Dragon Keeper by Robin Hobb

[Damaen]

I dont think I have ever actually started a topic here but I didnt see one for Hobb's Dragon Keeper. Had to start a conversation about this.

i should preface this by saying that i own every single one of her books, and that for the most part i enjoy them. I prefer the Liveship series, but the Farseer books were decent. I will not discuss the Soldier Son trilogy (i think that was the name?) as i am trying to forget them. almost in their entirety.

That being said, i cant figure out what is happening to this author. I cant even wait till i finish the last 100 pages of the dragon keeper to start this thread. And i dont even know how to organize my irritation, but i will try.

What i hoped this novel would be about: Dragons, their keepers. It seems like sucha dream, now. A simple, simple dream. this could involve Tintaglia, but i dont really need her. I love the Rain Wilds, Hobb's short story set there really let me anticipate an entire novel about the region. Throw in some new characters and we have a date!

What would have been ok: The continuation of the story as we knew it. Same characters, different plots. Selden was good, malta is a friggin awsome character and is great when she appears for all of 20 pages in Keeper. I could live with more of the same.

What this book is about: Hobb manages to lose a really neat story about malformed dragons (read: the "tangle" scenes with dragons, so good but not original) and their equally unloved keepers amongst her repeatative, uninteresting story of a homosexual trader turned oportunist monster. YES I GET IT HE IS GAY. after 250 pages of "hints" and "winks" i get it. i dont know if Hobb is repeating herself to fill pages, or if she thinks its 1980 and she is breaking some sexual taboo, but this is boring. very, very boring. And then we toss in cameos with paragon and his crew, thats nice. Forcing me to want to go read good books really didnt help.

I am not saying Keeper dosent have good characters, it does. But unless the last few pages are "Fitz and kettricken find verity a ruined, silver dipped man amongst the statues and manage to save the kingdowm" good i am going to stop encouraging her by buying her works. I know Hest is a monster. ITS FAIRLY OBVIOUS. i got it in about 20 pages. So near the end of the novel when robb is still working through it i dont even know why i am continuing. This is just one point, please dont think its the subject that bothers me. but the same thigns are just drilled ito he reader over and over. yes her marriage is horrible! yes she is deformed and has no place in society! i just.. dont need to read the same paragraph 10 times.

i am going to go finish this and then hope i can finish this post. i am actually interested to re-read my post and see how it fares with the end of the novel. maybe i am over reacting or not giving her a chance? I guess we'll see

=]

[Galactus]

Heh, I'm the absolute opposite. I loved Soldier's Son (arguably the most original fantasy series I've read) and thought Dragon Keeper was excellent.

[TheEvilKing]

I thought it was a decent book, pretty much mostly set-up for book 2. The story doesn't really start until about 2/3 through when they all converge on the dragons.

And the gay thing... it was ridiculously obvious. Hobb sure does love her gayness.

But I don't think the shock was supposed to be just that he was gay, in fact I think that was supposed to obvious. I think the real surprise was how damn creepy that relationship between the two dudes is (oh, and the fact that there's apparently a secret gay orgy club in Bingtown).

[Slick Mongoose]

I enjoyed it too. Hobb does do repetition, which can be annoying at times, but I thought that in general the book is solid, and much better than the Soldier Son trilogy.

Of course, a weak 2nd book will ruin it. So fingers crossed.

[Stone-Made-Soft]

The novel became annoying when Hobb started writing Sedric's POV. He's such a whiny bitch.

Leftrin & Thymara were great characters.

It was mostly a setup for the 2nd novel which was disappointing.

[Imp]

Very much enjoyed it and looking forward to the next one!

Only complaint I had was it's only half a novel, but there's not a huge wait on the next one so that isn't a huge deal.

The gay thing didn't bother me. It was meant to be obvious imo. It's how the story plays around it that matters.

[Damaen]

The novel became annoying when Hobb started writing Sedric's POV. He's such a whiny bitch.

This.

So i finished the novel today, and as i said i would i re-read my post. And i regret nothing!

So thats how it ends? REALLY? In what way is that an ending? Thats the end of a chapter. There is no conclusion, no cliff hanger. This is half a novel, AT BEST. And to make it worse, i get the feeling that Hobb believed sedric's final act to be important, or meaningful, or something. i dont give a damn that he

killed or multilated a dragon. I dont care he stole parts of it.

THAT WAS THE PLAN FOR 300 PAGES. Its like the last chapter being a synopsis or Chapter X: The Glossary. sigh. i dont even think that needs spoiler tags.

i want to know what happens but i dont want to pay to find out.

One day, rothfuss or lynch is going to publish something and i am going to weep like a a little baby girl.

[TheEvilKing]

THAT WAS THE PLAN FOR 300 PAGES

Hahahahahaha that is so true. She'd have done better not to reveal & repeat the plan numerous times, instead make it a secret until it happens.

[Werthead]

So thats how it ends? REALLY? In what way is that an ending? Thats the end of a chapter. There is no conclusion, no cliff hanger. This is half a novel, AT BEST. And to make it worse, i get the feeling that Hobb believed sedric's final act to be important, or meaningful, or something.

It was originally a single large stand-alone novel. HarperCollins Voyager decided the book was too big to fit into one volume (hmm) and split it in half, with the first half published as Dragon Keeper and the second as Dragon Haven in a few months. That's why the first book has no closure.

[Lord Baelish]

Also, the important part about Sedric at the end-

wasn't about taking the dragon parts. It was that he drank the dragon's blood. Now that's obviously going to have a big effect on him in the next book.

[Stone-Made-Soft]

Also, the important part about Sedric at the end-

wasn't about taking the dragon parts. It was that he drank the dragon's blood. Now that's obviously going to have a big effect on him in the next book.

That was a stupid development.

It's not like he drank a quart of the blood.

[Stone-Made-Soft]

One day, rothfuss or lynch is going to publish something and i am going to weep like a a little baby girl.

Amen. Abraham, Abercrombie, Lynch, and Rothfuss have finished what Martin began. My standards for fantasy are now set so high that most publications fall far short.

I'm still going to buy Dragon Haven for my Kindle though. :P

[ultraman7k]

Amen. Abraham, Abercrombie, Lynch, and Rothfuss have finished what Martin began. My standards for fantasy are now set so high that most publications fall far short.

I'm still going to buy Dragon Haven for my Kindle though. :P

not having read it or anything, but the whole set up for the next book just sounds like Assassin's Apprentice. Oh if I only had time to read.

[Garlan the Gallant]

Did anyone get any ARCs of Dragon Haven? I know its due out soon, as mine is pre-ordered, but I was wondering if it gets any better.

[Futhorc]

Here's a PDF of the first chapter of Dragon Haven. What happens at the end of the first repeats itself it seems.

[DemonKing]

I found Dragon Keeper quite readable and the pace not so different from Hobb's other books. Yes she can plod a bit at times, but IMO it's a bit like a Terrence Malick film - you need to sit back and just enjoy the scenery sometimes to really appreciate the ride.

While I probably preferred the Fitz/Liveship world books I also found the Soldier's Son series to be fairly decent. I suspect that a lot of fans reacted badly to having a fat hero which probably just goes against the grain with regards to the typical expectations of heroic fantasy.

[Garlan the Gallant]

Here's a PDF of the first chapter of Dragon Haven. What happens at the end of the first repeats itself it seems.

Totally frustrated cuz my crap computer's adobe acrobat wont work and let me see the chapter....

[LugaJetboyGirl]

Just finished it. In all I thoroughly enjoyed Dragon Keeper. It's true that Hobb's villians are usually pretty one-sided and thus I understand everyone's complaints about Hest/Sedric and their villian-ness being beaten over our heads. But Hest is a guy you love to hate and Sedric, I'm assuming, will become much more interesting in the future, given the ending.

I love the Rain Wilds-verse. On the one hand I'm not a fan that all the great mysterious secrets from the Six Duchies Sextet are being exposed and explained a la The Force/Midi-chlorians. On the other hand, I find Hobb's world-building and dragon-life-cycle-drama to be really interesting.

Loved Thymara/Tats. Liked Alise. I feel like Hobb supplied us with another solid, sturdy fantasy book. Looking forward to the next one.

[Maia]

In all I thoroughly enjoyed Dragon Keeper.

Ditto. I actually love how great events seem to be propelled by people's pettiness and selfishness more often than not. Injects a great dose of believability into proceedings... And I love the Rain Wilds setting. And Hobb's take on dragons. Of course, only the second half can determine whether the story will be among my favorites overall. I pine for a Farseer-like ending, rather than schmaltz and saccharine of Hobb's later trilogies. Not that I didn't love the Liveship Traders or enjoy the second Fitz trilogy, but the endings were letdowns.

Couldn't really get into "The Soldier Son" trilogy. Read the first one and had no interest in continuing. The setting is absurdist and the protagonist's behavior and predicaments would fit somebody 5-6 years younger and seem unbelievable for one of his age.

[Stone-Made-Soft]

I suspect that a lot of fans reacted badly to having a fat hero which probably just goes against the grain with regards to the typical expectations of heroic fantasy.

Who is this fat hero you speak of? Alice? I don't remember reading a description of her being fat.

I doubt a fat hero would turn me off a fantasy book.