Renegade's Magic
The Soldier Son Trilogy
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4.3 • 52 Ratings
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- $8.99
Publisher Description
The stirring conclusion to The Soldier Son Trilogy—the acclaimed epic tale of duty, destiny, and magic by New York Times bestselling master fantasist Robin Hobb
Loyal, privileged, and brave, Nevare Burvelle proudly embraced his preordained role as soldier in the service of the King of Gernia—unaware of the strange turns his life would ultimately take. Exposed to a plague of enemy sorcery that felled many of his compatriots, he prevailed, but at a terrible cost to his soul, body, and heart. Now he stands wrongly accused of unspeakable crimes—including murder, the most heinous of them all.
Condemned by his brother soldiers and sentenced to death, Nevare has no option but to escape. Suddenly he is an outcast and a fugitive—a hostage to the Speck magic that shackles him to a savage alter ego who would destroy everything Nevare holds dear. With nowhere to turn—except, perhaps, to the Speck woman Lisana, the enemy whom he loves—he is mired in soul-rending despair. But from out of the darkness comes a bright spark of hope.
Perhaps, somehow, the hated magic that has long abused Nevare can be used by him instead. Could he not learn to wield this mighty weapon for his own purposes rather than be enslaved by it? But down what perilous road will this desperate new quest lead him? And what will be the outcome and the ultimate new incarnation of Nevare Burvelle?
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In the haunting conclusion of Hobb's Soldier Son trilogy (after 2006's Forest Mage), Gernian soldier Nevare Burvelle escapes from prison with some help from his lover, Lisana, who divided his soul so that he could become a Speck mage called Soldier's Boy. The two personalities now awkwardly time-share Nevare's body. Using Soldier's Boy's powers, Nevare tries to destroy the Gernian road that threatens to ravage the Specks' forest home, and almost dies from exhaustion. Nursed back to health by Olikea, the Speck woman whose sole duty is to feed him enough to power his magic, Nevare must find a way to keep Gernia from destroying the forest, prevent the Specks from further spreading the plague that has decimated the Gernians and reunite the severed halves of his soul. Hobb's dreamy prose is sometimes weighed down by a confusing magical system and glacial pacing, but she provides a stunning resolution to this epic fantasy about the importance of environmental and social balance.
Customer Reviews
Love the author
I believe that I have read everything that Hobb has published to date. That should let you know how much I enjoy her style. Nearly everything is written in first person, but often from the view of more than one participant.
This trilogy was entirely the view of one. You really get to know him well.
The first installment has a nice combination of positive, negative, strife and success. The second two installments have a very poor balance. Don’t even think about reading the trilogy if you have depression issues. There were many points where I thought about not finishing the story because it seemed to follow a path from dark to darker. I always however finish a book I have started unless it’s poorly written and lacks a story line. That is not the case. It is well written.
In closing, this is my least favorite Hobb performance. The balance is just off. After a certain number of dark pages I need a certain amount of sunshine. I will look forward to her next work and have confidence that it will be a good read!