Dragon Haven (The Rain Wild Chronicles, Book 2)

I've been a fan of science -fiction fantasy since I was 20 years old. That was 50 years ago when I first read The Hobbit and then The Lord of the Rings. I read them straight through, barely pausing to eat and sleep. Since then, I've had the pleasure of reading many of the best sci-fi authors including some of best. I won't bother the reader with a list of the authors I think are the best, but I would without hesitation, include Robin Hobb. Robin has an incredible gift for creating characters with amazing reality. Her sensitivity to those characters and the lives they lead makes them jump off the page. I feel touched by the way they deal with the issues they face and moved by their depth. Robin's ability to paint all kinds of people with very real issues allows them to jump off the page. Generating an entirely different yet just as plausible set of experiences and problems for dragons is a stunning accomplishment. The first two volumes of the Rain Wild Chronicles causes to wait impatiently for the next volume. Thank you for the incredibly entertaining experience Robin.

My mother made sure we always had some kind of dessert or sweets to snack on. At the same time, with two teenage boys in the house, she got a little upset if an afternoon of baking disappeared in under an hour. I finished Dragon Keeper yesterday morning. While it wasn't as good as Hobb's best, I liked it. And when I found two sequels on sale for a few dollars apiece, I picked them up immediately. Now, less than 24 hours later, I've finished Dragon Haven. My mother would be appalled, but it tells you something about the book. I did some other reading yesterday (as well as actually rising from the sofa for a good part of the day), but it's fair to say that reading this book was a major focus. The story is not perfect, but it's very readable. Unlike most of Hobb's trilogies, not a lot has actually happened in the two books. Mostly, it's dragons and their keepers sloshing up the Rain Wilds rivers. The story is about the personal interactions, and the development of both the humans and the dragons. It may that latter that makes this second book read a bit like a young adult novel - most of the characters are relatively immature, and the emotional turbulence they face is largely of the coming of age sort. With dragons. It may also be the reason that Dragon Haven succeeds better than Dragon Keeper. My complaint there was that it was disheartening to see struggles about sexuality that we've resolved (to some extent, in some place) in real life. The struggles in this book are also not new, but some are things that will never go away so long as young people keep growing into older people. There are others as well (efforts at male dominance over females) that are disappointing to the idealist in me, but that didn't trouble me as much narratively, perhaps because the story is also about an isolated group establishing new rules. Mostly, the story is an engaging adventure story with lots of personal interaction to absorb, and quite a few moral dilemmas to consider. The weakest part of the story is the dragons themselves, in some ways. I give Hobb credit for making the individuals, and not always very pleasant ones. But she comes very close at times to the stereotype of 'dragons as wise, ancient creatures who know all'. Or rather, since the dragons clearly aren't to humans treating them as if they were - living only to serve these beautiful creatures. It's not quite that clear-cut, and some humans do stand up to the dragons, but not as much as I want them to. It's an ongoing frustration, and Hobb's explanations don't go far enough for my taste. This book also wraps a few things up a little too neatly. There's conflict and drama, but also a bit of ex machina that I think could have been handled better. At the same time, I did read the book in one day, and I'm going on to the next later today. All in all, a solid fantasy book with an intriguing, enjoyable story, and well worth reading.

After reading a few reviews and watching some booktube, I was prepared for the Rain Wilds Chronicles to be less satisfying than the previous three Realm of the Elderlings trilogies. The gist was if I could get through the first two books it finally gets going in the third. Whatever. I have loved the first two and cannot wait to move on to the next book! Robin Hobb is such a talented writer that once again my TBR schedule must be shifted as I have to get back to the Rain Wilds as soon as possible.

I have not read any other books by this author. I read these despite all the naysayers. I loved these books. I of course am pretty partial to dragon books but some are far better than others. This author's descriptions and character build up are wonderful. Robin Hobb really can write well. You feel like you are there with the people and the dragons. I am not sure why other fans don't like these books...they are great. Well written, descriptive of characters, communities, attitudes, life's dramas and people (and dragons) getting caught up in events beyond their control. The only thing I did not care for were the main characters wings and the fact that her happy go lucky friend was so caught up in another person's memories. More dragon stories please! And I am glad about what happened to that trader...jerk! He deserved it!

If you, as you probably are for considering this book, are overly familiar with this particular universe created by Lindholm/Hobb it should hold few suprises. Yet it is the comfortable and competent storytelling of this writer that keeps you coming back for more.. The familiar style of Hobb along with the old appealing idea of encounters with fallen and forgotten civilazations accompanied by dragons is a nice and cozy mix. I miss a bit of further exploration into the world in itself, but that would have to come at the expense of the many dramatic encounters between the characters introduced in the first book, so I'll let that one slide. One positive aspect of this book is that it describes the love and romantics so familiar in the fantasy genere, but takes it in the suprisingly unexplored (unexplored in the world of fantasy) of homosexuality and gay love. the fact that parts of the plot rests heavily on the complications of the familiar stigma around open homosexuality makes the motivation behind certain characters actions far more belivable. It should be mentioned that one internet postingmade by Hobb some time ago described this two- volumed story as a single stand-alone. which would have made for a better read as you somewhat get the feeling that the two books is actually a single larger one who has had an unfortunate encounter with a meat-cleaver. I wouldn't recomend reading this book unless you are atleast familiar with the liveship trilogy as there are several names, locations and concepts that aren't as richly described as a new reader could wish for. Then again some might actually find great pleasure at the hints of the numerous other stories, but I guess that most readers won't. If you love Hobb and need a untroublesome re-fill this is what you should read. If you want yet another deeper look into this particular world and enjoy suprising twists to the plot, you'll need to wait for the possibility of future books. This review is quite uncompetently written. I partly blame the fact that it was written on my Kindle.

This is one of the most original series I've read. Vol. 1 was different, interesting, and unique. Now Vol. 2 had me totally hooked. I have to know what happens. the characters are real and fascinating, and the dragons. Can a dragon be a spoiled rotten diva? I'm a total sci-fi/fantasy fan and I've read a lot of so-so books. This is not one of them. This is the real deal. Great original story, great characters, a world so different and yet so believable - and dragons. What more can a true fan want. Can't wait to start the next book. Jan Addington

3.5 stars This book was much stronger to me than the first, which I almost didn't get into. I had, and still have, a real eversion to the opening chapter dialog of the 'odd' year and day, from where it comes and that entire first page of names. The inclusion of the pigeon carrier correspondence was fine and a fun side story..but the over produced version of speech to suggest the date and year just bugged me every single time..I actually passed over this. I also had a real hard time with the names in the beginning. I don't like to have to stop every time to figure out how a name is pronounced...or when they are so over the top attempting to be different and fantasy driven. However, as the story unfolded for me I got use to this, so I did continue with the first book and was pleased enough in the story to move on to the second. I'm attached to the lead characters and found the path the story took interesting and compelling. I'm more than a little creeped out by Thymara's physical transformation... will see how that plays out. Still found some mis-spelled words and 'wrong' words in fact...like she said serpents where dragons should have been..it really confused me for a bit until I realized this. Considering this is someone who has many books out there, and is apparently a successful author, I really don't understand the lack of editing. The first book was worse in that regard...way worse. I've never read a book with male lovers, so that's interesting and not too over stated for me. And the continuing relationship of Alise to herself and the men in her life is a captivating read. All in all the series is picking up for me. Just began the third book, so we'll see where it all lands soon enough.

I didn't enjoy these as much as her other writing, but they were still more enjoyable than most writers. They were decent, but not my favorite. I did NOT receive this product free or at a discount in exchange for a review. This is the reason there may be a "Verified Purchase" label on this review. I have no obligation to leave a positive review and do my best to give feedback that will be valuable to anyone considering purchasing this product. I was neither paid nor sponsored for my opinions and all thoughts reflected in this review are solely my own. I personally rely heavily on product reviews to determine which products I buy. Because I know the importance of honest reviews, I give my opinion based solely on my personal experiences with the product. My aim is to highlight features and drawbacks that I would want to know about as a buyer, not hype the product for the manufacturer. If you found any part of my review helpful, please make sure to vote "YES" in response to whether my review was helpful.