Shaman's Crossing

Soldier Son #1

by Robin Hobb

Nevare Burvelle was destined from birth to be a soldier. The second son of a newly anointed nobleman, he must endure the rigors of military training at the elite King's Cavalla Academy--and survive the hatred, cruelty, and derision of his aristocratic classmates--before joining the King of Gernia's brutal campaign of territorial expansion. The life chosen for him will be fraught with hardship, for he must ultimately face a forest-dwelling folk who will not submit easily to a king's tyranny. And they possess an ancient magic their would-be conquerors have long discounted--a powerful sorcery that threatens to claim Nevare Burvelle's soul and devastate his world once the Dark Evening brings the carnival to Old Thares.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Epic Fantasy, High Fantasy, Science Fiction Fantasy, Audiobook, Magic

591 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published July 4, 2005

About the author

** 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 star from me means,yes, I liked the book, and I'd loan it to a friend and it went everywhere in my jacket pocket or purse until I finished it. A 3 star means that I've ignored friends to finish it and my sink is full of dirty dishes. A 4 star means I'm probably in trouble with my editor for missing a deadline because I was reading this book. But I want you to know . . . I don't finish books I don't like. There's too many good ones out there waiting to be found.


Robin Hobb is the author of three well-received fantasy trilogies: The Farseer Trilogy (Assassin’s Apprentice, Royal Assassin, and Assassin’s Quest), The Liveship Traders Trilogy (Ship of Magic, Mad Ship and Ship of Destiny) and the Tawny Man Trilogy (Fool’s Errand, Golden Fool, and Fool’s Fate) Her current work in progress is entitled Shaman’s Crossing. Robin Hobb lives and works in Tacoma, Washington, and has been a professional writer for over 30 years.

In addition to writing, her interests include gardening, mushrooming, and beachcombing. She and her husband Fred have three grown children and one teenager, and three grand-children.

She also writes as Megan Lindholm, and works under that name have been finalists for the Hugo award, the Nebula Award, and the Endeavor award. She has twice won an Isaac Asimov’s Science Fiction Readers’ Award.

Reviews

[David Sven · Rating 5 out of 5]

I still don't get why this book is rated almost a star less on goodreads compared to the Realm of the Elderlings books. The writing is just top notch stuff. I get that the plot is slow as it usually is in most her books, but then again if you are already in love with Robin Hobb you know that it's the characters more than the plot that drive the story. It's the relationships between characters that provide most of the dramatic tension.

Anyway, I loved this book. The story is told from a single first person male POV, which reminded me a lot of the way the Fitz and Fool books are written. The setting has a very old Colonial American feel with the Gernians and their cavalry fighting the horse warrior culture(Native American Indians)on the plains with references to another superpower occupying the coast (French or English). They even have muskets though they don't feature heavily in the book. Throw in another forest/jungle dwelling people on top of that plus the old magic of this world and you get quite a mix.

Protagonist, Nevare Burvelle, is the second sun of a Cavalry (Cavelle) officer. All second sons become soldiers in this world and being the second son of a second son means Nevare is off to the Cavelle Academy. I love stories with a boarding school setting whether it be Hogwartz from the Harry Potter book or the University in Rothfuss' King Killer Chronicles. This book was no exception. Even though it takes a while to get to the Academy, once we do the book got even more interesting for me. Unlike the ones I mentioned this Academy is not a school of magic. it's a straight up military school, but no worse off for that. The friendships, the rivalries between "Old Noble's sons and New Noble's sons, the atrocities committed, the intrigue that reflects the politics and happening of the wider world - it all works together in a way that had me looking forward to each listening session.

Speaking of listening sessions, Jonathon Barlow does an excellent job as narrator. His quiet spoken voice really suited the main protagonist contemplative demeanour through the book and is a good option for anyone considering the audio version of the book.


I'm giving this one 4.5 stars upgraded to five because that goodreads rating really doesn't do the book justice. The Fitz and Fool books are still my favourite but if this book is anything to go by I predict this series will top the Liveships and Rainwilds series. A great start.


4.5 stars

[Kitty G Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

So this book was one I went into with slight trepidation becuase the ratings here on Goodreads aren't great and I'd heard that this wasn't as strong as Hobb's Realm of the Elderlings books (which are my favourites). I am glad that I still gave this one a chance in spite of all that, because I loved this book and found that all the things I enjoy about Hobb's writing within the Realm of the Elderlings books are carried over into this series too.

This series has a focus on one main character (much like the Fitz books in Realm of the Elderlings) called Nevare. Nevare's character felt distinctly different to me from Fitz's character, and once again I could see that Hobb has clear talent for making realistic characters who I can relate to and sympathise with as a reader. Nevare lives in a world where people are born into the roles they will take. The first son is always the heir, the second son is always a soldier etc. Nevare is the second son so his life is laid out and he is destined to become a soldier, right from birth. What I liked about this set up, is that it would have been easy for Hobb to make Nevare either super awesome as a soldier or terrible, and yet she doesn't. What Hobb does is she makes him a middling character who has to learn to take control of his life through various experiences.

The magic within this focuses largely on, and draws from, traditional folklore and fairy tale. We have a lot of nature-based magic, tribal cultures and ancient religions. We also see spell work (although not much), seances and ghosts. All of the magic within this series is again, distinctly different to that within the Realm of the Elderlings, and so this feels completely like its own story.

At the start of this story we follow Nevare and get to know him as a child growing into a young man. He has a lot to learn about how to be a leader, and one of Nevare's biggest challenges is to fight against his own nature to obey. All his life he's known what his role will be, served his father faithfully, and unquestioningly, and hasn't had to 'think' for himself that much. As the story goes on we follow Nevare as he journeys with a tribesman to learn more about himself, encounters creepy woodland god-like beings and goes to the Academy to begin his training. I would certainly say that once this story got going, it definitely got going, and I found myself getting more and more hooked into what was happening and how Nevare and those he cared for would fare.

On the whole, this book went from strength to strength for me and really pleasantly surprised me. I ended up coming to root for and really like Nevare (and some of his friends) and I also found myself totally intrigued by the magic of this world and the Specks in particular (a people we meet later in the novel who cause some pretty dramatic things to happen). I will certainly be moving onto book 2 fairly soon, and I would highly recommend that you check out this book despite the low ratings if you like Hobb's other work, becuase I think this stands alone as a new series and is definitely different, but good! 4*s overall, recommended!

[J.L. Sutton · Rating 3 out of 5]

“How different would our perception of reality be if... we discarded the mundane events that cannot coexist with our dreams?”



Robin Hobb's Shaman's Crossing was something of a mixed bag for me. I was intrigued by Nevare Burvelle's 'apprenticeship' to his father's enemy. I really liked how that gave us a glimpse into our protagonist's thinking as well as the structure of a different society that his people had been at war against. For me, things slowed down when Nevare attends military school (which unfortunately forms the bulk of the book). While I always felt that this story was well-written and there was solid world-building happening, I wasn't always interested in how the story unfolded. I still think of Hobbs as a wonderful writer and great world-builder, but this one didn't grab me. 3.25 stars

“Your future. It awaits only you, to live it and to write it.”

[Jean · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've been a fan of Robin Hobb for several years. I loved the Farseer Trilogy, adored the Liveship Traders, and enjoyed the Tawny Man books even if the last one fell apart half way through. I eagerly grabbed up Shaman's Cross when it came out, but in the aftermath of the house fire it ended up in a box, forgotten and unread. I recently unearthed it and placed it at the top of my to-read pile.

Quite simply it was a disappointment. It was probably only my great love of the author that made me struggle through, where with any other I would have tossed the book aside. Perhaps with great force. The first 200 or so pages are dry, heavy exposition delivered by an unlikable character who doesn't seem to care about the world around him. Only a handful of scenes were enjoyable - the scout, the time spent with Dewara, and the wind wizard. An excellent set up is given for having each chapter start with a journal entry, a style I really enjoy and would have lightened that awful infodumping, but it is ignored.

The book was an utter struggle until Epiny was introduced. She comes off as shallow and silly, but at least she's interesting. Which is more then can be said of the main character, who seems to serve only as the voice for the author, telling us how he is interested in the world instead of showing it. After Epiny the number of interesting characters increases.

Set in a mid-1800s-America-if-it-was-run-by-a-monarchy(right down to the geography!), supposedly it takes place in the same world as the other three trilogies. This book is heavy with two-by-fours. The treatment of native peoples is a sensitive subject for me, and after the absolute nightmare of a U.S. History class I took this last year this book just ruffled me further to the point the most feeling I had for many of the characters was the desire to soundly beat them. The plainspeople and Specks are constantly painted as a savage and misguided, and their magic and love of nature evil. Except for brief moments of 'nature is beautiful, pity we're destroying it'. Perhaps if things weren't so thinly veiled it wouldn't be so annoying.

For the most part has that wonderful prose that I adore, as dull and boring as it was in places. Unfortunately near the beginning it was shaky, and read like it had never seen a revision. And the repetition of whole sentences occurs throughout the whole book. Layered on top of the message two-by-fours it was all just too much. The story takes forever just to get to the plot points mentioned on the dust cover, which when read sound like the set up for the story, not the end of it.

It really hurts me to score it so low. There was so much promise in the characters, the world, and the story, but it just feel apart under the weight of infodumps, exposition, and a lackluster narrator. There is just enough hook in the last couple of chapters for me to pick up the second book, but I won't do so with any great hopes.

[Jake Bishop · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have no idea how this worked. Here are a list of things that I think are true about this novel.

1. Off all the fantasy novels that are too long, this book may be the fantasy book that is the most too long. Did like 350 pages of this 630 page novel really need to be there? I truly do not know. And this is coming from the guy who normally doesn't think books are too long. (I still kinda liked the maybe unnecessary parts though, fight me)
2. Hey do you consider a passive protagonists a flaw, Nevare(the protagonist) tries his absolute best to be a supporting character in his own story. He just like....he ain't doing shit folks. He waits for things to happen to him, and then thinks to himself which side character he will go to for leadership. He's doing his best ok.
3. You know how lots of "lawful good" characters are just really annoying and self righteous, and think about how other people are breaking the honor code, or blaspheming against the good God. Or worrying about how him not snitching about something minor is breaking the honor code. Ya, that's our protagonist.

Ok, so now the comes the weird part of the review, which I guess kind of makes sense if you consider Robin Hobb is easily my favorite author, because I really really liked this novel, I thought it was quite fantastic.

Whatever.

So the main thing going on here, is that the cast of characters is ridiculous. It's Hobb, it's expected. But I was going through all the characters who I feel like could be the primary relationship that this book was about if someone else wrote it. You know how people write movies or books that is about a single friendship, there are other relationships, but the main dynamic, thematically significant one is clear, and that's the one that gets the focus. In this it feels like all the relationships are the main relationship that the book is about. They all are dynamic, and complex involving flawed truly human characters who come from totally different backgrounds, and have different life experiences and perspectives, who all have ever shifting, natural dynamics with each other and Nevare in this beautifully human and complex web of characters and it's just.....It just hits different folks. Hobb just hits different.

Ok, so like...other stuff. The world is cool, the prose is good. I don't think Nevare has as strong of a voice as someone like Fitz, so even if Hobb is equally skilled, and elegant, I don't think the writing quite stood out as much as it didn't in Realm of the Elderlings until this book went completely insane, and her pen caught on fire as she wrote, and it was just completely, insanely well written insanity.

Oh ya, this book goes insane at some point. You will get there if you decide to read this beautiful, complete mess of a novel.


Also, Gord should have been the protagonist, and oh my god I hate some people in this book. How does Hobb do that so much better than everyone else. Ugh, and then I also really feel bad for one of the people I despise, and the other person I despised I ended up thinking is the damn MVP, and then the third person I hate still sucks, I would want to murder them if they were a real person.

8.9/10

[Phee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think that most people will go into this book expecting it to be like a Realm of the Elderlings novel. It’s got very mixed reviews and most people end up disappointed with it.
Now I waited a good 5 months after I finished RotE before starting this. I read some of Hobb’s short fiction in this time and knew I could read and be impressed by a story from her that wasn’t set in that world. It made me realise that it wasn’t just her characters that I love, but her writing and stories. So I ended up finishing this book impressed to say the least.

This is the first book in the Soldier Son trilogy. This trilogy is NOT set in the RotE world. It is a completely separate story in a different world. It is heavily military focused so keep this in mind, if you aren’t a fan of military themes in your fantasy I wouldn’t recommend this. In this world, everyone has their right place. First born sons inherit, second born sons become soldiers and so on. Everyone’s role is determined by the order of their birth and so everyone does as is expected of them. Our main character is the second born son and so will become a soldier. Nevare’s story starts when he is a young boy and this book follows him to his early manhood. He faces many trials and obstacles, learns his role, acquires friends and enemies and has to survive life at the Academy. Nevare is very different to Fitz from RotE and the reader only has to read a chapter or so before they realise that this will be a very different story. I liked Nevare as a character, he was naive and innocent at the beginning. He goes through so much and has to learn who he is the hard way. But it gave his character great strength and believability. Nothing compares to the way that Hobb can develop a character. He is so uncertain at the beginning, and so is the reader. As the story progresses and Nevare learns his limits and morals, his boldness and inner strength starts to bloom. By the end of the book I really started to care for him, which is always important for me.

The side characters were all well developed as well. Everyone had their own story and history and they were all distinct enough that it never got confusing. The events towards the end of the book meant that not everyone comes through the book unscathed. I definitely felt saddened by the events later in the book. They surprised me in how unrelenting and miserable things got. Hobb really knows how to write tragedy and woe.
I’d like to add the I really liked the feminist angle presented in this book by Epiny. She ignores the what is socially acceptable for a woman and carved her own path in a world ruled by men. It was nice to read about some girl power.

Now I do have some complaints about this book. Firstly is that the book is terribly slow. Many of Hobb’s books are slow but this was slower for me than any of her others. If you don’t like Hobb’s RotE books because of how slow they are then you will hate this book. Honestly it doesn’t get interesting until around the 400 page mark. I was very unsure what I was going to rate this book up until this point. The last 200 pages were really great though. And for me, made up for the lack of pace in the first 400 pages. No matter how slow her books are, after reading so many I know that patience pays off and her storytelling always emerges the victor.
Another issue I had was that I wished we learned more of the Specks. I’m sure we will in the next few books, but we didn’t even scratch the surface of them in this one.

I’m really interested in seeing where this trilogy goes. I have the utmost faith in Hobb and now that I am invested in the story I can’t wait to carry on and continue on Nevare’s journey.

[Choko · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book, although belonging to the Fantasy genre, is much more an indebt analysis of human prejudices, how and why we learn whom and what to love or hate, to strive for or put down. It is a world which is reminiscent of either North or South America, at the time of European colonization, and the main POV is a young and impressionable man, who wants to be brave and honorable, wants to perform his duty to family and King, and is all together a good person, who is a second son of a second son of a noble line. The second sons are expected to be soldiers and are raised to be such since birth. Our hero was a very gentle child, and his father removed him from his mother's care when he found out he likes to play tea with his sisters and their dolls. From there on he tries to understand what is right and wrong, why his father puts him through some very harsh testing, which almost kills him, and how to grow into the expectations of him. While he belongs to the Colonizers, he is fascinated by the native peoples, of whom we are introduced to two main factions. This is where magic gets involved, and it is more of shamanic mysticism then what we think of magic today. It is neither good or bad, but it is what the natives use to protect themselves, and our naive and gullible trusting young man becomes the tool all sides of the conflict decide to use against one another.

This book doesn't have any action as such, but gives us a wonderfully intense and uncomfortable study on the expectations of society and how it shapes us at our best and worst. Colonialism, Ecology, every type of racism, fat-phobia, misogyny, classism, ridiculously artificial separations just so one group could feel better than another... All of those in their most nuanced reality are laid out on the pages, while we follow Nevare Burvelle from childhood through his first year in a military academy.

Robin Hobb is a master storyteller. She has the ability to lull you into a sense of comfort with the ease of her prose, and catches you unaware with the casual cruelty, mirroring our own history and bleeding into today's inequities. The truth of her tale is very uncomfortable, but is poignant and undeniable. It reminded me of some of the European classics, and this is a complement in my mind 👍🙂. This is not a happy, or light book, but it is not dark or violent. It doesn't have sex, violence, action or superheroes. It is a panoramic view of the life of a man who is looking for his place, while life is presenting him with myriad of challenges. I would definitely recommend it to the more patient readers 😊👍.

Now I wish you Happy Reading and may you always Find what you Need in the pages of a Good Book 📚📖

[Hanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Over the years Robin Hobb has become an absolute powerhouse in the world of fantasy. After devouring all her Elderling books, it was time for the odd trilogy in the bunch: the soldier son. A lot is different in this trilogy, and yet a lot remains the same: there are mysterious plotlines brewing (excellent for speculation!), but at the end of the day, it’s all about the characters.
I’m more than ok with that – I’m a very character-driven reader. Yet what this book didn’t have versus all the other trilogies is an instant connection with the main characters. Perhaps that will still follow, but I didn't get there yet.

Like Farseer, the Soldier Son is written in one fixed first person narrator. That narrator is a New Noble son called Nevare, but I’ve come to know him as Little Stick In The Mud. He’s one of those fairly inactive protagonists: things happen to him, but he doesn’t do much. And that makes me impatient.

Nonetheless, the book sets up some interesting storylines. The boarding school feel (buddy reader David Sven compared it to Hogwarts which was an excellent call) is really well done, comraderies are formed, not so much by choice as by coincidence, but it works and it will be important in the following books I’m sure.
There is a lot of ‘unfairness’ in the story, which worked for me, but me rooting for all the little Davids in the story would have worked better if I would actually have loved the little Davids. (At least I already loathed the cross-generational Goliath Stiets, so no issues on that account.)

In short, this book isn’t a homerun for me, but it’s promising and I’m looking forward to see what she does with it. And even more so, I’m curious to find out whether I will ever come to like our little Stick-In-The-Mud.

[Bradley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm circling back and reading all the books that I had somehow missed when I was on my Robin Hobb kick. I don't have any idea why I skipped this trilogy at all but I'm now kicking myself.

To be fair, this isn't quite like the wonderful Fitz books and it has a very different feel to it, but what it does have is a very frontier-like YA feel. Boy, not girl YA, mind you. With training to become a commissioned soldier, but first having gone through what amounts to exposure and even shaman training with a local indigenous-type that makes the rest of his life -- interesting.

The full length of the novel was quite fun if somewhat following the same path as so many like it. School, old vs new money rivalries that get really ugly, plague, etc, in what really feels like an early American adventure set entirely within Hobb's fantasy world.

I'm curious to see whether there is any hint of a crossover, but so far I haven't really seen a need for one. It's quite interesting and I'll be reading on without a qualm.

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

I spent far too long steering clear of this book because reviewers were almost unanimous that this ‘wasn’t as good as the Farseer books’. Let me tell you, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Robin Hobb is one of my favourite fantasy authors and this a well written and compelling read. I am intrigued by the story line and have no idea where the trilogy could take us. #bringiton

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you read this book expecting to get Fitz you will be fairly dissapointed. Because this is not Fitz at all.
This story is completely different. It is a frontier novel with a totally different plot and a totally different hero. I loved Nevare as a boy and then started to even resent him a bit as he grew up but in the end he grew on me and now I find I really like him. I love the magic too and even though the book was fairly slow I have still enjoyed it.

[Mike (the Paladin) · Rating 4 out of 5]

**Update. Below is the review I wrote when i read this book. Sadly I completely disliked what came next. I guess it happens.**


Allow me a little leeway here. I tend to like plot driven books, but to be fair there are some wonderful character driven books that have drawn me in and I've loved. I like a character to be well written and clearly drawn, to be "true to him/herself". In other words not to suddenly change and do something "completely out of character" because the story suddenly needs it or something. That being said, sometimes a character can be written well, everything in the book can make sense for the character ...but some of it's just dead weight for the story. Some books or series have "FOR ME" note I said "FOR ME" have been ruined by being over written. The Wheel of Time comes to mind. Everything from beyond book 6 would profit from the attention of a good editor.

So what am I saying about Shaman's Crossing? I'm saying there were times I thought this book would barely rate a 3. I was ready at times to pull my hair out (a little irony there if you've read the book). While Nevare is well and truly written...the book is just so full of fluff. I was so ready at so many times for her to just "move on!". Still, some of you will love the extra "detail" and for you I'm happy. I'm aware that what is for me at times mind numbing, even useless detail (as it isn't germane to the story) some will find "color" and background. Here you get background.

And...I have a second problem with the book. The book is built with what amounts to two (2) main stories or plots. Sometimes this works. Sometimes a novel will have a plot and a sub-plot, or multiple sub-plots...or even sub-sub-plots, on and on. This sometimes works. Here in "MY OPINION" note, in "MY OPINION" the two stories had a real problem meshing so that she could get to her climax at the end of the book. It seemed often to me as if two incompatible story lines had been "jammed" together and then nailed in place.

I have several Robin Hobb books on my shelf (waiting [LOL:])and have been planning to get to them for some time. I went to this one first as I had a situation where an audio Ebook fit into my schedule better and I have several print books in process already. I read some reviews of this one before I started it and noted that several people who read this book (this trilogy) said it wasn't Hobb's best work and recommended that people who are new to her start with one of her other works... I hold out hope that they will be even better. This one while driving me crazy at times I finally decided was, over all, a good one.

Bottom line? 4 stars and I do, at least tentatively plan to go on with the trilogy.

[Choco Con Churros · Rating 5 out of 5]

Uf! Tan guapo que me parecía ese puente de la portada, y lo siniestro que es en realidad!.
Pues estuvo bien (aunque muy lejos del universo Vetulus, eso sí). El momento de la academia me prestó lo suyo, porque es muy de género "Internados", que me encantan (aunque con el mal trato que suele perseguir a los protagonistas de la autora).
No llegué a entender del todo qué pretendía el enemigo de su padre que tanto lo maltrató y sí lo que él le hizo al final al puente y a la mujer esa, no era en realidad lo que al principio le había pedido el enemigo en cuestión. Acabó cumpliéndolo a la larga. Más vale tarde que nunca.
Verdaderamente, como dije, esta autora maltrata muchísimo a sus protagonistas, aunque este al final acabó muy bien parado para ser de Robin Hobb (al menos de momento).
El Carston ese era repulsivísimo. Incluso peor que los que les daban palizas a escondidas.
Aquí la magia, muy de la naturaleza y muy tribal, se presenta como algo oscuro y siniestro bastante desagradable. No como algo que se usa, como en Vetulus, sino como algo que te pasa, que te cae encima, como cuando te pilla un chaparrón y no llevas paraguas. Es una magia muy inquietante.
Todo lo de la peste fue bastante impresionante y aunque al final casi se benefició de ella, fue un final de pérdidas. Triste. GL (Robin Hobb)

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think that part of the problem with this book is with the audience. I feel that readers are holding this book up to their own expectations and not reading it on its own terms which causes disappointment and, based on some of the reviews, even grief.

I enjoyed Shaman's Crossing from start to finish. It is a Robin Hobb book through and through in that the characters are vividly presented and it had me pulling my hair out several times. Hobb really knows how to torture her characters and make a reader's heart ache.

I will agree that Nevare is a rather passive protagonist yet I do not see this as a flaw. I think it fits his world and character precisely as the perfect soldier son's soldier son. Nevare was raised to be this way for a purpose and I feel that his passivity was not due to lazy writing on Hobb's part.

I was also greatly entertained and impressed by Hobb's knowledge of military training. The life Nevare leads once he reaches the Cavalla Academy matches with my own daily experiences in military training.

This book isn't an Elderling book in disguise. If this is what you are seeking I suggest you wait for the next Fitz and the Fool book due out soon. If instead you are looking for an interesting book with deep characterization or are already a professed Hobbie this book may be for you.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

[Kara Babcock · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really haven't read enough Robin Hobb. She has flown under my radar, mostly because my first encounters with her were through the library, and I have this bad habit of checking out books in the middle of the series (ahem, Golden Fool) and then wondering what the hell is going on. Last year I read Assassin's Apprentice , and I have acquired the remaining two books in that trilogy, so I hope to finish that soon. For now, however, I've turned to the Soldier Son trilogy. And though I've exceeded the amount of space I usually devote to anecdotes, I shall mention how I acquired these books. I actually read Shaman's Crossing years ago, probably back when it first released. I didn't like it. I thought it was dull. So I was hesitant to re-read it and finish the series, but all three were left abandoned at a one-off bookswap we had at the gallery where I work. I don't like to turn down free books, much less a complete trilogy in matching paperback.

So here we are.

With Shaman's Crossing, Robin Hobb turns her attention to colonialism. She combines world-building with fairly competent characterization, politics with just a pinch of zesty magic, to create a story that is rich if a little over-saturated. Although I have reservations about this book, I think Hobb does deserve the accolade the Baltimore Sun has blurbed on the cover of my edition: she is "a master fantasist."

I don't think I can talk about the world without talking about Nevare, and I certainly can't talk about him without talking about his world. So I'll do both. Nevare Burvelle is the soldier son of a new noble; i.e., his father was also a soldier, but he so distinguished himself in battle that the king elevated him to a newly-created lordship. And in Gernia, commoner sons take on their father's profession, while noble sons follow an order: heir, soldier, priest, artist, scholar, etc. It's all in the Holy Scrolls, and apparently violating that order is taboo. This is one of those premises that sounds really cool but that I have a hard time believing would actually work. But I rolled with it. Oh, and women don't get to do anything except plot political marriages and have babies and wear dresses (I think in that order).

If you are starting to get the idea that Gernia, for all its power and prestige and riches and quality of life, is a not-so-nice allegory for the British Empire, you might be on the right track. And Gernia's imperialist policies form the political backdrop for Nevare's maturation into an adult and his conflict with the spiritual forces of the Plainspeople and the even more mysterious, distant Specks. Nevare becomes caught in the middle of a three-way conflict: the Plainspeople are fighting against the Specks, who drove the Plainspeople onto the plains in the first place. From the west, Gernia is displacing the Plainspeople, and will soon go up against the Specks. Nevare, thanks to an encounter with a Plainsman, has been magically linked to a Speck spell that has its own ideas about how he can be used, as a tool, to bring about Gernia's ruination.

So here's the thing: I like Nevare. He is earnest but not obnoxious, and he is capable and competent yet still prone to making mistakes. (I can't stand protagonists who always manage to get it right.) So, because Gernia is Nevare's homeland, and yes, if I'm being honest, because I've internalized eurocentrism despite my best efforts, I kind of want Nevare and his country to succeed. Well, not so much succeed as in colonize and oppress the Plainspeople and the Specks; but I don't want Nevare to have to betray his own people. At the same time, I want the Specks and the Plainspeople and their magicks to survive against Gernia, against its soldiers and technology and cold iron.

These paradoxical, torn loyalties experienced by the reader through Nevare are what make Shaman's Crossing fascinating and brilliant. I want Nevare to survive and make his father proud; I want the Plainspeople and Specks to survive. While not mutually exclusive, one of these will definitely need to compromise in degree somehow. I'm interested to see how Hobb resolves the plot, but for now let me ruminate upon what it means.

There are no easy answers. Although it can be trying to hear the justifications and racism at times, seeing colonialism from this perspective does help me get into the mind of the colonialists and understand the motives driving them to expand. It isn't just avarice; Gernia itself feels threatened by rival country Landsing, which wrested from them their coastal provinces, rendering their proud navy obsolete. Unready to provoke another war with Landsing, Gernia's king turns his eye eastward. So there is a pressure-cooker situation happening, where Gernia can't stop moving east, and the Plainspeople have been pushed westward by the Specks. Something's gotta give.

This is worldbuilding, people. Living, dynamic worlds where events of the novel are but a small part of what's happening. So many fantasy novels build great political intrigues into their plots, yet these exist in a vacuum where it seems every other political entity happens to be sleeping. Hobb has created a society shaped by advances in technology, the loss of a costly war, and controversial political decisions by its ruler. This, in turn, has shaped Nevare. He is growing up as the first of a new generation, the soldier sons of new nobles, attending the King's Cavalla Academy.

Of course, peeling away the politics, we see that the structure of this novel is that of the boarding school. The King's Cavalla Academy is like a Hogwarts setting (without the magic). I'm assuming the friendships and enmities Nevare has formed here will contributed to the plot of the subsequent two books. Most of his time spent at the Academy consists of being persecuted for being a new noble.

Oh, in case you didn't guess, the old nobles who were around before the war didn't appreciate the king diluting their power with new nobles who are, naturally, loyal to him. When it comes to communicating this concept, Hobb gets very heavy-handed. Sometimes it seems like every second conversation Nevare has is about how the old nobles hate the new nobles and are waging a proxy class war via their sons. It's relevant; it's realistic, but it's also way overstated.

This tendency to harp on the intricacies of her world is Hobb's one indulgence that detracts from an otherwise-great book. It doesn't help that, since Shaman's Crossing is in the first person, we hear it all in Nevare's voice. I love that Hobb is enthusiastic about her world—and that her world is worth being enthusiastic about—but sometimes I just put the book aside and took a break because the lengthy descriptions and exposition were getting on my nerves.

You know who also got on my nerves? Epiny. I feel bad, because she's a spunky little women's rights activist who is surprisingly good at critical thinking. Yet she's also young, and she acts so immaturely at times. I so wanted someone, anyone, to tell her to start behaving with a modicum of composure. However, this is not a flaw; it is probably deliberate in, or at least very appropriate to, how Hobb tells the story.

Shaman's Crossing takes a lot of common fantasy motifs—technology versus magic, soldiers versus tribal warriors, class conflict, etc.—but as with her other series, Hobb has fabricated both story and setting enough to make her work stand out. Even though this isn't one of my favourite fantasy novels, and it isn't my favourite Robin Hobb story, it still demonstrates her ability as a fantasy writer, and it's entertaining and even a little thought-provoking. As the beginning of a trilogy, it has a satisfying conclusion and a tantalizing arc. As its own story, it is a deep character piece set against the backdrop of colonial politics. Shaman's Crossing is more complex than I gave it credit for being the first time I read it: don't make the mistake I did.

My Reviews of the Soldier Son trilogy:
Forest Mage →

[Phil · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked up this trilogy as it is set in a different world from Hobb's Realm of the Elderlings. Whilewe do have a rather 'typical' quasi feudal world here, it boarders on an industrial revolution. Our protagonist, Nevare, starts the novel as a young boy. The nation they belong to (Gernia) lost a crippling war with their neighbor a generation ago, who employed new cannon and weapons to defeat the more traditional Gernians. Having ceded their maritime lands, Gernia turned toward their Eastern frontier, populated with various tribes not unlike those in the Western USA, except they possess magics of sorts. Their shamans, however, were no match for iron, and especially iron bullets. The newly conquered East then became settled with the 'new' nobility the king promoted after the war, which includes Nevare's father.

On the one hand, Hobb employs a rather traditional fantasy trope here, with young Nevare, raised and inculcated in veneration to the King (and his father), undergoes various trials and tribulations and then, on his 18th birthday, heads to the capitol to join the new military academy. Like his father, he seems destined to become a cavalry officer, but the academy is not what he or his father expected. The old nobility scorn the new and these tensions manifest themselves at the academy between sons of the old and new. Nevare, a 'new', becomes part of a 'patrol' of fellow news, and they suffer all kinds of prejudice to say the least...

On the other hand, Hobb weaves in something quite novel here, old Earth magic if you will. Before Nevare left for the academy, his father sent him to be trained by one of the tribe's shamans. Ostensively, this was supposed to help him live off the land in the harsh environment; that that did happen, Nevare's mentor, Dewara, also introduced him to his tribe's history and magic. Dewara's people, once prosperous, lived at the edge of a great forest/mountain range. As they grew, they arouse the ire of the 'Specks', a mountain/forest tribe with different magic. Eventually, they routed Dewara's people and forced them into a nomadic lifestyle. Dewara one day gave Nevare some magic shrooms or something and he walked the spirit path (the bridge on the cover). There, he encountered the 'tree woman' of the Specks, who stole part of his soul. Basically, the Specks feel threatened (as they should be) by the expansionist Gernians and the tree woman (shaman? Goddess?) have plans for young Nevare, but no more due to spoilers on that!

As usual for Hobb's fantasy, this novel requires some patience and she moves the plot along at a slow but steady pace, punctuated with some harrowing situations for Nevare. Nevare struggles with his conditioning at the academy, his sense of honor, and indeed, his sense of self. As a very sympathetic character, we feel for Nevare, and that really makes this novel. Do not expect high adventure here, but rather, a careful unfolding of politics and world building that this first volume sets up for the rest of the trilogy. 3.5 moody stars, rounding up!!

[T.R. Preston · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have such a bizarre relationship with this trilogy. On one hand I think it is so slow it's agonizing, and on the other I feel it is one of the most underrated pieces of fantasy of all time. I love this trilogy. Many, many people do not. This book does so many things I just haven't seen in the genre. It's so fascinating in a million different ways. It is a very dark and depressing story. I can only think of a few series where the main character's life sucks even remotely close to how bad Nevare's does. I was actually in a pretty bad place in my life when I read Shaman's Crossing. You'd think a tale this morose would make things worse, but funnily enough it kinda helped. I thought 'At least I'm not THIS guy!'. Things can always be worse, so you have to look on the bright side.

This trilogy goes so many places. Some of them deep and thought-provoking, others perhaps just tedious. But I'll be damned if I give it anything lower than a five. I adore Robin Hobb and I will fight for Soldier's Son even if no one else will.

P.S. Also, Epiny is the best character, fight me.

[Kat · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was probably one step away from installing and burning sandalwood incense on a Robin Hobb shrine because of her Liveship Traders and Farseer trilogies.

Compared to those Shaman's Crossing turned out to be a huge disappointment. The main character never grabbed me like Fitz or the tons of characters from the Liveship Traders trilogy did. I couldn't help finding the story a bit uninspired and terribly slow. Still, I promised myself to pick up the follow ups. After all, we're talking Hobb here. Unfortunately, I never did.

[Mona · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

I’m feeling too lazy to write a full length review, so I’ll just pen a quick summary.

The story, world building, and writing here were certainly up to Robin Hobb’s usual high standard, although the story was slow to get started, as her stories often are.

But…this wasn’t quite as enchanting as the whole Realm of the Elderlings series was.

Why?

First, none of the characters are as compelling as the inimitable FitzChivalry Farseer with his wolf NightEyes and his companion of many guises, the Fool. Or the Vestrits, in the Liveship and Dragon Wilds books. Even the many secondary characters in the Elderling books, such as Chade Fallstar, Burrich, Captain Kennit, Regal, Queen Kettricken, Nettle, Prince Dutiful, and Lady Patience are more interesting than the secondary characters in this book.

Second, the Elderlings books have more raw adventure of the type we love in epic fantasy: dragons, piracy, Court intrigues, dangerous quests, travel via magical stone plinths, etc.

This book is mostly set in a military academy that abuses many of its students. There are rancorous divisions based on class: “old” nobles vs. “new” nobles. Our main character and hero, Nevare Burvelle, a cadet, is a guy with strong principles and fascinating shamanic abilities. Still, he’s military and sometimes comes across as a bit of a stuffed shirt. His adherence to principle is so rigid that it often blinds him to foreseeing real world consequences of his actions. And his shamanic adventures are mostly of the kind that happen in the inner world rather than the outer world, as in the Elderlings books.

However, I adore Robin Hobb and this series has me hooked. Even her lesser output outshines the best work of many other fantasy writers. So in spite of these reservations, I will certainly read the rest of the series.

[Paulina · Rating 1 out of 5]

Hated it

[Conor · Rating 3 out of 5]

So I've given this novel 3 stars as I feel that it is the rating that best represents my feeling towards it. This is a decent book with some interesting ideas that are ultimately somewhat frustrated. Now you're probably thinking that stating the obvious is a weird way to start a review, and it is. The reason why I considered giving this book 5 stars was that the average rating was so low. When I see that a book on here has a rating below 3.5 I usually disregard it immediately. There are terrible books on here with much better average scores and it seems unfair that a decent book such as this has an inferior rating than some other crappy, exploitative books (you know who you are). But that's life, huh? 3 stars.

A lot of the struggles of this book come about as a result of it's sole, first person narrator, Nevare. I think Hobb deserves praise for writing a character whose 'voice' is so in keeping with the culture he represents. A lot of fantasy writers have characters fighting, scheming and adventuring around medieval Europe-style feudal kingdoms who inexplicably have modern, western values and sensibilities. Hobb deserves credit for writing a character who throughout this novel always feels like an 'officer and a gentleman' in a British empire style colony. However over 600 pages this leads so some real difficulties for me, as a modern reader, to feel connected to him. Nevare is at times a cool character who gets involved in exciting adventures and has interesting facets to his personality. However at his core Nevare is dull. He has a really strong desire to follow the rules, obey his father and do his duty without ever really considering the morality of doing these things in a society with some very questionable values.

As a rule I prefer multiple POV's in books as they give a better understanding of a wider range of characters. As a result of Crossings first person narration secondary characters never develop as much as they could. Two characters that stood out for me however were Epiny and Nevare's father. Epiny is an independent, intelligent woman who is determined to not quietly acquiesce to the oppressive expected behaviour of women in this society. However Epiny is not an idealised heroine for women's rights. She can be immature, annoying and insensitive. These failings made her struggles against the unfairness in society all the more engaging for me as she isn't just a 2-D martyr for justice. I especially enjoyed how she eventually resolved her conflict. Nevare's father is another intriguing character. He is a heroic soldier, a caring father and a just lord. He is also deeply racist, classist and sexist. He is a loving father and husband but he also controls the lives of his wife and daughters often acting as a morality police. He believes in the 'white man's burden' of 'civilising' the 'natives' for their own good but is a reasonable and just ruler over the conquered peoples. He views common soldiers as a dissolute mass who need to be guided by their virtuous social betters but is a good officer who cares about his men. Due to the evils of colonialism it's easy to view those involved as inhumanly arrogant and cruel. This moral ambiguity is what made Nevare's father a great character. He was a fundamentally good man who was ultimately controlled by the oppressive society he was born into.

For the most part the plot was well-written and well-paced. However there were times when events seemed forced. (Some spoilers) Early on Nevare's father sends him to be trained by a bloodthirsty warrior with a grudge in the harsh desert plains. This training seems a bit extreme for an officer in a British Empire style army with advanced firearms where most officers purchase commissions.

Later on at the academy Nevare, as a 'New Noble', faces constant prejudice and hatred from the snotty 'Old Nobles'. At times these sections play out like a college comedy as The losers are bullied by the snotty rich kids. There's even a self important dean/colonel who doesn't like to party. However the social conflict always seemed forced to me. I could understand the classism if Nevare was a commoner or if his father was a commoner who had been promoted to a lordship but Nevare's grandfather was a lord. His family have been nobility for hundreds of years and all of the bitter hatred aimed at him because of his class is based on the fact that his father was a soldier (and a decorated officer at that)? There are interesting politics behind the scenes that reveal that the class tension is more about political influence than any real social superiority but these are only occasionally mentioned and most of the conflict is only shown as the 'Old Nobles' being stuck up to the 'New Nobles' which quickly becomes REALLY annoying. We also see that the new nobles are systematically persecuted at the academy, bullied by Old Noble students and disciplined and expelled over trumped up charges. Yet they do nothing about it. I could understand it if they were commoners who had no way of fighting a powerful institution but the reason for the unrest is that new nobles have too much influence. Their fathers have solid holdings that are expanding rapidly and many have close family in the city with powerful connection and yet they do absolutely nothing to fight back against the Old Nobles. It just seems as if Hobb is determined to write Nevare and everyone close to him as magnets for injustice.

So all in all this is a pretty good book. It has some good ideas and an interesting setting but it is ultimately let down by some stilted characterisation and dodgy plot points.

[Alfred Haplo · Rating 4 out of 5]

If Shaman’s Crossing* (“SC”) was my first Hobb book, I would have been disenchanted. This is fare for fans but even we, should buddy-read for moral support.

Far from being atrocious, SC is a commendable book that is quintessential Hobb, absent feeling. As I was reading SC, I kept thinking how detached the emotions, how exceedingly passive the protagonist, how sedate the exposition… but stopped short when I realized that I have been unconsciously comparing SC to Hobb’s much beloved and most recent Fitz and Fool series. Perhaps I should, in way of rationalizing, consider not how inferior but how much SC might have contributed to Hobb writing, arguably, her greatest trilogy. Gradually, I begin viewing SC (2005) as a bridge between Assassin’s Apprentice (1996) and Fool’s Assassin (2014). If writing SC is part of a journey, then it places closer to Fool’s Assassin in quality of prose, painstaking thoughtfulness and similarity in style.

Those familiar with Hobb’s oeuvre can acknowledge, I think, that Assassin’s Apprentice was a clunky bildungsroman, even if it captured our hearts and imagination, while Fool’s Assassin was superfluously introspective about a middle-aged bastard in depression who spent the entire story in pasture. Yet, I, most of us, loved that book. So, if I put on the same mindset, why cannot I love SC also? SC’s glacier pace and reflective internal monologue are akin to that of Fool’s Assassin, except that Fool’s Assassin has benefit of fans’ investment from its prior two heart-rending trilogies and a protagonist brimming with suppressed passion. SC breaks no heart, at least mine was intact, while its protagonist, Nevare Burvelle, kept his caged in honor and protocol.

Nevare is the heart of SC, but he never breaks free. As sole POV, we are held hostage to his sheltered worldview and his rigid sense of duty, but those of us who long for tension, for exuberance, for liberation, for any feelings to burst of constraints, find it not in Nevare. To call him dull is too harsh a judgement but he skirts close to it with an obsequious temperament that borders on irritation. If he jolts into making any uncharacteristic decisions at all, it is by extreme external motivations, which usually means being shoved so tight into a corner that no decorum is left to conform with. Only then he tentatively pushes back and only after much ponderance, but certainly with more force towards the end. All that characterization matters to the story because Nevare’s placid observations and inaction permeate the book to his own detriment and our resignation to monotony.

In the battle-won kingdom of Gernia, Nevare’s father finds royal favor and is thus elevated to lordship with rewards of rich lands in the wild Plains. The story’s conflicts start there, and simmer with hints of civil unrest and mutiny reaching boiling point in the future. The early one-third of story is reminiscent of a colonial frontier with newly nobled lords settling on ancient soils won with bloodshed, lands long inhabited by the tribal Plainsmen whose population have been brutally dwindled. Driven deeper into isolation and even more decimated are the mysterious Specks, whose natural dwellings are deforested for colonization. Their old magics, a mix of real and superstition, folklore and hallucination, are nullified by the settler’s iron.

With the wars over, other problems arise. Labor shortage results in the formation of penal colonies to build roads out in the wildest edge of conquered lands. Friction is unceasing between decommissioned foot soldiers and their more privileged officers, as well as power struggles between old and new nobles. In both groups, the former regards the latter with condescension and veiled hostility. Enmity is markedly pronounced among the sons enrolled in the cavalla Academy, where told the rest of the story in unnecessary length. Tales of bullying, hazing, discrimination, physical challenges, academic rigors, friendships, social ostracization and everything one might expect in an elite officer cadet and boys boarding school are ours to critique or relish, though the prolonged telling seems such a chore for me.

Nevare, our dear boy, is a central figure in all that conflict.

For a book that most will instantly recall with descriptions like “unengaging” or “slow”, it sure offers a wallop of complex themes. My main issue with a plot that ties Nevare to these oblique socio- and geopolitical conflicts, magic and torn loyalty is that it seems so... incidental. That what happens to Nevare could have happened to any sons - first or last in the family line - designated to be in any roles - lord, soldier, healer, priest, artist - in accordance with their succession.

That it happens to seemingly the most boring kid in the whole wide Plains is just plain bad luck to him and to me.

3.5 stars rounded up to encourage more fans to read the series.


[* Soldier Son series: Shaman’s Crossing #1, Forest Mage #2, Renegade’s Magic #3]

[Kevin Xu · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the school in here, so much like modern boarding school to me, not fantasy at all because it has no magic.

[Joshua Thompson · Rating 3 out of 5]

One one hand, this is a compelling narrative, in that I read it FAST. It only took a few days for me to read this ~600 page book, which likely has a higher word count than most books of its size as exposition is rarely delivered via dialogue. The biggest reason I read this quickly is that I just connect with Robin Hobb's writing style. She just seems to always use the right combination of words to have me glued to the page regardless of what is happening. If she wrote a 600-page book about paint drying, I'd likely read it because it would be so well written.

But on the other hand, from a plot (and character...alas) standpoint, I did not find this a compelling narrative. Hobb's plots move slowly - or take their time, which is my preferred description - and this one was no different, but perhaps the one of all her books that has most tested my patience. This is one of those books that when a detractor would say "the plot only did 3 things" as a point to say the book is bad, I would have to begrudgingly agree. Because the plot was more focused on slice of life for most of the book and big events rarely happened.

The biggest disappointment was that the characters are not as compelling here as in her other works, namely every series within The Realm of the Elderlings. The biggest flaw was a wholly unremarkable protagonist who rarely decides on a course of action, and just lets things happen around him. (It reminded me of so many of Haruki Murakami's interchangeable protagonists that sit back and let things happen to them). As this was a first person narrative, getting a narration from a character that is almost paralyzed by making any strong decisions didn't leave me frustrated (although I'm sure some will use those terms), but definitely left me disappointed, and caused (for me at least) a total disconnect from all of the characters in the story, since we are seeing them from Navare's eyes.

Overall, it's a good book, but probably my least favorite of the 17 novels of Hobb I've read. I still want to see where the story is going, because I do trust the author that has penned my favorite book series of all time, but don't feel highly compelled to pick it up right away.

[Ctgt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've started this review three or four times only to become disgusted with my effort, slam the laptop closed and storm away. There are several authors who do this to me, Hobb and GGK are two who for whatever reason make it difficult for me to explain why I enjoy their work so much.( I'm reading Under Heaven right now and can see myself heading in the same direction with that review.) It's all about the characters with Hobb, if you are looking for an action packed book you need to look elsewhere. If you enjoy watching characters develop and you want to peer over their shoulders as their lives intertwine with each other as well as the society around them then you might want to give this a try. Granted this is the first book in the series so we are still waiting to see how or if these characters fully grow and change but already we can see Epiny change within this book. She tests the boundaries of the society in which she lives by upsetting almost every social norm. I started out thinking she was just an obnoxious twit looking to get a rise out of people for the fun of watching them squirm but there is much more to her than that shallow first impression. Of course we have Nevare, the main character no one likes. Born as the second son (soldier) he can be extremely frustrating to read about as he irritates you with his almost mindless adherence to societal norms, to the point of wanting to flick his ear and scream "WAKE UP". I guess Hobb is using Nevare as an instrument(very blunt at this point) to examine the society in which he was raised, we don't necessarily have to love him at this point but we need to understand how he was raised and why he reacts the way he does. It's easy to get your audience to fall in love with a character who has all those fantastic traits, wisdom, courage, strength, compassion but how many people actually have all those traits and use them when needed? Very few. Hobb sets up a world that has fairly strict guidelines in regards to family and class. She also looks at stereotyping and pokes a finger in the eye to those of us who tend to believe secondhand information without applying critical thinking.

This is definitely a slow burn and there were some tedious moments in the first third of the book but by the end I was completely invested and couldn't put it down.

[Jersy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A slow-paced character journey where the magic feels very integrated into to world but also very vague and mysterious. It's content and tone made me think more of a historical setting than of fantasy: the military school reminded me of American civil war era historical fiction like North and South by John Jakes, Epiny with her seances and thoughts of female rights made me think of the late 20th and early 21st century, and obviously all of it is set to the backdrop of collonialism. However, it never felt like Hobb just mixed together random influeces: the world felt consistent, real and interesting. Like in every Hobb book, there is more to the world and the characters than one sees at first glance and I'm exited to see where the story will go next.

[Charmaine Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5
This is definitely a slow building story but piece by piece it hooked me. I really enjoyed the characters, world building, and politics. I am excited to see what unfolds in the remaining books.

My only complaint is some parts in the first half dragged a bit.

[Willa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once again Robin Hobb impresses with her ability to create an amazingly real and detailed world and wonderfully complex and entertaining characters to inhabit it. You know you're dealing with a truly talented author when the story is full of hardships, pain and disillusionment and it is still a joy to read. This is the first of a very promising trilogy and I look forward eagerly to the continuing story of Nevarre, the hero who thinks he knows exactly what his future holds for him until one day an ancient magic grips him, changing everything, but revealing itself oh-so-slowly. As always, Hobb's characters face many challenges to their beliefs along with difficult moral choices. There are environmental themes also, which I expect to come into more prominence as the series continues.

---------------

After a second reading of this in March 2010 to prepare for finally finishing the trilogy, I've decided to up my rating to 5 stars. Robin Hobb truly is a master storyteller! And, wow, reading some of the reviews posted here has just reminded me of how few people are intellectual readers anymore. Give most readers a carefully constructed tale of (mostly) mental hardships, internal struggles and personal conflicts and they're bored, the plot is too 'slow' or 'plodding', the book needs editing for length. I for one enjoyed the cerebral quality found here and greatly look forward to the rest of Nevarre's journey.

[Allison · Rating 3 out of 5]

Robin Hobb is one of my favorite Fantasy authors. She not only provides detailed worlds and characters with wondrous magic, but characters that I can feel. She is one of the few authors that have actually made me cry. It's an activity that is extremely rare for me in real life, and I tend to avoid weepy books or movies because they just make me feel manipulated. But that was not the case with Hobb - the emotion she pulled out of me was much more real.

All of this to say, I've loved each of the books in the Farseer and Liveship Trader worlds that I've read so far, but the Soldier Son trilogy is completely different. The tone, the feel of the world, the setup of the characters - it all feels foreign. It took me a while to warm up to it. This first book felt quite dry until near the end when I started to see some of the world's magic. And I definitely had less empathy for the characters, as if I was watching more from a distance than in Hobb's other series.

I'm saying all this to warn you not to go into this series expecting something 'like' Hobb's other books. If you don't go in with that expectation, I believe it stands on its own merit. I enjoyed each book of the trilogy more than the one before it, and once I got to the third book I was completely drawn into this world. It took me longer to get there, but once I did, I was impressed yet again. It went on my favorites shelf with the others.

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars & I may round down to 3 after the next 2 books. The magic system was wonderful & Hobb does take proper care of horses. She even has the hero taking care of his tack, a major plus. Excellent world with an a defeated society that is expanding over new territory. Very realistic & well done.

I listened to it as an audio book with a good reader, but Hobb repeats herself enough that I wondered if the book was originally published as a serial. I don't think it was & she repeated herself even within sections until it drove me mad at times.

My biggest complaint with the writing was the heavy handed foreshadowing coupled with the idiot hero, though. Yes, he's sheltered & in his late teens, but his denseness was just too much & led to a lot of the problems I had with the writing. I often knew a lot of the story before it happened. Luckily, Hobb throws in enough twists that there was fresh material.

I've heard this was the best of the trilogy. I hope not. I'm going to try the second book & have my fingers crossed. If the repetition is less due to the world & it's problems being setup, it should be enjoyable. There's a lot of story left to be told.