Michael Smith > Recent Status Updates

Beautiful.

This is a beautiful book.

Written under a different pseudonym, Harpy's Flight is the debut novel from the author more widely known as Robin Hobb.

The writing is definitely not as polished as her later works, but the first chapter was very well written.

I doubt this will end up being a masterpiece, but I have always wanted to read her earliest work. No better place to start than her very beginning!

I really am loving this book. Oh...the feels!

Absolutely loving this, but I can't help but feel a little down reading about the sad state of The Fool and, of course, the fate of Withywoods.

Beautiful and tragic, and achingly human.

I plan to read some Brandon Sanderson finally, but will say I've tried this book three times before and got bored. He's not the most engaging writer, in fact he's got a rather bland and voiceless rewriting technique, but I keep on hearing how wonderful his work is so...here I am! But I doubt I'm going to race through this.

But after Sarah J. Maas, anything could happen!

I put this book on hold, as I find Robin Hobb's work very emotionally impactful. Why? Because mother was diagnosed with terminal cancer shortly after I started, and I was left with no choice but to pause my reading so as to stay as upbeat as possible. This has been a tough book, but an absolute great one. I plan to finish it today, my mum having passed away yesterday morning.

Robin Hobb is a tonic for the soul.

My reading slump is over, and I am back to devouring this series. Oh, I forgot how addictive this is! Fantastic reading, I'm almost sad it's the final volume.

Yet another book I am reading again!

Finally getting back into reading (life is full of meh right now), and I still really enjoy this series, and whilst I feel this books length is ridiculous, I can't help but want it to last forever.

I won't lie, I keep forgetting who some of the characters are and have to really strain to remember some of the prior events from earlier books, but that's a fault of mine. Because this book is great!

This is an exceptionally well written fantasy novel, with a touch of Edith Nesbitt, Philip Pullman and J.K. Rowling. It's stunning, with elements of fantasy, horror and time travel all revolving around a mysterious enchanted house.

Highly recommended, I hope it stays strong!

I am really enjoying this, it's slower than expected and I'm loving that!

It took a few pages, but I am once again enthralled! I missed these characters (not that Tower Of Dawn was a mediocre read, I just found the absence of most of the characters I'd come to love a bit jarring).

Again, heavy focus on romance, but that's Maas's schtick I guess. And she does it well!

So this book is huge. It's already nearly 1000 pages long, but whilst the book is the same height and width...the words are all printed smaller. This is a beast.

I really need to stop reading multiple fantasy series at once 🙈😂

Review pending...I loved this, with minor reservations.

This book is brilliantly written, the story is very interesting and I like where it is going. But I am also puzzled by how little it has engaged me, something all the previous volumes had no trouble doing. I guess it could be said I'm not the biggest fan of Chaol. He's definitely a wooden lead character, but I like him enough. I am glad we have this book though. Plus, I always have a reading slump in summer.

Reading slower than normal, but the two main books I am reading (this and Robin Hobb's Fools Assassin) are terrific.

I won't lie though, as strong as Tower Of Dawn is, I am desperate to get back to the main story, which resumes in Kingdom Of Ash.

Stunning

Love Bee. Won't spoil for anyone who has begun reading these books and have yet to reach this point but: Bee. I love.

Oh, how much I love this book already!

Robin Hobb, I've barely started and you've messed with my emotions too deeply already 😭

LITERALLY ABOUT TO MEET BINABIK FOR THE FIRST TIME (AGAIN!!)!!

Oh, this books still has the power to move and captivate me, more than a decade since I first picked it up! AAAAHHHHHHHHHH

THE FEELS ARE STRONG!

I will take a breath, and resume.