Robin Hobb and the Rain Wilds Chronicles

[Zero Angel]

Hi everyone,

I'm halfway through the Rain Wilds Chronicles by Robin Hobb and I have to say I'm incredibly disillusioned. I've never read anything by her before, but had been assured by many lists around the Internet as well as the endorsements of other authors (I realize usually they give those to everyone their publisher tells them to, but still!) that she is one of the greatest living fantasy authors.

The first book I gave a 1 star to on Amazon, and 3.0/10 on my blog. It was an unfinished book and practically nothing happened over the course of 500 pages. The second book I gave an 8.0/10 on my blog, but I said practically nothing but terrible things about it in my blog. (I can expound, but I don't want to just rehash or repeat myself if conversation isn't going to come from it). It would be 3 stars on Amazon, but I have no desire to write another review on it.

The series has its hooks in me, and I will see where it takes me (two more books to go), but I won't ever pick up another book by Robin Hobb. She has completely ruined any reader trust I had for her. I'm sticking around for the characters–which she continues to ruin–and the world itself.

What were your thoughts on this series? Have you read other things by her that were not so bad and think I should try those? (spoiler: I probably won't, but I'm willing to listen)

I should get through the rest of the series by the end of the week.

Note: (Looked for a thread on her but couldn't find any in the first two pages of the search results)

 

[Philip Overby]

I haven't heard much about this particular series, but I've always heard good things about her Farseer, Liveship Traders and Tawny Man trilogies. These were all earlier works and it appears the series you're talking about is fairly recent. I can't speak on any of the books myself as I've only read a sample of Assassin's Apprentice years ago. I liked what I read, but in which seems like the story of my life, I lost it somewhere.

 

[GeekDavid]

I've been questing around (pun intended) for something to read, and just noticed that somewhere along the line I picked up the first book of Hobb's Farseer trilogy, so maybe I'll give it a shot and see what I think.

 

[ThinkerX]

Hmmm...

I read the 'assassin' series and what I think of as the 'Bingtown' series (though it has another name which escapes me at the moment). I liked both, though not overly so.

Tried reading the first two 'Rainwild' books, didn't care for them, no interest in continuing.

 

[GeekDavid]

Hmmm...

I read the 'assassin' series and what I think of as the 'Bingtown' series (though it has another name which escapes me at the moment). I liked both, though not overly so.

Tried reading the first two 'Rainwild' books, didn't care for them, no interest in continuing.

I am the same way about David Eddings. The Belgariad and Malloreon are enshrined as two of my all-time favorite series, the Elenium and Tamuli only slightly less so... but his latest series, the Dreamers, I think it's called... I read the prologue and I think one or two chapters and set the first book aside (good thing it was from the library so I didn't waste any money). I have zero interest in that series now.

 

[ThinkerX]

I am the same way about David Eddings. The Belgariad and Malloreon are enshrined as two of my all-time favorite series, the Elenium and Tamuli only slightly less so... but his latest series, the Dreamers, I think it's called... I read the prologue and I think one or two chapters and set the first book aside (good thing it was from the library so I didn't waste any money). I have zero interest in that series now.

Hmmm...I used to really like David Eddings first series, but not so much anymore. I find very little of what he's turned out the past fifteen years or so to be appealing.

 

[Zero Angel]

I started the third book earlier today and put it aside within two chapters. It was more of everything I hated about the first two books with nothing to keep me going.

I found it amusing that one of the blurbs said there were "sympathetic characters". I can't imagine characters worse than these ones.

 

[Pemry Janes]

Yeah, I read the Rain Wilds, too and I'd call them the weaker ones. If you wanted a taste of her writing, I'd have gone with the Farseer Trilogy. Much better, things actually happen in them and I still have fond memories of those.

As for the Rain Wilds, I think they might coast too much on nostalgia. People who've read the earlier books and want to see what happens next.