Robin Hobb and "City Of Dragons"

Today’s email contained a message I have been waiting some time for.

Robin Hobb’s third book in her Rain Wild Chronicle series will soon be released. I bought the first two but have been waiting until the rest come out before I begin reading. Based on previous experience I did not want to be hanging some time to see what happened. 

click picture to go to Amazon and buy the novel

My journey into the worlds created by Robin Hobb began June 2011. I was visiting my grandson and had forgotten to bring something to read. Although I have always loved to read I had foregone (with a few exceptions) any extensive novel reading. Having 4 little ones running around for several years prevented me the kind of immersion reading I enjoyed. They grew up, but so much time had gone by I had gotten out of that style of reading, then life happened and I never motivated myself into reading like I used to enjoy. But….. I always carried a little something, something… until that fateful trip.

But never fear my daughter-in-law was there. She pulled a book out of her extensive library that she thought would be right up my alley. I grimaced, a female fantasy writer. Nah, I don’t think so. They had so far failed to entice me fully into the worlds they create.

Although I have enjoyed reading Jean Auel and Diana Gabaldon novels. (the latter lost me though, when she started putting 4 years between novels. So much time went by I would have had to re-read everything to catch-up) 

Knowing that I enjoy sci-fi, suspense, thrillers (not horror), and some fantasy my daughter-in-law insisted I would like this book.

THAT was an understatement.

Robin Hobb has 5 trilogies and I read 4 of them between June and Dec.

The first trilogy I tackled was The Farseer trilogy.

The second trilogy was the LiveShip Traders trilogy.

The third trilogy was the Tawny Man trilogy.

The fourth trilogy was the Rain Wilds trilogy.

These four trilogies, although independent stories, are interwoven with commonalities.

The fifth trilogy stands apart, a different world, different characters; it is the Soldiers Son trilogy.

In 7 months I read those 12 books as well as “The Inheritance” which is a compilation of short stories written under Robin Hobb and her other pseudonym, Megan Lindholm.

The Inheritance was a revelation to me in the fact that I had never experienced reading such diverse works by the same person.

The examples in this book left me feeling that Megan writes in a two dimensional format and is crude while Robin is four dimensional, articulate and mesmerizing. 

I would never buy a Megan Lindholm novel.  Yet I own 5 of Robin Hobb's trilogies.

The only dampener of this latest release, City of Dragons, is that the Rain Wild Chronicles still has a final book in the series; due to be released next Feb, 2013. So my elation of this release is tempered. 

I will buy this latest though, set it aside with the other two and wait…

I had forgotten the exquisite pleasure of complete immersion into a good novel. Becoming part of their world, seeing, hearing, feeling, smelling all that goes on around me. The ability to travel to different times and worlds, meet so many people and cultures…

Until next spring though, I will be reduced to scouring for my next immersion fix.

Robin Hobb is truly a writer that can accomplish that.