Dragon Keeper
Ratings33
Average rating3.7
15
Ratings33
Average rating3.7
Enter the spellbinding world of dragons...and those who tend themOne of the most gifted fantasy authors writing today, New York Times bestselling author Robin Hobb has dazzled readers with brilliantly imaginative, emotionally resonant, and compulsively readable tales set in far-flung realms not unlike our own. In this enthralling new novel, she returns to the territory of her beloved Liveship Traders and Tawny Man trilogies with a story of dragons and humans, return and rebirth, and the search for meaning, belonging, and home.For years, the Trader cities valiantly battled their enemies, the Chalcedeans. But they could not have staved off invasion without the powerful dragon Tintaglia. In return, the Traders promised to help her serpents migrate up the Rain Wild River after a long exile at sea—to find a safe haven and, Tintaglia hopes, to restore her species. But too much time has passed, and the newly hatched dragons are damaged and weak, and many die. The few who survive cannot use their wings; earthbound, they are powerless to hunt and vulnerable to human predators willing to kill them for the fabled healing powers of dragon flesh.But Tintaglia has vanished and the Traders are weary of the labor and expense of tending useless dragons. The Trader leadership fears that if it stops providing for the young dragons, the hungry and neglected creatures will rampage—or die along the river's acidic muddy banks. To avert catastrophe, the dragons decree a move even farther up the treacherous river to Kelsingra, their ancient, mythical homeland whose mysterious location is locked deep within the dragons' uncertain ancestral memories.To ensure their safe passage, the Traders recruit a disparate group of young people to care for the damaged creatures and escort them to their new home. Among them is Thymara, an unschooled forest girl of sixteen, and Alise, a wealthy Trader's wife trapped in a loveless marriage, who attaches herself to the expedition as a dragon expert. The two women share a deep kinship with the dragons: Thymara can instinctively communicate with them, and Alise, captivated by their beauty and majesty, has devoted her life to studying them.Embarking on an arduous journey that holds no promise of return, the band of humans and dragons must make their way along the toxic and inhospitable Rain Wild River—an extraordinary odyssey that will teach them lessons about themselves and one another, as they experience hardships, betrayals, and joys beyond their wildest dreams.
Reviews with the most likes.
there is always the pirate/ sea faring person you like , the kyle 2.0, and then the character you just want to root for in the non fitz books.
Robin hobb is just great at what she does what can i say.
4.25/4.5 stars overall.
3.0 out of 5 stars – see this review and others at The Speculative Shelf.
It's always difficult to leave Fitz behind, especially for a tetralogy that is regarded as the weak point in the Realms of the Elderlings series. I was hoping that a story devoted to several dragons would be big, bold, and thrilling; unfortunately, the dragons found in this opening tome were weak, malformed, and helpless. Obviously, this is just the beginning and things will likely change in the forthcoming books, but it was a disappointing revelation that Tintaglia and dragons like her were nowhere to be found.
That's not to say that there is nothing to like about this book. Compared to the Liveship Traders trilogy, this story is much more focused, the cast is less sprawling, and the characters convergence more quickly. The main characters are complex, likable, and varied. From Alise, the erudite Bingtown trader's daughter, to Thymara, the societal outcast seeking a place in the world, and to Leftrin, the shrewd ship captain with a heart; each character seems to have virtuous aims with realistic faults, and that makes them easy to root for.
Overall, though, this novel was mostly character introduction and set-up; it never captivated me like Hobb's other works, but I will push forward to the next book to see if the story picks up.
3/10
Absolutely nothing happens in this book. Boring and annoying characters. Tedious romantic drama. Awful sex scenes. In other words a typical non Fitz Hobb book.
Executive Summary: This one may only be for big Robin Hobb fans, and those who didn't read/like Liveship Traders need not apply.Full ReviewI tore through the first 9 books of Ms. Hobb's Ederlings world last year. This series wasn't complete however so I wasn't in a rush to start it.After almost a year away, it's good to be back. There is some overlap with the events of Tawny man, so I'd recommend you have read those as well as Liveship before tackling this one.That said this book is slow. Any fan of Ms. Hobb will be used to this by now. She tends to meander at the start of her stories and takes her time before the main plot begins. This book might be the worst of the bunch. If that aspect of her writing bothers you, this series may not be for you.I think in any other author I might give up in frustration, but for me Ms. Hobb's writing is such that I seem to enjoy myself even if very little action is taking place. I can't really put my finger on why either. Maybe she's skilled me or something..Things do finally get going however and we're introduced several new characters along the way that we know pretty well by the time they do. For fans of Liveship there are some appearances by old friends, who make me smile and cheer when they showed up however briefly.I think this is where Ms. Hobb shines best. I've rarely love or despise characters as much as I tend to with hers. This series adds a few new ones that I may come to love, and certainly has several that I already can't stand.My only real complaint here is that the book sort of stops rather than ends. Just as things are really getting good too. I really just want to jump right into [b:Dragon Haven 7011403 Dragon Haven (Rain Wild Chronicles, #2) Robin Hobb https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1263769185s/7011403.jpg 21457174], which thankfully I can do if I want to, but if I had to wait, or if you didn't want to read the whole series at once, could be annoying.I think Ms. Hobb's done a much better with ending her other early books in a series than this. That said I'm eager to continue on and see where things go from here now that the stage has been set.3.5 Stars rounded up because I love Ms. Hobb.
Series
4 primary books5 released booksThe Rain Wild Chronicles is a 5-book series with 4 primary works first released in 2009 with contributions by Megan Lindholm and Robin Hobb.
Series
16 primary books21 released booksThe Realm of the Elderlings is a 20-book series with 16 primary works first released in 1985 with contributions by Robin Hobb and Megan Lindholm.
Series
8 primary booksLes cités des Anciens is a 7-book series with 7 primary works first released in 2009 with contributions by Robin Hobb and Arnaud Mousnier-Lompré.
