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hattiesbooks21's review against another edition
3.0
This was an interesting read. Being able to follow the characters again. I enjoyed it, however it wasn’t one of my favourite books that she has written. There was just something about the whole thing that I couldn’t quite get into the story straight away. The way in which the story developed throughout the story, there was something in the which it can be brought to attention. There was many changes throughout the book that made it very intriguing. With the way that the book ended it was very intriguing, and I will be reading the final book in the trilogy.
chichitheduck's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
readeatgamerepeat's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
This was rough to read. Much like any Hobb book there were moments in this book that were glorious, 5 shining starts +++ moments that I have come to love and expect from Hobb - that being said this book basically cakes a sharp turn away from the plot as presented in the first book and as a result of that not a singular good thing happens to Nevare in this book and its literally so horrible at parts that I genuinely was considering DNFing this book (I'm so glad I pushed through because the ending was so intense I need to know what happens next) because the fact that Nevare is now fat is mentioned on every single page after the 50th page or so - and honestly the sheer amount of fatphobia in the first 300 pages alone (which doesn't get better after that but just becomes less frequent) is just overwhelming and as someone who has struggled (and does still kinda struggle) with eating and diet overall it was just hard to read. At one point I just kinda felt like "ok I get it, Nevare's fam hates him for having gained weight and embarassing them, they are shitty people lets move on" but then we spend like 200 more pages with them. The weight gain is related to the magic system (can't really go into it further without spoilers) but needless to say its just a lot of mentions of how big Nevare is and why that is or isn't a good thing.
But yea this book was just 800 pages of Nevare being in pain and suffering and everyone treating him badly for being overweight and then interesting world building, interesting plot, & intersting character explorations.
I will say this book does feel a bit like a middle book, and while I do see why we needed things to get bad for Nevare I also just think a good 200 pages of this book could've been cut. I just hope the next book will continue on with the plot and less just everyone hating nevare.
But yea this book was just 800 pages of Nevare being in pain and suffering and everyone treating him badly for being overweight and then interesting world building, interesting plot, & intersting character explorations.
I will say this book does feel a bit like a middle book, and while I do see why we needed things to get bad for Nevare I also just think a good 200 pages of this book could've been cut. I just hope the next book will continue on with the plot and less just everyone hating nevare.
murder_bot's review against another edition
4.0
I liked it but didn't love it as much as I usually love a Hobb book. I'm definitely curious to see where it ends up.
ophelia_desdemona's review against another edition
2.0
Half this book consist of Nevare, the protagonist, being fat. And whiny and stupid. That got really tiresome. And I'm not sure what commentary Hobbs makes of obesity.
What kept me going where the side characters, Epiny, Spink, Hotch, and Amzil. Epiny was by the way my favourite character in book one. She and Gord.
This is nowhere NEAR what Hobb is capable of. Please start with reading Assassin's Apprentice if you are thinking about reading Hobb.
What kept me going where the side characters, Epiny, Spink, Hotch, and Amzil. Epiny was by the way my favourite character in book one. She and Gord.
This is nowhere NEAR what Hobb is capable of. Please start with reading Assassin's Apprentice if you are thinking about reading Hobb.
figgybroom's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
In true Robin Hobb style, the book builds and builds and builds. The ending was brilliant - well worth the effort of getting there.
On the whole, I think there could be large parts that would benefit from being edited down.
On the whole, I think there could be large parts that would benefit from being edited down.
paperback_cat's review against another edition
5.0
Robin Hobb knows how to make me feel things! I cried! (In public
teeg's review against another edition
2.0
Far from my favorite Robin Hobb book that I've read. Much of the book seemed to be devoted to having us understand how truly hefty Soldier's Son had gotten, and the reactions he received from both those who had known him before and those he just met. Probably the first book by her that I honestly couldn't wait to finish.
g_na's review against another edition
2.0
I've read all of Hobb's other books and was looking forward to this new-to-me trilogy as I loved everything else she has written. These three books are unrelated to her others, and that much is fine, just don't expect a continuation of those stories. I found the Soldier Son trilogy to be quite ponderous and very slow going. I suppose I would rate the books a little higher that two stars, but not quite three. They probably could have been edited down into one novel of much better quality.
jenmcgee's review against another edition
3.0
I find Hobb's books so frustrating--she creates amazing, interesting worlds, and then inevitably seems to make the main character such a clod that he's completely unable to appreciate them at all. The reader is left to seethe in annoyance as the protagonist seems to willfully refuse to do what's necessary to save things and treats things that are clearly valuable badly, all the while whining about his hard luck.
So far this series is no exception--Nevare stumbles from one dilemma to the next, managing to avoid doing anything helpful in any of the various directions he is torn. As usual, Hobb piles cruel indignity and suffering on his head, but somehow it doesn't make me like him any more, it just makes me wish for the book to be over.
In addition, this book was specifically uncomfortable for me. Nevare is cursed by magic to gain weight, and the first half of the book is basically a great deal of details about his growing fatter and fatter, the difficulties his weight gain brings him, his rejection by his family and his physical discomfort, his attempts to diet (with loving paragraph after paragraph about food, food, food and how good it is and how he needs to control himself and ration his portions while his body cries out for more) and exercise and hopeless despair as his body balloons out of control. It all felt...squeamishly intimate to me, and despite not having many more body weight issues than your average woman, it left me uncomfortable and self-conscious for quite a while each time I put it down. I suppose it was supposed to, in an attempt to make people think about the issues of being overweight, but...I'm pretty aware already that society is harsh to overweight people.
I'll finish the third book because I already bought it, but I'm pretty tired of the dynamic Hobbs has in her books where the main character is so unlikeable and yet all the brave, interesting, kind characters around him think he's the greatest thing ever.
So far this series is no exception--Nevare stumbles from one dilemma to the next, managing to avoid doing anything helpful in any of the various directions he is torn. As usual, Hobb piles cruel indignity and suffering on his head, but somehow it doesn't make me like him any more, it just makes me wish for the book to be over.
In addition, this book was specifically uncomfortable for me. Nevare is cursed by magic to gain weight, and the first half of the book is basically a great deal of details about his growing fatter and fatter, the difficulties his weight gain brings him, his rejection by his family and his physical discomfort, his attempts to diet (with loving paragraph after paragraph about food, food, food and how good it is and how he needs to control himself and ration his portions while his body cries out for more) and exercise and hopeless despair as his body balloons out of control. It all felt...squeamishly intimate to me, and despite not having many more body weight issues than your average woman, it left me uncomfortable and self-conscious for quite a while each time I put it down. I suppose it was supposed to, in an attempt to make people think about the issues of being overweight, but...I'm pretty aware already that society is harsh to overweight people.
I'll finish the third book because I already bought it, but I'm pretty tired of the dynamic Hobbs has in her books where the main character is so unlikeable and yet all the brave, interesting, kind characters around him think he's the greatest thing ever.