Renegade’s Magic – Robin Hobb

Renegade's Magic - Robin Hobb
Renegade’s Magic – Robin Hobb

The third and final instalment of Robin Hobb’s Soldier Son trilogy takes Nevare into the magical world and mindset of the Specks as Soldier’s Boy takes control of their shared body, and then back to Gernia and out of the Great One’s body.

Everything wraps up fast and furiously at the end, and that left me wondering if there might have been another book in there, especially with the somewhat irritating ending. I cannot see that working out well for Amzil at all. She’s been a strangely thin character for me, and usually I find Robin Hobb’s women much more three dimensional. I’m also intrigued by the map in each book which shows far more places than are touched on throughout the trilogy.

Author page: Renegade’s Magic – Robin Hobb

Forest Mage – Robin Hobb

Forest Mage - Robin Hobb
Forest Mage – Robin Hobb

Ah, good to be back reading Robin Hobb. 830 pages devoured in 2 days. The sign of a good book and the first page turner fiction I’ve read for ages. (Coronation Everest was very good though!)

I’d been swayed by the reviews saying this trilogy isn’t as good as the Assassin series.

It’s different, but still an engrossing world with developing characters – even if it’s a little too obvious in its Native American mysticism / European settlement; at least, that’s the world it feels like it mirrors to me. And it reads to me like a more adult world too.

I’ve still got the third and final book to go. Although I am over 100 pages in already…

Publisher page: Forest Mage – Robin Hobb

Shaman’s Crossing – Robin Hobb

Shaman's Crossing - Robin Hobb
Shaman’s Crossing – Robin Hobb

Took a while to get going, but as one of the reviews I read when I was considering putting this first instalment of the Soldier’s Son trilogy aside advised, it really does get going once our hero gets to Military College.

A very masculine novel on the surface, but as Nevare Burvelle grows up it’s amusing to see him slowly start to realise that women do politics, have ambitions and lead too.

Publisher page: Shaman’s Crossing – Robin Hobb

Ship of Destiny – Robin Hobb

Ship of Destiny - Robin Hobb
Ship of Destiny – Robin Hobb

The last of the Liveship Traders trilogy. I found it slower going than most other Robin Hobb novels, and had to persevere through the politics.

The return of the Lords of the Land, Sea and Air and other transformations were more satisfying –  Malta’s from shallow, self-centred teen into smart negotiator and survivor, Selden’s from a shadowy presence into Tintaglia’s articulate courtier, Etta’s from whore to Queen, Wintrow from would-be priest of Sa into ship’s captain, Paragon from Mad Ship to whole ship (with a familiar face), and more – Alethia and Brashen, Ronica and Keffria, Kennit and Reyn, Traders and Rulers, they all change.

Ship of Destiny sets things up nicely for the Rain Wild Chronicles, which I’m now tempted to reread.

Author’s page: Ship of Destiny – Robin Hobb