The Robin Hobb Collection discussion

Ch11 - I really hate the Duke now - allowing Ellik to go in and rape his daughter.

Also hard to read that Seldon was raped as well

Ch12 - The Chalcadeans chase down Tintaglia - Looks like she might just die on her own from her existing wounds. The other dragons responding to Tintaglia's call was cool - but Rapskal is really leading a double life now - one in the now and one from the past.

Interesting that just a bit of Silver on the chain from the well was enough to change Spit.

It looks like the dragons really need the silver to extend there lives as well as the Elderlings. They get trace elements from their prey - but they really need the hard stuff. And it looks like they will need Silver to help lite Phron - all the odds seem stacked against him.

I like how Kim is now pretending that Trader Finbok must have been communicating with an imposter. It really seems the arrangement is breaking down as they try and pressure each other.

Ch13

And the dragons come to Tintaglia's rescue - I wonder if she'll make it. It seems like Kalo is keen on her recovering so he can mate with her. She seems to have gained some strength from the meat he brought her.

And Alise has soaked herself in memories trying to find a way to use the silver they found to help Phron. It really looks like it's the silver that gives the Elderlings their magic. And it's mentioned that only a few of the Elderlings had mastered being able to touch silver. But what about Verity? He used the silver and skill to transform himself into a dragon.

And Kim discovers one of his birds that had been given to Casserick and was later reported dead. What's it doing alive now? It looks like Kim has been syphoning off her own flock.

Ch14

The Duke is a vampire! Ugghh. Drinking straight from Seldon's wrist!

And the blood seems to have revived him enough that he raise Chassim's stock.


Ch15

It seems keeping captured Chalcadeans , who are probably soldiers, as well as trader families who are under Rain Wild jurisdiction is going to complicate things no end.

And Hest sees that both Alise and Sedric have replaced him. Poor Hest. I feel so sorry for him...NOT.

David Sven wrote: "Ch11 - I really hate the Duke now - allowing Ellik to go in and rape his daughter.

Also hard to read that Seldon was raped as well"

Yeah. That whole thing disgusts me.

Ch 11 On a possibly brighter note, they may have found the Silver well, which is apparently the source of all magic.

Will the well be dry though? Will there be negative side effects?

Tats seems to finally realize what an asshat he's been. Maybe there is hope for him yet.

Ch 12 The dragons have been roused. Hopefully that means bad things for the Chalcedans.

It seems like the well might have been closed on purpose and may be dry anyways.

Rapskal is getting worse. There may be no coming back for him. I don't see him giving up the memory stones.

David Sven wrote: "And Kim discovers one of his birds that had been given to Casserick and was later reported dead. What's it doing alive now? It looks like Kim has been syphoning off her own flock."

I assume you mean that Erek discovers Kim has falsely reported the death of one of Erek's birds and has been using it for nefarious purposes?

Ch 13 I don't like the dragons much, but I don't want them to die. Looks like Kalo of all dragons may save Tingtalia. I hope he does.

Poor Alise. She threatens her own safety in the hopes of finding a way to help not just Ephron, but all future Rain Wild children with no success.

Ch 13 Also, I don't understand why they leave Tingtaglia for dead. Why didn't Rapskal take out the spear tip at least?

Considering all they went through on their way to Kelsingra that they'd be well practiced at helping a frail dragon recover.

And with so little silver recovered will the dragons willingly allow it to be used to save the baby, assuming Tingtalia recovers? I can see its scarcity causing big problems.

Ch 14 Tasty Elderling blood. Yuck. Hopefully Chassim and Seldon work out a plan to escape.

Rob wrote: "I assume you mean that Erek discovers Kim has falsely reported the death of one of Erek's birds and has been using it for nefarious purposes?
"

That's exactly what I meant - lol.

Ch 15 Hest. *grumble*

David Sven wrote: "Ch12 - The Chalcadeans chase down Tintaglia - Looks like she might just die on her own from her existing wounds. The other dragons responding to Tintaglia's call was cool - but Rapskal is really le..."

That was such a cool moment. I actually really liked Rapskal calling for his servants and his armour.

I also liked the revelation that there had been 'dragon wars' for Kelsingra's Silver. We know the dragons were pretty a-social beings with another, but that they actually went into territorial fights was still a surprise to me.
It might explain part of Kelsingra's downfall?


Also, I love Heeby still takes flight like a plane with a runway. The others seem to have learned to jump into flight, but Heeby still sticks to her old ways.

ch15 - just following Hest's internal brain swirling about Alise and Sedric was absolutely sickening. no happiness they were alive, just monetary opportunities for The Glory of Hest. Ugh.

Rob wrote: "Ch 13 Also, I don't understand why they leave Tingtaglia for dead. Why didn't Rapskal take out the spear tip at least?

Considering all they went through on their way to Kelsingra that they'd be we..."

I thought that was weird too, they didn't give her much of a chance. Except Kalo then, I loved him bringing her the dragon version of 'chicken soup'.

Given how much fuzz she made about Thymara not wanting to ever go down the well, i'm putting my money on Thymara being the one that will have to do it in the end. :)

I'm really curious if Ms. Hobb is revealing secrets of Farseer in this series or if it's just really well executed retconning.

Although is it retconning when you simply build on what you had before to give it more depth? Probably not.

that would be cool! i guess he might do book tours in the US this summer with the new trilogy coming out?

i would guess it's a combination. i think fantasy authors have their worlds very fleshed out from the start, more than they can put into one trilogy. i think she knew real dragons existed but not anymore, and the whole serpent thing, but i think she counterfitted a lot too. these silver things on Malta's back i guess would be fitted afterwards. (unless those fingers end up being supercrucial in the next chapters i haven't read yet, but it seems more like a nice detail?)

Alex wrote: "I really wonder how much she had planned from the beginning.

I mean, even in Farseer, there was a link between skill and (stone) dragons. I wonder if she knew about real dragons back then, or wrot..."

If you find out the answer to that question, please do make a post about it in this group. :)

Really, really not liking Fuhrer Rapskal. Or Elderling civilisation in general, for that matter. Why do we need these guys back, again?

Rapskal does have an interesting idea, though, when he mentions living multiple lives. Elderlings live a long time - perhaps, rather than stretch out one life, they lived several? Non-consecutively... perhaps they were themselves in the morning, their great-grand-grandfather in the afternoon, and so on... the power of their memory-stones seems to go beyond aide memoire and into serious identity-warping territory.

Wastrel wrote: " Elderlings live a long time - perhaps, rather than stretch out one life, they lived several? Non-consecutively... "

Ah - that's an interesting thought.