The Dragon Keeper (The Rain Wilds Chronicles, #1)

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The Dragon Keeper (Rain Wild Chronicles #1)

by Robin Hobb (Goodreads Author)

3.87 of 5 stars 3.87 · rating details · 7,164 ratings · 597 reviews

Guided by the dragon Tintaglia, they came from the sea: a Tangle of serpents fighting their way up the Rain Wilds River, the first to make the perilous journey in generations.

For Thymara, a Rainwilder born with scales and claws, the return of dragons symbolises the return of hope to her war-torn world. Leftrin, captain of the liveship Tarman, also has an interest in the ha...more

Paperback, 553 pages

Published by Harper (first published January 1st 2009)

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Mar 09, 2011 Sarah Keliher rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read2010, sf-fantasy-general

I grew up on a toxic waste dump. I realize that sounds melodramatic, but technically it's accurate. My childhood home was ringed by no fewer than five Superfund sites - and, as we like to say, those are just the spots they've cleaned.

When I was a kid people weren't so concerned about the pollution. Arsenic was in the dust we kicked up on the playgrounds, on the berries we picked in the woods, in the small ponds where nothing lived and no birds ever stopped. The waterways were lined with gray he...more I grew up on a toxic waste dump. I realize that sounds melodramatic, but technically it's accurate. My childhood home was ringed by no fewer than five Superfund sites - and, as we like to say, those are just the spots they've cleaned.

When I was a kid people weren't so concerned about the pollution. Arsenic was in the dust we kicked up on the playgrounds, on the berries we picked in the woods, in the small ponds where nothing lived and no birds ever stopped. The waterways were lined with gray heaps of slag from the copper smelter, in some spots enlivened by oil-slick rainbow stains made by unknown chemicals seeping out from the rocks. We were told not to fish or swim in the bay, which seemed to us kids to be hilarious: looking down off the docks into the still, metallic depths, we couldn't picture fish living down there at all, let alone anything you'd think of eating. And that was just the water. I still don't know what the mills were belching into the air, or what they're still churning out - sometimes, when the wind is right, you can both smell and taste the air: a sulphuric grit which stings your eyes and irritates your throat.

Now it's been spruced up. They sealed off the slag heaps and built fancy condos on top of them, planted new grass along the edges, dug up people's lawns and replaced them with new, cleaner topsoil. The smelter company offered a cash settlement to the people living closest to the plant, and they took it, even though the surveys hadn't been completed. They worked hard to restore the bay, and now when you stroll through the new grass and out along the docks you can look down to see bright colonies of starfish and sea anemones clinging to the piers, and deeper down, the quick dark shapes of fish.

Later, of course, we learned that the pollution went farther and deeper than the smelter operators had admitted to. Too late for the people who had settled, and too late for all of us who grew up splashing in that water and breathing that air. Statistics are readily available about disease rates in my hometown, telling us that you're much more likely to die of obscure cancers or get heart or lung disease there. I haven't seen anything on autoimmune disease, except that it's a hotspot for diabetes. I'm curious mostly because everyone I know, just about, has something crazy and unlikely wrong with them. Lupus, MS, celiac disease, autism, Crohn's disease, asthma - you name it. We're a sickly bunch.

We're not alone. All over the planet, people grow up in the shadow of industrial toxins, watch their kids and their friends get sick and die, watch their own bodies with wary concern. What can you do? You go on. Sometimes your pain and your poison can be transmuted into something beautiful, into art, into action, into something meaningful. Sometimes you just have to learn to accept your limitations and endure the pain.

And so this is a story for us. Here is a world where profit has trumped issues of morality and health, where generations grow up living with the legacy of pollution. It's sort of a counterpoint to the sunny ending of the Liveship books, where dragons and men are reunited and the deformed people of the Rain Wilds are transformed into something better. In this new series, we meet the people who were left behind, still deformed, without the hope that some magical intervention will save them from themselves. How they go on, and how they learn to transform themselves, is nothing short of inspirational.

This is what fantasy is best at, and this is why it's necessary.(less)

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Mar 02, 2010 Jackie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Reading this book was like revisiting a favorite place. And now I am reading the manuscript for Dragon Haven, book 2 and it is even better.

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Feb 25, 2012 Loederkoningin rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: high-fantasy

The Dragon Keeper is not epic. It doesn't wow me. It doesn't overwhelm me the way Hobb's books usually do (*cough* with the exception of her Soldier Son trilogy, I awkwardly bit the dust halfway through it *cough*). This book should be read as an introduction to the books to come. Toward the end, things do heat up when all those newly introduced characters are thrown on a boat together (which results in the first sneaky power games) and head for a vaguely remembered magical city somewhere out th...more

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Jul 30, 2011 Margaret rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy-and-science-fiction, authors-gh, animal-companions

After the Soldier Son trilogy, which disappointed me (and many others, I think), Hobb returns to the world of the Liveship Traders and the Six Duchies. She picks up from the end of Ship of Destiny; the serpents have reached the Rain Wilds and been encased in the cocoons which will turn them to dragons. When they hatch, though, there's something terribly wrong; many of them have died, and the rest are weak or deformed. The Rain Wilders become tired of taking care of them, and they and the dragons...more After the Soldier Son trilogy, which disappointed me (and many others, I think), Hobb returns to the world of the Liveship Traders and the Six Duchies. She picks up from the end of Ship of Destiny; the serpents have reached the Rain Wilds and been encased in the cocoons which will turn them to dragons. When they hatch, though, there's something terribly wrong; many of them have died, and the rest are weak or deformed. The Rain Wilders become tired of taking care of them, and they and the dragons decide that the dragons must leave, on a quest to rediscover the lost city of Kelsingra, accompanied by a motley crew of Rain Wilders, sailors, and two people from Bingtown, the trading city, with very different agendas.

Robin Hobb books are always leisurely, and this one is no exception. The journey (which is mentioned in the cover copy, so I'm not giving anything anyway) doesn't even start until nearly two-thirds of the way through the book. The pace didn't bother me, though, because I love her earlier books and am thus already invested in the world. I quite enjoyed reading about what had happened since the end of the previous book, and I was quickly taken with the new characters, especially intelligent Alise, the dissatisfied wife of a wealthy Bingtown Traders, whose scholarly interest in the dragons I very much sympathized with.

The issue which keeps me from whole-heartedly recommending Dragon Keeper is the fact that it's not simply book one of a two book series. It's really half of a longer book, and it feels that way: the slow pace, for one thing, and for another, the abrupt ending. There's no particular climax to the action; the book simply...stops.

If you're a Hobb fan, you'll probably want to read this, but I strongly suggest waiting until the second book is out; I suspect you'll enjoy it more that way. If you're not a Hobb fan, this is absolutely not the place to start: go read the Farseer trilogy (starting with Assassin's Apprentice) or the Liveship Traders trilogy (starting withShip of Magic).
(less)

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Feb 07, 2010 Caroline rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, read-in-2010, nook, nook-own

I really wanted to love this, especially with it being a follow-up to both the Tawny Man Trilogy and the Liveship Trilogy, and I really tried to love it. I really enjoyed it, but overall it really suffered from having too many perspectives, and not enough focus until too far into the book itself. This really didn't get into the main plot until the last half of the novel, which really was disappointing when the story just suddenly stopped. I'm guessing that Robin Hobb actually wrote the two novel...more

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Nov 09, 2011 Jessica rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The title of this book being: Dragon Keeper: Volume One had me intrigued. I like fantasy stories and dragons obviously piqued my interest. The beginning was good. It was detailing the efforts of Dragon queen Tantaglia and getting the serpents to their nesting grounds so they can coccon and become dragons. Then we start skipping around getting details that aren't very descriptive from other sotry variables. You meet many characters in their seperate environments that in the future will entwine to...more The title of this book being: Dragon Keeper: Volume One had me intrigued. I like fantasy stories and dragons obviously piqued my interest. The beginning was good. It was detailing the efforts of Dragon queen Tantaglia and getting the serpents to their nesting grounds so they can coccon and become dragons. Then we start skipping around getting details that aren't very descriptive from other sotry variables. You meet many characters in their seperate environments that in the future will entwine together. The first 50% of this book is dealt with these tidious details. It isn't until the 2nd half that it even begins to get into the Dragon Keeper side of things.

I really was put off by this book. Every chracter was oppressed. I don't think I read about one single character that wasn't outcast in some form or fashion because of something in their lives. The dragons come our deformed mentally and physically. The Rain Wild chracters that will be prominent are outcast because of deformities in their bodies. The Jamaillia's were slaves. Then there's a woman who apparently wasn't pretty enough when she was young and didn't get any offers. She wants to go meet the dragons but gets afianced by a jerk of a character who then treats her like garbage all because he's a closet homosexual. So he's oppressed as his lover is also she's opressed because of it. What I learned of the societies that these multiple chracters live in is that no one is accepting of anything. The very dragging back drop is equally followed by lagging descriptions of the people and places they go. It ends with the obvious opening as to where the next book picks up. The great news for me is I won't continue with this series.

I have given it 3 stars because 2.5 wasn't an option. The idea was a good one. I don't mind people having to face challenges in order to live their lives but there is too much oppression and angst and sadness for you to feel anything but anger or sadness. If a character is deformed bring to light the challanges they face but don't make their world completely a hell hole because of it. If you want a homosexual chracter then let them be it open and proud of who they are. I would have been more accepting of the book if everyone seemed to want to change what made them special or different because apparently others wouldn't accept them as they were.(less)

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May 11, 2011 Coligne rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fanucci, fantasy, realm, of, the, elderling, cronache, delle, giungle, della, pioggia, my, favorite, sfida, dei, mattonazzi, 2010

Esordisco subito dicendo che mi riserbo di modificare la mia opinione in merito a questo libro dopo la lettura del suo seguito, dato che originariamente era inteso come un tutt'uno con DH.

In effetti il libro soffre di un problema inerente proprio la sua suddivisione: non ha una fine, la trama viene tranciata brutalmente, con grande disappunto del lettore.
Poi l'altro difetto che ho riscontrato, l'eccessiva lentezza dello svolgersi della trama è anche correlata al problema sopra esposto. Se lo si...more Esordisco subito dicendo che mi riserbo di modificare la mia opinione in merito a questo libro dopo la lettura del suo seguito, dato che originariamente era inteso come un tutt'uno con DH.

In effetti il libro soffre di un problema inerente proprio la sua suddivisione: non ha una fine, la trama viene tranciata brutalmente, con grande disappunto del lettore.
Poi l'altro difetto che ho riscontrato, l'eccessiva lentezza dello svolgersi della trama è anche correlata al problema sopra esposto. Se lo si considera nell'ottica che questa avrebbe dovuto essere la prima metà di un libro unico, che aveva l'onere di introdurre personaggi, storie, e un ambientazione tutta nuova, la lentezza è giustificata; ma da quanto ho capito lo stesso problema s'incontra pure in DH, cosa che non mi fa ben sperare...

Attenzione ai possibili spoiler
Entrando più nel dettaglio del libro, posso dire che, nonostante la lentezza, si lascia leggere, e la magia della Hobb ti cattura fin dalla prima pagina. è stata bravissima nel descrivere usi e costumi del popolo delle Giungle delle Piogge, si ha veramente la sensazione d'incontrare un popolo esotico e misterioso. Un plauso anche alla caratterizzazione dei personaggi, alcuno son a dir poco memorabili, e non han nulla da invidiare ai protagonisti delle precedenti saghe degli Elderlings.
Poi vorrei soffermarmi un attimo sui draghi.
C'è da dire che la Hobb ha avuto un colpo di genio nel voler fare dei suoi draghi delle creature deformi, deboli, ma che al contempo mantengono l'ancestrale arroganza (o forse sarebbe meglio dire aria si superiorità) tipica della loro razza. Dai pov in cui sono protagonisti appare tutta la loro amarezza, derivante dal sapere, grazie alle memorie ancestrali dei loro antenati, di essere inadeguati, di non esser dei "veri" Draghi.
Sono loro i veri protagonisti del libro, a mio avviso.

Tra gli umani il migliore, come craterizzazione, è Sedric: è un personaggio complesso, intrigate, più di quanto potrebbe sembrare ad una prima occhiata. Aspetto di vedere a cosa porterà il colpo di scena finale con trepidazione.
Ho odiato fin dal primo momento, invece Hest, che se continua su questa strada potrebbe insediare il primato di Kyle Haven, il che è tutto dire.
Alise, d'altrocanto l'ho trovata molto altalenante: c'erano momenti in cui l'avrei volentieri gettata fuoribordo (sopratutto quando si autocommiserava), ed altri in cui le avrei applaudito...
per quanto riguarda i Custodi, per il momento mi son sembrati abbastanza anonimi, con la sola eccezione di Greft, che si profila come un cattivo coi fiocchi.(less)

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Feb 10, 2013 Cindy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2013

I've liked other books by Robin Hobb so when I saw this come up on my "you might like" list at Amazon, I got it. I really liked it. The world is very interesting and while some things are obvious to the reader (if not to the characters) there is a lot of mystery and history to discover in this world.

My only objection is that she just ended it. It was ka-chunk, no more book to read. I understand that this is a journey that the characters are taking but still, I like my multi-book series to feel...more

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Jan 31, 2013 Brigid Keely rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013, animals, fiction, fantasy, yay-girls

"The Dragon Keeper" is the first book in Robin Hobb's "Rain Wilds" trilogy, the fourth trilogy set in the same world as her "Farseer," "Live Ships," and "Tawny Man" trilogies. "Dragon Keeper" is very obviously the first book in a trilogy and doesn't stand alone well, existing mostly to establish the POV characters and set up events for the second book. It's possible to read and enjoy it without having read the earlier 9 (!) books, or without having read them recently, but it's a much richer expe...more "The Dragon Keeper" is the first book in Robin Hobb's "Rain Wilds" trilogy, the fourth trilogy set in the same world as her "Farseer," "Live Ships," and "Tawny Man" trilogies. "Dragon Keeper" is very obviously the first book in a trilogy and doesn't stand alone well, existing mostly to establish the POV characters and set up events for the second book. It's possible to read and enjoy it without having read the earlier 9 (!) books, or without having read them recently, but it's a much richer experience if one is familiar with the world and history.

I like the characters well enough, but none of them grabbed me the way that Fitz or Althea did. Maybe it's the writing, maybe it's me. The story is interesting enough -- a bunch of people expect to ally themselves with glorious creatures of legend and instead find themselves saddled with extra, ravenous, dangerous mouths to feed without any of the benefits they were promised. But it's a story that takes a while to get started. Additionally, some of the chapters read as though they were written to be published serially. There's a lot of "As You Know Bob" infodumps that are repeats of infodumps from a previous chapter... something that's necessary in a serial, not so much when it's all in one book. The editing could have been tighter. There were also a handful of typos/homonym errors that were jarring in a professionally edited and published book.

I'm hoping that this book does not have the flaws the "Soldier Son" trilogy did, a 2-book series stretched thinly over three books with an overly obvious "bridge" book. I'm also hoping the pace picks up considerably and we find out more about the Elderlings and their world and what happened to them/the Dragons.

If you're already a Hobb fan, you'll like this book. If you're not an established fan of hers, though, this book would not be a good introduction. Again, much of that might simply be because it's the first part of a trilogy, so reviewing it alone is like reviewing the first five chapters of a novel. I'm looking forward to reading the next book.

CONTENT NOTE: this book contains depictions of domestic emotional and physical abuse, and mentions of infanticide. They aren't huge themes, but are present.(less)

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Jan 11, 2013 Mark rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Every so often I forget how much I love Robin Hobb. Then I revisit one of her fabulous novels and it all comes flooding back to me!

Dragon Keeper is the first of four new books set in the Rain Wilds of her Six Duchies universe that depicts the events that happen next with the Sea Serpents from The Liveships trilogy who swam upriver in an attempt to become the next generation of dragons. As fans may recall, the last remaining dragon, Tintaglia struck a deal with the Rain Wilders. She would protect...more

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Dec 27, 2012 Laura Ownbey rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: rated-rpr

The quick and dirty:
Rating: 3 stars
Premise: The story centers on three women of very different backgrounds: Alise, a young scholar of dragon history; Thymara, an outcast at home only in the tallest trees; and Sintara, a flightless dragon chasing after faded ancestral memories. The three of them are drawn together on a journey upriver to resettle the dragons in their lost ancestral home. For each of them, it's also a journey to find freedom and a place in the world despite the many dangers of the...more

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Jun 15, 2012 Kate Copeseeley rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I am in such a dither about what to write for a review. I love Fantasy. I love love LOVE originality. I love beautiful descriptions.

I did not, however, love this book, even though it had all three of those things. I would just like to say, before I go further, that I didn't mark down this book because of its HORRIBLE ending. I mean, could you have cut us off any more abruptly Robin Hobb??? Sheesh.

Anyway, for me, it was the characters and the story (or lack thereof) that didn't do it for me here....more I am in such a dither about what to write for a review. I love Fantasy. I love love LOVE originality. I love beautiful descriptions.

I did not, however, love this book, even though it had all three of those things. I would just like to say, before I go further, that I didn't mark down this book because of its HORRIBLE ending. I mean, could you have cut us off any more abruptly Robin Hobb??? Sheesh.

Anyway, for me, it was the characters and the story (or lack thereof) that didn't do it for me here.

Even though the characters (female and male) were well drawn, for me PERSONALLY, there was nothing really redeemable in them. I didn't really LIKE any of them. I started out liking Syntara fairly well, but she proved to be prideful, snarky, and unlikeable. Sedric was a selfish, fussy pig. Alise had no gumption, and let herself be miserable pretty much all the freaking time. And HOW could she not guess about Hess? HOW??? I think Leftrin is probably the only character I could stand.

When creating characters that you want people to sympathize with, it's important to give them at least ONE element about them that is a redeeming quality. One thing that makes the reader CARE about what happens to them. Don't toy with our affections. Don't dangle Thymara out like a tasty sweet treat and then let us catch her only to find out that she is just as selfish and annoying as the rest of them. Argh.

And the story... it doesn't go anywhere. This book is 553 pages of build-up. That's it. I think you could have safely cut half of it out, and added a proper ending. How in the world could it have taken 553 pages for a group of people to gather together for an expedition? Was all this back story TRULY necessary?

I think Fantasy writers have to walk a fine line between world building and detail building. And honestly, I don't see that either of those was successful in this particular case.
When I took up the book, never having read Robin Hobb before, I felt like I'd accidentally started with the second book. There is a TON of backstory leading to this series that is explained NOWHERE in this book. That is not cool. Say what you will about Anne McCaffrey, you could pick up any of her Pern series and not have to worry about trying to figure out things the past. First of all, there is ALWAYS a summary of historic events. Secondly, her world building is so fantastic that you don't need the summary.
Back to my point... Hobb also builds too much, too slowly when it comes to shaping the characters' stories for this series. You can create good, deeply written characters without having to put in a ton of pages. Was the wedding scene necessary? More than one husband/wife awkward bedtime? Why did we need to read about Leftrin and his discovery? It surely didn't seem to mean much to this first book. There was so much STUFF that didn't need to be in there.

Despite those two annoyances, I did finish the book just fine and I was fascinated by the world she created. It wasn't enough to make me want to read the next edition, however.(less)

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May 31, 2012 FantasyWereld rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: volwassenen

In Drakenhoeder, het eerste deel uit de vierdelige serie De kronieken van de Wilde Regenlanden, volgen we een aantal verhaallijnen. Het verhaal begint met de reis van de zeeslangen naar de stranden van Cassarick om daar in een cocon te kruipen en te transformeren tot een volgroeide draak. Er zijn diversen factoren die ervoor zorgen dat er van alles fout gaat, hierdoor sterven de meeste zeeslangen tijdens de reis en weet slechts een klein aantal uiteindelijk uit hun cocon te komen. Diegenen die w...more In Drakenhoeder, het eerste deel uit de vierdelige serie De kronieken van de Wilde Regenlanden, volgen we een aantal verhaallijnen. Het verhaal begint met de reis van de zeeslangen naar de stranden van Cassarick om daar in een cocon te kruipen en te transformeren tot een volgroeide draak. Er zijn diversen factoren die ervoor zorgen dat er van alles fout gaat, hierdoor sterven de meeste zeeslangen tijdens de reis en weet slechts een klein aantal uiteindelijk uit hun cocon te komen. Diegenen die wel uit hun cocon komen zijn allemaal ernstig verminkt en niet één is volgroeid tot een trotse en glorieuze draak. Ze zijn allemaal gedoemd op het strand te verblijven en zich te laten voeden door mensen alsof ze een stel kuddedieren zijn.

De Koopliedenraad heeft een overeenkomst gesloten met de draak Tintaglia dat de inwoners van Cassarick voor de uit de cocons gekropen draken zullen zorgen, totdat ze zichzelf kunnen verzorgen. Omdat de draken allemaal verminkt zijn en niet voor zichzelf kunnen zorgen, vormen ze al gauw een grote kostenpost en dus een grote last voor de Koopliedenraad. Hierdoor willen ze de Draken zo snel mogelijk weg hebben van hun stranden. De Draken stemmen ermee in dat ze op zoek gaan naar de verloren gewaande stad Kelsingra, maar als voorwaarde willen ze de hulp van de mensen, totdat ze voor zichzelf kunnen zorgen.
Alise Kincarron, de dochter van een koopman en later de expert op het gebied van draken en Ouderlingen, een mensachtig ras dat in vervlogen tijden samenleefde met de draken, treft een overeenkomst met Hest Finbok, een zoon uit een zeer rijke koopmansfamilie uit Beijerstad. Hij heeft haar namelijk ten huwelijk gevraagd. Alise krijgt de vrijheid om te kopen wat ze wil ten behoeve van haar studie over draken en Ouderlingen en ze is vrij om te gaan en te staan waar ze wil. Hest is af van het gezeur van zijn vader dat hij een vrouw moet zoeken en kan zich volledig concentreren op zijn werk als koopman. Alise had zich al ingesteld op een leven als eenzame oude vrijster en neemt dit aanbod dus erg graag aan, maar helaas pakt deze overeenkomst niet zo goed uit als ze had gehoopt. Na vijf jaar zeer ongelukkig getrouwd te zijn besluit ze op reis te gaan naar Cassarick om de draken van dichtbij te onderzoeken.

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May 24, 2012 Jeremy Preacher rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: dragons, fantasy

Robin Hobb has a particular flavor that I'm never quite sure I like, but can't stop consuming. She's certainly a master of her particular arts.

Dragon Keeper is a follow-up to the Liveship Traders books (sort of - all new characters, but mostly informed by those plots) and the short stories set in the Rain Wilds.

I liked the dragons themselves - I get very tired of magical intelligent beings who live only to make their human companions feel good about themselves, and the relationship here is almo...more

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May 05, 2012 Cecily rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, farseer

This was the first in the quartet of Robin Hobb's excellent Rainwilds Chronicles. I put off reading it for a long time simply because I am so madly in love with the Farseer/Tawny man saga that it was hard for me to think of shifting the focus over to the Rainwilds.

However, I decided to reread the Liveship Traders Trilogy just for fun and that was SO GOOD (again) that I needed MORE of that world. Bingtown, the Rainwilds, the Elderlings, dragons, and the Liveships. So I picked up Dragon Keeper an...more

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Mar 02, 2012 Amy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: calgon-take-me-away, fave-fantasy-scifi

This is a multi-series combined review and is copied/pasted across all of Hobb's related series. It does not refer only to this trilogy, and includes Liveship, Rain Wilds, Farseer, Tawny Man, and Dragon Keeper series.

These are the most compelling, most enjoyable, best-plotted, most complicated epic fantasy books I've read in ages. I adored them. There are 5 (?) interwoven, inter-dependent series that the author clearly outlined before picking up her pen for the first time. The characters are wo...more

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Feb 10, 2012 Adam rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Though I am an avid Fantasy fan, I have long shied away from the types of Fantasy books with talking dragons. Too often they get lumped into the "wise and powerful beyond human comprehension" stereotype that gets very tiresome very quickly. As many authors have said in the past, characters are made interesting by their flaws. So when you have a species of magical beings that are entirely flawless, my eyes start to glaze over into Who Cares Land.

However, Hobb has done something interesting in th...more

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Nov 17, 2011 Shaheen rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Read the full review here.

As usual, Hobb's characterisation is absolutely flawless in this novel. The story is primarily told through Sintara, a dragon who cannot fly, and Thymara, a Rain Wilds girl who was allowed to survive despite being born with scales and claws. Interspersed are the view points of Alisa, a Trader-born woman in an unhappy marriage, her childhood friend Sedric, and the captain who is ferrying them on the Rain Wilds River, Leftrin. These characters are so wonderfully described...more

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Sep 02, 2011 Věrka rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. I didn't expect much, despite Hobb being one of my currently favourite authors. I've read the Liveship Traders - I liked the books well enough, but compared to the Farseer and Tawny Man books, they just lacked something (not only Fitz, you see).

I knew that that in the Rain Wild Chronicles, there would be: 1. mostly new characters 2. a lot of dragons 3. Rain Wilds. None of that made me look forward to reading it.

Suprisingly, I have to say I found the boo...more

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Aug 03, 2011 Gail rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, library-book

I tend to like most any book with "dragon" in the title. This one ... was pretty good. It takes place after the great era of dragons, when the land has changed and dragons have been sea serpents for far too long and don't remember much about how to metamorphose into dragons. The one dragon left made a deal with humans to help the sea serpents she's brought up to the riverbank to change. But when the dragons emerge from their cocoons, they're damaged, almost all of them physically, some mentally....more

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May 31, 2011 Felicia rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

Robin Hobb wrote a few of my FAVORITE series, Assassin's Apprentice and the Liveship Traders, so I'm always a fan of her books. This one was as well written as the others, but it felt slow to start, and as soon as the story picked up, the book ended! JUST AS I GOT INTO IT!

So, I guess I should be waiting for the next book excitedly to continue the story, but considering the subject matter of the book, I'm a bit reluctant to follow up with the series, for totally squeamish personal reasons. The wh...more

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Apr 28, 2011 John rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I like Robin Hobb. She's very good at writing an epic story where the characters spend most of their thoughts and efforts on non-epic subjects. In most of fantasy, there is a quest to save the world, and most of the time, characters talk about or work on this quest. Robin Hobb's characters spend a lot of their time thinking about who they're with, what their place in a group is, what they have to do right now, and often don't have much of a plan, just like real people. I think it is telling that...more I like Robin Hobb. She's very good at writing an epic story where the characters spend most of their thoughts and efforts on non-epic subjects. In most of fantasy, there is a quest to save the world, and most of the time, characters talk about or work on this quest. Robin Hobb's characters spend a lot of their time thinking about who they're with, what their place in a group is, what they have to do right now, and often don't have much of a plan, just like real people. I think it is telling that the magic of her world has nothing to do with fireballs, healing or dark wizards. Instead it is about relationships. The magic affects bonds between people, and sometimes animals.

This book deals with feminism, dominating partners and closet homosexuality. There is no actual sex, but there is a viewpoint character who is attracted to men, and describes his first encounter with someone of the same orientation. This made me a little squeamish, but not terribly so. I thought the relationship with the dominating partner was very insightful.

Another angle that piques my interest is ecological. The dragons in this book are the remnants of an almost extinct species. Due to natural disaster, their life cycle was interrupted, and their habitat changed entirely. The river valley that once was their breeding ground has become a wide swathe of swamp, marsh and rain forest, with no dry land to build on. The water is always slightly acidic, and after earthquakes, will sometimes run white and strong enough to scald. Humans have built in trees, and have found the ruins of ancient cities, which they excavate for treasures that they do not understand. Dragons can no longer sustain themselves and must rely on the humans for survival.

As interesting as I make this sound, in the end this is a book about dragons. If you can't take dragons, you won't like this book. If you haven't read any of Robin Hobb's books, I would suggest starting with the beginning, Assassin's Apprentice, set in a different part of this same world, but more accessible, told in first person, from the point of view of a child growing up. Melinda didn't finish it, but I think it should be enjoyable to a wider audience.(less)

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Mar 17, 2011 Jacob rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

(Original review here: http://drying-ink.blogspot.com/2009/0... )
I've always enjoyed Robin Hobb's fantasy - her well-developed characters, signature bittersweet endings, and almost gritty consequences have always made her new books must reads for me. So, it is with disappointment that I must state: The Dragon Keeper fails to live up to her previous superb novels. First off, it's the length. Although weighing in at a relatively lengthy 553 pages, the large typeface makes for a plot half the size...more (Original review here: http://drying-ink.blogspot.com/2009/0... )
I've always enjoyed Robin Hobb's fantasy - her well-developed characters, signature bittersweet endings, and almost gritty consequences have always made her new books must reads for me. So, it is with disappointment that I must state: The Dragon Keeper fails to live up to her previous superb novels. First off, it's the length. Although weighing in at a relatively lengthy 553 pages, the large typeface makes for a plot half the size of her usual fare - the Farseer, Tawny Man and Liveship Trader trilogies all contain far more self-contained plots, containing at least some conclusion. Dragon Keeper, by contrast, simply - stops.

The plot, likewise, portrayed at least an initial simplicity compared with Hobb's previous fare. The sea serpents, finally hatched after their perilous migration, have become enfeebled, flightless dragons. Tintaglia, abandoning them with her mate, seeks instead to mother a new race of dragons herself - but the Traders' Councils are bound by their agreement to care for the flightless creatures, and as game begins to grow sparse, the enfeebled creatures are abandoned, with only a few hunters to provide them with food. The dragons, meanwhile, dream of another Elderling city somewhere upriver - Kelsingra, where Elderlings and dragons once drank from a river of pure Skill. And thus, they begin to spin what seems a familiar tale to those humans who may hear them: Elderling treasure ripe for the taking. And thus, to move the dragons to an area of self sufficiency, and to establish a Trader foothold in the "Elderling treasury", the Councils recruit "dragon keepers", to care for the beasts on the arduous trek upriver. One such is Thymara, born with abnormally draconian growths - even for the Rain Wilds. Alise journeys with them as a scholar of everything draconian, freeing herself in the process from Hest, her uncaring (and otherwise brutal) husband. And once the journey begins - late into the book -, there is no progress from this situation. The book simply - ends.

Nevertheless, there is much of Hobb's usual flair to admire in this. Her characterisations are perfect, and superbly portray the boiling pot of cultures after the events of the Liveship Traders sequence. Likewise, we're able to examine the cities of the Rain Wilds in far greater detail, which Hobb has only before explored in a small section of the Liveship Traders; and a short story - Homecoming (Legends II). And Hobb has, as always, an entracing style, and her way of portraying the emotions, thoughs, and agendas of the characters - even if antagonists, which is someing many authors fail at.

My conclusion: Worth reading, but slightly inferior in plot and conclusion to the usual Hobb fare. (less)

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Feb 19, 2011 Anne Toronto1 rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

** "Dragon Keeper" is Robin Hobb's first Rain Wilds story, and hops around shifting focus within the characters, including flesh-gulping, bone-crunching, glowing dragons. She skilfully enlivens senses with the tangled setting and distinguishes individuals. However all relationships are unhappy: dominating Hest accelerating abuse by day, and rape by night until one partner is rejected and the other flees, a jumble of unrequited infatuations, guest appearances from Mad Ship, and ending with too ma...more

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Jan 28, 2011 Clay rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

After a three-book detour to write The Soldier Son trilogy, Robin Hobb has returned to the world where nine of her books have been set – and “Dragon Keeper” (Eos, $26.99, 496 pages) picks up where the Liveship Traders trio left off.

Hobb is a wonderful writer, perhaps my favorite on the scene today, and one reason is that her books try to deal with real-world issues in a fantasy setting. In this one, she continues her focus on how environmental changes can affect even the most powerful species, a...more

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Jan 23, 2011 Den rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Trader clans made a deal with the dragon Tintaglia: She helped them defeat their enemies and they will take care of the young dragons as they emerge from their cocoons. Unfortunately, the dragons emerge both physically and mentally deformed. Moreover, Tintaglia appears to have disappeared. Neither the traders nor the young traders are happy with this arrangement. The dragons are draining the resources of the small village and they feel humiliated by their current condition. To resolve the issue,...more Trader clans made a deal with the dragon Tintaglia: She helped them defeat their enemies and they will take care of the young dragons as they emerge from their cocoons. Unfortunately, the dragons emerge both physically and mentally deformed. Moreover, Tintaglia appears to have disappeared. Neither the traders nor the young traders are happy with this arrangement. The dragons are draining the resources of the small village and they feel humiliated by their current condition. To resolve the issue, a plan is hatched to move the dragons upriver in search of an ancient lost city.

This is the premise behind Robin Hobb's Rain Wilds series. The first book in the series, The Dragon Keeper follows the gathering of the people who will travel with the dragons, care for them, and hunt for food to feed them along the journey. The group includes Thymara, a teenager born with her own deformities that mark her as outcast among her own people, Alise, a young scholar trapped in a loveless marriage of convenience, Sedric, a dandy who serves as Alise's aide during their journeys, and a barge captain with his own secrets who harbors an infatuation with Alise. Like the dragons, most of the keepers are drawn from the freaks and outcasts of society or those, like Alise, who don't fit into the mold society expects of them. Once they begin their journey, however, they find themselves free from society's strictures and begin to question whether they need to live under those rules.

But that's the second half of the novel. One of the criticisms high fantasy sometimes receives is that much of the verbiage of the bug-killing novels is simply used to set the stage and let the reader know what kind of world they're in. The Dragon Keeper is not a long book, but still, Hobb takes quite a bit of time introducing the characters and the setting that it's not until the midpoint that they actually being their quest. Readers who thought The Fellowship of Ring rushed its way to the Council of Elrond should appreciate the pacing. It's not that first half is boring or that the characters are dull. Far from it. They are truly interesting. It's just that, we know the story is going to be about the quest, but Hobb spends so much time putting the pieces on the board that impatient readers might want to get on with it.

Patience, however, is rewarded. The Dragon Keeper isn't just about the journey, but the people taking it and the more we learn about them, the more we root for them. So, despite a rather slow start, I recommend readers pick it up. This being the the first of a trilogy, it's not much of a spoiler to say that the quest will continue into the next book. The real test of a first of three book is, when you reach the end, will you feel anxious to pick up book two and find out what happens next?

I know I do.(less)

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Jul 06, 2010 Kurtbg rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

For a fantasy this book tackles some pretty contemporary social issues.
I have to give the author kudos for that. The story consists of 4 interwoven stories which converge into the quest. An actual quest is the prerequisite for the majority of fantasy plots. For all other fiction genres they're it's called something different - the journey, the goal. etc, the inciting incident.

The outer dance of the quest is a misfit group of humans agree to take a misfit group of dragons to their literal eden. T...more

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Jun 27, 2010 Ole Imsen rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Robin Hobb is one of my favourite fantasy authors, and in my opinion her trilogy "The Liveship Traders" is one of the best Fantasy series ever written. So obviously I was excited to hear about this book, and could not wait to get my hands on it and read it, something I did when it came out. I actually re-read it for this review.

The Dragon Keeper's starts out with a retelling of some of the events of Hobb's "The Liveship Traders" from a different perspective. And it continues with events happen...more

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May 26, 2010 Annmarie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, crossover-appeal

A very good fantasy with lots of YA crossover appeal. It apparently is set in a fantasy world the author has built in others of her books, but I haven't read those and it didn't matter much. It features a small group of dragons, born deformed in a rain forest land called Rain Wilds, where humans have mostly forgotten dragons and are themselves sometimes born with a touch of reptilian mutations like scales and claws that make them outcasts and sometimes left to die at birth, if the mutations are...more

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Apr 29, 2010 Krud rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I loved the first three Robin Hobb trilogies: The Farseer Trilogy, The Liveship Traders Trilogy, and The Tawny Man Trilogy. I love the robust and enchanting world she's created for her characters and stories. But for reasons that I can't quite put my finger on, I'd been unable to "get into" the Soldier Son Trilogy. Granted, I never made it past the first book, and perhaps I'd have loved the second and third books. But since I'm not one to read things out of chronology, I won't know until I make...more

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Can she do it?	7	106	Jan 29, 2013 05:38pm
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Dragons, dragons ...: Rain Wild	1	4	Sep 14, 2012 05:39am
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About Robin Hobb

** I am shocked to find that some people think a 2 star 'I liked it' rating is a bad rating. What? I liked it. I LIKED it! That means I read the whole thing, to the last page, in spite of my life raining comets on me. It's a good book that survives the reading process with me. If a book is so-so, it ends up under the bed somewhere, or maybe under a stinky judo bag in the back of the van. So a 2 st...more

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The Dragon Keeper (Rain Wild Chronicles #1)

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