Robin Hobb: Renegade’s Magic

Hi

This is my review of Renegade’s Magic, the third and final part in The Soldier Son Trilogy.
The novel has 760 pages.
It took me over a year to start the final book because I disliked the second part so much.  You can find all my Robin Hobb reviews and reviews on The Soldier Son Trilogy here.

As you may know when you’re following my blog; I hated Forest Mage which is the second novel in this series.

Again, her writing style is great. I have absolutely no complaints there. It’s elegant, readable and full of details.
Her world-building is amazing, the characters (most of them cfr. later) are very thoroughly worked out, she includes lots of details and wonderful descriptions. I love that.
The narrative-within-a-narrative works very well. I was confused at the beginning, but once I got used to it, it’s very clear who’s talking.

The series is very unique and quite unlike anything I’ve read before. Which is good in this case.

Because this was so, so boring! The whole trilogy solely deals with Nevare (the most passive character ever) and not a lot really happens, the pace is slow as a snail and the story is so very depressing.
Most of the Speck-characters and both Nevare and Soldier’s Boy are very unlikeable. I don’t mind unlikable characters, but there was nothing redeemable about them. And I need something to be interested in an unlikable character.
The Specks are really one-dimensional, which is surprising for Hobb. I missed Spink and Epiny and the other characters that seem real and alive.
Nevare owes a death or a life to Orandula for saving a bird and this god wants a person instead? Completely ridiculous.
There’s no suspense before or after the battle. Like I said; BORING novel.

The ending was very predictable because of the hints and realizations we got long before the end. It’s too perfect after such a bleak novel. I really didn’t like the way everything ended so good and fairytale like. There are 2000 depressing pages full of bullying, complaining, hurt, insults and every other bad thing that can happen and in the end, everything is well. That just doesn’t work for me.

This was definitely a case of style over substance. Sadly, the length made it unredeemable even with her extraordinary writing ability.

I loved The Farseer Trilogy which I read before starting this blog. So now I’m torn. I’ve read a ton of good things about Hobb’s The Liveship Traders series so I can’t decide whether to try them or not.

See you later!
Helena

Robin Hobb: Forest Mage

Hi

Forest Mage is the second book in the Soldier Son Trilogy by Robin Hobb. I got my copy in the Fnac in Ghent. It’s 818 pages long and I didn’t enjoy most of them. I started this novel mid-June and I had to push myself to finish it.
A better title would be ‘Diary of a fat, depressed man’.

I can’t say a lot about the story because this is the second book in the series and I don’t want to spoil anything.
Nevare has survived The Speck Plague but is sent away from the Military Academy for being too fat. His body absorbs magic, thus making him gain weight. His relationships at home worsen and after a new wave of The Plague he has to leave home. He travels to the frontier, hoping to find a unit that will take him on.

I enjoyed Hobb's writing style. The characters are well thought out; they seem very real and have great depth and feeling. The world Hobb created is imaginative and magnificent, the cultures of the different peoples are rich and different. Hobb has an eye for detail and realism.

However ...
The entire novel is a compilation of insults and violence Nevare has to suffer due to his weight gain. Hobb just kept on piling insults, disasters and accidents on top of everything else that’s happening to Nevare. The novel left me feeling depressed, angry and frustrated every time I read a part.
In the first part of the trilogy Nevare was strong, had opinions, had confidence and bravado. Not anymore, now he is passive and weak.
Nothing really happens and it’s a very slow and boring read. Nevare’s battle with the Speck magic inside him and all around him becomes overly repetitive and rather boring. Hobb could have cut 300 pages easily.

1 star

Since it’s already on my shelf, I will read the third part in the trilogy, but it won’t be anytime soon.

Happy reading.
Helena