Shaman's Crossing > Part 1: Chapters 1 to 5

[Hanne]

... and we're nearly April 1st, which means it's Robin Hobb time once again. I will likely start tomorrow evening, but in case anyone wants to jump ahead, here is the first thread!

as always, whoever gets to chapter 6 first, feel free to make the next one

[David Sven]

I've decided to go the audio book for this one. It's a typical Hobb start ie slow - but I'm liking it so far. The Plains magic sounds very interesting. Instead of bastard son of a king or prince we have a legitimate son of a colonel in the army who was given a lordship for his service to the king. I was surprised in ch 3 to find we have rifles/gunpowder. It changed things from a medieval feel to a more colonial America feel

[David Sven]

You mean when he's crossing all those bridges? That's where I'm up to. I have to say I don't understand why this is rated almost a full star less on goodreads to her other stuff. I can't see how this is inferior at all to anything else she's written - so far at least.

[David Sven]

Alex wrote: "Reminds me of the Mongols and other horse tribes who can sustain themselves in lands that are usually inhospitable to city-folk. "

Yes - that contributes to the early American Colonial feel - the plains people being like the Sioux or something. Reading Iggulden's Conqueror series about Mongols I learned that they were related to American Indians. Except the plains people don't seem to rely on the bow - but the Specks do - maybe they are another horse culture?

[David Sven]

Alex wrote: "Seems like the kingdom is expanded outwards (with the King's Road) and the prisoners are sent to the outskirts to make a new life for themselves. Sort of like Australia, now that I think about it... :P"

Yes. It is a bit like that.

[Kevin]

I can tell you why I rated it less than her other works. It's not the quality of her writing obviously as it's pretty top notch here. These books are IMO also the most imaginative and original of all Hobb's books. The reason why I didn't enjoy this trilogy as much as her other works is because of the main character (Nevare?). He's incredibly passive, almost a non-character and that just rubs me the wrong way. I generally can deal with main characters that I don't like or can't relate too, but one that actively annoys with his every (in)action? No. For the same reason why I'm not very fond of Neil Gaiman's American Gods.

That being said I still enjoyed the books overall. As I said, I find them very imaginative and interesting.

[Hanne]

wow, you guys are way ahead already. i will always be doomed to finish last, won't i? luckily there is easter holiday coming up so all my evening activities will be on hold and i might have more reading time!

just read the first two chapters yesterday. i'll put my comments down, but i'll wait for reading what's above for now to avoid spoilers :)

ch1 - this was me grating my teeth already. robin hobb is going to get to me again isn't she? the comments about Sil and how a non-Gernian, non-plainspeople can only end up as a camp whore. ugh. the magic was pretty cool though, which i guess was the main point of the chapter.

ch2 - we have convict labour of prisoners at the outer settlements. i'm guessing hobb is using some of her real-life history books, although with an australian reading this i'm not sure i dare to comment more :)
i liked all the speck mentions. looking forward to hearing more on that front!

[Ctgt]

I'm lagging behind with you, Hanne. Just finished this first section a day ago. I guess she's setting up these class prejudices to break them down as we follow Nevare. I did like a those moments early on when Nevare knew there was some hidden meaning behind a conversation or a situation but he just couldn't figure out what was happening.

[David Sven]

I do like how she creates cultural prejudices, not just between the Gernians and plainspeople - but also how the first son can only be this and the second son can only be that. In a way, Nevare's father is a spanner in the works because he is a second son being elevated to a status usually reserved for first sons

[Hanne]

Alex wrote: "Hanne, what do you mean she'll get you? Is this about how Hobb likes to throw her characters down cliffs, or is the way women are sometimes treated in her books?"

All of it!
Her characters always get under my skin. That can be because I hate them, or because I hate the way they are being treated. Emotions are just always running high in Hobb books for me.

[Hanne]

David Sven wrote: "Alex wrote: "Reminds me of the Mongols and other horse tribes who can sustain themselves in lands that are usually inhospitable to city-folk. "

Yes - that contributes to the early American Colonia..."

I don't really know enough about the different tribes, but i definitely got a Australian vibe with the prisoners, but everything else seems much more colonial America versus native Americans indeed. Even the rituals of crossing something to become an adult sounds like something i heard about native american tribes.
With the Specks being in the forest, i don't know who that might refer too.

The other interesting thing is that the plainspeople are referred to as nomads, with no inclination to settle down, yet Dewara was talking about these huge and prospering settlement near the Specks?

[Hanne]

Kevin wrote: "I can tell you why I rated it less than her other works. It's not the quality of her writing obviously as it's pretty top notch here. These books are IMO also the most imaginative and original of a..."

Ai, i usually struggle with that too. Reason why i never really liked 'The Great Gatsby' either. But so far, Nevare isn't rubbing me the wrong way yet :)

[Hanne]

Ctgt wrote: "I'm lagging behind with you, Hanne. Just finished this first section a day ago. I guess she's setting up these class prejudices to break them down as we follow Nevare. I did like a those moments ea..."

I think my update list just mentioned you finishing, so i'm officially lagging. Logic though, it took me 6 days to get to chapter 7 - just very little reading time these days! should improve this week.

[Ctgt]

Hanne wrote: ".I think my update list just mentioned you finishing, so i'm officially lagging. Logic though, it took me 6 days to get to chapter 7 - just very little reading time these days! should improve this week. .."

Due to circumstances beyond my control, I ended up with loads of time to read this weekend:) I agree with Alex though, it did seem to read faster in the later chapters. Pretty close to a 5 star read but there were a few moments early on that kept it at 4 stars.

[David Sven]

I'm doing this on audio and in my holidays when Im not doing any commuting or exercising ie when I usually do my listening. So I'm in the unfortunate position of listening less when things are really getting good.

[Hanne]

Alex wrote: "Hm, I don't recall this. Maybe not all the plainspeople are nomads, especially after the Gernians try to get them to settle down? Or perhaps they have seasonal places where the settle down? "

I don't have my book here, i can check when i'm home because i thought it was peculiar as well. Must be chapter 3 or 4 when Deware is telling Nevare about their troubles with the Speck.

[David Sven]

I do remember the plains people as a nomadic horse culture. If this is paralleling Native American Indians then their settlements would parallel Indian reserves - I think

[Ctgt]

Alex wrote: "Wait you finished? Why didn't you check in to the other chapters? And here I was reading other things and waiting for people to catch up."

Finished late yesterday afternoon. I also had fairly limited internet access over the weekend but I'll be popping in on the other threads sometime today.

[Ctgt]

Hanne wrote: "David Sven wrote: "The other interesting thing is that the plainspeople are referred to as nomads, with no inclination to settle down, yet Dewara was talking about these huge and prospering settlement near the Specks?
"

I'm trying to think back to that part but it seems to me he was talking the Gernians during that section. But I also admit that some of those sequences with Dewara were the things I didn't like about the book so my memory might be a bit skewed. I really didn't like the dream bridge sequence. It may not have been all that long but it certainly seemed like it as I was reading.

[Hanne]

ok looking back for this:

first time it was mentioned: "The oldest tales of his people spoke of when they were a settled folk and lived in the skirts of the mountains. The Dappled People had driven them out from their homes and farms, and a curse from the Dapples had made his people wanderers, doomed to live by raids and thefts and blood instead of tending plants and orchards. The way he spoke of the Dapples as immensely powerful sorcerers who lived in ease among their vast riches confused me for several days."



Second time:
"Our warriors were mighty, and our fields were fertile. In that time, the gentle hills were ours, and we lived well. Our cattle increased every year until they covered the foothills like stones beside a watercourse. We raided far, but for honor and treasures rather than sustenance, for we had a home that yielded all we needed. The Kidona were a mighty people, content with our blessings and a glory to our gods. All that, all that, was taken from us by the Dappled Ones and we were doomed to become nomads, herders of the dust storms, planting only bodies and reaping only death."



So they became Nomads after the Dappled ones ruined their settlements

[Ctgt]

Thanks Hanne. Should have known better than to post without having the book in front of me.

[Ctgt]

Chapter 5 brings up some harsh realities for Nevare. He is devastated when he hears his father doubts his abilities and it seems as though this might be the first time he lies to his father. A subtle shift from earlier in the book when Nevare spoke about what happened with the incident in town with the scout's daughter.

[Hanne]

Ctgt wrote: "Thanks Hanne. Should have known better than to post without having the book in front of me."

No problem! I was going to look it up anyway, because it bothered me not knowing whether i had read it wrong or not.

Alex wrote: "The Dappled People are the Specks, I believe."

That's my understanding too.