Dragon Keeper
Volume One of the Rain Wilds Chronicles
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4.3 • 259 Ratings
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- $4.99
Publisher Description
“Robin Hobb is one of our very best fantasy writers.”
New York Times bestselling author Kevin J. Anderson
With Dragon Keeper, Robin Hobb, critically acclaimed, New York Times bestselling “master fantasist” (Baltimore Sun), begins a breathtaking new series about the resurgence of dragons in a world that both needs and fears them—the world Hobb’s readers most recently visited in her immensely popular “Tawny Man” trilogy. Volume One of the Rain Wilds Chronicles, Dragon Keeper is yet another magnificent adventure from the author of The Soldier Son and Farseer Trilogies, confirming the Contra Costa Times of California’s assessment of Hobb as “one of the most important writers in 21st century fantasy.”
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Here be dragons but debilitated, deformed, damaged dragons, hatched too soon, sick and starving, into a world that has mostly forgotten them. The first of Hobb's Rain Wild Chronicles, an absorbing extension of her Liveship and Tawny Man trilogies, introduces 15 young dragons who struggle to survive with the grudging help of mutant Rain Wilders. Eventually driven out by the Traders Council, the hatchlings decide to seek Kelsingra, their ancient home. Caught up by the dragons' plight and longing to escape unhappy families and the stifling Rain Wild culture, self-taught dragon scholar Alise Kincannon and teenage tree-dwelling mutant Thymara volunteer to accompany them on the quest, with the help of magnetic liveship captain Leftrin and a host of colorful characters. Hobb's meticulously realized fantasy tale is a welcome addition to contemporary dragon lore.
Customer Reviews
Better conversion please
Great book, love the sequel. But please, to the publisher, do proof read after conversion. I expect a book as proofed as a print copy. Thank god Dragon Haven was better.
Awesome
Another tale springs to life with a rich new cast and cleverly written hooks I've already read it twice.
Another Quest in Fitz and Althea's world
Robin Hobb's new story takes place shortly after the Liveship adventures of Althea and her family (see "Ship of Destiny" et al.). It's the same world that contains Fitz' Six Duchies (see "Assassin's Apprentice", "Golden Fool", etc.), but that side is barely touched upon in these volumes: The Rain Wilds and, to a lesser extent, Bingtown are the center of the action (making for a simpler storyline than the Liveship series).
The story starts with the metamorphosis of sea serpents into dragons. Unfortunately, it doesn't go quite as hoped for, and the resulting creatures are relatively weak and powerless. Eventually, they start a quest — accompanied by a ragtag group of humans with burdens of their own — for the legendary Elderling city of Kelsingra.
The characters are fairly straightforward but the protagonists are likable (where needed). The story is pleasantly paced, with plenty of invention that doesn't hinder suspension of disbelief. Rediscovering the world of Liveships is a great pleasure.
If you haven't read any other books of Hobb in this series, I'd recommend reading at least the original Liveship series first, or better yet start with the adventures of Fitz the Farseer (Assassin's Apprentice). However, the Dragonkeeper adventures are a wonderful sequel, and like another reviewer I can just hope that Robin Hobb can continue produce volumes at a great pace.