The Robin Hobb Collection discussion

ch11 - i was glad to see the father's sorrow when nevare was dream-walking in daytime. it made himself somehow more real than anything we've seen so far.

at first i thought that perhaps he was more concerned about the family name/reputation being shamed, but then no-one really knew about his real name did they? so i'm guessing they just heard the gossip rather than them being informed.

ch12 - lisana's story sounded a bit sad... it looks like we have a gender issue amongst the specks. a man fat with magic is perfectly accepted, but it seems that the same cannot be said for women. she had a lot more social barriers along the way.

it's funny how robin hobb always manages to use the gender issues of this world into her books, but this time they came in a place i didn't quite expect.

Soldier's boy scared me here: "eventually i will win everything"
seemed he was talking about more than the utter control of nevare's body though...

Alex wrote: "I'm sort of struggling with this book.

Almost 150 pages in, and not much has happened and I can't seem to care. Loved the last two, but this one's off to a slow start."

It is very slow. Now that we've come to the trading place and looks like we'll get to meet Kinrove it seems things might pick up.

It's interesting that we get a first person POV from Nevare describing himself in the third person. Soldier's Boy is like a new character - even though he's not really. He's a lot more pro active than Nevarre.

The fertility charm kinda reminds me of the wizardwood charms in liveships - except they were contraceptive charms. Looks like They'll be renting out baby making power.

Hanne wrote: "ch11 - i was glad to see the father's sorrow when nevare was dream-walking in daytime. it made himself somehow more real than anything we've seen so far."

It looks like he didn't really want Nevarre to leave. He was rather trying to provoke him into being the son he wanted.

David Sven wrote: "Hanne wrote: "ch11 - i was glad to see the father's sorrow when nevare was dream-walking in daytime. it made himself somehow more real than anything we've seen so far."

It looks like he didn't rea..."

It did seem that way, the guy has a strange way of communicating with his son. He also send his son with the Kidona telling him to do what he says, but secretly hoping he would revolt, and gain some assertivity.

Alex wrote: "Ouch. I hope the kid is OK and nothing too bad comes of being marked by the croaker bird."

I'm still trying to figure out the difference between owing a life to owing a death.

Alex wrote: "I'm sort of struggling with this book.

Almost 150 pages in, and not much has happened and I can't seem to care. Loved the last two, but this one's off to a slow start."

I'm guessing it's partly because she does something peculair with this trilogy. Every book is in a different part. Book 1 was about the academy, book 2 about gettys and now book 3 about the specks. But because they are so seperate there always is a lot of world-building needed, plus the journey to that world.
So it doesn't have the fire a normal third book has. Hopefully that'll still come.

Alex wrote: "Also, is this feast the first time Soldier's Boy has eaten meals cooked with multiple ingredients?"

Lol - Yeah, I think it is

Alex wrote: "I think owing a death is BAM YOU DIE, and owing a life is like being controlled by the magic. Being a pawn of the gods, if you will.

I could be wrong, but that's how I see it."

That might make sense. that's more or less teh choice Lisana gave Nevare as well.

Chapter 11 - The memory of himself as a child, scared of something in his room really stood out to me. After his father made him go back into his room and face it, Nevare reflects that "something was given" to him that day. It struck me as sort of the birth of Soldier's Boy. Prior to this, he was scared and meek. A strict observer, that noticed things but did nothing about them. This event blossomed the growth of a side of him that took charge and faced things boldly, a side that would only be stolen from him later. Sadly, the meek little boy here is the only side of Nevare we've really had a chance to get to know.

Hobb is doing a lot of really interesting things with this trilogy, as have been mentioned in this thread. Each book feels totally different, not just in subject matter but POV as well. I'm really enjoying the experimentation, although each book is a grueling start with all the abrupt changes.