Robin Hobb has lost the plot...literally (contains spoilers)

[Astra_]

For the Hobb series I've read, here are my ratings:

Liveship Traders - 4 out of 5
Assasins Trilogy - 3.5 out of 5
Tawny Man - 5 out of 5
Soldier's Son - 2 out of 5

I will try to do the same:
Assasins Trilogy - 5 out of 5
Liveship Traders - 5 out of 5
Tawny Man - 1 out of 5

 

[kidsan]

I don't consider half a book of Fitz worrying about his relationship with the Fool to be plot.

Yes, as i said, it was here that the rot began to set in.

and one more thing...i have never seen so many typos in a book as in both the soldier son series and this latest one. There's even one on the first page of Haven!

That's just sloppy and poor editing.

 

[jackal912]

Dunno what's with the total loathing of Tawny Man.

Assassins : 5
Liveship: 4
Tawny Man: 4.5

 

[ChrisW]

Liveship Traders - 4 out of 5
Assasins Trilogy - 4 out 5
Tawny Man - 4 out of 5 for 2 1/2 books, 2 outa 5 for the other 1/2
Soldier's Son - 3.5 out of 5

 

[Dyloot]

I don't consider half a book of Fitz worrying about his relationship with the Fool to be plot.

Are you speaking of Fool's Fate? The second half, after the dragon has been freed from the ice?

 

[NYCfan]

For the Hobb series I've read, here are my ratings:

Liveship Traders - 4 out of 5
Assasins Trilogy - 3.5 out of 5
Tawny Man - 5 out of 5
Soldier's Son - 2 out of 5

Soldiers Son left me cold because I can't handle consistently incompetent characters with no sense of humor that wallow in anguish. And he never seems to learn from his mistakes.

I don't mind when a character screws up (FitzChivalry does this lots) but they should at least learn somewhat from their mistakes.

The Tawny Man provided a reason for why Fitz was wallowing and when it was removed, he changed.

I didn't see that in Second Son at all

Spoiler Alert
The first book proceeds on the normal path of kid-destined-for-greatness. Precociously accomplished kid goes to prestigious school, encounters obstacles but kicks ass, then a big evil comes and he, while making a few mistakes, does reasonably well. And then it veers off the standard script because he is left pysically crippled and psychologically scarred. In the second book his previously loving and supportive father turns on him for being no longer able to fulfill the ambitions he had planned for him, and that's the final straw, he completely collapses psychologically reaches nadir, but also begins to understand what was done to him. In the third book he is again kick-ass and works his way out of depression while saving the day with the help of old faithful friends and lives happily ever after.

I found the main character interesting, ditto for the world-building. The writing wasn't Hobb's best, but it was perfectly adequate and the plot moved along nicely. I don't get the hate.

 

[Michigan]

Are you speaking of Fool's Fate? The second half, after the dragon has been freed from the ice?

I don't really differentiate between books in a series and it has been quite a few years since I read them so.... shrug. I just got bored with all the homophobic stuff from Fitz. Don't get me wrong, I would probably be a little creeped out too if I thought my best friend had a crush on me but I don't really care to read a book about it and I don't consider it plot.

 

[Dyloot]

I don't really differentiate between books in a series and it has been quite a few years since I read them so.... shrug. I just got bored with all the homophobic stuff from Fitz. Don't get me wrong, I would probably be a little creeped out too if I thought my best friend had a crush on me but I don't really care to read a book about it and I don't consider it plot.

Ah. Hobb will turn off many readers, I'm sure, with this sort of thing. She clearly loves these themes, with the morbidly obese protagonist in Solider Son and many gay characters in the Elderlings books. Lots of abuse and rape themes in Liveship as well.

While you were turned off, I'm always surprised at the strong interest of many fans in the Fitz and the Fool relationship. Different strokes for different folks I suppose.

 

[Michigan]

Ah. Hobb will turn off many readers, I'm sure, with this sort of thing. She clearly loves these themes, with the morbidly obese protagonist in Solider Son and many gay characters in the Elderlings books. Lots of abuse and rape themes in Liveship as well.

While you were turned off, I'm always surprised at the strong interest of many fans in the Fitz and the Fool relationship. Different strokes for different folks I suppose.

It's not the relationship that put me off, I just don't want to read a book that dwells that much on any relationship. Way too much stupid angst on the part of Fitz. Get on with the story already.

 

[Arkeus]

some people (like, me) actually find having characters that feel more interesting than what is usually tagged as 'story'.

 

[Michigan]

hey, I liked fleshed out characters too but there was enough there for a bad teen romance novel. It's not that it detracted from the story, it became the story.

 

[Johnny B]

....many gay characters in the Elderlings books.

I don't believe I recall any gay characters in these books. I haven't read the most recent two though---are these the ones with all the gay characters?

 

[Dyloot]

hey, I liked fleshed out characters too but there was enough there for a bad teen romance novel. It's not that it detracted from the story, it became the story.

I'm not arguing against your feelings on the story. Everyone is entitled and I'm honestly just interested in what people think.

I'm about 400 pages in to Sanderson's new Way of Kings and there's a a Fool type character I'm rather enjoying named "the Wit." Like the Fool, he's quite cunning and knowledgeable of everything around him.

I'm curious if Sanderson draws from Hobb's work here?

 

[DailyRich]

I've read Hobb through Tawny Man, and as much as I've enjoyed them, one gripe I have is how she consistently creates this compelling, competent characters and then doesn't allow them to solve their own problems, instead relying on dragons, magic boats and serpents to come in at the end and take over everything. It's like watching the Rebels attack the Death Star at the end of Star Wars and at the last minute a black hole shows up and swallows it. Well hey, the good guys won, but mostly because they were in the right place at the right time.

 

[Dyloot]

I don't believe I recall any gay characters in these books. I haven't read the most recent two though---are these the ones with all the gay characters?

Sorry, almost missed this post. Yes, the Rain Wild Chronicles includes quite a few gay characters and major themes. It was obviously very important to Hobb.

In the original nine you don't have any overtly gay characters, but the Fool certainly flirts with the topic.

 

[Dyloot]

I've read Hobb through Tawny Man, and as much as I've enjoyed them, one gripe I have is how she consistently creates this compelling, competent characters and then doesn't allow them to solve their own problems, instead relying on dragons, magic boats and serpents to come in at the end and take over everything. It's like watching the Rebels attack the Death Star at the end of Star Wars and at the last minute a black hole shows up and swallows it. Well hey, the good guys won, but mostly because they were in the right place at the right time.

Hahaha. Ah man, you cracked me up with that one.

And I totally agree. Hobb does solve many of her character's problems with environmental solutions, especially in the Rain Wild Chronicles. I'm guessing that's by design... lots of normal folks with different backgrounds getting knocked around by the world around them.

I mean, what is the plot of the Rain Wild Chronicles anyway? A bunch of dragons decide they need to travel north to an unknown place that may or may not be any better than the place they began? A bunch of misfits and a guy with a boat head north with them?

Critics who say nothing happen in these two books may be too critical, but they aren't far off.

 

[Johnny B]

Sorry, almost missed this post. Yes, the Rain Wild Chronicles includes quite a few gay characters and major themes. It was obviously very important to Hobb.

In the original nine you don't have any overtly gay characters, but the Fool certainly flirts with the topic.

I always thought that the Fool would be revealed to be hermaphroditic but unfortunately we were left in the dark regarding his true nature. I really hope she goes back to the character at some point--- I think a nice long novel or two about the Fool and his past or future after Tawny Man would be great.

 

[DailyRich]

Yeah, I get that she's trying to show that there are older, more powerful forces at work in her world, but it makes it a little unsatisfying to see the story taken out of her characters' hands. I would have much rather have seen Fitz find a way to defeat the raiders using his own talents than by showing up with his flight of magical dragon statues.

 

[Dyloot]

I always thought that the Fool would be revealed to be hermaphroditic but unfortunately we were left in the dark regarding his true nature. I really hope she goes back to the character at some point--- I think a nice long novel or two about the Fool and his past or future after Tawny Man would be great.

That would make the most sense. Have you read Middlesex? When paired with the Fool I think I agree with you.

 

[DailyRich]

I always thought the Fool had a life cycle where he/she alternated genders.