Comments on: Robin Hobb’s The Dragon Keeper: A review

By: Renai LeMay

Renai LeMay — Sat, 06 Nov 2010 03:36:09 +0000

Hmm I didn’t pick up on those problems — but sounds like the sort of thing that creeps in when an editor gets a little too confident about a seasoned writer (which Hobb certainly is) and doesn’t keep nit-picking. IMHO, Hobb’s editor could do a little more nit-picking these days — I feel Hobb needs to be very careful with future books, because with so much great work behind her, she runs the risk with devaluing her reputation if she writes at a lesser level.

By: Michelle

Michelle — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 00:45:48 +0000

I enjoyed the book for the most part. What I found most annoying was the discrepancies near the end of the book where Leftrin is said to be drinking tea and two pages over he is drinking coffee. Also annoying was the discrepancies about Sedric and the dragon blood vial. It was stated that he hated that he didn’t bring an extra vial and later it mentioned he had more than one! WTH?

By: Hannah

Hannah — Tue, 11 May 2010 19:50:15 +0000

There are some adult moments in the book, as there are a few in the previous trilogies. Because I don’t know what you would find appropriate for your own teenage daughter, perhaps you would like to read them first, I highly recommend that you do. Before beginning The Rain Wild Chronicles (The Dragon Keeper and Dragon Haven)- I think that you should start by reading The Farseer Trilogy, The Liveship Traders Trilogy and The Tawny Man Trilogy, in this order. These are the first nine books, and so much happened in the previous stories that you, or your daughter- won’t know what is going on in The Dragon Keeper (if you haven’t read them, there is a lot that won’t make sense). They’re terrific books and I believe that the first book in the chronicles- Assassins Apprentice, would be more age appropriate anyway, as through most of the book the main character is between the ages of 11 and 15. Plus it is an excellent introduction and personally, I haven’t put them down since I started reading them! :)

By: Hannah

Hannah — Tue, 11 May 2010 17:00:33 +0000

Tarman is not really a ship, it’s a ‘barge’. The book mentions that Tarman has eyes, but there is no room for a figure-head or face on a barge. Tarman is able to communicate with his passengers, much like the way a liveship could without speaking or a dragon is able to do- by imprinting on minds the thoughts they wish to convey. Though this doesn’t happen throughout the book as it did in the Liveship series, The Rainwild Chronicles aren’t about the liveships, they’re about the search for Kelsingra (the memory of a utopia built by the elderlings centuries ago) and those embarking on the expedition. And the city wasn’t really “abandoned”, it was destroyed in a natural disaster along with its inhabitants.

If you feel this explanation is a spoiler; feel free to have it deleted. I highly doubt it will be read by the reader it was meant for :) cheers!

By: ChrisX

ChrisX — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 13:35:26 +0000

Thanks for this review. I thought maybe it was just me thinking it wasn’t up to her previous work. I also did not enjoy The Soldiers Son Trilogy and was hoping for more from the return to the Rainwilds.
(Of course I will still buy the second one.)

By: Amy

Amy — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 01:05:48 +0000

My daughter saw Dragon Keeper on the shelf at Barnes and Noble today and wants to read it. She is 14, and up until now has read books from the Young Adult section- Warriors, Guardians of Gahoole. Would this book be appropriate, or are there “adult” themes in it?

Many thanks-
Amy

By: Margaret Farrell

Margaret Farrell — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 19:25:39 +0000

Gee, I LOVED “Dragon Keeper!”
I’ve read all of the author’s books and, while some themes appeal more to me, personally, I’ve never been disappointed. I’m very interested in Thymara and Alise and all the characters and have been marveling that the author always delights me. I was particularly struck by the introduction of Sedrick’s character (I won’t “spoil,” but I love the author’s willingness to explore less “conventional” realities..).

I only wish the book were longer… (However, my copy of “Dragon Haven” should arrive shortly.)
Thank goodness Robin Hobb doesn’t commit George R. R. Martin cruel procrastination sins!

Oh, and for those of us in the U.S.; I always order from Amazon U.K.
Margaret

By: JimH

JimH — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 15:37:32 +0000

Just finished and although it’s only the first book, I wasn’t as taken with the characters as the Liveship series. There are two mysteries, though — what is the nature of Tarman (the mostly quiet liveship in the first book) and of course Kelsingra — which I assume is the abandoned city visited in the first set of books. That said, Hobb will probably surprise us in the next book…

By: Renai LeMay

Renai LeMay — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 13:14:24 +0000

Re-reading Assassin’s Apprentice recently it was as gripping as ever. It is hard to know what’s going on with Hobb!

By: Tam Hohnberg

Tam Hohnberg — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 04:28:46 +0000

I was just looking at buying The Dragon Keeper yesterday. I loved Hobb’s Ederlings saga and re-read them many times & once rated Robin Hobb as my favourite fantasy author. Yet Soldier Son trilogy was a big disappointment for me. From reading Dragon Keeper’s back cover I could see it was along the same vein as Soldier Son. So in the end, I hate to say it, but I bought something else as I didn’t want to waste my time. Robin Hobb – what’s happening?!