[Whisperzzzzzzz]

QuickTidal, on 09 May 2023 - 12:36 AM, said:

I liked liveship, and I think it’s a nice break between the first two trilogies….you’ll miss Fitz (if not the Fool), but you get to root for Althea and watch scenery chewing Kennit. It’s also got a lot of hidden world building for the world you don’t get in the early Fitz books.

I decided to include Liveship in the reread! Poor Paragon...

This post has been edited by Whisperzzzzzzz: 09 May 2023 - 02:25 PM

[TheRetiredBridgeburner]

Whisperzzzzzzz, on 09 May 2023 - 02:25 PM, said:

QuickTidal, on 09 May 2023 - 12:36 AM, said:

I liked liveship, and I think it's a nice break between the first two trilogies….you'll miss Fitz (if not the Fool), but you get to root for Althea and watch scenery chewing Kennit. It's also got a lot of hidden world building for the world you don't get in the early Fitz books.

I decided to include Liveship in the reread! Poor Paragon...

That first bit of info dump about Paragon's history has stayed with me in such a visceral way ever since first reading it! Hobb is a genius.

[QuickTidal]

TheRetiredBridgeburner, on 09 May 2023 - 02:24 PM, said:

The Farseer books are brilliant, although I personally edge the Liveship trilogy just above them (but that's largely out of attachment to them as my first Hobb books).

The whole lot (Farseer, Tawny Man and Liveship) were my lockdown rereads, having not read them in years. Beautiful prose and almost complete emotional destruction, what more could a woman ask for?

Yep, I just call it all Farseer, but yes the two originals trilogies at least (I've not read the last two books of the final trilogy, I have them.....but I'm not ready....) are in my top top of all time.

TheRetiredBridgeburner, on 09 May 2023 - 02:24 PM, said:

Props to Mr Not a Blacksmith for sitting through a straight five minutes of me weeping inconsolably at the death of

Spoiler

Nighteyes

I am DREADING this on my re-read. I'm glad it's not for a while yet....but jeezus even

Spoiler

Smithy's death in book 1

Reduced me to tears already. I'm not at all ready. I likely will never be ready no matter how many times I read it.

TheRetiredBridgeburner, on 09 May 2023 - 02:24 PM, said:

And remembering enough about my explanation of that level of distress that he now quotes "Bring ginger cakes!" at me and occasionally sends photos if he finds them in a shop

A-mazing. LOL. He's a keeper.

Did you hear about that girl they found lost and wandering with amnesia in Washington State a few years back and she could not remember anything about who she was...but when prodded on what things she DID recall to the police she was quoting some of the Fool's lines from TAWNY MAN? Amazing. Could not remember her name or her family or where she lived...but remembered Robin Hobb's books. LOL

This post has been edited by QuickTidal: 09 May 2023 - 02:38 PM

[Macros]

Fine, I'll buy the assassin's trilogy already.

I'll have the divorce paperwork countersigned by you guys!



Although, bookshelf is being installed in 2 weeks.....

[Macros]

World of Books is doing a buy 3 get 1 free.

If you want some pre loved books and not use amazon used?
Go for it!


Yes I just bought 4 RH books

[Azath Vitr (D'ivers]

QuickTidal, on 09 May 2023 - 02:37 PM, said:

TheRetiredBridgeburner, on 09 May 2023 - 02:24 PM, said:

The Farseer books are brilliant, although I personally edge the Liveship trilogy just above them (but that's largely out of attachment to them as my first Hobb books).

The whole lot (Farseer, Tawny Man and Liveship) were my lockdown rereads, having not read them in years. Beautiful prose and almost complete emotional destruction, what more could a woman ask for?

Yep, I just call it all Farseer, but yes the two originals trilogies at least (I've not read the last two books of the final trilogy, I have them.....but I'm not ready....) are in my top top of all time.

TheRetiredBridgeburner, on 09 May 2023 - 02:24 PM, said:

Props to Mr Not a Blacksmith for sitting through a straight five minutes of me weeping inconsolably at the death of

Spoiler

Nighteyes

I am DREADING this on my re-read. I'm glad it's not for a while yet....but jeezus even

Spoiler

Smithy's death in book 1

Reduced me to tears already. I'm not at all ready. I likely will never be ready no matter how many times I read it.

TheRetiredBridgeburner, on 09 May 2023 - 02:24 PM, said:

And remembering enough about my explanation of that level of distress that he now quotes "Bring ginger cakes!" at me and occasionally sends photos if he finds them in a shop

A-mazing. LOL. He's a keeper.

Did you hear about that girl they found lost and wandering with amnesia in Washington State a few years back and she could not remember anything about who she was...but when prodded on what things she DID recall to the police she was quoting some of the Fool's lines from TAWNY MAN? Amazing. Could not remember her name or her family or where she lived...but remembered Robin Hobb's books. LOL

'Farseer' would be a better-sounding (if not a better) title for the series as a whole... 'The Realm of the Elderlings' put me off reading it for a while. Also, somehow I thought I'd read a Hobb RotE short story in the Rogues anthology, and expected more of the same (I liked the story, but wasn't keen on 16+ books worth of it), but that must have been someone else, since she's not in it (something about a teleporting protagonist and camels?)....

This post has been edited by Azath Vitr (D'ivers: 09 May 2023 - 03:05 PM

[QuickTidal]

Macros, on 09 May 2023 - 02:49 PM, said:

Fine, I'll buy the assassin's trilogy already.

I'll have the divorce paperwork countersigned by you guys!



Although, bookshelf is being installed in 2 weeks.....

Macros, on 09 May 2023 - 02:56 PM, said:

World of Books is doing a buy 3 get 1 free.

If you want some pre loved books and not use amazon used?
Go for it!


Yes I just bought 4 RH books

You won't be disappointed I don't think. It really is some of my favourite fantasy work.

Hope you enjoy!

Azath Vitr (D, on 09 May 2023 - 03:04 PM, said:

'Farseer' would be a better-sounding (if not a better) title for the series as a whole... 'The Realm of the Elderlings' put me off reading it for a while.

Yeah, and Realm of the Elderlings is a more recent name for the whole series IIRC, and yeah, it's ungainly as a series title.

There are Farseer's in all of the books barring LIVESHIP (Is there any Farseer's in The Rain Wilds books? I can't recall), so I feel like it still works to use as a series moniker.

Azath Vitr (D, on 09 May 2023 - 03:04 PM, said:

Also, somehow I thought I'd read a Hobb RotE short story in the Rogues anthology, and expected more of the same (I liked the story, but wasn't keen on 16+ books worth of it), but that must have been someone else, since she's not in it (something about a teleporting protagonist and camels?)....

Yeah, there are no Robin Hobbb shorts in Rogues....she's got ones in LEGENDS II, WARRIORS, and SONGS OF LOVE & DEATH... but nothing like that.

This post has been edited by QuickTidal: 09 May 2023 - 03:23 PM

[champ]

I don't like Robin Hobb... she makes me cry way too much haha....

[Tiste Simeon]

I enjoyed the Assassin's trilogy fine. It wasn't groundbreaking to me tbh and it just seemed a bit too depressing - I did wonder if she hates her own characters haha. I didn't actively dislike that trilogy but it didn't inspire me enough to read any further.

Maybe I should give it another go at some point. I'll keep an eye out in charity shops!

[JPK]

Tiste Simeon, on 09 May 2023 - 05:15 PM, said:

I enjoyed the Assassin's trilogy fine. It wasn't groundbreaking to me tbh and it just seemed a bit too depressing - I did wonder if she hates her own characters haha. I didn't actively dislike that trilogy but it didn't inspire me enough to read any further.

Maybe I should give it another go at some point. I'll keep an eye out in charity shops!

I liked the first trilogy but I fell in love with the Elderlings stuff with Liveship. Give that trilogy a shot and if you're still not digging it after the first book, I'd say you're safe to skip Hobb.

[Whisperzzzzzzz]

QuickTidal, on 09 May 2023 - 02:37 PM, said:

TheRetiredBridgeburner, on 09 May 2023 - 02:24 PM, said:

The Farseer books are brilliant, although I personally edge the Liveship trilogy just above them (but that's largely out of attachment to them as my first Hobb books).

The whole lot (Farseer, Tawny Man and Liveship) were my lockdown rereads, having not read them in years. Beautiful prose and almost complete emotional destruction, what more could a woman ask for?

Yep, I just call it all Farseer, but yes the two originals trilogies at least (I've not read the last two books of the final trilogy, I have them.....but I'm not ready....) are in my top top of all time.

TheRetiredBridgeburner, on 09 May 2023 - 02:24 PM, said:

Props to Mr Not a Blacksmith for sitting through a straight five minutes of me weeping inconsolably at the death of

Spoiler

Nighteyes

I am DREADING this on my re-read. I'm glad it's not for a while yet....but jeezus even

Spoiler

Smithy's death in book 1

Reduced me to tears already. I'm not at all ready. I likely will never be ready no matter how many times I read it.

TheRetiredBridgeburner, on 09 May 2023 - 02:24 PM, said:

And remembering enough about my explanation of that level of distress that he now quotes "Bring ginger cakes!" at me and occasionally sends photos if he finds them in a shop

A-mazing. LOL. He's a keeper.

Did you hear about that girl they found lost and wandering with amnesia in Washington State a few years back and she could not remember anything about who she was...but when prodded on what things she DID recall to the police she was quoting some of the Fool's lines from TAWNY MAN? Amazing. Could not remember her name or her family or where she lived...but remembered Robin Hobb's books. LOL

Are you sure this woman wasn't a White Prophet?

EDIT: http://www.cnn.com/2.../teen.jane.doe/

This post has been edited by Whisperzzzzzzz: 09 May 2023 - 05:53 PM

[Tiste Simeon]

JPK, on 09 May 2023 - 05:30 PM, said:

Tiste Simeon, on 09 May 2023 - 05:15 PM, said:

I enjoyed the Assassin's trilogy fine. It wasn't groundbreaking to me tbh and it just seemed a bit too depressing - I did wonder if she hates her own characters haha. I didn't actively dislike that trilogy but it didn't inspire me enough to read any further.

Maybe I should give it another go at some point. I'll keep an eye out in charity shops!

I liked the first trilogy but I fell in love with the Elderlings stuff with Liveship. Give that trilogy a shot and if you're still not digging it after the first book, I'd say you're safe to skip Hobb.

Would I have to read the first trilogy again? My TRB is coming down impressively but is still quite big!

[TheRetiredBridgeburner]

I wouldn't say so - I read Liveship first, knowing nothing about Farseer

[QuickTidal]

TheRetiredBridgeburner, on 09 May 2023 - 07:06 PM, said:

I wouldn't say so - I read Liveship first, knowing nothing about Farseer

Yeah, Liveship is only connected by a single character and some of the lore and world building, but you don't need to recall anything about Farseer to understand the story.

[champ]

Question re Hobb's books...


I cannot remember which was the last book I read so all book spoilers I guess...

Spoiler

The last book I read I remember the Fool was proper messed up, he'd been tortured and I think Fitz found him trapped in ice?

Is that right? If so any idea which book that is? I don't want to delve too deep finding out myself incase of spoilers.

[TheRetiredBridgeburner]

champ, on 09 May 2023 - 07:28 PM, said:

Question re Hobb's books...


I cannot remember which was the last book I read so all book spoilers I guess...

Spoiler

The last book I read I remember the Fool was proper messed up, he'd been tortured and I think Fitz found him trapped in ice?

Is that right? If so any idea which book that is? I don't want to delve too deep finding out myself incase of spoilers.

That's Fool's Fate, the third book in the Tawny Man trilogy.

So there's the newest trilogy to go after that, beginning with Fool's Assassin

[champ]

TheRetiredBridgeburner, on 09 May 2023 - 07:37 PM, said:

champ, on 09 May 2023 - 07:28 PM, said:

Question re Hobb's books...


I cannot remember which was the last book I read so all book spoilers I guess...

Spoiler

The last book I read I remember the Fool was proper messed up, he'd been tortured and I think Fitz found him trapped in ice?

Is that right? If so any idea which book that is? I don't want to delve too deep finding out myself incase of spoilers.

That's Fool's Fate, the third book in the Tawny Man trilogy.

So there's the newest trilogy to go after that, beginning with Fool's Assassin

Cheers, TRB!

[worry]

All Hobb's books have immensely good character and world building, and she's a unique & masterful storyteller, but it's undeniable that she puts readers (via her characters) through the ringer in a way that few authors dare. These aren't thrill rides, in particular the Fitz books (well, in particular particular the Soldier Son trilogy, but that's unrelated).

The exception being Liveship Traders, which has all the good aspects of her other books coupled with some of the downright coolest stuff I've ever read. It is really among the best series in all of fantasy, so well-balanced and exciting and perfectly plotted start to finish, it is one of the very few things as good as Malazan at its best.

[worry]

There's this site called Dracula Daily that is emailing Dracula out in 'real time' since it's an epistolary/journal. Like the first chapter was sent out May 3 because that's the first entry date in the novel. So I'm reading it (for the first time) this way. Kinda neat. Here's the URL if you wanna do it / catch up:
https://draculadaily.substack.com/

[Chance]

Went through Ashes of Man, the fifth sun eater book hoping for something a bit lighter than The Broken Crown, a bit more spectacle and a bit more awesome. It was awesome, it was however not even a small bit more cheerful perhaps even less so...

Well I'll go with Escape from Yokai Land next its been lying around for a while, thinking about the next book in line.

This post has been edited by Chance: 13 May 2023 - 07:20 PM