Reviews

There's just something about the way Robin Hobb writes, that rather than reading words she wrote on a page, you are sat by the fireplace listening to her tell it to you. You can hear the snowstorms shrieking behind the closed windows, battering the wood to stone in a steady, almost comforting staccato. You can hear the hiss and crackle of the firewood, burning itself out on the grate behind her. Your fingers are warm, wrapped around your mug of hot cocoa and the steam warms your cold nose, the only part of you that is not trussed up in wool to keep away the chill.

For most of the story, her voice is a steady drone, building the lives and passions and fears of Fitz, Molly, Patience, Regal and Burrich so that every decision they make later, when the stakes are high, you can understand. Because you know these people. And suddenly towards the end of the story, her voice picks up, her gloved hands move up and down and you follow them with your eyes, seeing swords flash and teeth bared, shouts of anger, ecstasy, pain. A wolf howls and tears spring to your eyes. You hold your breath. The story is over. She sinks back into her seat with a smile, but you are still on the edge of yours, the anticipation yet to dissipate.

When the silence drags on you have no choice, you bring yourself back to the real world with a sigh and pick up the next book, knowing you can go back into that warm, castle room and Robin Hobb will be there waiting like Chade would wait for Fitz, smiling, another tale ready to transport you.

searchandrescueteam's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

The second of a trilogy is always a treat: you’ve read the first and want more, and you know if you like this one, there’s at least one more!
Now the central character is an adult - and the complexities of his relationships are ever more tangled.
The matter of loyalty and allegiance at odds with other strongly held values is a recurrent theme here - and, as in life, unresolvable without compromise.
The twists and turns of the plot were enough to keep me reading to the last page … and wanting more!

Content Warnings

envi's review against another edition

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adventurous dark sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

anonymous_blobfish's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny sad

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

This was another wonderful book from Hobb that notable escaped middle book syndrome! I think the ending was especially climactic and honestly this whole series is just a series of undercut punches to the feels. I won’t say much more as its hard to write a review for a sequel without giving away important plot points, I will just say that re-reading this has been an absolute treat this year and I plan to work my way through the entire Realm of the Elderlings in due course.

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