Forest Mage

[Rahl Windsong]

The second book is out already? My god I can see why George RR Martin said he was jealous of the speed with which Hobb can write.

Quote: "GOLDEN FOOL by Robin Hobb (Bantam Spectra, 2003). I'm a big Robin Hobb fan, as I've confessed before. I think she's doing some of the best stuff in contemporary fantasy... and I'm bloody envious of how fast she writes. GOLDEN FOOL is the second volume in her current "Tawny Man" trilogy. It picks up right where FOOL'S ERRAND left off and never looks back. This one also brings some Bingtown Traders to the Six Duchies, tying Hobb's two previous trilogies (the "Assassin" and "Liveship" series) together in some interesting ways. As ever, it's a page turner, well crafted and full of vivid writing and finely-drawn characters. I'm already looking forward to the next one."

Rahl

 

[dwndrgn]

I think I agree with most of the posts here, it's not that she isn't a good writer - she definitely is. Her charaterization and worldbuilding are wonderful. However, I found that Forest Mage was definitely overdone in many aspects. Nevare's misfortunes seemed to have been repeated over and over. I can understand a bit of repetitiveness to get the point accross that he has no ability to correct his situation himself, and the emotional tolls that took on him. However, it seemed that she really wanted to hammer it in the readers' heads - his situation is hopeless. Nothing he can do will change that. *spoiler* I really liked her use of large size as his 'trial' it isn't something you see often and it is refreshing to be able to see things in a differnent way - she definitely had to think about what the drawbacks of being large would be. But the further along in the book I got, the more it felt as if it was something more personal to her instead of just a fantasy story.

I was also a bit disappointed with the ending - it was almost as if she had run out of ideas and wanted it to be over.

I will probably continue reading because the underlying bits of the story (progress as all important, how small changes can be devastating and as Gallagher would say 'looking at the world with new eyes'.) are interesting and I do want to see how it all ends up.

Someone else mentioned the nobility and the clashes between the 'new' and the 'old' as being unimportant to the story as a whole. Truly I think it is part of the worldbuilding and a foreshadowing of what may come. When people who live and think differently get thrown together, there is always going to be some conflict. I felt that she showed that pretty well, how eventually, people are just people and when they realize that their lives can be enriched.

Anyway, those are my two cents...

 

[Somebloke]

Keep in mind that Hobb tends to really, really get a lot of mileage out of the saying, "it's always darkest before dawn." She tends to put her characters through hell before we see a happy ending; I personally harbor no doubts that we will see Nevare well and safe by the time the final curtain draws.

 

[SpaceShip]

Picked this up off the shelf a couple of times but something has made me put it back - so not wanted to purchase it yet. Which is a shame because I've read all her other stuff. So, the above comments haven't helped. Still think I'll leave it for a while (unless I see it for a knocked-down price in a second hand shop - and from the above, I reckon it'll be a book no-one will want to keep for a second read and thus sent to the nearest charity shop).

 

[Faceless Woman]

I got Forest Mage just because it was Hobb, but I've been thoroughly disappointed. I don't even know where I put it, I care that little. Nevare was a brat. I disliked him. Ok, so Fitz was a brat too, but at least he had Nighteyes, and his sense of right and wrong was based on people, not 'honour' like what little I bothered to see of Nevare and his b*stard family. The bit with the gypsy girl made me so angry. I got the feeling that this would change, but I can't be bothered to read that far in, and what I'm seeing here is not encouraging me.

 

[Rahl Windsong]

I will probably get this book but from what has been said in this thread I think I will be waiting until its out in soft cover edition.

 

[Talysia]

I've been a fan of Hobbs' for a while now, but I can't quite get into Forest Mage the way I did with the Liveship Traders series. I think I'll wait until I see it in the library, and maybe by then I'll be able to give it a proper chance.

 

[nettle]

This book wasn t realy bad
I think it was actually quit good

 

[Dodobird]

Hello everyone,

I typed out quite a post, and then it got torn to bits because I stuck a smilie thing into it.

I really enoyed the book, and it was the first (well second count shaman's crossing) that I've read of Hobb, and was quite delighted.

Can anyone tell me who the woman depicted on the cover is? I thought it may be tree woman, but Tree Woman is old and fat as I remember it. Just a bit of curiosity. If anyone knows please do share.

-Dodo