The Robin Hobb Collection discussion

Ch 11 - Thymara's and Rapskal's discovery of some of the magic of Kelsingra was pretty cool. Sintara has somehow awakened the city.

And Malta's baby needs a dragon to change her to survive. I like how Tarman has embraced the newborn

I'm liking the idea that the Elderlings have access to their predecessors memories through the memory stone and that it's the Elderlings version of dragons having ancestral memories.

Ch12 - Poor Tatts is jealous as hell about Rapsakal and Thymara

And Reyn offers to pay out Leftrin's contract in return for taking him up the river. I was cheering when he cast of and was like "see ya later losers" to the Council members on the wharf.

Ch 11 I like the multiple meanings of the chapter title. Flight describes Sinestra flying to the city and also Malta's fleeing from the brothel finally you could apply that to Thymara's flight from the memory stones to find her dragon.

The city continues to delight me. The baths are awesome. Not sure how I feel about Thymara giving in to Rapskal. What about Tats? And I'm still disgusted how he tried to use the memory stones to get her to sleep with him.

Looks like Malta and Rhyn will have to make haste back to Kelistra.

Alex wrote: "OK, for a map, is the one posted in the group the best out there?

https://www.goodreads.com/photo/group...

I'm trying to fi..."

Thats's the best one I could find.


Rob wrote: "Looks like Malta and Rhyn will have to make haste back to Kelistra."

I'm not sure where that's supposed to be on the map. Is it anywhere near Kelsingra?

I can't spell and I'm bad with names. Jerk.

Ha Ha! I know you'll punish me for it later

Ch 14 - Hest pays an assassin to take out the Chalcadean - the Chalcadean is a little too much for a local thug though and gives him a clip around the ears.

And Hest is preparing to go and take control of his wife - as well as his share of Kelsingra. Good luck with that Hest. I'm guessing you've got buckleys to none chance of getting Alise to leave Leftrin.

Ch 12 Mostly setup. Looks like Malta and Run will be on the way up river with Left in.

I don't feel bad for Tats, but I still don't like Rypskal.

Ch 13 More setup mostly. I loved how Tarman left though, especially the bit with his tail. Things won't be easy for Leftrin when he returns though.

I understand where Alise is coming from about protecting the city, but she is taking things to far. Hopefully she adapts.

They race is on for the dragons to reach the city now.

Ch 14 if Hest or his father believe Hest can convince Alise to participate in their schemes they have a rude awakening coming!

Sadly I doubt Hest is actually poisoned unless it is a very slow acting one because he is still expected to deliver the dragon parts.

Ch 15 Are we supposed to feel bad for Hest, or revel in the Karmic retribution? I for one am doing the later.

The Chalcedean is despicable and I hope he gets his too, but I don't feel bad for Hest in the least.

I find it interesting that Alex thinks this book has more happen in it than the previous two. To me it feels like the least of the three so far.

I still enjoyed it though.

I disagree. To me book 2 had the most development. Books 1/3 seem to be more setup of things.

Hmmm...Yummy. The Duke of Chalced munches on a piece of Seldon - and feels better for it.

My review

i wasn't planning to rush to the finish, but then i couldn't really stop anymore either, so some impressions of what i read yesterday when i really should have been sleeping :)

I agree with Rob (hey, look at that! ^^) that this books seems mostly set up for the next one. I guess the pusblisher's decision to split the books is partially to blame. Yes a lot happens, but it all feels like Hobb moving all the pieces in the right places, and giving us the knowledge we need for the finale (like elderlings work as a dragon cure replacement too!)
It's true that she spend more time on different POV, but it all feels like set-up to me, even the Hest chapters are purely to let us know that even more danger is on its way.

I loved Sintara making the city "work".
The revelation that Elderling flesh seems to work well as a cure too was frightening. Those dragons can fly away (hopefully in time), but what can our new flock of Elderlings do?

I love Tarman! him taking care of the baby, and the splash with his tail when they leave. fabulous! it's also good that the 'king and queen of the elderlings' are on their way to Kelsingra. they might need them over there.

Still wondering what happened to the previous elderlings. The earthquake might have damaged the city and take some lives, but as Thymara and Rapskal noticed a lot of people seem to have taken a lot of belongings with them - so they fled. why?
Perhaps because Elderling flesh and blood gives advantages too? Were they hunted down?
Icefyre seems to remember, but he's not talking.

Hanne and I agree on a book. Repent! We're in end times.

I'm a couple of chapters from the end, but I disagree: I think this is the most exciting of the three, by far. Although I would have appreciated more from Lecter, Sylve, etc.

When Rapskal and Mercor explain their plans for the Chosen Ones and their glorious future, I was half expecting a small boy to stand up and start singing "Tomorrow belongs to me"... always interesting to me how Hobb's heroes could easily be the villains in other novels.

I'll reiterate what someone said in an earlier thread, though, about bringing down the happy feelings from the end of the second book. Maybe Hobb's greatest virtue is the way she deals with change: as soon as we get to a happy place, we see the problems with it and it changes. There are no 'happy ever afters' in her books - everything is undermined. Which somehow makes it seem even more satisfying when the next happy place is reached.

I think a good indication of it is just to ask: who gets what they want? Several of her characters have achieved temporary or 'permanent' happy endings, but have they ever been the happy endings they wanted at the start? Arguably Fitz (until the next book), but only at the cost of basically invalidating the other 'happy' ending that he'd already achieved (and there's another three novels coming to show us what was wrong with that set-up...)

i guess that is life connecting through her books. who amongst us gets what they wanted at the start? i think none of us do, but our lives take unexpected turns and most of us find a way to happiness, whether temporary or 'permanent' (i like how you put that between quotes :))