[Aptorian]

Werthead, on Jun 24 2009, 09:47 PM, said:

Salt-Man Z, on Jun 24 2009, 04:22 PM, said:

"Rain Wilds"? Is this the same setting from the Liveship books?

Yup, the duology picks up on that dragon Tintager or whatever her name was from the Liveship Traders, and what she and the sea serpents have been getting up to in the Rain Wilds. The main character is another Liveship captain, I believe.

Liveship traders... *shudder*

I'm not going anywhere this then.

This post has been edited by Aptorian: 24 June 2009 - 08:09 PM

[Zhuangzi]

Werthead, on Jun 24 2009, 07:31 AM, said:

Necrothread!

Robin Hobb's new novel, The Dragon Keeper, Book 1 of the Rain Wilds Chronicles duology, is now available in the UK (or at least it was in my local bookshop today). This is one novel divided in half due to length, with Book 2 to follow next year.

American fans have an eye-wateringly long wait though as the book is not due to be published in the USA until 26 January 2010. In this case, fans who do not want to wait may find an online trip to the Book Depository (with free worldwide shipping) of interest. I think it comes to about $19-20.

Thanks for that recommendation on the Book Depository! I was frustrated when I heard her new book was out but in the UK only - and I've been waiting for Felix Castor books from Mike Carey to come out in the US as well (equally frustrating/long wait - Vicious Circle just came out last week). I think I'll order Ambercrombie's book too! Ooh, should have thought of that first....

[RangerSG]

Aptorian, on Jun 24 2009, 03:08 PM, said:

Werthead, on Jun 24 2009, 09:47 PM, said:

Salt-Man Z, on Jun 24 2009, 04:22 PM, said:

"Rain Wilds"? Is this the same setting from the Liveship books?

Yup, the duology picks up on that dragon Tintager or whatever her name was from the Liveship Traders, and what she and the sea serpents have been getting up to in the Rain Wilds. The main character is another Liveship captain, I believe.

Liveship traders... *shudder*

I'm not going anywhere this then.

I can't say she does anything for me either. The first trilogy was good the first book, decent the second, and then I was so furious I almost chucked the book across the room in the 3rd. I don't mind one, or maybe two dumb characters. But when no one is capable of thinking at all? *facepalms* No.

[Tarcanus]

I'm really glad I'm not the only one around here that doesn't care for Hobb.

[Qlberts]

I guess I'm in the minority here. I love all of Hobb's books (that is, I haven't read the Soldier Son yet, so I don't know about that one, but I've read all her other ones and I thought they were fantastic.). I have bought and read her latest book The Dragon Keeper already and found it to be a very good read.

[Sixty]

Soldier Son was...meh. The protagonist reminded me a LOT of Fitz...the whole internal duty vs. self-interest conflict remained very similar, for example. I finished it, yeah, but then the ENDING...gah, the endings. Hobb's endings piss me off, to say the least.

[Zhuangzi]

I don't think you're in the minority, I think there are a lot of Hobb fans out there. But being a Hobb fan is very different from being, oh lets say an SE fan since this is his fan-forum. Lots of people who like SE probably like Hobb, but people who only like the type of violent, bigger than life characters will not enjoy Hobb so much. She's very intro-spective in my opinion. I like reading her books when I'm feeling moody. Ambercrombie makes me feel cheeky. SE makes me want to go play a video game. They're all different, some people like it all, some people just like SE.

[RangerSG]

Zhuangzi, on Jul 15 2009, 08:52 PM, said:

I don't think you're in the minority, I think there are a lot of Hobb fans out there. But being a Hobb fan is very different from being, oh lets say an SE fan since this is his fan-forum. Lots of people who like SE probably like Hobb, but people who only like the type of violent, bigger than life characters will not enjoy Hobb so much. She's very intro-spective in my opinion. I like reading her books when I'm feeling moody. Ambercrombie makes me feel cheeky. SE makes me want to go play a video game. They're all different, some people like it all, some people just like SE.

Hmm, I'm not sure that SE doesn't do introspective characters. Anyway, that wasn't my issue with Hobb. The issue was her plot was constructed so that her characters all had to have been lobotomized not to figure out what they had to do.

Spoiler

And then in the second series Fitz reverts to acting like a little teeny-bopper with his old girl that he "at last" gets to share his love with. It was like the whole second series existed to neuter the only choice of consequence he made in the 1st series.

What's the point of making introspective characters if what they do or think doesn't effect the plot one jot?

[Tarcanus]

Zhuangzi, on Jul 15 2009, 09:52 PM, said:

I don't think you're in the minority, I think there are a lot of Hobb fans out there. But being a Hobb fan is very different from being, oh lets say an SE fan since this is his fan-forum. Lots of people who like SE probably like Hobb, but people who only like the type of violent, bigger than life characters will not enjoy Hobb so much. She's very intro-spective in my opinion. I like reading her books when I'm feeling moody. Ambercrombie makes me feel cheeky. SE makes me want to go play a video game. They're all different, some people like it all, some people just like SE.

That wasn't my issue with Hobb, either. My problem was her dense prose that moved the plot agonizingly slow. I also had a problem how everyone but Fitz seemed to know EVERYTHING Fitz needed to know, but refused to tell him and with no reason as to why they couldn't tell him. Such a dumb plot device, imo.

[carnage4u]

Robin hobb is on of my favorite authors. I was not a huge fan of the Solider Son Trilogy though. I didnt think that story needed 3 books, and some of the stuff that happens is just a little much. Plus if I want a first story point of view, where the main character suffers and is sort of an idiot.I can read about Fitz.


I really think Liveship traders is her best series.

I did not realize her new book was out. I'll have to place an order for it now.