Dragon Keeper by Robin Hobb

[Migey]

I felt the book was good, but if some of you think that dragon keeper was half a book, i felt it was a third of one, and dragon haven was the second third. I faceplanted when Rapskal and Heeby came back. It felt like robin hobb said to herself - 'hmmm... with my amazing ineptness, i have accidentally brought the plot to a standstill! Lets move the plot foward by illogically and unrealistically bringing a presumed dead character (but who we all know i wont kill off anyway, because i suck) back from the grave!!! There. problem solved.''

Im being a bit harsh - i enjoyed the book, but im very frustrated with two 'endings' that arnt endings at all. I mean, when Rapskal came back, she even managed to avoid the issue that was created in Rapskals abscence with Thymara/Tats/Rapskal . And also, the problem of the relationship between Thymara and Sintara was never resolved. Not that she couldn't have done it.. she just didnt bother. Also, the issue with the fact that they had to get back to Trehaug at the end to resupply wasnt resvoled. (I doubt most of the dragons would allow the humans to ride on thier backs, exept mabye o wise and all knowing mercor and heeby, obv).n We reached kelsingra but we never got to see it, etc...

It was a good 'book', but that said, its still only part of a book. If this officially is the ending of that particular 'series' then it sucks. I really hope this new upcoming Kelsingra book is actually the third in the series, following the same characters, etc, otherwise :S

It just annoys me when authors leave loose ends that could potentially have made good plot devices simply because they are too lazy or too inept (in which case they shouldnt have brought the issue u in the first place) to wrap them up.

[Underfoot]

I thoroughly enjoyed both books, but it's not hard for me to understand why someone wouldn't. It's slow and the plot sometimes seems contrived, but still a fun, hard-to-put down read.

[Migey]

I admit i was harsh in my last post, and i did enjoy the books, (although im not joking when i say i thought the part when Rapskal and Heeby came back was contrived and badly done) but unless theres a third one to wrap it all up, then i label the book as a dissapointment. There are so many loose ends at the moment that there absolutely has to be another one.

[DemonKing]

The Rapskal and Heeby return was awful, made doubly so that they had not only survived but in fact prospered in the absence of the other keepers and dragons, who were struggling to survive as a collective!

Other than that I enjoyed the series, although I was disappointed to hear she's now going to write a third book after we were assured the whole thing would be done and dusted in two volumes (although I'll admit it would be interesting to learn how they go now they've reached their destination).

[Shaun Snow]

I'm hoping the third one sees some conflict between the dragon keepers and the Six Duchies. Kelsingra is, IIRC, pretty close to the black stone quarry and the garden where Verity's dragon rests. I dont think Dutiful et al would be too pleased to learn some squatters have moved in.

[TheEvilKing]

I'm hoping the third one sees some conflict between the dragon keepers and the Six Duchies. Kelsingra is, IIRC, pretty close to the black stone quarry and the garden where Verity's dragon rests. I dont think Dutiful et al would be too pleased to learn some squatters have moved in.

It's ages since I've read it, but I'm pretty sure Fitz travelled through those pillar things to get to Kelsingra, which means it could be anywhere.

[Shaun Snow]

It's ages since I've read it, but I'm pretty sure Fitz travelled through those pillar things to get to Kelsingra, which means it could be anywhere.

Damn. Having looked it up it turns out you're right, Fitz used a skill pillar to teleport to Kelsingra rather than walking. Here I'd been hoping to see Fitz and the gang from an outsider's perspective. Ah well.

[awesome possum]

Even if the Six Duchies started right outside the border of Kelsingra, they have no claim over the area just because a disgraced princeling once traveled there.

I think, if anything, the third book (and there will be a third book as there was really no closure here) will be about how the Keepers and dragons deal with the Rain Wild and Bingtown Traders coming in to raid their new home/claim it for themselves.... although in reality it will probably be a few hundred more pages of Thymara trying to decide if she wants to have sex/feeling guilty because she had sex.

I enjoyed the books, but holy crap I do NOT enjoy reading pages upon pages upon pages of characters internally agonizing over the same freaking problems for chapter after chapter. We get it. Stop bludgeoning us over the head with it and tell us a story already.

[Shaun Snow]

I did kinda rechristen the Tarman as the Love Boat while reading the latest book. :wub:

With regards to the Duchies I was thinking more along the lines of their being weirded out by outsiderss moving in so close to what is an almost religious location for them (the quarry and the stone garden) then them having any claim to rule Kelsingra. But it hardly matters now.

[Jussi]

http://robinhobb.com/2011/03/gorgeous-book/

In other news, I’m in the process of yet again splitting one book into two volumes. What was going to be the third installment of the Rain Wild Chronicles will now be the third and fourth installments. Tonight I just finished adding the additional material, and I’ll be sending the first half of it back to the editors to see what they think of it. To be absolutely honest, I’ve relished the chance to expand the tale even more. I love these characters and I’ve really enjoyed spending time with them. Malta and Reyn both get a bit more space to play in these books. so if you enjoyed those characters in Dragon Keeper and Dragon Haven, or if you’re a long time reader and remember Malta as the spoiled little hoyden from The Liveship Traders, I hope you’ll welcome her back. We haven’t yet settled on a title for either volume, but when we do, I’ll report it here immediately.

[Spoony]

I haven't read the liveship trader series.

I enjoyed the soldiers son books. Particularly the last book in the trilogy.

I think the setting was pretty cool. I really liked how Hobb adapted some of the themes and elements of the history of the American west into this series. It was quite clever.

I also really liked the vulture god. Best element of the whole series. And all that weird fat sex was strangely interesting enough that it didn't feel overplayed - I mean how much obese tribal fantasy sex do you find out there these days?

Hobb isn't very good at developing villains in the books she writes - but Nevare versus Nevare wasn't so bad, and it was novel enough to be interesting.

I also enjoyed the Tawny man books. It actually made the Farseer novels worth reading - even though I couldn't stand the Farseer trilogy.

(Regal was the worst villain I have ever encountered - and young Fitz was a really poor protagonist).

[Samalander]

Robin Hobb: "In other news, I’m in the process of yet again splitting one book into two volumes"

WTF! :bang:

If GRRM can publish SoS in one volume, then so can Hobb! This is highway robbery! Plus, the books' size is too small (Hardcovers), so they don't fit well on the shelf with other hardcovers.

[needle]

I'm glad there is more to come, as it felt compltely unresolved at the end of Haven, but I hope the quality ups a little in the next books. Whilst I raced through them like I do all Hobb's books, it all felt a bit like empty calories - lots of fluffy sweetness and no meat to it.

[RWHamel]

WTF! :bang:

If GRRM can publish SoS in one volume, then so can Hobb! This is highway robbery! Plus, the books' size is too small (Hardcovers), so they don't fit well on the shelf with other hardcovers.

Actually, I'm surprised the GRRM's publishers haven't talked him into doing this too.

[Nails77]

This is great news - I don't think these books are as good as the Farseer/Liveship/Fool books, but they are still really enjoyable. I've even ok with splitting the book into two volumes if it means more content overall.

[Galactus]

I think Hobb is one of the best character writers in fantasy. You don't always *like* her characters, but you can usually see where they're coming from.

[Grack21]

Something tells me the decision to split it is more the publisher's idea then hers.

[Pufferfish123]

I think Hobb is one of the best character writers in fantasy. You don't always *like* her characters, but you can usually see where they're coming from.

I definitely agree with this - when reading the Farseer/Tawny Man trilogies I was really impressed with the fact that although it's all told from Fitz's perspective, you can usually clearly see what everyone else is thinking as well. The exception I think is her villians, who can sometimes come across as rather one-dimensional e.g. Regal and Hest, but I'm willing to forgive her for that.

Publishing the new book in two volumes does seem like a bit of a cop out though... I only hope we don't have to wait ages for the second part to be published.

[Liadin]

WTF! :bang:

If GRRM can publish SoS in one volume, then so can Hobb! This is highway robbery! Plus, the books' size is too small (Hardcovers), so they don't fit well on the shelf with other hardcovers.

As far as I can tell, what's "feasible" to publish in one volume depends on how successful an author is. GRRM's doing extremely well, so he can have 1000 page books (as could Jordan). Hobb does moderately well, so she can write 800-ish pages. Less well-known authors get limited to like 500, and then people say it's because "bigger books just don't sell" or some nonsense.

[Galactus]

I really liked the Soldier Son books. (they seem to be very divisive) Nevere was a very interesting cahracter, the magic and setting was fascinating and it really didn't "work" like many other fantasy stories.