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Soldier Son #2
Forest Mage
Dark mysticism and primordial natural magic clash with the ever-expanding boundaries of the "civilized" world in the second volume of Robin Hobb's Soldier Son trilogy, Forest Mage.
The sequel to 2005's Shaman's Crossing finds protagonist Nevare Burvelle -- the second son of a nobleman and destined for a career in the military -- with his world turned upside down. After surviving a plague that wiped out many of the students and instructors at the king's military academy, Nevare returns home for his brother's wedding, only to learn that he has been medically discharged from the school. The plague usually leaves its survivors skeletally thin, but Nevare, inexplicably, has begun to gain massive amounts of weight. With his family believing he's a glutton, Nevare is disowned by his father and eventually ends up finding work as a lowly cemetery guard in a frontier town near the border with the Specks, a race of dapple-skinned forest dwellers who possess powerful natural magic. But in a world where technology never stops advancing, can the Specks survive? And what does the suddenly bloated Nevare have to do with their struggle?
The sequel to 2005's Shaman's Crossing finds protagonist Nevare Burvelle -- the second son of a nobleman and destined for a career in the military -- with his world turned upside down. After surviving a plague that wiped out many of the students and instructors at the king's military academy, Nevare returns home for his brother's wedding, only to learn that he has been medically discharged from the school. The plague usually leaves its survivors skeletally thin, but Nevare, inexplicably, has begun to gain massive amounts of weight. With his family believing he's a glutton, Nevare is disowned by his father and eventually ends up finding work as a lowly cemetery guard in a frontier town near the border with the Specks, a race of dapple-skinned forest dwellers who possess powerful natural magic. But in a world where technology never stops advancing, can the Specks survive? And what does the suddenly bloated Nevare have to do with their struggle?
718 pages, Hardcover
First published July 3, 2006
330 people are currently reading
8178 people want to read
About the author
Robin Hobb
318 books112k followers** 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 781 reviews
October 23, 2017
First let me say that I have another series on my shelf by Robin Hobb. When I started this trilogy I noted from others who had read it and reviewed it that several of them said it was far from Robin Hobb's best work. Several also said if you haven't read anything by Robin Hobb don't start here. Some said they would recommend these books only to Robin Hobb fans. From this I take hope.
I see many liked it a great deal...I see some people I usually agree with liked it a great deal...I liked the first book in the series fairly well (if interested see my review here)...
If Ms. Hobb should ever read this let me say, I'm sorry, but....
I really dislike, I almost hate this piece of c**p.
Dorthy Parker Quote: "This Is Not a Novel To Be Tossed Aside Lightly. It Should Be Thrown with Great Force"
The book was somewhere between two thirds and three quarters too long. It rambles slowly, is annoying, frustrating and redundant. There is a LONG first section where we are treated to a LONG rehash of the first volume in the series. After that we get a LONG, LONG, LONG loving description of the disintegration of the protagonists life and dreams. We "enjoy" the story of a lithe, strong, healthy young man as he gets (her word here) "fatter" and "fatter" and "fatter" (you see the forest mages are this way. They are "Great" persons. The fat men are "great" men the fat women are "great" women.) We get to revel in the loss of his fiance'. We are allowed to experience with him being disowned by his father (whom he suddenly realizes in a moment of clarity his mother fears. So much for the man he looked up to HIS WHOLE LIFE). The book is a LONG, DRAWN OUT, story of Nevare learning about and resisting the "magic"...of becoming a forest mage. It is a LONG, DRAWN OUT book full of scenes of crudity, cruelty, and animalistic behavior (though that word [especially in this case] is an insult to animals. I've never seen animals act as crudely or as cruelly as the people in this book). By the end of the book I was tired, disgusted, and felt as if I'd taken the long way around in a sewage treatment plant.
I didn't like it, if I could give it less than one star I would...sorry if you really liked it...this is my experience and my view of this novel.
Will I try to finish the trilogy? I don't know yet. I feel as if I should give it a chance as the first book was SOOOOO much better than this one. Had I bought this I would long ago have thrown it across the room and then placed it in my to be sold or traded pile. Should I try the third I will not drag myself to the finish if the first third or so is as bad as this one.
As I said I own and have on my shelf several of Ms. Hobbs books and I have seen good things about them. I know that I'd hate to read a review this poor about something I'd written. I assume this book simply wasn't written for me, but for those of you who do like it greatly. I'm happy for you and hope for better later.
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Update, I've decided. Why would I consider using any of my limited reading time to try and finish a trilogy when I hated the second book this much? NO I don't plan to follow up this book and read the third.
I see many liked it a great deal...I see some people I usually agree with liked it a great deal...I liked the first book in the series fairly well (if interested see my review here)...
If Ms. Hobb should ever read this let me say, I'm sorry, but....
I really dislike, I almost hate this piece of c**p.
Dorthy Parker Quote: "This Is Not a Novel To Be Tossed Aside Lightly. It Should Be Thrown with Great Force"
The book was somewhere between two thirds and three quarters too long. It rambles slowly, is annoying, frustrating and redundant. There is a LONG first section where we are treated to a LONG rehash of the first volume in the series. After that we get a LONG, LONG, LONG loving description of the disintegration of the protagonists life and dreams. We "enjoy" the story of a lithe, strong, healthy young man as he gets (her word here) "fatter" and "fatter" and "fatter" (you see the forest mages are this way. They are "Great" persons. The fat men are "great" men the fat women are "great" women.) We get to revel in the loss of his fiance'. We are allowed to experience with him being disowned by his father (whom he suddenly realizes in a moment of clarity his mother fears. So much for the man he looked up to HIS WHOLE LIFE). The book is a LONG, DRAWN OUT, story of Nevare learning about and resisting the "magic"...of becoming a forest mage. It is a LONG, DRAWN OUT book full of scenes of crudity, cruelty, and animalistic behavior (though that word [especially in this case] is an insult to animals. I've never seen animals act as crudely or as cruelly as the people in this book). By the end of the book I was tired, disgusted, and felt as if I'd taken the long way around in a sewage treatment plant.
I didn't like it, if I could give it less than one star I would...sorry if you really liked it...this is my experience and my view of this novel.
Will I try to finish the trilogy? I don't know yet. I feel as if I should give it a chance as the first book was SOOOOO much better than this one. Had I bought this I would long ago have thrown it across the room and then placed it in my to be sold or traded pile. Should I try the third I will not drag myself to the finish if the first third or so is as bad as this one.
As I said I own and have on my shelf several of Ms. Hobbs books and I have seen good things about them. I know that I'd hate to read a review this poor about something I'd written. I assume this book simply wasn't written for me, but for those of you who do like it greatly. I'm happy for you and hope for better later.
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Update, I've decided. Why would I consider using any of my limited reading time to try and finish a trilogy when I hated the second book this much? NO I don't plan to follow up this book and read the third.
July 31, 2022
*** 4.65 ***
A very bleak and quite depressing read, but so well crafted, that I couldn't put it down, despite the heaping on of tragedy after tragedy, obviously not leading to a good end... Mesmerizing!!!
I just finished and I have to exercise a real strength of will not to jump straight into the next book!!!! There is so much emotion! I gave this book a 5 star rating, even though I have one main problem with Nevare - I know he is just barely 20 years old, and I know he was sheltered in his peculiar way, and I know he is uncommonly naive, but he does act quite stupidly at times. People tell him stuff and his favorite phrase is "I don't know what you mean"... At times I want to shake him! If he was a female, we would be saying that she is ridiculously stupid, but in his case, we chuck it to not allowing himself to accept anything outside of his box, despite being shown time and again things are not so simple, but not too complicated either, as long as you accept that not everything has to happen the way you were raised to believe... Still, a very compelling and uncomfortable book in the series!
A very bleak and quite depressing read, but so well crafted, that I couldn't put it down, despite the heaping on of tragedy after tragedy, obviously not leading to a good end... Mesmerizing!!!
I just finished and I have to exercise a real strength of will not to jump straight into the next book!!!! There is so much emotion! I gave this book a 5 star rating, even though I have one main problem with Nevare - I know he is just barely 20 years old, and I know he was sheltered in his peculiar way, and I know he is uncommonly naive, but he does act quite stupidly at times. People tell him stuff and his favorite phrase is "I don't know what you mean"... At times I want to shake him! If he was a female, we would be saying that she is ridiculously stupid, but in his case, we chuck it to not allowing himself to accept anything outside of his box, despite being shown time and again things are not so simple, but not too complicated either, as long as you accept that not everything has to happen the way you were raised to believe... Still, a very compelling and uncomfortable book in the series!
February 4, 2011
I read this book immediately following the first book in the trilogy. The first books ends with adventure, conflict, moral dilemmas, strong character interaction and hope that the main character had learned something that will help him in the adventures to come. Instead, this book throws us back into plodding, slow, weary exposition as more sadness befalls Nevare and he travels into a new life that is even more sad and useless than his previous one.
Nevare was frustrating in the first book, but he was young and stupid and there was hope that he'd figure things out as he got older. Nope. He's wishy-washy, bigoted, racist and unlikable through this entire book. Nothing is ever his fault, no one will ever listen to him, his future just isn't what he was expecting it to be and there's nothing he can do about it...boo hoo. I got sick of him and his whining in the first several chapters and it only got worse as the book went on.
Why did I keep reading? Because there was a good story going on around this guy. I wanted to know what would happen to his sister, his cousin, his best friend, and all the other interesting people he met along the way. I needed to know what would happen to Yaril and her children. I wanted to know what the dancing spindle had to do with anything. I needed to know what the heck the Specks were up to. It was unfortunate that I had to hear it all from his perspective.
Nevare was frustrating in the first book, but he was young and stupid and there was hope that he'd figure things out as he got older. Nope. He's wishy-washy, bigoted, racist and unlikable through this entire book. Nothing is ever his fault, no one will ever listen to him, his future just isn't what he was expecting it to be and there's nothing he can do about it...boo hoo. I got sick of him and his whining in the first several chapters and it only got worse as the book went on.
Why did I keep reading? Because there was a good story going on around this guy. I wanted to know what would happen to his sister, his cousin, his best friend, and all the other interesting people he met along the way. I needed to know what would happen to Yaril and her children. I wanted to know what the dancing spindle had to do with anything. I needed to know what the heck the Specks were up to. It was unfortunate that I had to hear it all from his perspective.
August 7, 2023
Well that was really really good.
So I totally got why the goodreads rating for book 1 was low, it was way to long, but this kicked ass, and is one of the best books I have read this year.
I guess it does still live and die by whether you like Nevare, but in this novel I thought he was a great character. Often when characters are stuck between 2 cultures the obvious conclusion is to just take from both, they can co exist. Robin Hobb takes that and shows how difficult that can be.
This may be the single best plotted Robin Hobb novel. It is very eventful, the set up and payoff is top notch, and the way everything comes together is incredibly brilliant. It is very complicated without being at all convoluted. Not complex in the way of a puppet master, but complex in the way life and humanity is complex, with everyone acting according to their own beliefs, wishes, and needs.
Speaking of all those people, you should all be used to this by now if you know me but the character work for the supporting cast is just on another level. Hobb characterization just hits different man. They are so real, so human, and just so....alive. Nobody else does it the same.
Really the things I could see holding people back from liking this are twofold.
1 is that Nevare is still Nevare, although personality wise he has evolved, and is much much less self righteous, typical annoying lawful good, and I really really loved his character in this novel. But he is still incredibly indecisive, but that didn't stop me from loving the guy.
The second is that there is a lot of fatshaming in this novel. Now, I don't think you could read this novel and reasonably come to the conclusion that Robin Hobb is being mean to fat people, but a character dealing with how society and people treats them because of their weight is a major aspect of this novel, and it can be very uncomfortable and difficult to read. I think it was done very very well, and I don't think a book making you uncomfortable is necessarily a bad thing depending on the reasons, but it is there, you have been warned.
And then oh my the ending, the way it all came together was fantastic, even if it does make me even more annoyed with the pacing Shaman's Crossing in hindsight, because I felt like a lot of it wasn't relevant, because this novel was eventful, and impactful, and was one of the best novels I have read all year. This is not in contention for my favorite Robin Hobb book, but if it is yours, I get it.
9.4/10
So I totally got why the goodreads rating for book 1 was low, it was way to long, but this kicked ass, and is one of the best books I have read this year.
I guess it does still live and die by whether you like Nevare, but in this novel I thought he was a great character. Often when characters are stuck between 2 cultures the obvious conclusion is to just take from both, they can co exist. Robin Hobb takes that and shows how difficult that can be.
This may be the single best plotted Robin Hobb novel. It is very eventful, the set up and payoff is top notch, and the way everything comes together is incredibly brilliant. It is very complicated without being at all convoluted. Not complex in the way of a puppet master, but complex in the way life and humanity is complex, with everyone acting according to their own beliefs, wishes, and needs.
Speaking of all those people, you should all be used to this by now if you know me but the character work for the supporting cast is just on another level. Hobb characterization just hits different man. They are so real, so human, and just so....alive. Nobody else does it the same.
Really the things I could see holding people back from liking this are twofold.
1 is that Nevare is still Nevare, although personality wise he has evolved, and is much much less self righteous, typical annoying lawful good, and I really really loved his character in this novel. But he is still incredibly indecisive, but that didn't stop me from loving the guy.
The second is that there is a lot of fatshaming in this novel. Now, I don't think you could read this novel and reasonably come to the conclusion that Robin Hobb is being mean to fat people, but a character dealing with how society and people treats them because of their weight is a major aspect of this novel, and it can be very uncomfortable and difficult to read. I think it was done very very well, and I don't think a book making you uncomfortable is necessarily a bad thing depending on the reasons, but it is there, you have been warned.
And then oh my the ending, the way it all came together was fantastic, even if it does make me even more annoyed with the pacing Shaman's Crossing in hindsight, because I felt like a lot of it wasn't relevant, because this novel was eventful, and impactful, and was one of the best novels I have read all year. This is not in contention for my favorite Robin Hobb book, but if it is yours, I get it.
9.4/10
March 2, 2022
Boy, was this one a rough book to read.
I mean, it was never hard to read and I never once wanted to stop reading it but damn it was ROUGH on the main character.
I mean, this is book two in the trilogy so it wouldn't make any sense without the one before it, but I was getting used to the idea that because he had done the heroic thing, he'd get a tiny bit of recognition or benefits from the shamanistic deed.
Way to dash my hopes, Hobb! Indeed, he goes through a steadily declining hell, a curse that makes him steadily gain weight and he loses everything he ever loved because of it. Step by hellish step, the magic takes him over and there's nothing he can do about it. Heck, even the magic behaves like a monkey's paw when he DOES use it, so not only is he pretty much utterly shunned by everyone, he hurts even those who try their best for him.
Body horror? Check. Tragedy? Check. Dark magic? Check. A cruel destiny? Check.
This is a rough book to put yourself into. It's only the hope that there will be some kind of decent resolution that pushes me on toward the third book. I can only hope that accepting his fate will be the right way out. Whew.
I mean, it was never hard to read and I never once wanted to stop reading it but damn it was ROUGH on the main character.
I mean, this is book two in the trilogy so it wouldn't make any sense without the one before it, but I was getting used to the idea that because he had done the heroic thing, he'd get a tiny bit of recognition or benefits from the shamanistic deed.
Way to dash my hopes, Hobb! Indeed, he goes through a steadily declining hell, a curse that makes him steadily gain weight and he loses everything he ever loved because of it. Step by hellish step, the magic takes him over and there's nothing he can do about it. Heck, even the magic behaves like a monkey's paw when he DOES use it, so not only is he pretty much utterly shunned by everyone, he hurts even those who try their best for him.
Body horror? Check. Tragedy? Check. Dark magic? Check. A cruel destiny? Check.
This is a rough book to put yourself into. It's only the hope that there will be some kind of decent resolution that pushes me on toward the third book. I can only hope that accepting his fate will be the right way out. Whew.
June 28, 2016
Another book by Hobb which I thoroughly enjoyed. Again I say I really don't know why this series has low ratings here, I actually really enjoy this and I am so intrigued about what will happen in Book #3 as so far Hobb has surprised me with twists and turns in both the first book and this one.
As we pick up the story here we again follow Nevare, the young Soldier Son who has already faced so much more than he ever thought he'd have to. Nevare has gone through trials of wit, skill and disease, and he's come out the other side... but he's definitely not left unchanged and when we meet him once more these changes are starting to truly manifest.
One of the elements I found most interesting in this book is the main character's constant battle with weight gain and hunger. The weight gain within this book is definitely there for story purposes, but the reactions of family and friends to Nevare's increased size seemed very realistic and cutting to me, making me think about the pressure of society and the values we place in it.
Nevare's dealings with magic have always been sporadic and hard to foresee, change or shape but in this book we start to see Nevare as he encounters more of it and also more of the Speck people (from who the magic stems). The magical system of this world always feels a lot more nature-based, primitive and powerful to me in this story than the magic within the Elderlings series. I have to say that this seems like a darker, much more sinister and controlling type. I definitely think I would be pretty unnerved if some of the things Nevare has to go through happened to me!
Seeing Nevare away from the Academy for a lot of this book allowed the world to open up a lot more and for Nevare to meet people who had very different ways of life to him. There were times where Nevare had to take control and suffer to prove himself, and even when he did sometimes it wasn't enough. Nevare definitely has a hell of a lot to deal with here, and I think he became a stronger character for taking his life in his own hands and trying (a little) to regain some sense of what he should/could do.
As always I come away from a Hobb book with absolute satisfaction that I just read a solidly good story and that I am sure the last book will be a good one too. I would give this a 4*s and so far this series has both surprised and enchanted me. Recommended for sure!
As we pick up the story here we again follow Nevare, the young Soldier Son who has already faced so much more than he ever thought he'd have to. Nevare has gone through trials of wit, skill and disease, and he's come out the other side... but he's definitely not left unchanged and when we meet him once more these changes are starting to truly manifest.
One of the elements I found most interesting in this book is the main character's constant battle with weight gain and hunger. The weight gain within this book is definitely there for story purposes, but the reactions of family and friends to Nevare's increased size seemed very realistic and cutting to me, making me think about the pressure of society and the values we place in it.
Nevare's dealings with magic have always been sporadic and hard to foresee, change or shape but in this book we start to see Nevare as he encounters more of it and also more of the Speck people (from who the magic stems). The magical system of this world always feels a lot more nature-based, primitive and powerful to me in this story than the magic within the Elderlings series. I have to say that this seems like a darker, much more sinister and controlling type. I definitely think I would be pretty unnerved if some of the things Nevare has to go through happened to me!
Seeing Nevare away from the Academy for a lot of this book allowed the world to open up a lot more and for Nevare to meet people who had very different ways of life to him. There were times where Nevare had to take control and suffer to prove himself, and even when he did sometimes it wasn't enough. Nevare definitely has a hell of a lot to deal with here, and I think he became a stronger character for taking his life in his own hands and trying (a little) to regain some sense of what he should/could do.
As always I come away from a Hobb book with absolute satisfaction that I just read a solidly good story and that I am sure the last book will be a good one too. I would give this a 4*s and so far this series has both surprised and enchanted me. Recommended for sure!
January 19, 2022
However well written, this book was so full of awfulness that I really cant score it higher. It has really depressed me. I will not be reading the final book in the trilogy.
October 2, 2024
Qué terrible final!. Qué horrible todo!. Esta mujer maltrata muchísimo a sus protagonistas y hace que leerla sea a la vez una maravilla de profundidad y algo absolutamente acongojante.
Ver a este pobre hombre sufrir de esa manera, de forma tan prolongada y constante, a todas partes donde va, azuzado entre 2 fuerzas que no puede controlar, maltratado y vejado al extremo y que cada cosa que intenta sólo lo empeore, ha sido tremendo.
Creí que al final llegaría alguna clase de alivio, aunque según se iba acercando menos solución le veía... y claro, el alivio no sólo no llegó sino que incluso empeoró, lo que no parecía siquiera posible.
Una lectura intensa, terrible... y buenísima. GL (Robin Hobb)
Ver a este pobre hombre sufrir de esa manera, de forma tan prolongada y constante, a todas partes donde va, azuzado entre 2 fuerzas que no puede controlar, maltratado y vejado al extremo y que cada cosa que intenta sólo lo empeore, ha sido tremendo.
Creí que al final llegaría alguna clase de alivio, aunque según se iba acercando menos solución le veía... y claro, el alivio no sólo no llegó sino que incluso empeoró, lo que no parecía siquiera posible.
Una lectura intensa, terrible... y buenísima. GL (Robin Hobb)
January 30, 2011
Huh. Probably should have just called this one Bad Things Happen to Nevare.
Robin Hobb is swiftly spending the credit she earned with her last book. If giving Shaman's Crossing a second chance dispelled my vaguely unpleasant memories of it, those memories are returning with renewed vigour, despite the fact that I have not read Forest Mage before.
Bad things happened to Nevare in the first book, of course. Bad things have to happen to the protagonist; without conflict the story would be rather boring. Yet there was always a sense of hope, an idea that Nevare would somehow rally and carry the day. It seems as if Forest Mage is a concerted effort to tell us, "No, no, he really can't win this one." Nevare's situation goes from inconvenient to bad to worse to stupendously worse to sentenced to death worse. During this time, he gets unmanageably fat and goes around making a lot of stupid decisions. Nor is he alone in this endeavour.
It's tempting to call Forest Mage a tragedy, because there is really no other word to describe it. Nevare is a man torn between two peoples, Gernians and Specks. Neither will back down, and he seems at a loss to reconcile their opposing goals. Speck magic has seized control of Nevare's body, and his obesity freaks everyone else out because they don't have KFC in Gernia. Nevare's father, who was a level-headed, intelligent, and thoughtful man in the first book is suddenly a tyrannical harpy. His sister and his love interest both abandon him. Eventually, he is reduced to the status of an exiled cemetery sentry in a border town. And that lasts until he gets accused of murder and sentenced to hang, after being flogged with a thousand lashes.
It's just depressing, but it isn't all that tragic. True tragedy comes from hamartia. The main character has to make a mistake which leads to terrible consequences. Nevare did make a mistake when he went on the Kidona spiritual quest that culminated in his failure to kill Tree Woman. Yet the consequences for this act have been disproportionate to his failure; moreover, his subsequent misfortune seems to be caused by a manipulative force ("the magic") instead of Nevare's continued lack of judgement.
So whereas the misfortune visited upon Nevare in the first book came from his own doing, most of what happens to him in Forest Mage seems excessive and external. Hobb pushes him, roughly and crudely, out of Gernian society and into an existential no-man's land between Gernia and the Speck forest. The climax of the book is Nevare's realization that he must give himself over to the magic, because otherwise it will continue to bring ruin upon him and those close to him. But why, oh why, did that take 726 pages?
And why did Nevare stay in Gettys after he learned Spink and Epiny had moved there? He knew he would not be able to conceal his presence from them for long. He suspected that they would all meet a bad end. But no, instead of fleeing north or south along the border, he chose to stay. So if I want to make this more of a tragedy, if I want to pin this on Nevare, I have to accept that Nevare is some kind of idiot who doesn't deserve to be my protagonist anyway.
I do not like the choices Forest Mage offers me. I do not like being in this position. The backstory here is so rich, so full of possibility, and glimpsing that possibility was so easy in Shaman's Crossing. The difference between these two books, in terms of quality, is night and day. Both are a testament to what Hobb can do. The latter is Hobb exhibiting some of her best abilities as a fantasist. The former … well, I don't know.
I just have a hard time accepting some of the story. In particular, the change that has come over Nevare's father between books startles me. He was hard and demanding even in the first book, and not a little conservative and set in his ways. Yet he was fair and honest too. That is not the case here. Not only does he refuse to give Nevare any sort of fair hearing, but he quickly becomes all sorts of paranoid, willing to accuse anyone and everyone of abetting Nevare in some kind of "scheme" to stay obese. The father from the first book was completely gone by this point, and I was sort of skimming until the plague ravaged Burvelle's Landing and Nevare set off on the next step in his journey to obscurity.
Alternatively disturbing and depressing, ultimately pointless, Forest Mage is an alarming reversal from the potential awakened by Shaman's Crossing. I don't know what went wrong here. I am hoping Renegade's Magic manages to pick up what's left of this plot and fashion it into some kind of acceptable resolution. As it is, Nevare is just a tool of "the magic" now, which wants what it can't have. I can see, on an intellectual level, the cleverness behind Hobb's plot—but the story, on the whole, just lacks a crucial spark.
Once more plz, with feeling?
My Reviews of the Soldier Son trilogy:
← Shaman's Crossing | Renegade's Magic →
Robin Hobb is swiftly spending the credit she earned with her last book. If giving Shaman's Crossing a second chance dispelled my vaguely unpleasant memories of it, those memories are returning with renewed vigour, despite the fact that I have not read Forest Mage before.
Bad things happened to Nevare in the first book, of course. Bad things have to happen to the protagonist; without conflict the story would be rather boring. Yet there was always a sense of hope, an idea that Nevare would somehow rally and carry the day. It seems as if Forest Mage is a concerted effort to tell us, "No, no, he really can't win this one." Nevare's situation goes from inconvenient to bad to worse to stupendously worse to sentenced to death worse. During this time, he gets unmanageably fat and goes around making a lot of stupid decisions. Nor is he alone in this endeavour.
It's tempting to call Forest Mage a tragedy, because there is really no other word to describe it. Nevare is a man torn between two peoples, Gernians and Specks. Neither will back down, and he seems at a loss to reconcile their opposing goals. Speck magic has seized control of Nevare's body, and his obesity freaks everyone else out because they don't have KFC in Gernia. Nevare's father, who was a level-headed, intelligent, and thoughtful man in the first book is suddenly a tyrannical harpy. His sister and his love interest both abandon him. Eventually, he is reduced to the status of an exiled cemetery sentry in a border town. And that lasts until he gets accused of murder and sentenced to hang, after being flogged with a thousand lashes.
It's just depressing, but it isn't all that tragic. True tragedy comes from hamartia. The main character has to make a mistake which leads to terrible consequences. Nevare did make a mistake when he went on the Kidona spiritual quest that culminated in his failure to kill Tree Woman. Yet the consequences for this act have been disproportionate to his failure; moreover, his subsequent misfortune seems to be caused by a manipulative force ("the magic") instead of Nevare's continued lack of judgement.
So whereas the misfortune visited upon Nevare in the first book came from his own doing, most of what happens to him in Forest Mage seems excessive and external. Hobb pushes him, roughly and crudely, out of Gernian society and into an existential no-man's land between Gernia and the Speck forest. The climax of the book is Nevare's realization that he must give himself over to the magic, because otherwise it will continue to bring ruin upon him and those close to him. But why, oh why, did that take 726 pages?
And why did Nevare stay in Gettys after he learned Spink and Epiny had moved there? He knew he would not be able to conceal his presence from them for long. He suspected that they would all meet a bad end. But no, instead of fleeing north or south along the border, he chose to stay. So if I want to make this more of a tragedy, if I want to pin this on Nevare, I have to accept that Nevare is some kind of idiot who doesn't deserve to be my protagonist anyway.
I do not like the choices Forest Mage offers me. I do not like being in this position. The backstory here is so rich, so full of possibility, and glimpsing that possibility was so easy in Shaman's Crossing. The difference between these two books, in terms of quality, is night and day. Both are a testament to what Hobb can do. The latter is Hobb exhibiting some of her best abilities as a fantasist. The former … well, I don't know.
I just have a hard time accepting some of the story. In particular, the change that has come over Nevare's father between books startles me. He was hard and demanding even in the first book, and not a little conservative and set in his ways. Yet he was fair and honest too. That is not the case here. Not only does he refuse to give Nevare any sort of fair hearing, but he quickly becomes all sorts of paranoid, willing to accuse anyone and everyone of abetting Nevare in some kind of "scheme" to stay obese. The father from the first book was completely gone by this point, and I was sort of skimming until the plague ravaged Burvelle's Landing and Nevare set off on the next step in his journey to obscurity.
Alternatively disturbing and depressing, ultimately pointless, Forest Mage is an alarming reversal from the potential awakened by Shaman's Crossing. I don't know what went wrong here. I am hoping Renegade's Magic manages to pick up what's left of this plot and fashion it into some kind of acceptable resolution. As it is, Nevare is just a tool of "the magic" now, which wants what it can't have. I can see, on an intellectual level, the cleverness behind Hobb's plot—but the story, on the whole, just lacks a crucial spark.
Once more plz, with feeling?
My Reviews of the Soldier Son trilogy:
← Shaman's Crossing | Renegade's Magic →
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 10, 2025
Another five stars for this trilogy. I give it so without hesitation, even though there were times when reading this where I wanted to smash the book on my head. It can be very, very slow. But for the life of me I can't stop being impressed with the story and anxious about where it might go. I just love the story Robin is telling here. The second half of this book is especially fantastic: dark, depressing, ruthless. You feel so much for poor Nevare and the crap he has to put up with. It's impossible not to want better for this character. The whole 'Gettys' arc is so intense, yet incredibly sad. The final few chapters of this book had me more nervous than many books have been able to accomplish. I love Spink, Epiny, and Amzil. Seeing them try their best to help Nevare and fail to do so is always heartbreaking. You want better for all of them. Hobb is a master of character. Everyone feels authentic.
I've said it before and i'll say it again . . . this series gets more hate than it deserves.
Also Epiny is still best character.
I've said it before and i'll say it again . . . this series gets more hate than it deserves.
Also Epiny is still best character.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 14, 2014
Most of what I like about this book and Robin Hobb's writing I've already said in my review of the first book so I'll just link to that here. The beginning of that review still holds true.
Just as the first book describes Nevare's journey or perhaps "coming of age" as a Soldier's Son in Cavalry school, this book might be described as a belated "coming of age" story where Nevare grows in a journey of "becoming" in regards to the Speck Magic that claims him.
In some ways this does feel like a "middle book" in that it feels like a second act in a three act play with it's own setting and with a defined end to that setting that serves to bridge the first and third act. In a lot of ways it seems the plot is treading water till the next book - and yet there is actually a lot going on with Nevare, with his magic and with his relationships, and with his physical challenges. We also get a closer look at the Speck and their magic.
One observation I'd like to make about the magic is the difference between the magic in this series to date and the magic in the Fitz and Fool books. In this series so far, magic is kind of accepted by the Gernians as maybe being real and yet it is not generally believed that it should be treated seriously as having any agency in the "real world." It tends to be regarded as superstition. Compare this to the Fitz and Fool novels where magic is treated as being as real as the physical world. Not everyone has it, but everyone believes in it. There are "Skill" Coteries that are respected and feared as people who can do real magic - and their are those with the "Wit Magic" who are reviled and feared as people who can share minds with animals etc.
Having said all that, magic is a lot more overt this book, to the point where Nevare is not able to simply ignore it as he mostly did last book.
I opted to read this book as opposed to listening to it and have found at times that I miss Jonathon Barlow. I think his audio narration enhanced my enjoyment of the last book. But, I still found myself getting lost in this world and looking forward to picking up the story at the beginning of each reading session. I'm giving this one ...
4.25 stars
Just as the first book describes Nevare's journey or perhaps "coming of age" as a Soldier's Son in Cavalry school, this book might be described as a belated "coming of age" story where Nevare grows in a journey of "becoming" in regards to the Speck Magic that claims him.
In some ways this does feel like a "middle book" in that it feels like a second act in a three act play with it's own setting and with a defined end to that setting that serves to bridge the first and third act. In a lot of ways it seems the plot is treading water till the next book - and yet there is actually a lot going on with Nevare, with his magic and with his relationships, and with his physical challenges. We also get a closer look at the Speck and their magic.
One observation I'd like to make about the magic is the difference between the magic in this series to date and the magic in the Fitz and Fool books. In this series so far, magic is kind of accepted by the Gernians as maybe being real and yet it is not generally believed that it should be treated seriously as having any agency in the "real world." It tends to be regarded as superstition. Compare this to the Fitz and Fool novels where magic is treated as being as real as the physical world. Not everyone has it, but everyone believes in it. There are "Skill" Coteries that are respected and feared as people who can do real magic - and their are those with the "Wit Magic" who are reviled and feared as people who can share minds with animals etc.
Having said all that, magic is a lot more overt this book, to the point where Nevare is not able to simply ignore it as he mostly did last book.
I opted to read this book as opposed to listening to it and have found at times that I miss Jonathon Barlow. I think his audio narration enhanced my enjoyment of the last book. But, I still found myself getting lost in this world and looking forward to picking up the story at the beginning of each reading session. I'm giving this one ...
4.25 stars
August 11, 2007
If you are a huge Robin Hobb/Megan Lindholm fan, you will probably enjoy her latest Soldier's Son books. These books are just as character driven as her previous work; the characters just as solid and fleshed out (no pun intended), the overall writing is just as polished. If Hobb explored moral ambiguity through Fitz in the Six Duchies world, she goes even further with Nevare in her Soldier's Son books.
Nevare is not as exciting a character as Fitz or Althea or the Fool. He starts out fairly shallow and unquestioning. It is a bit like reading the thoughts of a frat boy put into extreme circumstances. If you can't stand waiting for him to change, or the ponderous way he does it, these books may not be for you. But there are many, maby reasons to work through it.
Robin Hobb is a master at creating cultures and displaying their facets on a page. The cultures in these books are totally different from those of the Six Duchies world and totally fascinating.
The ideas in this book philosophically and socially are just as interesting as her previous work. No character is totally good or bad, right or wrong, but like real people they love and hate, do good things that turn out wrong, give into temptation and surprise themselves with how they feel and what they accomplish. They wrestle with nationalism, gender roles, the strictures of beloved parents, duty, racism, obesity and superstition. Hobb's books, as usual, are a banquet for your brain.
Additionally, Nevar may think like a simple man, but there are many characters who do not. Epiny, Yaril, Amzil, Spink and Gordon are free thinkers whose ideas challenge our hero, to say nothing of those of the Speck and Kidona characters.
And Nevare, God bless him, isn't really all that bad. He needs to grow up and open his mind. If he did not, there wouldn't be much of a story.
Nevare is not as exciting a character as Fitz or Althea or the Fool. He starts out fairly shallow and unquestioning. It is a bit like reading the thoughts of a frat boy put into extreme circumstances. If you can't stand waiting for him to change, or the ponderous way he does it, these books may not be for you. But there are many, maby reasons to work through it.
Robin Hobb is a master at creating cultures and displaying their facets on a page. The cultures in these books are totally different from those of the Six Duchies world and totally fascinating.
The ideas in this book philosophically and socially are just as interesting as her previous work. No character is totally good or bad, right or wrong, but like real people they love and hate, do good things that turn out wrong, give into temptation and surprise themselves with how they feel and what they accomplish. They wrestle with nationalism, gender roles, the strictures of beloved parents, duty, racism, obesity and superstition. Hobb's books, as usual, are a banquet for your brain.
Additionally, Nevar may think like a simple man, but there are many characters who do not. Epiny, Yaril, Amzil, Spink and Gordon are free thinkers whose ideas challenge our hero, to say nothing of those of the Speck and Kidona characters.
And Nevare, God bless him, isn't really all that bad. He needs to grow up and open his mind. If he did not, there wouldn't be much of a story.
August 26, 2024
A very bleak, but captivating read by Hobb; an apt subtitle might be "Nevare travels 10 miles of bad road." We left the first installment with Nevare recovering from the Speck plague that killed many of this fellow students and instructors at the academy. Most of his fellow students who recovered were weak and ached, and were forced to leave the academy as not longer fit. Nevare, on the other hand, recovered after a long stint, and even put on weight. Once the academy restarted, he kept gaining weight. Putting it off as the prologue to another growth spurt, Nevare just went with the flow. Finally, spring arrived, and he headed back to his father's estate for his brother's wedding.
Nevare, now quite fat, horrified his father, who accused him of sloth and gluttony, and did all kinds of things to force him back into shape. Hard labor, starvation diets-- nothing seemed to work. Worse, he received a letter from the academy's doctor granting him a medical discharge; a few others had recovered from the plague and also continually gained weight unstoppably. We soon learn, however, that his weight gain has something to do with forest magic. The Great Men and Women who serve as mages for the Specks all are huge, for their fat stores their magic powers. Navare resists this and really wants nothing to do with the Specks; he just wants to be a soldier! Well, things go from bad to worse at home, and finally, Nevare finds himself pulled to the frontier of the Specks...
Hobb does a masterful job here with Nevare, a soul divided. He still dreams of the Specks, and we know from the first book that his childhood experiences with the plainsman infused magic into his life. He is claimed by them to obey the magic, and has little choice. Yet, he resists. This push and pull define his life and his experiences. Unlike many other of Hobb's works, Nevare completely dominates the narration. We do have a few other characters from the first installment-- a friend from the academy, his cousin and sister-- but basically, Forest Mage focuses almost exclusively on poor Nevare. He seems to gain a little control of the magic, but when ever he uses it, bad things seem to happen that he did not intend. Has his life been reduced to simply the whims of the magic and the Specks?
Nestled within the saga of Nevare rests the focal point of the story-- the conflict between the Specks and the Gernians. The Specks want to stop the construction of the road heading East through their 'ancestor trees'; the Gernian King puts more and more resources to build the road, as he sees it as essential to the needs of the empire. Culture clash for sure! The Gernians, so rational and on the cusp of an industrial revolution, simply dismiss the magic and 'inferior' people who stand in the way of 'progress'. The Specks just want the status quo and grow increasingly desperate to thwart the Gernians and their road. Poor Nevare, caught in the middle, becomes torn with who he is and his role in the conflict. Good stuff, but man, 10 miles of bad road! 4 bleak stars!!
Nevare, now quite fat, horrified his father, who accused him of sloth and gluttony, and did all kinds of things to force him back into shape. Hard labor, starvation diets-- nothing seemed to work. Worse, he received a letter from the academy's doctor granting him a medical discharge; a few others had recovered from the plague and also continually gained weight unstoppably. We soon learn, however, that his weight gain has something to do with forest magic. The Great Men and Women who serve as mages for the Specks all are huge, for their fat stores their magic powers. Navare resists this and really wants nothing to do with the Specks; he just wants to be a soldier! Well, things go from bad to worse at home, and finally, Nevare finds himself pulled to the frontier of the Specks...
Hobb does a masterful job here with Nevare, a soul divided. He still dreams of the Specks, and we know from the first book that his childhood experiences with the plainsman infused magic into his life. He is claimed by them to obey the magic, and has little choice. Yet, he resists. This push and pull define his life and his experiences. Unlike many other of Hobb's works, Nevare completely dominates the narration. We do have a few other characters from the first installment-- a friend from the academy, his cousin and sister-- but basically, Forest Mage focuses almost exclusively on poor Nevare. He seems to gain a little control of the magic, but when ever he uses it, bad things seem to happen that he did not intend. Has his life been reduced to simply the whims of the magic and the Specks?
Nestled within the saga of Nevare rests the focal point of the story-- the conflict between the Specks and the Gernians. The Specks want to stop the construction of the road heading East through their 'ancestor trees'; the Gernian King puts more and more resources to build the road, as he sees it as essential to the needs of the empire. Culture clash for sure! The Gernians, so rational and on the cusp of an industrial revolution, simply dismiss the magic and 'inferior' people who stand in the way of 'progress'. The Specks just want the status quo and grow increasingly desperate to thwart the Gernians and their road. Poor Nevare, caught in the middle, becomes torn with who he is and his role in the conflict. Good stuff, but man, 10 miles of bad road! 4 bleak stars!!
March 28, 2025
4.5
"You’ve got all this magic running through you. And you’re worried that you’ll have a boring life. Actually, you should be praying for that. Boredom is vastly underrated. Boredom means that nothing is trying to kill you every day.”
Antes de comenzar la lectura de este libro, me dio por mirar reseñas. No suelo hacerlo para no influenciarme demasiado, pero por alguna razón, quizá por tener el primero un poquito lejano, lo hice. Me encontré con unas opiniones extremadamente polarizadas: gente que lo amaba, gente que lo detestaba, casi en la misma cantidad. Ahora que lo he terminado, tengo mi propia opinión, y es que... Aunque puedo entender la razón por la que este libro no cuajó entre la gente, yo soy del primer grupo.
Sí, tiene sus cosas. Ya no voy a decir que es un libro "pausado", que es un término que suelo emplear mucho para describir el estilo de Hobb. Es lento. Muy lento. Uno de los libros más lentos que he leído de la autora. Es posible que a todas esas personas que ya se les haya hecho algo de bola alguno de los libros de la saga de los Vetulus, esto no quieran tocarlo ni con un palo de cinco metros. Y de verdad, lo entiendo. Pero honestamente, no sé qué me pasa con Hobb. Para mi sus palabras tienen una magia que me va calando poco a poco hasta empaparme. Me da igual de qué me hable, me da igual qué me cuente. Cuando entro en sus historias, ya no salgo. Y si bien al principio me costó un poquito conectar, cuando llegué al ecuador de la novela yo ya no podía parar de leer.
"Forest mage" es la segunda parte de la trilogía de "The soldier son", cuyo primer libro leí hace ya más de un año. De nuevo seguimos la historia de Nevare, destinado a ser soldado por ser el segundo hijo de una familia noble, ya que el futuro de cada descendiente está fuertemente ligado al orden de nacimiento. Mientras que en la primera novela seguíamos los pasos de Nevare en la Academia y su etapa más infantil y soñadora, en este nos encontramos ya a un joven adulto bastante más curtido, pesimista y desencantado. Debido a los sucesos que ha tenido que afrontar (y que obviamente no desarrollaré para no entrar en spoilers), Nevare se siente perdido entre dos mundos, y le es difícil encontrar un lugar al que pertenecer. Ya el primero tiene algún que otro toque, pero es que este segundo es un dramón de proporciones épicas. El protagonista pasa por tantísimos momentos duros, humillantes y terribles que no se los desearía ni a mi peor enemigo. El pobre se pasa sufriendo desde la primera página hasta la última, y por eso también entiendo que a mucha gente se le haya atragantado la historia, porque hubo momentos en los que hasta para mi (que anda que no me gusta a mi el drama) fue un poquito demasiado. Y sin embargo, lo dicho... No podía parar de leer. Y a cada página que pasaba, más me gustaba.
Ha habido muchas cosas que destacaría de este libro con respecto al primero. Para empezar, la falta de personajes femeninos importantes (cosa que estaba un poquito justificada por el ambiente de la Academia militar) se resuelve con creces en esta segunda entrega, aunque sigo diciendo que Epiny deberia tener muchísimo más protagonismo. También se nos van desgranando muchos más detalles del mundo, de las etnias y de la magia, y ya sabéis lo que yo disfruto de un buen worldbuiding, por muy poco a poco que me lo den. Y no puedo mencionar esto sin hacer referencia a la magia y a cómo está tratada en este libro, como una especie de ente con voluntad propia, que no se puede poseer sin que te controle para sus propios propósitos de alguna manera, y que casi parece un personaje más que pone patas arriba el mundo y las aspiraciones de Nevare.
La trama, aunque lenta, me pareció interesantísima, y mientras que en el primero no sabía muy bien hacia dónde Hobb me quería llevar, en este ya se van viendo las intenciones. Es una historia que habla de colonialismo y ecologismo de forma evidente, pero lejos de ser demasiado obvia en cuanto a las conclusiones a las que todos llegamos, la autora te pone a un protagonista que se encuentra un poco en el medio de dos mundos y sufre por ello, de forma que sus decisiones y comportamientos puedan llegar a entenderse dejando un poquito de lado el idealismo. A pesar de que tengo muy claro hacia donde yo quiero que la historia vaya, todavía no tengo muy claro hacia dónde va a tirar Hobb, y eso me gusta.
¿Conclusión? Puedo entender todas esas críticas negativas, pero yo definitivamente no formo parte de ellas. No creo que estemos ante una saga tan buena como la de los Vetulus, pero sí que considero que merece la pena darle una oportunidad si eres muy fan de la autora. Vendría a ser "café para muy cafeteros", y hay que tener en cuenta que va despacito y conquista muy poco a poco, pero si habéis leído a Hobb y os habéis enamorado (como es mi caso)... Merece vuestro tiempo.
"You’ve got all this magic running through you. And you’re worried that you’ll have a boring life. Actually, you should be praying for that. Boredom is vastly underrated. Boredom means that nothing is trying to kill you every day.”
Antes de comenzar la lectura de este libro, me dio por mirar reseñas. No suelo hacerlo para no influenciarme demasiado, pero por alguna razón, quizá por tener el primero un poquito lejano, lo hice. Me encontré con unas opiniones extremadamente polarizadas: gente que lo amaba, gente que lo detestaba, casi en la misma cantidad. Ahora que lo he terminado, tengo mi propia opinión, y es que... Aunque puedo entender la razón por la que este libro no cuajó entre la gente, yo soy del primer grupo.
Sí, tiene sus cosas. Ya no voy a decir que es un libro "pausado", que es un término que suelo emplear mucho para describir el estilo de Hobb. Es lento. Muy lento. Uno de los libros más lentos que he leído de la autora. Es posible que a todas esas personas que ya se les haya hecho algo de bola alguno de los libros de la saga de los Vetulus, esto no quieran tocarlo ni con un palo de cinco metros. Y de verdad, lo entiendo. Pero honestamente, no sé qué me pasa con Hobb. Para mi sus palabras tienen una magia que me va calando poco a poco hasta empaparme. Me da igual de qué me hable, me da igual qué me cuente. Cuando entro en sus historias, ya no salgo. Y si bien al principio me costó un poquito conectar, cuando llegué al ecuador de la novela yo ya no podía parar de leer.
"Forest mage" es la segunda parte de la trilogía de "The soldier son", cuyo primer libro leí hace ya más de un año. De nuevo seguimos la historia de Nevare, destinado a ser soldado por ser el segundo hijo de una familia noble, ya que el futuro de cada descendiente está fuertemente ligado al orden de nacimiento. Mientras que en la primera novela seguíamos los pasos de Nevare en la Academia y su etapa más infantil y soñadora, en este nos encontramos ya a un joven adulto bastante más curtido, pesimista y desencantado. Debido a los sucesos que ha tenido que afrontar (y que obviamente no desarrollaré para no entrar en spoilers), Nevare se siente perdido entre dos mundos, y le es difícil encontrar un lugar al que pertenecer. Ya el primero tiene algún que otro toque, pero es que este segundo es un dramón de proporciones épicas. El protagonista pasa por tantísimos momentos duros, humillantes y terribles que no se los desearía ni a mi peor enemigo. El pobre se pasa sufriendo desde la primera página hasta la última, y por eso también entiendo que a mucha gente se le haya atragantado la historia, porque hubo momentos en los que hasta para mi (que anda que no me gusta a mi el drama) fue un poquito demasiado. Y sin embargo, lo dicho... No podía parar de leer. Y a cada página que pasaba, más me gustaba.
Ha habido muchas cosas que destacaría de este libro con respecto al primero. Para empezar, la falta de personajes femeninos importantes (cosa que estaba un poquito justificada por el ambiente de la Academia militar) se resuelve con creces en esta segunda entrega, aunque sigo diciendo que Epiny deberia tener muchísimo más protagonismo. También se nos van desgranando muchos más detalles del mundo, de las etnias y de la magia, y ya sabéis lo que yo disfruto de un buen worldbuiding, por muy poco a poco que me lo den. Y no puedo mencionar esto sin hacer referencia a la magia y a cómo está tratada en este libro, como una especie de ente con voluntad propia, que no se puede poseer sin que te controle para sus propios propósitos de alguna manera, y que casi parece un personaje más que pone patas arriba el mundo y las aspiraciones de Nevare.
La trama, aunque lenta, me pareció interesantísima, y mientras que en el primero no sabía muy bien hacia dónde Hobb me quería llevar, en este ya se van viendo las intenciones. Es una historia que habla de colonialismo y ecologismo de forma evidente, pero lejos de ser demasiado obvia en cuanto a las conclusiones a las que todos llegamos, la autora te pone a un protagonista que se encuentra un poco en el medio de dos mundos y sufre por ello, de forma que sus decisiones y comportamientos puedan llegar a entenderse dejando un poquito de lado el idealismo. A pesar de que tengo muy claro hacia donde yo quiero que la historia vaya, todavía no tengo muy claro hacia dónde va a tirar Hobb, y eso me gusta.
¿Conclusión? Puedo entender todas esas críticas negativas, pero yo definitivamente no formo parte de ellas. No creo que estemos ante una saga tan buena como la de los Vetulus, pero sí que considero que merece la pena darle una oportunidad si eres muy fan de la autora. Vendría a ser "café para muy cafeteros", y hay que tener en cuenta que va despacito y conquista muy poco a poco, pero si habéis leído a Hobb y os habéis enamorado (como es mi caso)... Merece vuestro tiempo.
February 4, 2017
DISCLAIMER: This review assumes that if you're thinking of reading this series then you've already read The Elderlings books. If not, stop reading this and pick up ASSASSIN'S APPRENTICE post haste.
Whoa. This book was a serious mind fuck. If you think FitzChivalry Farseer had it bad then meet Nevare Burvelle. Hobb's sadomasochistic love of torturing the shit out of her characters is taken to the next level in FOREST MAGE.
Fitz had it rough. There's no denying that but my heart never hurt as much for him as it did for Nevare. I think the major difference is that Fitz rarely losses hope. He's got an indomitable spirit. Nevare just doesn't. Where Fitz broods Nevare despairs. Where Fitz dusts himself off Nevare blames others. I love Nevare but the guy's a sad sack.
I think another major difference between the two is that Fitz started out at the bottom of the barrel and secretly succeeds whereas Nevare starts out on top and slowly slides into horribleness. This kind of turn of fortunes is emotionally difficult to read. That's not to say that it isn't interesting and engaging.
I loved this book through the heartache and have almost come out the other side. Hopefully in book three Nevare will triumph.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
Whoa. This book was a serious mind fuck. If you think FitzChivalry Farseer had it bad then meet Nevare Burvelle. Hobb's sadomasochistic love of torturing the shit out of her characters is taken to the next level in FOREST MAGE.
Fitz had it rough. There's no denying that but my heart never hurt as much for him as it did for Nevare. I think the major difference is that Fitz rarely losses hope. He's got an indomitable spirit. Nevare just doesn't. Where Fitz broods Nevare despairs. Where Fitz dusts himself off Nevare blames others. I love Nevare but the guy's a sad sack.
I think another major difference between the two is that Fitz started out at the bottom of the barrel and secretly succeeds whereas Nevare starts out on top and slowly slides into horribleness. This kind of turn of fortunes is emotionally difficult to read. That's not to say that it isn't interesting and engaging.
I loved this book through the heartache and have almost come out the other side. Hopefully in book three Nevare will triumph.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
May 24, 2007
So, I really like Robin Hobb as an author. I have read everything else she has ever written under this name. Always, the books are well written but always follow the troubled life of the main character.
Well, this book marks the first time I have given up on a character of Hobb's. Fitz-Chivalry and Althea and the rest, they made mistakes, they were stupid but you had a grudging respect for them that kept you going, even when you watched there life disenegrate from the course they chose.
But I can't take it with Nevere. The first book, was good I really liked it, but this one is just too pathetic. At the end of the first book, things went to shit, but got marginally better and there was hope, if not for what was going to happen, but for the character. The first book removes all that in short work, and then there are 300 pages of how shitty this guy has got it, and it is and isn't his fault. I don't give up on books easily, not 400+ pages in, but I am throwing in the towel on this one. For now.
Well, this book marks the first time I have given up on a character of Hobb's. Fitz-Chivalry and Althea and the rest, they made mistakes, they were stupid but you had a grudging respect for them that kept you going, even when you watched there life disenegrate from the course they chose.
But I can't take it with Nevere. The first book, was good I really liked it, but this one is just too pathetic. At the end of the first book, things went to shit, but got marginally better and there was hope, if not for what was going to happen, but for the character. The first book removes all that in short work, and then there are 300 pages of how shitty this guy has got it, and it is and isn't his fault. I don't give up on books easily, not 400+ pages in, but I am throwing in the towel on this one. For now.
May 25, 2014
I’m once again a happy bunny, even if I’m not ecstatic. I’m happy to report that book two is so much better than book one, with a marvellous climax towards the end. But I’m not perfectly satisfied: I struggle with the zero connection to the main character which really is a problem for me; and considering that we are talking about a Robin Hobb here, it remains such a strange feeling. She’s still drawing with the same crayons, doing all the things she normally does (read: putting her characters through the wringer) but given that I don’t really care about Nevare I have no heart aches.
Still, it’s remarkable that despite the lack of an interesting main character, I’m engrossed into the story. There is a lot of suspense, there is good world-building, I have a bizillion-and-one questions and I have no clue what will happen next.
Still, it’s remarkable that despite the lack of an interesting main character, I’m engrossed into the story. There is a lot of suspense, there is good world-building, I have a bizillion-and-one questions and I have no clue what will happen next.
July 29, 2023
A fantastic ending to this one - especially the last chapter. My biggest issue with this book (and series), is it honestly took one book + 700 pages for me to actually care about the main character. This is a problem with a first person narrative. I just found his whole passivity so grating and frustrating, it took almost two books for that to dissipate, because he FINALLY MADE A STRONG DECISION AND STUCK TO IT AT THE END.
All of that criticism is unfortunate because the writing is STRONG, the world-building is VIVID, and the pacing SUPERB. Despite a 3.5/5 rating for this book, I'm definitely looking forward to the last book in this series, even if I am fairly confident that The Soldier Son Trilogy will end up as my sixth favorite of Hobb's six book series.
All of that criticism is unfortunate because the writing is STRONG, the world-building is VIVID, and the pacing SUPERB. Despite a 3.5/5 rating for this book, I'm definitely looking forward to the last book in this series, even if I am fairly confident that The Soldier Son Trilogy will end up as my sixth favorite of Hobb's six book series.
December 24, 2017
There is a movie I watched once. I can't remember the name. But at one point the son starts watching videos of a larger woman who webcams herself cooking and eating for others. It is a fetish.
If you have this fetish you will probably enjoy this book. If not.... you may like it you may not.
For me it was too slow and the action at the end was just too little too late. I mean how long can this protagonist remain utterly clueless? Apparently for 700 pages.
I'm a little sad. I love Robin Hobb. But this book was a disappointment.
If you have this fetish you will probably enjoy this book. If not.... you may like it you may not.
For me it was too slow and the action at the end was just too little too late. I mean how long can this protagonist remain utterly clueless? Apparently for 700 pages.
I'm a little sad. I love Robin Hobb. But this book was a disappointment.
April 23, 2009
I gave this 3, but it's a very weak 3 and briefly I was tempted to give it 2.
Epiny and Spink are the only things that really save this book. Nevare is driving me up the wall with annoyance, because he is 1) so incredibly passive this entire book and 2) really not the brightest. I'm not going to say this is out of character for him, because he definitely had elements in the previous book, at least about the passivity. But it's taken it to a new level and really, there's only so much time I want to read about him sitting around doing nothing and whining and saying he doesn't know what he's supposed to do. It's just not that interesting. The fact that *we* don't know what he's really supposed to do doesn't help. On the other hand, basic things that he gets told do not seem to register with him.
I mean, if I was in his situation I'd be like "Hey, if this condition is the result of the plague and Epiny writes me that Spink's (different) post-plague condition is cured by Bitter Springs water, maybe instead of complaining that it's not your fault and you don't know what to do you should TRY TO VISIT BITTER SPRINGS." Which probably would *not* have worked, since his isn't a weakness but a supposed strength but at that point he *didn't know that*. And also it would be better than moping and whining.
Plus the fact that he's like "I don't know why suddenly the Speck's have stopped digging up our dead and taking them into the trees to become part of them..." when, you know, he'd talked with a Speck and been told why they do it and then brought trees to the graveyard and watered them - could that possibly be why they stopped? Maybe?
I mean, Book 1 Nevare was not a genius, but he was smart and thought about things at times.
Plus the whole honor/dishonor thing got old very fast. As did the really boring conversations with Specks that constantly consisted of "I don't know what to do" "Do what the magic tells you" "I don't know what that is" "Listen to it" over and over and over again.
THANK GOODNESS FOR EPINY AND SPINK. Their actual action and caring saved this book from disaster and is the reason I'm going to read the third one. Well, that and because I really liked the first book so much.
Epiny and Spink are the only things that really save this book. Nevare is driving me up the wall with annoyance, because he is 1) so incredibly passive this entire book and 2) really not the brightest. I'm not going to say this is out of character for him, because he definitely had elements in the previous book, at least about the passivity. But it's taken it to a new level and really, there's only so much time I want to read about him sitting around doing nothing and whining and saying he doesn't know what he's supposed to do. It's just not that interesting. The fact that *we* don't know what he's really supposed to do doesn't help. On the other hand, basic things that he gets told do not seem to register with him.
I mean, if I was in his situation I'd be like "Hey, if this condition is the result of the plague and Epiny writes me that Spink's (different) post-plague condition is cured by Bitter Springs water, maybe instead of complaining that it's not your fault and you don't know what to do you should TRY TO VISIT BITTER SPRINGS." Which probably would *not* have worked, since his isn't a weakness but a supposed strength but at that point he *didn't know that*. And also it would be better than moping and whining.
Plus the fact that he's like "I don't know why suddenly the Speck's have stopped digging up our dead and taking them into the trees to become part of them..." when, you know, he'd talked with a Speck and been told why they do it and then brought trees to the graveyard and watered them - could that possibly be why they stopped? Maybe?
I mean, Book 1 Nevare was not a genius, but he was smart and thought about things at times.
Plus the whole honor/dishonor thing got old very fast. As did the really boring conversations with Specks that constantly consisted of "I don't know what to do" "Do what the magic tells you" "I don't know what that is" "Listen to it" over and over and over again.
THANK GOODNESS FOR EPINY AND SPINK. Their actual action and caring saved this book from disaster and is the reason I'm going to read the third one. Well, that and because I really liked the first book so much.
April 13, 2018
I don't think I've read another book in which the protagonist has gone through so many troubles and suffering!
Robin Hobb has a sort of tradition of making her characters suffer but what she puts Nevare through is close to unbearable. Trouble after trouble followed by bad luck and disaster with no apparent end in sight!
But despite all this, it has kept me at the edge of the seat from the beginning till the very end and I am already eagerly waiting to start the next book. So I'm giving it a 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating because I had to force myself to set it down and because I'll probably read it again.
A small advice if you consider diving into this: Keep snacks at hand! Cause Nevare sure knows how to appreciate food! :)
Happy reading!
Robin Hobb has a sort of tradition of making her characters suffer but what she puts Nevare through is close to unbearable. Trouble after trouble followed by bad luck and disaster with no apparent end in sight!
But despite all this, it has kept me at the edge of the seat from the beginning till the very end and I am already eagerly waiting to start the next book. So I'm giving it a 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating because I had to force myself to set it down and because I'll probably read it again.
A small advice if you consider diving into this: Keep snacks at hand! Cause Nevare sure knows how to appreciate food! :)
Happy reading!
February 15, 2023
Incredibly painful, highly recommend. Hobb is my favorite author, Realm of the Elderlings is my favorite series, and the first Soldier Son book I was lukewarm on. Forest Mage has some of her best writing and she's a master at her craft.
So many beautiful and deep passages that work on multiple thematic levels, just some awe inspiring stuff, I highlighted quite a bit. Also she goes in such an unexpected and interesting direction in this book that I really needed after book 1 felt a bit predictable and boring.
This book is quite slow and she takes her time to immerse you in the world and build up the relationships between the characters. Hobb is probably the most skilled at immersing me in her worlds that I have read, you really feel like you are there with Nevare and experiencing his pain.
This book took me a month to read which is pretty slow, but it is heavy and rich and I definitely appreciated it and processed what was going on by taking it slow.
Overall this series doesn't have the most involved plot in the world but Hobb elevates it as a master of her craft, interested to see how this ends and will be reading the rest of her bibliography.
So many beautiful and deep passages that work on multiple thematic levels, just some awe inspiring stuff, I highlighted quite a bit. Also she goes in such an unexpected and interesting direction in this book that I really needed after book 1 felt a bit predictable and boring.
This book is quite slow and she takes her time to immerse you in the world and build up the relationships between the characters. Hobb is probably the most skilled at immersing me in her worlds that I have read, you really feel like you are there with Nevare and experiencing his pain.
This book took me a month to read which is pretty slow, but it is heavy and rich and I definitely appreciated it and processed what was going on by taking it slow.
Overall this series doesn't have the most involved plot in the world but Hobb elevates it as a master of her craft, interested to see how this ends and will be reading the rest of her bibliography.
September 8, 2022
Wow, fantastic ending! But a very slow middle I think.
June 8, 2007
Robin Hobb excells in writing characters that are tragically human. Time and time again her characters deny their destiny, struggle against fate, make astoundingly bad decisions, have terrible luck, and are put through the most soul tearingly body wracking experiences. Ms. Hobb fulfills that most human of hopes, reward after monumental trials and tribulations. In this story Nevare Burville, the soldier son of his noble family, finds himself under a seemingly irreversible spell that causes him to become bodily swollen by magic. This percieved "fatness" causes him to lose everything dear to him opening the way to a new life and discovery of a war between magic and industry which perhaps only he knows off and must stop.
October 15, 2012
Ugh awful.
I love Hobbs older books, but this book (and it's predecessor) just about killed me.
I won't even move onto the third.
So disappointing from a writer I know is a good author.
March 21, 2018
Robin Hobb is a favourite author of mine. This trilogy is good but not quite as good as her previous books.
September 20, 2022
4.25*
The second book in the Soldier Son trilogy and even more bizarre than book one.
Both tragic and captivating, Forest Mage continues a story about environmentalism and changing life-long perspectives.
It's not the most enjoyable read (and please be careful if heavy weight gain and fatphobia are triggering for you) but thought-provocing and unique. This story takes many turns I wouldn't expect, but they show how arbitrary and cruel life can be, but how it's never to late to move forward and change.
I'm excited to read Renegade's Magic soon and see how Nevare's story ends.
The second book in the Soldier Son trilogy and even more bizarre than book one.
Both tragic and captivating, Forest Mage continues a story about environmentalism and changing life-long perspectives.
It's not the most enjoyable read (and please be careful if heavy weight gain and fatphobia are triggering for you) but thought-provocing and unique. This story takes many turns I wouldn't expect, but they show how arbitrary and cruel life can be, but how it's never to late to move forward and change.
I'm excited to read Renegade's Magic soon and see how Nevare's story ends.
December 30, 2016
Forest Mage is by far Robin Hobb's worst book.
I should preface this review by saying that I've read every single previous book of Hobb's, and would probably give them all 5 star reviews. Her fantasy worlds are vivid, her characters compelling, and her writing style unique and enjoyable, and though her books regularly stretch to hundreds of pages longer than even many other fantasy books, not a word of that feels wasted or drawn out.
Forest Mage is none of that. Hobb has certain specific flaws in her writing: her protagonists can sometimes come off as whiny; the series of misfortunes that befall them can seem harsh and miserable and make stretches of the books unpleasant for even the reader; and multiple protagonists have spent long stretches of a book resolutely ignoring the obvious questions that even the audience sees should be being asked and would lead to a much quicker resolution. However, in every other book her writing has been so spectacular and gripping that it was easy to power through a character being frustrated at every turn, or refusing to investigate obvious mysteries.
It is as though Hobb has decided to take everything that was wrong with her last twelve books and fine tune them to create the most frustrating book ever written. The protagonist, Navar, is the most dense, dull-witted, obstinate character to have ever been written. He is forgivable in the first book in the series because he is young, and under the thumb of his father and staunch in his duty to his king. You expect him to learn his lesson after that books gripping conclusion, and return in Forest Mage with the decision to, if not take hold of his magic, at least acknowledge that it is a thing he must deal with and act accordingly.
To the frustration of many readers, he does not. When he is not ignoring that magic is the cause of his problems, he is self-pityingly blaming it as the root of all his problems. Magic makes him fat, and after taking a stupidly long time to realise this, he spends an entire book and probably much more of the next one complaining about how even though it's "not his fault" that he's fat, his life is ruined. At no point does he decide to try and find out how to fix it with magic. The magic has a mind of its own and is told several hundred times that if he doesn't give it what it wants, it will ruin his life to MAKE him do what it wants. His response to this every time is to ignore the warning, and then mope when his life takes yet another downhill dive.
Not to mention that the entire conflict of the trilogy is based around the fact that the king is building a road through the native people's sacred grove of trees, and the native people in return curse the group building the road, and yet at no point does the army think "maybe the reason why everyone wants to flee in terror from this road is because we're being cursed" and not once do the native people - who are in trade with the road builders - think to say "you're killing our ancestor trees, we're cursing your people so you're dying and making little progress, how about we come to a solution where you build AROUND the trees and we'll stop causing all these problems". I swear, if that's the resolution in the third book, I will burn these books.
I have never been so frustrated by a character refusing to do what's obviously in his best interests. I have never been so repulsed by how self-pitying one man can be. And I would never recommend this book to anyone who I didn't want to waste 20 hours of their life.
I should preface this review by saying that I've read every single previous book of Hobb's, and would probably give them all 5 star reviews. Her fantasy worlds are vivid, her characters compelling, and her writing style unique and enjoyable, and though her books regularly stretch to hundreds of pages longer than even many other fantasy books, not a word of that feels wasted or drawn out.
Forest Mage is none of that. Hobb has certain specific flaws in her writing: her protagonists can sometimes come off as whiny; the series of misfortunes that befall them can seem harsh and miserable and make stretches of the books unpleasant for even the reader; and multiple protagonists have spent long stretches of a book resolutely ignoring the obvious questions that even the audience sees should be being asked and would lead to a much quicker resolution. However, in every other book her writing has been so spectacular and gripping that it was easy to power through a character being frustrated at every turn, or refusing to investigate obvious mysteries.
It is as though Hobb has decided to take everything that was wrong with her last twelve books and fine tune them to create the most frustrating book ever written. The protagonist, Navar, is the most dense, dull-witted, obstinate character to have ever been written. He is forgivable in the first book in the series because he is young, and under the thumb of his father and staunch in his duty to his king. You expect him to learn his lesson after that books gripping conclusion, and return in Forest Mage with the decision to, if not take hold of his magic, at least acknowledge that it is a thing he must deal with and act accordingly.
To the frustration of many readers, he does not. When he is not ignoring that magic is the cause of his problems, he is self-pityingly blaming it as the root of all his problems. Magic makes him fat, and after taking a stupidly long time to realise this, he spends an entire book and probably much more of the next one complaining about how even though it's "not his fault" that he's fat, his life is ruined. At no point does he decide to try and find out how to fix it with magic. The magic has a mind of its own and is told several hundred times that if he doesn't give it what it wants, it will ruin his life to MAKE him do what it wants. His response to this every time is to ignore the warning, and then mope when his life takes yet another downhill dive.
Not to mention that the entire conflict of the trilogy is based around the fact that the king is building a road through the native people's sacred grove of trees, and the native people in return curse the group building the road, and yet at no point does the army think "maybe the reason why everyone wants to flee in terror from this road is because we're being cursed" and not once do the native people - who are in trade with the road builders - think to say "you're killing our ancestor trees, we're cursing your people so you're dying and making little progress, how about we come to a solution where you build AROUND the trees and we'll stop causing all these problems". I swear, if that's the resolution in the third book, I will burn these books.
I have never been so frustrated by a character refusing to do what's obviously in his best interests. I have never been so repulsed by how self-pitying one man can be. And I would never recommend this book to anyone who I didn't want to waste 20 hours of their life.
February 1, 2010
I couldn't put it down, but I wasn't happy while I was reading it. Yes, it was at the incredible level of detail and world-building I expect from Robin Hobb. Yes, everything awful that could possibly happen to her characters happened.
And for some reason, I found it incredibly annoying that one of the awful things happening to the main character is that he got really, really, really fat as a result of the Speck magic. Like grotesquely immense to the point that people would fall into horrified silence when he walked into the room (and he was previously a teenage military cadet). I kept skipping ahead hoping that he would get skinny again and be able to pick up with his life. I think part of the reason that this bothered me so much is that there was a good 200 pages about all the horrible things that happened to him now that he was fat (i.e. he was discharged from the military academy, his fiance snubbed him and the engagement was broken off, his family shunned him and his father locked him in his room on a diet of bread and water, etc.). And the descriptions of how horribly hard it was for him to do anything got kind of nauseating (especially when he talked about feeling like he was encased in a jouncing pudding as he rode his horse, which then WENT LAME BECAUSE HE WAS SO FAT). Seriously. Enough already.
But this one was not enjoyable to read. I just felt miserable the whole time. I went to bed grumpy and worried about the characters. Although I'm planning to read the last book in the trilogy just so I know what finally happens (please tell me he regains his health!!)
Bottom line: If you're looking for a good Robin Hobb, go back to Assassin's Apprentice, which is hands-down one of her best.
And for some reason, I found it incredibly annoying that one of the awful things happening to the main character is that he got really, really, really fat as a result of the Speck magic. Like grotesquely immense to the point that people would fall into horrified silence when he walked into the room (and he was previously a teenage military cadet). I kept skipping ahead hoping that he would get skinny again and be able to pick up with his life. I think part of the reason that this bothered me so much is that there was a good 200 pages about all the horrible things that happened to him now that he was fat (i.e. he was discharged from the military academy, his fiance snubbed him and the engagement was broken off, his family shunned him and his father locked him in his room on a diet of bread and water, etc.). And the descriptions of how horribly hard it was for him to do anything got kind of nauseating (especially when he talked about feeling like he was encased in a jouncing pudding as he rode his horse, which then WENT LAME BECAUSE HE WAS SO FAT). Seriously. Enough already.
But this one was not enjoyable to read. I just felt miserable the whole time. I went to bed grumpy and worried about the characters. Although I'm planning to read the last book in the trilogy just so I know what finally happens (please tell me he regains his health!!)
Bottom line: If you're looking for a good Robin Hobb, go back to Assassin's Apprentice, which is hands-down one of her best.
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