Robin Hobb

[SamanthaofHodorsfield]

Ooooh how could I forget the Liveships? Fair enjoyed them, actually, though I think the fact I forget about them shows that they aren't up there on my all time favourite list. As a whole, I prefer them over the Tawny Man Trilogy, but would place the Soldier Son Trilogy over the both of them (see, told you I was a freak of nature).

I do love Malta though. Absolutely brilliant character. Now the Malta Chronicles I might have read willingly, but though she does feature, I am told, in the Rain Wild Chronicles (I didn't get passed book 1 if I'm honest), I'd still have to read all the bits I don't like to get to her. So yeah, no Malta for me. *sadface*

[Underfoot]

I'm beginning to think that I am some sort of freak of nature when it comes to Robin Hobb books, because I can't stand the Rain Wild books, and yet I thoroughly enjoyed the Soldier Son series. lol.

I also liked Soldier Son. I got hung up on the first book (200 pages in and I gave up for a year), but eventually picked it back up, and flew through books 2 and 3. I can definitely see why so many people dislike them, and to be honest if I read them now I might not like near as much.

But I also love pretty much everything she's done (though Fitz/Liveship are by far the best and rank among my favorite series ever), and I even managed to get ahold of one of the books she wrote as Megan Lindholm, though refrained from getting any others because they were so expensive.

Have yet to read the third Rain Wilds or any of the Piebald Prince. I'd have to reread the first 2 Rain Wild Chronicles, and I don't see that happening any time soon, unfortunately.

ETA: clarification

[Calibandar]

Have yet to read the third Rain Wilds or any of the Piebald Prince. I'd have to reread the first 2 Rain Wild Chronicles, and I don't see that happening any time soon, unfortunately.

I would suggest to just start reading book 3. It's really not that complex or memorable a series that you'd need to reread the first two books.

Piebald Prince is a fairly limited edition btw, meaning that you can get it now, but probably not a year from now anymore, in case you were interested.

[Adept Havelock]

Ooooh how could I forget the Liveships? Fair enjoyed them, actually, though I think the fact I forget about them shows that they aren't up there on my all time favourite list. As a whole, I prefer them over the Tawny Man Trilogy, but would place the Soldier Son Trilogy over the both of them (see, told you I was a freak of nature).

I do love Malta though. Absolutely brilliant character. Now the Malta Chronicles I might have read willingly, but though she does feature, I am told, in the Rain Wild Chronicles (I didn't get passed book 1 if I'm honest), I'd still have to read all the bits I don't like to get to her. So yeah, no Malta for me. *sadface*

Malta barely appears in the Chronicles, a few pages at the end.

[Underfoot]

Piebald Prince is a fairly limited edition btw, meaning that you can get it now, but probably not a year from now anymore, in case you were interested.

Hmmm, thanks for the info. Right now it seems like it's pretty expensive. $27 for a book less than 200 pages? I didn't feel like spending that kind of money for it, but if it's going to go away in the near future, I'll have to rethink that.

[Migey]

Malta barely appears in the Chronicles, a few pages at the end.

That's rubbish. In books 3 and 4 she becomes a more prominent character. Not a main one, or as big as many of the others, but she definately features a fair few times in book 3, and has quite a bit of screentime in book 4.

Not that I liked her in them. Liveships is still my favourite Hobb series, but I felt that the rain wild chronicles was quite a step down, and that the returning characters (minus Selden) were far less interesting in these books then in the Liveships.

[Calibandar]

Hmmm, thanks for the info. Right now it seems like it's pretty expensive. $27 for a book less than 200 pages? I didn't feel like spending that kind of money for it, but if it's going to go away in the near future, I'll have to rethink that.

Yeah it will go out of print within a year or so, even though there will be a second printing. Happens all the time with Subpress titles, that is part of the collector's value of course.

[AncalagonTheBlack]

Hmmm, thanks for the info. Right now it seems like it's pretty expensive. $27 for a book less than 200 pages? I didn't feel like spending that kind of money for it, but if it's going to go away in the near future, I'll have to rethink that.

If you're into reading ebooks too,you could wait a couple of months to see if Sub Press put out an ebook which would be much cheaper.

I recently bought the ebooks of Six-Gun Snow White (Catherynne M. Valente) and Diary of a Dragon (Tad Williams),cost me about $9 for both.On the other hand,the hardcovers of both = $55 :eek:

http://subterraneanp...om/store/ebooks

[Calibandar]

Finished the Piebald Prince novella. Excellent. So nice to be back in that Six Duchies world again, it immediately invokes her best stories again.

Cannot wait for the Fitz/Fool novel that hopefully comes out in 2014.

[Underfoot]

I caved and bought the Piebald Princel novella. Have to say, it's a very beautiful book. Will start reading it after I finish the Wool omnibus.

[Samalander]

Cannot wait for the Fitz/Fool novel that hopefully comes out in 2014.

Is this going to be another trilogy or can we dare hope for a stand-alone?

[SamanthaofHodorsfield]

Well if the Rain Wilds is any indication, it will most likely begin life as a stand-alone and then morph into a tetralogy or something. :P

[awesome possum]

Thanks for the heads up about the final Rain Wilds book. I'm in agreement with majority opinion here. They're not really bad books but the characters are all mostly unlikable to the point where I'm not really rooting for them to succeed. I guess I'm rooting more against the rampant pillaging and subsequent destruction of the Elderling city more than I am for or against any certain characters.

[Migey]

Thanks for the heads up about the final Rain Wilds book. I'm in agreement with majority opinion here. They're not really bad books but the characters are all mostly unlikable to the point where I'm not really rooting for them to succeed.

Awww come on. Alise and Leftrin were okay, and I liked Carson and Sedric, as well as Selden.

I mean yeah they were mostly unlikeable, but not completely.

[Galactus]

I largely like most of the characters as characters, if not neccessarily as people.

As I noted on Goodreads, one of my little peeves was that lot of the characters (especially Hest) felt a bit *too* introspective and on-terms with their motivations, in a way that felt a bit unrealistic.

[Frank Fitzpatrick]

I've just finished the Tawny Man trilogy. Took me a long while to finish them (especially the third and final book).

I love her writing. It is incredibly visual and rich with substance. Her character arcs seem well considered and thought-out too. I really enjoyed the trilogy and was disappointed when I realised that there was clearly earlier work based on the same characters, but it didn't matter. I had no need to have read those books (although I intend to go back and read them soon) as Hobb did well enough to inform me of those past experiences to fill in the blanks.

Downside? Fitz is, lets me honest here, very emotional. He is stung by words a helluva lot. He is constantly fighting back the tears. I can't really relate to that myself. But still, I liked the character and cared about his outcome.

[Werthead]

Is this going to be another trilogy or can we dare hope for a stand-alone?

It'll be a stand-alone that will, by the time she's finished, be a septology with only Book 1 being really good and the rest padded to hell and back.

I like Hobb, but she needs considerably better and more ruthless editing.

[MisterOJ]

Not sure if it's a one-day deal or what, but I just bought Blood of Dragons, the final book in Hobb's latest series, for $1.99 on the Barnes & Noble website.

I have to admit, after reading the first three of this series, I was really disappointed. And I really had no desire to pay full price for the final book. But, for two bucks - I'll give it a shot.

[Underfoot]

I have to admit, after reading the first three of this series, I was really disappointed. And I really had no desire to pay full price for the final book. But, for two bucks - I'll give it a shot.

If you didn't like the first three, I highly doubt you'll find this one to be much better. The certainly are not on par with Hobb's usual stuff.

[MisterOJ]

If you didn't like the first three, I highly doubt you'll find this one to be much better. The certainly are not on par with Hobb's usual stuff.

I'm not really expecting it to be better. But, I would at least like to see how she wraps up the series. And at $2, the price is right.