City of Dragons

Rain Wild Chronicles #3

by Robin Hobb

New York Times bestselling author Robin Hobb returns to world of the Rain Wilds—called “one of the most gripping settings in modern fantasy” (Booklist)—in City of Dragons. Continuing the enthralling journey she began in her acclaimed Dragon Keeper and Dragon Haven, Hobb rejoins a small group of weak, half-formed and unwanted dragons and their displaced human companions as they search for a legendary sanctuary. Now, as the misfit band approaches its final destination, dragons and keepers alike face a challenge so insurmountable that it threatens to render their long, difficult odyssey utterly meaningless. Touching, powerful, and dazzlingly inventive, Hobb’s City of Dragons is not to be missed—further proof that this author belongs alongside Raymond E. Feist, Terry Brooks, and Lois McMaster Bujold in the pantheon of fantasy fiction’s true greats.

Genres: Fantasy, Dragons, Fiction, High Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, Audiobook, Adult

Hardcover

First published September 1, 2011

About the author

** I am shocked to find that some people think a 2 star 'I liked it' rating is a bad rating. What? I liked it. I LIKED it! That means I read the whole thing, to the last page, in spite of my life raining comets on me. It's a good book that survives the reading process with me. If a book is so-so, it ends up under the bed somewhere, or maybe under a stinky judo bag in the back of the van. So a 2 star from me means,yes, I liked the book, and I'd loan it to a friend and it went everywhere in my jacket pocket or purse until I finished it. A 3 star means that I've ignored friends to finish it and my sink is full of dirty dishes. A 4 star means I'm probably in trouble with my editor for missing a deadline because I was reading this book. But I want you to know . . . I don't finish books I don't like. There's too many good ones out there waiting to be found.


Robin Hobb is the author of three well-received fantasy trilogies: The Farseer Trilogy (Assassin’s Apprentice, Royal Assassin, and Assassin’s Quest), The Liveship Traders Trilogy (Ship of Magic, Mad Ship and Ship of Destiny) and the Tawny Man Trilogy (Fool’s Errand, Golden Fool, and Fool’s Fate) Her current work in progress is entitled Shaman’s Crossing. Robin Hobb lives and works in Tacoma, Washington, and has been a professional writer for over 30 years.

In addition to writing, her interests include gardening, mushrooming, and beachcombing. She and her husband Fred have three grown children and one teenager, and three grand-children.

She also writes as Megan Lindholm, and works under that name have been finalists for the Hugo award, the Nebula Award, and the Endeavor award. She has twice won an Isaac Asimov’s Science Fiction Readers’ Award.

Reviews

[Matt's Fantasy Book Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Check out my new youtube channel where I show my instant reactions to reading fantasy books seconds after I finish the book.

4.5 stars. A wonderful surprise after such a dreadful previous book

Wow what a whirlwind of a fantasy series. The first book in this series showed a lot of promise, only to be followed up by one of the worst books I've ever read. So going into this third book my expectations have never been lower, so I was extremely shocked to read what turned out to be a very good book. I still think the overall story being told is weaker than the rest of the Realm of the Elderling books, but this is still a very solid book.

This book fixed virtually all of the problems I had with the previous book, and looking back on it - even though I still dislike the previous book I do have a bit more appreciation for its usefulness in telling this story after reading this one. This book is by far the shortest of the books in this universe, and as such it felt like the pacing was spot on.

My problem with the previous book was mainly that it told a single, boring story in literally hundreds more pages than what was needed. It was a story of a group of people/dragons travelling from point A to point B with almost nothing happening in between. The multiple POVs from the first book disappeared, only to focus on the weakest of the lot.

This book went back to the multiple POVs, and it was an extremely welcome addition. Being able to read about what is happening with the Duke of Chalced, Reyn, Malta, Selden, and Hest was wonderful and each provided a necessary detailing of events and added much needed tension and story progression. Even the main story of the dragon keepers and their dragons took a wonderful turn for the better, and without spoiling anything it actually felt like they were making progress and I enjoyed reading about them.

My hope is renewed for this series and I look forward to reading the last book later this month.

[Petrik · Rating 3 out of 5]

See, Hobb? A bigger book doesn’t always mean better.

City of Dragons was an enjoyable read. After the massive pain of disappointment I received for reading through Dragon Haven, my expectation towards this one was honestly smaller than a bacteria. It is quite a surprise that this turns out to be quite enjoyable even though it’s full of almost nothing happening.

There is one thing that I realized for certain after reading this, I loved the Liveship Traders characters. Their appearances always give me joy and I also realized that it was one of the major things that made the first book more enjoyable to read too. I really think Hobb should’ve stuck with the Liveship Traders characters as the main characters for this series, the new characters just paled in comparison. With the exception of Leftrin, in my honest opinion the characters in this quartet are by far the weakest characters Hobb ever wrote. They’re just not interesting, utterly hard to like, and I just don’t care about their fates.

Although this is Hobb’s smallest book within her 16 book series, it’s one of the rare ones in her series that have great pacing. The plot—once again—almost doesn’t move at all, but this time the world-building was great, with more information on the Elderlings and Dragons, and most importantly, we don’t have to see the characters riding on a ship through mud and river while looking for a mate to fuck each other brains out for 500 pages. Plus, unlike the previous two books in the quartet, Hobb’s prose seems to be returning slowly to her previous series greatness.

“What you’re looking for is the feeling that no matter what, being with that person is always going to be better than being without that person. Good times or bad. That having that person around makes whatever you’re going through better, or at least more tolerable.”

City of Dragons may not be a great penultimate book for the quartet but it serves as a good filler and transition for the conclusion of the series, which I have really small hope will be satisfactory. That may sound extremely negative but seriously, this quartet is miles apart weaker from Hobb’s usual quality. If one of you ever start with this quartet, please DO NOT let this series be a sign of her strength as her author. I hope my prediction will be proven wrong and somehow, the last book of the quartet can blow my mind away.

You can find this and the rest of my Adult Epic/High Fantasy & Sci-Fi reviews at BookNest

[Anna [Bran. San. Stan] · Rating 4 out of 5]

After a slow start, this ended up being another immersive read. While this won’t be among my favorites among the Realm of the Elderlings series, I still enjoyed it a whole lot.

Most notably, the scope of the characters is expanded after the first two installments, which showed us the same events through multiple points of view, making for a linear narrative. Now, however, the plotlines diverge and we get to see what happens to some of our characters from the Liveship Traders trilogy. I was especially happy to see Malta and Reyn return, though Selden’s fate holds nothing good. And, as I’ve grown accustomed to, Hobb also shows us what our antagonists are up to: Hest (Alise’s selfish, manipulative, and cruel husband) as well as the villainous Duke of Chalced, who is knocking on death’s door and does unspeakable things to procure dragon parts believed to return him to health.

This procurement of dragon parts is one of the driving forces of the plot as is the development of the previously stunted dragons; another is the exploration and protection of the forgotten Elderling city of Kelsingra. I really hope our characters will succeed in preventing that amazing city full of wonders from being plundered by greedy merchants.

All in all, the ending leaves me wanting more; I can’t wait to find out what’s next for our characters!

Onward!

Note: This tetralogy should NOT be read as a stand-alone.

[Sean Barrs · Rating 4 out of 5]

The dragons in this series aren’t the usual roaring oafs that are seen across the rest of fantasy, well most of fantasy. They actually have personality and opinions. They don’t just respond on command and set an enemy army on fire. They are very much their own creatures with their own superiority complex and personal sense of entitlement.

And now they’re home at last. Kelsingra is an ancient marvel. We’ve only seen glimpses of its potential; its initial revival has been relayed but the full extent of its power is yet to be revealed. It’s a magical place, built specifically to serve the needs of dragons like the title of the book would suggest. It has ancient dragon sliver baths and other mechanisms. It’s almost like a dragon day spar centre where they can stop to get pampered, having their scales cleaned and any wounds treated whilst the keepers feed them.


-This image looks just like I imagine Kelsingra to be in its full glory

In doing so the keepers have also found a place in which they belong, somewhere they can actually call home. However, the journey is far from over. In reality it has just begin. They have the huge task of setting up a new civilisation, a new nation if you like cusped on the unity between man and dragon. Keeper Rapskal is the first to realise the importance of this; he is the first to recognise the intertwining destiny of man and dragon: he can see what they can do together once more. They may serve the dragons, but the dragons will bring them much in return.

The pursuit has begun

The Duke of Chalced is dying. And to quote the words of Dylan Thomas (not really appropriate here I know) he will not go gentle. He will fight to the last breath, and the one thing that can extend that last breath is dragon blood. It will heal his aged body; thus, he sends his minions to tackle the fledgling society. The threat has become seriously real because he has vastly extensive resources. His men act under threat of death, failure means the end of their existence too. So a strong rivalry is set up going into the next book. The keepers are no longer naive; they’ve dealt with their fair share of adversity and they will be ready for what’s coming their way.

In finding the city they’ve each overcome major obstacles. Alice has let go of her past, Sedric has become his own man, Thymera has gained confidence and the dragons are learning to become independent, effective, killers. The final book in this series is going to be interesting for sure; Hobb has given us so much set up here. I know the ending because I’ve already read the recent Fitz and Fool trilogy, but, still, I’m looking forward to seeing how it plays out here.

[Em Lost In Books · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5*.

Better than it's predecessor in every sense but still it was a drag at times. I loved the return of Malta, and Selden. One more book to go, I just want it to be over so that I can read the final trilogy in Realm of Elderlings.

[Melissa ♥ Dog/Wolf Lover ♥ Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾

[Becca & The Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

This definitely felt like a bridge book in the series, with the main focus being putting the characters in position for the final book. While I am enjoying the Rain Wild Chronicles, I feel like the publishing issues are evident, with this book once again building to nothing other than the promise of more to come.
I did love the added perspectives of some of the Liveship Trader's characters, both because I've missed them, and also because it added a bit of a change of pace to constantly following the isolated group of Keepers and Dragons.
We also gained a few more answers regarding the origins of magic in the world and I'm definitely hoping for more on that front in Blood of Dragons

[Ashleigh (a frolic through fiction) · Rating 3 out of 5]

*Rated 3.5/5 stars

[Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is definitely (in my humble opinion of course) the best of the Rain Wild Chronicles series so far. It's still not quite at the Farseer/Liveship/Tawny Man level, but it's at least a solid four stars for me.

I'll say this though.. It's definitely only half of a story. Actually, it's more like half of the second half of a story. Each book so far in the RWC series has been significantly shorter than normal Hobb novels, really the series probably could have been a two book duology and done better that way. The first two started and completed a story arc, and it seems like these two will as well. This one ends sort of abruptly, and I almost wish I hard waited for the last in the series to come out before I read it. It's not necessarily a cliff hanger.. But neither are any story lines wrapped up. But still... It was a Hobb fix. And we all know I loves me some Hobb.

There's really not much else to say. If you're looking for reviews of this book, chances are you've read the first two, so you know what to expect. And if you haven't read the first two, then you're looking up the wrong review, you need to check out Dragon Keeper. And for that matter.. Even though this series does sort of stand alone, it definitely should be read after the Liveship series for maximum impact. But not before Tawny Man... And Liveship has to come after Farseer. Really though. Reading all of the books in order is well worth it. The Farseer Trilogy, then the Livership Trader books, then the Tawny Man series, and finally the Rain Wild Chronicles. Honestly... That's the only way to go. You're missing out if you skip straight here and read this as an independent series! Just saying.

Anyway, back to the review.. Four stars. This was an enjoyable continuation of the series, and I'm looking forward to the release of the last book.

[Maddie Fisher · Rating 5 out of 5]

RATING BREAKDOWN
Characters: 4⭐️
Setting: 5⭐️
Plot: 4⭐️
Themes: 4⭐️
Emotional Impact: 4⭐️
Personal Enjoyment: 5⭐️
Total Rounded Average: 4.5⭐️

The highlight of this book is getting more Elderling lore and excavation. With some of the interpersonal conflicts and tensions resolved, the main focus is on the dragon development and underlying mysteries of the series. There are some amazing cameos and one of my favorite cameo scenes to date, although it was really intense!

This installment focuses on agency, mainly with Sintara and Thymara. They both want to explore the full range of power and freedom but also resent being pulled in any direction. The question of whether power can be given or taken, and whether someone else's urgings can take one's power are interesting themes, as is the question of preservation versus use.

[Kitty G Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is by far my favourite one of the Rain Wilds books. It is certainly back to the old standards I have come to know and expect from Robin Hobb in that it has many shocking and surprising aspects which both thrilled and enticed me, made me want to read on and on, and kept me wondering at her imagination and experiences. She's a stellar writer when she is on form and she certainly seemed to be one form in this book. Apart from some tiny repetitions and a very abrupt ending (probably due to this originally being planned as a duology and then spilt by publishers into 4 books) I really loved this.

This story once more follows the same characters as they have journeyed to somewhere undiscovered and scary, mystical and ancient. There is a cast of characters we've come to know in the Rain Wild books and also some recurring old friends who we have met (and in my case loved) before. I was very happy to see the merging of various storylines and improvement upon the unpredictable plotline for this book.

This story is certainly much better paced and has way more action and intensity than the previous two in the series. We get to see our group of travellers and unlikely companions as they face many problems involving some very raw, painful and tragic moments. I felt myself repulsed and engrossed by many parts of the story and had a constant urge to find out what Hobb would do to her characters next.

We also learn a substantial amount more about the Elderlings (an ongoing question and mystery throughout the whole Realm of the Elderlings series) and this was all totally fascinating. I found that Hobb's writing draws you deeper and deeper until you're just as immersed as the characters are, and I loved that!

Overall this is by far the best Rain Wild book and it's up there in terms of awesomeness. I was very very torn over whether to give this a 4.5* or a 5* but I think a 5* is probably accurate as I loved it. It's a fabulous story and naturally I will be continuing on straight away with the final Rain Wild book :)

[Deborah Obida · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is slightly better than the previous book, it was shorter, the story progressed more and characters from Liveship not only made an appearance but one has a POV. How amazing is that.

The events in this book started just where the previous stopped, with the dragons at Kelsingra but couldn't get there because they need to cross a river and they can't fly. The only way to get there is to learn how to fly, some dragons finally learnt to fly but most are still struggling, the important thing is that they are trying. There is a little character development, Thymara is a tidbit more mature.

The other characters like Sedric, Alise, Leftrin are as fun as ever, I'm loving their character development.

The writing improved greatly and the world building didn't need work, it was great before, I love that it continued.

What you’re looking for is the feeling that no matter what, being with that person is always going to be better than being without that person. Good times or bad. That having that person around makes whatever you’re going through better, or at least more tolerable.

The romance here wasn't as cringy as that of the previous book, I like that Thymara finally picked someone.

Malta and Reyn are the new addition to the series, another character that has a POV is Hest, I loathe his POV, it's so annoying, his character needs lots of development.

[Mara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I continue to really enjoy this series! I'm into the plot lines, especially now that they are in the city and we're getting POVs from the other parts of the world, and I really love the thematic concerns of this series around disability and the implications of reproductive choices for women

[Library of a Viking · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the shortest book in The Realm of the Elderlings, but it is also the book that has taken me the longest to finish. I think I started around 5 weeks ago and I have read 3-4 books in the meantime.

Hobb has amazing prose and world-building, and the story in Rainwild is...fine. It is not gripping me like the other series in this universe. I will finish this series, but unfortunately, the only thing I am excited for regarding this series is finishing it.

3 / 5

[Bethany (Beautifully Bookish Bethany) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay, this was excellent! Love that we're bringing back other perspectives like Malta and Hest. The stakes and tension are ratcheting up and I'm anxious to see how things play out. Also, stuff with the city is very cool! So far my favorite book of the series.

[Henrique · Rating 3 out of 5]

City of Dragons


City of Dragons is the third book in The Rain Wild Chronicles series by author Robin Hobb, set in the same universe as Assassin's Apprentice. After reading the first book and finding it good, and reading the second and liking it even more, I had high expectations for this third book, but unfortunately I didn't enjoy it as much as the first two. I think it's because I thought that after the end of the second book, the third would be further along in the main plot, and the characters were introduced, but only two characters developed the main plot a bit, and most of the others kind of stayed in the same place they were at the end of the second book. Of course, the book also has good points, such as the return of iconic characters like Malta, Reyn, and Selden, which warmed the hearts of those who read the Living Ships trilogy, and I really enjoyed reading their point of view. Overall, it was a good book, but well below the first two, and I hope that book 4, which is the last in this series, is better than this one because I was really enjoying this series and I wouldn't want it to end up being a disappointment in the end. But for those who like Robin Hobb's whole universe, I think it's still worth reading, just go in with your expectations under control.

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

City of Dragons by Robin Hobb was a really different Hobb book for me. I felt that this book just didn't seem like a whole. Everything seemed much more rushed than any of her other work. Maybe it is because this book was shorter than her other books or it is because it was split from the last book but it just didn't have the same feel to me that her other books had. This book catches us up on previous characters in the series like Hest, Malta, Reyn, and Seldan, but also continues to follow the keepers and dragons at Kelsingra.

The characters at Kelsingra were mostly used as a tool for world building in this book and I found that odd. Usually, the world building is done flawlessly through the character's interactions with each other but in this book, a lot of the answers about Elderlings comes from scenes in which the characterization isn't being progressed forward much. I found this off-putting or an extreme change of pace from the previous two books in the Rain Wild Chronicles. I liked catching up with Malta, Hest, Reyn, and Seldan but once again it felt different. Their sections were short at times and I'm not used to that with a Hobb book. I'm used to 20+ page sections dealing with a side character. In other words, this book jumped around a lot more frequently and with shorter sections and it felt less like a Robin Hobb book because of that. I think that the splitting of this series into 4 books just doesn't work too much for me. I would have been happier if this book and the fourth was one large book.

In the end, a 3 star Hobb book is still a great book. The answers the reader got about Elderlings were exciting and I really enjoyed Malta's section of reading. Hest is definitely one of those characters that I just hate but I also find where his story might go to be exciting. I am looking forward to when all these characters meet back up together and the Chalced narration becoming more clear.

3/5
13/25 Possible Score
2 - Plot
3 - Characters
3 - World Building
3 - Writing style
2 - Heart & Mind Aspect

[Ron · Rating 4 out of 5]

**Bit of a spoiler ahead if you’ve yet to complete Dragon Haven**

Book three continues where two left off - just across a large expanse of water separating our dragons and their carers from the place that should be their home. Although this becomes the first book in the series where the setting remains fixed, and less drama ensues (for the majority of the cast - not so for certain characters), I found it to be only slightly less exciting and absorbing. Within the final scenes, I caught a glimpse of what I believe will come next - I think that each time, and each time I've been wrong. And that's a good thing.

[Mili · Rating 5 out of 5]

No words really :) Im 'drowning' in her stories.

[seana · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was SO MUCH better than the last three books, I genuinely enjoyed it throughly and I attribute it to the fact that we got to see characters from the Liveship Traders trilogy again. I’ve missed Malta and Selden, it was such a breath of fresh air to see them once more, not Reyn tho, I still think he’s weird. And I’m a bit disappointed that we didn’t get to see Althea and Brashen, but I’m holding out hope they’ll appear in Blood of Dragons.

As for characters from the Rain Wild Chronicles I still can’t say I’m attached to any of them, yet? (except maybe Chassim but then again I’m not attached more like very invested, but we’ll get back to that later) I guess I could say I like Alise and Thymara but I don’t really care for them thaaat much, like I doubt I’d shed a tear if either died in the next book, that applies for every rwc character really.

About the male characters I’m either indifferent about them or I can’t stand them (apart from, Sedric I actually do like him). Leftrin, Rapskal, and Carson are alright but Tats and Hest genuinely aggravate me. I was surprised by the fact that we got a Hest pov and delighted about the direction it took, he absolutely deserves all the shit he’s getting.

Now back to Chassim I cannot wait to meet her, I mean she’s leading a feminist movement, attempting to start a revolution and kill her father to seize the throne not to mention she’s murdered her abusive husbands. She sounds amazing I love her already and I haven’t even met her, just heard about her from other characters. I really do hope we get her pov in the next book. Speaking about povs the next book better have more Selden povs because this one was severely lacking in that regard.

[Franco Santos · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mi querida Hobb, ¡has vuelto!

City of dragons tiene mucha más acción, personajes que quedaron en segundo plano en los anteriores de la saga toman más protagonismo, es más oscuro y menos estúpido, también es mucho más dinámico. En definición, muy buena tercera parte de la serie. Pronto comenzaré Blood of dragons.

[Sotiris Karaiskos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Usually, in the field of high fantasy, love does not have a particularly protagonist role. It exists of course in many books but mostly it is on the sidelines as their heroes are a bit busy trying to save the world. The exact opposite is true of Robin Hobb's books. In these, love has an important place and always preoccupies their protagonists. Especially in this tetralogy the winged god is very active and throws his arrows at people of all genders and sexual preferences.

In this third book, love is in the air as our heroes enjoy a period of relative calm that allows them to engage in this noble sport. But this preoccupation is enough for them to understand that even the truest love has its difficulties and needs effort and sacrifice to be able to survive. Of course, the author knows very well how to convey emotions to us with her writing, so you can understand how this tender occasion of the plot allows her to write some very beautiful pages.

The quiet period of course can not last forever. Soon the clouds begin to gather as it is certain that greedy people will come and threaten to destroy what our heroes did with difficulty. Will they be ready to face them?

All this in the smallest Robin Hobb book I have read so far. The smaller size, however, does not mean in any case that discounts are made on the deepest psychological approach to the characters and the emotional wealth that characterizes her works.Συνήθως στο χώρο της υψηλής φαντασίας ο έρωτας δεν έχει και ιδιαίτερα πρωταγωνιστικό ρόλο. Υπάρχει φυσικά σε πολλά έργα αλλά κυρίως είναι στο περιθώριο καθώς οι ήρωες τους είναι λίγο απασχολημένοι προσπαθώντας να σώσουν τον κόσμο. Το ακριβώς αντίθετο γίνεται στα βιβλία της Robin Hobb. Σε αυτά ο έρωτας έχει σημαντική θέση και πάντα απασχολεί τους πρωταγωνιστές τους. Ειδικά σε αυτήν την τετραλογία ο φτερωτός θεός είναι ιδιαίτερα δραστήριος και ρίχνει τα βέλη του σε ανθρώπους κάθε φύλου και σεξουαλικής προτίμησης.

Σε αυτό το τρίτο βιβλίο love is in the air καθώς οι ήρωες μας απολαμβάνουν μία περίοδο σχετικής ηρεμίας που τους επιτρέπει να ασχοληθούν με αυτό το ευγενές άθλημα. Αυτή η ενασχόληση όμως αρκεί για να καταλάβουν ότι ακόμα και ο πιο αληθινός έρωτας έχει τις δυσκολίες του και χρειάζεται κόπους και θυσίες για να μπορέσει να επιβιώσει. Φυσικά η συγγραφέας γνωρίζει πολύ καλά πώς να μας μεταφέρει συναισθήματα με τη γραφή της, οπότε μπορείτε να καταλάβετε πως αυτή η τρυφερή αφορμή της πλοκής της δίνει τη δυνατότητα να γράψει μερικές πολύ όμορφες σελίδες.

Η περίοδος ηρεμίας φυσικά δεν μπορεί να κρατήσει για πάντα. Γρήγορα τα σύννεφα αρχίζουν να μαζεύονται καθώς είναι σίγουρο ότι άπληστοι άνθρωποι θα έρθουν και θα απειλήσουν να καταστρέψουν ότι κατάφεραν με κόπο οι ήρωες μας. Θα είναι άραγε έτοιμοι να τους αντιμετωπίσουν;

Όλα αυτά στο μικρότερο βιβλίο της Robin Hobb που έχω διαβάσει ως τώρα. Το μικρότερο μέγεθος όμως δεν σημαίνει σε καμία περίπτωση ότι γίνονται εκπτώσεις στη βαθύτατη ψυχολογική προσέγγιση στους χαρακτήρες και στο συναισθηματικό πλούτο που χαρακτηρίζει τα έργα της.

[Brent · Rating 4 out of 5]

Big improvement over books 1 and 2. We spend a lot less time with Thymara and her Degrassi Jr High bullshit which is clearly addition by subtraction. Also instead of one sloggy trip in the same setting for 2 whole books we got several different really good povs in different settings and actually interesting plot developments and intrigue. I honestly don't know what Hobb was thinking with the first 2 books in this series, but this book actually started to feel like a true successor in some ways to Liveship Traders.

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

City of Dragons is the third book in Robin Hobb's Rain Wild Chronicles. According to Hobb, the first two books (Dragon Keeper and Dragon Haven) were actually intended to be one book, but were split due to length. And the third and (forthcoming) fourth books were the same. City of Dragons is not a standalone book—it has no climax, virtually no resolution to its myriad storylines, and in fact where you would expect things to be wrapping up it only spawns new plot threads. In a genre where Pat Rothfuss can publish The Wise Man's Fear and we get innumerable Wheel of Time doorstops I'd question whether splitting the story was really necessary, but, regardless, my rating and review are with the understanding that I'm only looking at part of a whole.

City of Dragons continues to follow the dragons and their keepers. They've found fabled Kelsingra. Some are beginning to explore the city and reawaken its magic, but most of the dragons are trapped across the river, unable to fly. Leftrin, captain of the liveship Tarman, returns to Cassarick to report on the expedition and purchase much-needed supplies. Meanwhile, the plot spiderwebs out through the Rain Wilds and beyond. New "impervious" ships that can withstand the caustic Rain Wild River compete with liveships for the valuable Rain Wild trade. The dying Duke of Chalced becomes more desperate to get his hands on dragon flesh which he believes will cure him.

And familiar characters from earlier books (and series) make an appearance too. We see Tintaglia and Icefyre, if only briefly. Hest Finbock, consumed by greed and revenge, gets caught up in the Chalcedean intrigues. We see a lot more of Malta and Reyn Khuprus, expecting their first child, and even Selden Vestrit, now imprisoned and shown off as a freak due to his Elderling transformations. The result is that City of Dragons isn't focused on the dragons and keepers like the earlier volumes. It is a much broader book, showing the rippling consequences of Kelsingra's discovery and setting into motion all the forces that will no doubt clash in the finale.

Hobb's trademarks are all there: an immersive setting, lush prose, and deep, sympathetic characters. But this book doesn't feel as dark or as desperate as Hobb's other writing. There are threats, such as the fear that with Kelsingra known it will be overrun by treasure seekers, and the mysterious Chalcedean conspiracy. And problems, like the shortage of food and supplies, or the fact the dragons can't fly and so are completely dependent on their keepers. But none of these things feels particularly urgent or unmanageable. Disaster is not imminent. There are a few exceptions, such as one very desperate scene on the dark branches of the tree city of Cassarick (you'll know it when you read it)—but even that scene feels brief and truncated.

But not every book needs to ratchet up suspense to unbearable levels. The book is a process of discovery, learning about the past and hoping for the possibilities of the future. Will the ancient society be restored, Elderlings and dragons living in symbiosis? And it is very much about relationships (romantic and otherwise). People are constantly forced to make choices about who to trust, who to be with, and then dealing with the consequences of those choices. Combine that with all the threads Hobb left in motion, and the final book promises to be an exciting conclusion to the series!

[Mizuki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well...there seems to be some plot holes in some of the details and plot points but I'm still on board with this story and its characters. However, I do hope this love triangle among the three dragon keepers to be ended ASAP!

[Grace Dionne · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️

I think this is my favourite of the series so far! We got some really fascinating developments in the worldbuilding and magic, and started to answer a few questions while asking more. I’m looking forward to see how the final book wraps things up!

[Pranav Prabhu · Rating 4 out of 5]

City of Dragons is another solid entry in the Rain Wilds Chronicles, and the one I have liked the most so far. A few background threads are brought to the forefront, especially those involving the Chalced States, and the politics between them and the various Trader Councils was especially interesting to read about. We also learn a lot of interesting lore and history about the dragons and Elderlings.

A couple of the characters from the Liveship Traders Trilogy make a reappearance and have their own PoVs, along with the perspectives of the characters we have followed these past two books, even though the book is the shortest of the three. Characters such as Leftrin and Sintara are some that I quite like reading about. Sintara especially has a very distinct, acerbic personality and it is quite fun to read her interactions with other dragons and humans.

The book also had a more relaxed and steady pace, although it features a slew of tense situations. It does leave a lot of open threads however, that clearly continue on into the next and final book in the series. Overall, I think my enjoyment of the book and the series so far is somewhat brought down by my relative lack of attachment to many of the characters we meet compared to those in Hobb's other trilogies, though I still enjoyed this installment quite a bit.
7.5/10

[Choco Con Churros · Rating 5 out of 5]

Leído por primera vez el 22 de Marzo del 2023. Releido el 2 de Abril del 2024
Pues ha vuelto a ser una lectura electrizante. De no poder dejar el libro. Y eso que lo que le está pasando al adorable Seldon me hace sufrir más de lo que puedo soportar.
La llegada de los primeros dragones a Kelsingra fue... espectacular. No tengo palabras!. Qué maravilla todo!.
Me hizo gracia la codicia que se le despertó a todo el mundo cuando se sospechó que se podría haber descubierto la mítica Kelsingra 😂😂😂 Todo el Mitonar y territorios fluviales estaba como un avispero después de una pedrada jajajaja. Cuanto más lo quería esconder el otro, más revuelo se armaba. Fue genial!. Son libros que una siente terminar, la verdad. GL (Libre. Robin Hobb)

Comentario a la primera lectura:
Pues a riesgo de repetirme... una maravilla💖. Hasta pereza me da estar aquí escribiendo, sabiendo que en vez de eso, podría estar leyendo el siguiente.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Robin Hobb is one of the authors that I feel that DON'T require my review. First of all, it's common knowledge that Ms. Hobb's books are top shelf fantasy all the way. No one needs me to fill you in on that.

Secondly, if you're considering reading this book that means that you've already spent considerable time in the world of the Elderlings, including the first two books in this series. So, you don't need me to tell you that you should read this book. You already know that you have to.

If this isn't true for you then stop reading reviews for CITY OF DRAGONS and go read reviews for ASSASSINS APPRENTICE and get with it. Robin Hobb rocks. The end.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

[Gyalten Lekden · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hobb manages to add complexities and tensions and obstacles to the story, a story that had felt something like resolved in the last book, in ways that are natural and exciting. Similar to the first book in this quadrilogy this novel really feels like the first half a book, and the fourth and final novel will be that second half, much as book two felt simply like the second half of book one. That makes it hard to judge this on its own, really. The writing is wonderful, as usual. Hobb manages to move across character perspectives in ways that make every storyline compelling and gives the reader a real chance to see all this disparate pieces as they slowly start making their ways toward each other. My frustration with her emotional development, or, rather, her insistence on characters making decisions that feel contradictory to their nature or show a repeated lack of interest or insight but merely feel like decisions in service of plot mechanics are entirely absent in this book. We are treated to a number of new antagonists to our group of misfit Elderlings, some of whom they know about and others of whom they are still unaware. The secondary plots all make sense and don’t feel like they came out of nowhere, Hobb has been laying groundwork for all of these storylines for the duration of the series. As always the writing is warm and inviting, really pulling the reader into the world and the environment and encouraging connection with the characters. I don’t really have any complaints about this story except that it feels a little bit mechanical, which is to say it does a lot more setting up for the final book than anything else. However there are reveals and surprises, as well as character development, more than enough to keep me under its glamour, but the heart of this novel is introducing us clearly to all of the game pieces, making the stakes abundantly clear, and beginning to maneuver everything and everyone into place for what looks to be an epic final book.

With the first dozen books of this saga under my belt I can say confidently that Hobb is excellent at combining the epic and the intimate. These stories are huge, but as they are experienced they feel personal. At the end of each series, though, they finish with an expansive sense of the world being fundamentally altered, only to begin the next series to find that the world is huge and what is epic in one place may be an annoyance halfway across the world. This doesn’t take away the grandeur of the books but does a great job of creating perspective, and forces the reader to think about the division of the personal and the public, to reflect on how small individual lives are and yet how they can still leave ripples in their wake. There is heart and personality and depth to these characters and this world, and this book demonstrates Hobb’s skill at exploring all those.

Rounded from 3.5