Robin Hobb: City of Dragons

Hi everyone

City of Dragons is the third book in Robin Hobb’s The Rain Wild Chronicles, and I picked up my copy from Bol.com. 

"The dragon keepers and fledgling dragons have discovered a route to the lost city of Kelsingra but there is one problem: they need to be able to fly to cross the treacherous waters and enter the fabled city. At first, only a few dragons are willing to try – the others are either too ashamed of their deformed wings and feeble muscles or too proud to risk failure and humiliation.
But the rewards waiting at Kelsingra for those brave enough to take to the air are worth more than they could possibly imagine. This was a city built for dragons and their keepers. Alise Finbok is overwhelmed by the treasures she finds there, and spends hours carefully uncovering wonder after wonder, recording her findings for posterity. She knows the knowledge will change everything the world thought about dragons and the Elderlings.
Yet rumours of the city’s discovery have floated down the Rain Wild River and reached envious ears in Bingtown and beyond. Adventurers, pirates and fortune hunters are coming in droves to pillage what they can from the city. Will the dragons, only just finding their strength, and their keepers, who are changing in their own mysterious ways, be able to fend them off?
And what has happened to Tintaglia, the dragon-mother who started it all? Has she really abandoned her offspring forever? Or will she too return to seek the riches of Kelsingra…" 

After the slow build of the first two books, I was eager to see where this story would take me, and I came away with very mixed feelings. 

Robin Hobb’s writing is as engaging as ever; her prose flows beautifully, and this series, in particular, feels lighter and easier to read than some of her earlier works. The pacing is much improved here, too. We get more points of view, not just from the keepers and dragons on their journey to Kelsingra, but also from Malta, Reyn, and Selden, whose return I loved. Even Hest’s and the Duke of Chalced's POV added depth and tension, making the story feel more nuanced and driving the plot forward. Thankfully, there’s less focus on the sex-crazed teenagers this time, which helped the plot immensely.
The worldbuilding is where this book truly shines. Finally getting to explore Kelsingra was a highlight, it’s rich with potential, and I can’t wait to see more of its magic, history, and secrets uncovered. Discovering the Elderlings’ legacy alongside the characters was fascinating, and Alise’s awe and curiosity made the city feel alive and mysterious.

While the writing and worldbuilding are strong, the overall story still feels weaker compared to Hobb’s earlier series. There’s less happening than I’d hoped, and the keepers’ arcs continues to read like YA. Their obsession with sex, while less prominent than in previous books, still felt aggravating and unnecessary. The stakes feel lower, and the conflicts lack the depth and emotional weight I’ve come to expect from Hobb. I wanted more political intrigue, more emotional weight, more high-stakes drama.

City of Dragons is a step up from the previous books in the series, thanks to its improved pacing, expanded POVs, and stunning worldbuilding. But it doesn’t quite reach the heights of Hobb’s best work plotwise. 

Have you read City of Dragons? Did you love the exploration of Kelsingra as much as I did? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Happy reading!
Helena