a bastard son who shares the piebald markings of his father’s horse, Felicity is the one who raises him. And as the prince comes to power, political intrigue sparks dangerous whispers about the Wit that will change the kingdom forever…

    This is a short book consisting of a story in two parts. As the flap copy says, it's the story of one of the monumental events in the history (,as seen from the time of Hobb's other stories set in The Realm of the Elderlings,) of the Six Duchies. It's about a short period that has major repercussions for later events, especially FitzChivalry's experiences in The Farseer Trilogy is very much effected by what is told here. So, as such this isn't truly a standalone. It is certainly possible to read this without any knowledge of what has been previously published, but this is first and foremost a complimentary story for those who want to know more about the world Hobb has created.
   Felicity's story is both her very personal story and a much larger story about the kings and queens of Buckkeep and the politics of ruling. These two story strands are intertwined, and it is Felicity's closeness to events that makes her their chronicler.

   The personal story is in essence about how someone of low birth can find a place in the upper reaches of the court, and that in itself is interesting enough to warrant a telling. There's some chilling lengths that are gone to to keep that place, and it does sometimes come across as extremely cynical actions. But that is really what gives it power, Hobb shows how desperate someone can get to stay close to the powerful. And also how extreme your actions can become when you are trying to safeguard yourself and your family.
   There's also another aspect to the personal story, one that has more to do with feelings and even love. Especially in the first part of the book we see how the closeness of two people of different stations is a fragile thing that can be destroyed by the small events that are a part of so many people's life.

   On the big scale side of the story we finally get to see the historical events we have previously only heard about in Hobb's previous work, the story of the Piebald Prince and how he came to be.
   This is largely a story of courtly politics, something that on the surface may not sound very interesting or engaging, but it is a really fascinating tale. There's not only politics involved, love is a major part of what is going on in both parts of the book. This humanises the dry politics to a great degree, making the actions of the participants much more relatable and understandable. It shortens the distance from the reader to the greater geopolitical events that are more of a result of what happens than their cause.
   Hobb offers up some surprising twists and turns, and although you may be familiar with what the ultimate results of this came to be in later years (, in The Farseer Trilogy,) seeing where this story goes is still very much a guessing game.

   I mentioned above that the personal and the political are intertwined in this book, and that is something Hobb does very well. There's never a feeling that one suffers because of the other, and the two strands compliments each other very well. It becomes a personal chronicle of momentous events that puts you right in the middle of what is happening, and Hobb manages to make you feel like you are experiencing it as much as Felicity did. It's really a great way to tell of historical events, and Hobb does it expertly here.
   The main characters are also very well drawn. Apart from Felicity we get little insight into their thought processes, but we still understand them and can empathise with them. (At least to the degree that Felicity can.) We don't get close to all the players in the story, but that isn't something I felt was missing from the story, it's more the nature of it. And that is something I really liked, this is an intimate telling of a large story and that is its great strength.

   I can only conclude that this is another great story from Hobb. It carries her trademark style, and as a fan of that style it was a great read for me, and I'm sure other Hobb fans will feel the same way. This is really an essential complementary tale for those who want to know and understand more about Hobb's world, and it should be in every Hobb fan's collection

More Robin Hobb reviews can be found here.

LINKS: Robin Hobb  Subterranean Press

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: THE INHERITANCE

Cover Art: Jackie Morris

THE INHERITANCE

BY

ROBIN HOBB

AND

MEGAN LINDHOLM

ISBN: 978-0-00-727377-5

Pages: 400

Publisher: Harper Voyager

Published: 31 March 2011

On the cover:

In The Homecoming, Lady Carillion Carrock and a number of other Jamaillian nobles are sailing to the Cursed Shores. Their journey is not by choice: for plotting against the Satrap, their wealth has been confiscated and they have been exiled. Until now, Carillion has done nothing but lead a life of privilege. She believes they are bound for wondrous cities, cities where ancient kings and queens dusted their skin with gold and wore jewels above their eyes. But when she is marooned by the ship’s unscrupulous captain, she will soon discover the grim reality of what survival in the Rain Wilds entails.

The Silver Lady is a would-be writer, ekeing out a dull existence by working in a Sears store. The one day a man comes in: fortyish, pleasant-looking. Nothing out of the ordinary. Except he says his name is Merlin, and he’s about to change her life.

Rosemary got involved with the wrong man. Pell is lazy, good for nothing, a bully. Her best friend Hilia knew it and so did her tom cat, Marmalade. But love is blind: Rosemary had Pell’s baby, renovated the cottage his grandfather left in his will, turned its land to good use; and then he left her for another woman. Now he’s back, and something must be done…

   This book is split into two parts, at least in the table of contents, one for each author. And as the author(s) herself writes in the preface (, and after reading the book I agree with,) they are two distinctly different authors even though they are only one person. But it is kind of an interesting question if this is an anthology, because it has stories by two different authors, or a collection, since it is written by one person.
   As usual I will review each story by itself with a short summary at the end.

LINDHOLM

A TOUCH OF LAVENDER

   It's very hard to say anything about this story without spoiling it, and I want any other reader to come to it fresh, like I did. So this will be rather short on details.
   The setting is our planet, but with the difference that humans co-exist with alien exiles, this is also a large part of the premise of the story. Lindholm has really nailed the setting, it feels very believable, and also original.
   As for the story, I'm not exactly revealing anything when I say that I really liked it. It is well worth reading, even if you don't consider yourself a Science Fiction fan.

   This is actually the first story I have ever read by Lindholm, (I write these reviews after each story, so I have only read this one from the book as I write this,) and I find myself wondering what took me so long. It's a great way to start a collection, and has me excited for the rest of the book.

SILVER LADY AND THE FORTYISH MAN

   A love story that (may) have some magic thrown into the mix. For me this story didn't really stand out in any way. It is by no means bad, in fact it does what it does very well, but it was just not for me. But although I didn't connect with it, I am sure there are many others who will like it a lot.

CUT

   Set in the future, this story is about the alterations we do to our bodies and the bodies of our children. It walks a very fine line between being preachy or not, and Lindholm resists the temptation to make anything too black and white.
   I think this would have worked better for me as a longer story. The central idea is good, and the society in which it is set deserves a closer(/longer) look in my opinion.

THE FIFTH SQUASHED CAT

   This is one of those stories that I can't really decide if I like or not. It has a central theme that is about magic, and it is well written. But yet I always come out of reading this type of story a bit unfulfilled and wondering if there is really any point to it at all. It is not something I connected with. I am sure others will feel satisfied by the theme and the philosophy, and connect with it more than I did. But I come away with feeling that I want there to be more story in a story.
   That being said, the theme here is not dissimilar to Silver Lady and the Fortyish Man, and I would probably have liked it better if I had read this on its own and not so close after that story.

STRAYS

   A story of social realism with a magical twist, and cats as a central part of it. 

   I found this a very thoughtful story. Some of its themes are very important ones, and Lindholm handles them with the respect they deserve. It is a very good story. And if you love cats it is a must.

FINIS

   This is a vampire story. But it is not the type of story that you would normally associate with vampires. The originality of it makes it stand out from the pack (,or is that swarm or maybe brood?) That being said, the ending is not really surprising, you can see it coming very early in the story. But that does not really matter in this case. The journey to the ending is both enjoying and very interesting, and a well written one.

DRUM MACHINE

   The last story from Lindholm is a Science Fiction story that is set in a society that have some differences to the one we live in that makes for an unpleasantly possible future scenario.

   I liked this story a lot. Both the characters and the story are engaging, and Lindholm manages to tell a lot about its setting in a few pages. 

HOBB

HOMECOMING

   This story was first published in the anthology Legends II, edited by Robert Silverberg, in 2004. In order of publication it follows The Liveship Traders trilogy, and although in the internal chronology of Hobb's world it tells of the beginning of the Rain Wilds settlement, I'd urge any reader to first read The Liveship Traders trilogy before this story. If you start with this, some of the events in that trilogy will be spoiled for you.

   Since I love The Liveship Traders trilogy I found this tale absolutely wonderful, and I think this could very well be Hobb's best work. The narrative is framed as a diary, and this works very well. The woman writing it comes of as a sympatetic and well rounded character, and her voice is very well suited to the story.

   Despite knowing, or at least strongly suspecting, where the story is going to end up, Hobb manages to make it suspenseful. There is a doubt throughout as to the faith of the expedition this story tells of that makes it a real page-turner. 

   This is a story every fan of Hobb should read, and especially thosethat enjoyed The Liveship Traders trilogy. And I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to anyone who likes Fantasy, it is a great Novella.

THE INHERITANCE

   Set in the world of The Liveship Traders trilogy, this is an excellent little story of a woman coming into her Bingtown inheritance. As with Homecoming it is best read after The Liveship Traders trilogy. But it will also serve as a great introduction to Hobb for those who are funfamiliar with her work, as it stands on its own as a story.

CAT'S MEAT

   This story is set in Buck in the Six Duchies. And those who have read Hobb's two trilogies about FitzChivalry will recognise both names and elements from those. But this is set on the opposite ened of the social scale from the royalty of those two trilogies.

   The story is a very powerful one, and Hobb really manages to make the reader feel for the characters in this story. If you don't feel sympathy for the characters here you must have a heart of stone. It really is a story that deserves to be wider read than the obvious appeal it will have to the fans of Hobb's Six Duchies stories.

SUMMARY

   This is a great introduction to the two authors. I'm sure many, like me, who are fans of Hobb have not read Lindholm, and this is a good place to start. I may not have connected with all the stories, and especially the Lindholm part took some being used to after reading a lot of Hobb's work previously. But I really enjoyed Lindholm's style too, and have already purchased a couple of her books on the strength of this collection/anthology.

   For Hobb fans it is an essential purchase. The novella Homecoming in itself justified the purchase to me, and there is a lot of other great stories here.

REVIEWS: Dragon Keeper  Dragon Haven

LINKS: Robin Hobb   Harper Voyager  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