Book Summary

Title: Dragon Haven
Author: Robin Hobb
Series: The Rain Wild Chronicles (Book 2)
UK Release Date: 4th March 2010
Recommended Prior Reading: The Dragon Keeper,  The Liveship Traders Trilogy, The Farseer Trilogy, The Tawny Man Trilogy

Background

Dragon Haven is the 2nd part of the Rain Wild Chronicles and concludes the journey of the “stunted” dragons to the former Elderling city of Kelsingra. Reading the first book is essential to understanding the plot as rather than being a typical sequel the two parts of the Rain Wild Chronicles were originally one book.

What did you think of it?

To be honest as with the first book I found it very disappointing and lackluster which is not what I have come to expect from Robin Hobb. This is not down to the book being split into 2 thought that does not help but this is not the most significant flaw of the book and there are plenty of them.

The first flaw is that I never felt that there was anything of world importance at stake but it was reliant on life and death on a small scale and sometimes just personal happiness, this was made worse from me as I didn’t really care all that much for the characters that much.

I also felt that the book and the series as a whole was one big missed opportunity since there were no answers given to longstanding questions from earlier books regarding the mythology of the world, and unlike the first book no cameo appearances from characters from earlier books set in the world. I also disliked the conclusion of the book and the fate of the “stunted dragons” as it seemed quite abrupt and trite.

Whats your Recommendation?

As with the first book best read by die hard Robin Hobb fans only and even then I would say wait for the paperback version to be released.

Your Rating

4/10

Thoughts on “Realm of the Elderlings” as a whole

Unlike some people I quite enjoyed the previous Soldier Son Trilogy despite it being set in a different world, and after this series I wish Robin Hobb had not gone back to “her roots” or had at least used established characters rather than new ones.

Best summed up as “a story that did not need to be told”