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Available
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Publication
Harper Voyager (2012), 400 pages
Description
Fantasy. Fiction. HTML: New York Times bestselling author Robin Hobb returns to world of the Rain Wilds�??called "one of the most gripping settings in modern fantasy" (Booklist)�??in City of Dragons. Continuing the enthralling journey she began in her acclaimed Dragon Keeper and Dragon Haven, Hobb rejoins a small group of weak, half-formed and unwanted dragons and their displaced human companions as they search for a legendary sanctuary. Now, as the misfit band approaches its final destination, dragons and keepers alike face a challenge so insurmountable that it threatens to render their long, difficult odyssey utterly meaningless. Touching, powerful, and dazzlingly inventive, Hobb's City of Dragons is not to be missed�??further proof that this author belongs alongside Raymond E. Feist, Terry Brooks, and Lois McMaster Bujold in the pantheon of fantasy fiction's true gre… (more)
Media reviews
The third book in the Rain Wilds Chronicles is a leisurely journey to nowhere, but its well-drawn characters and intriguing setting make it worth the trip.
User reviews
LibraryThing member Larou
I have been a fan of Robin Hobb’s work ever since first reading Assassin’s Apprentice. I loved the beauty of her writing, the depth of her characterisation and that she avoided the beaten paths of most Epic Fantasy novels and took the genre into new directions, where she did lots of exciting
Viewed in this light, I think that the work she embarked on next, The Rain Wilds Chronicles, marks a step backwards in her development as a writer – not because in it she returns to the world of her earlier novels (which I’m enough of a fan to rather welcome – I admit to some curiosity as to how the fate of that world, of Tintaglia and the other dragons as well as of the humans whose life was touched by them, continues) but because she returns to familar narrative territory, one of the most archetypal there is, i.e. the journey upriver that is also a journey of self-discovery for the people undertaking it.
Which is of course still a very far cry from “Peasant son discovers he has amazing powers and sets forth to save the day and win the kingdom”, and this is still very much Robin Hobb, so while I was a mite disappointed I still very much enjoyed the first two volumes of the Rain Wilds Chronicles. Back when their release was first announced, the news was that Dragon Keeper and Dragon Haven were the two parts of a standalone novel that had to be cut in half due to its length, and while those concluded somewhat open-ended, they did not cry out for a direct sequel, and it was easy to imagine the loose threads being taken up from another tangent, as part of someone else’s story.
So I was a bit surprised to read that there was going to be a third volume, but being a Robin Hobb fan I of course immediately pre-ordered the hardcover, and even read it right away, making this my first new release in 2012. Unfortunately, I have to say that this is the first book by Robin Hobb I’m feeling rather ho-hum about. Apparently, it is again the first half of something that was cut in two, and seemingly cut in the wrong place, too – the last few chapters of City of Dragons not only almost completely lose sight of all the people the novel had been following so far, it not only introduces new point of view characters that get dropped again immediately due to the novel ending, but to top things off it has a lenghty recap of events in Dragon Keeper and Dragon Haven about eighty pages before the end of this volume that would have been okay at the start of the second installment but is completely out of place coming at the end of the first one as it is. This is some really sloppy structuring/editing and definitely not what I’m used to from Robin Hobb.
While the general plot is brought slightly forward, it reads mostly like the positioning of pieces that has become so tediously familiar in much long-running fantasy series, and – more unusual for Robin Hobb – the characters do not seem to develop much over the course of this novel either. And a final niggle – as much as I admire Robin Hobb’s skills as a writer, she just can’t seem to do villains well. Prince Regal in the Farseer trilogy was of the worst melodramatic moustache-twirling kind, and was the only thing seriously marring what was otherwise a truly excellent work. Thankfully, she has avoided the “evil just for the sake of being evil, mwuahaha” kind of bad guy since then… up to City of Dragons, that is, where she presents us with not just one, but two members of the species in the book’s final quarter. The Duke of Chalced might maybe have a tiny bit more motivation than the merely evil-for-evil’s-sake Hest, but not by much and it’s all rather flimsy and conventional.
Having said all this, this is still a novel by Robin Hobb, and while I personally consider it her weakest yet, it still maintains a high level of artistry that not many writing in the Fantasy genre achieve even in their best moments. The writing is impeccably beautiful, bringing the fetid jungles of the Rain Wilds and the decayed grandeur of Kelsingra to vivid life in the reader’s imagination. Also, it is just nice to find out what happened to everyone, not just from the previous two novels, but we also meet again characters from as far back as The Liveship Traders. And, of course, it has dragons – nobody, really nobody writes dragons the way Robin Hobb does…
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things with it. And I think she only got better with every work she published, up to her Soldier Son trilogy which I loved even though many of her fans did not, most likely because it blithely ignores pretty much every Fantasy convention there is, and whittles down the exterior plot to the bare minimum while using the freed-up space for character exploration and breathtakingly beautiful nature descriptions – those, at least, are the reason why that trilogy is my favourite among her works.Viewed in this light, I think that the work she embarked on next, The Rain Wilds Chronicles, marks a step backwards in her development as a writer – not because in it she returns to the world of her earlier novels (which I’m enough of a fan to rather welcome – I admit to some curiosity as to how the fate of that world, of Tintaglia and the other dragons as well as of the humans whose life was touched by them, continues) but because she returns to familar narrative territory, one of the most archetypal there is, i.e. the journey upriver that is also a journey of self-discovery for the people undertaking it.
Which is of course still a very far cry from “Peasant son discovers he has amazing powers and sets forth to save the day and win the kingdom”, and this is still very much Robin Hobb, so while I was a mite disappointed I still very much enjoyed the first two volumes of the Rain Wilds Chronicles. Back when their release was first announced, the news was that Dragon Keeper and Dragon Haven were the two parts of a standalone novel that had to be cut in half due to its length, and while those concluded somewhat open-ended, they did not cry out for a direct sequel, and it was easy to imagine the loose threads being taken up from another tangent, as part of someone else’s story.
So I was a bit surprised to read that there was going to be a third volume, but being a Robin Hobb fan I of course immediately pre-ordered the hardcover, and even read it right away, making this my first new release in 2012. Unfortunately, I have to say that this is the first book by Robin Hobb I’m feeling rather ho-hum about. Apparently, it is again the first half of something that was cut in two, and seemingly cut in the wrong place, too – the last few chapters of City of Dragons not only almost completely lose sight of all the people the novel had been following so far, it not only introduces new point of view characters that get dropped again immediately due to the novel ending, but to top things off it has a lenghty recap of events in Dragon Keeper and Dragon Haven about eighty pages before the end of this volume that would have been okay at the start of the second installment but is completely out of place coming at the end of the first one as it is. This is some really sloppy structuring/editing and definitely not what I’m used to from Robin Hobb.
While the general plot is brought slightly forward, it reads mostly like the positioning of pieces that has become so tediously familiar in much long-running fantasy series, and – more unusual for Robin Hobb – the characters do not seem to develop much over the course of this novel either. And a final niggle – as much as I admire Robin Hobb’s skills as a writer, she just can’t seem to do villains well. Prince Regal in the Farseer trilogy was of the worst melodramatic moustache-twirling kind, and was the only thing seriously marring what was otherwise a truly excellent work. Thankfully, she has avoided the “evil just for the sake of being evil, mwuahaha” kind of bad guy since then… up to City of Dragons, that is, where she presents us with not just one, but two members of the species in the book’s final quarter. The Duke of Chalced might maybe have a tiny bit more motivation than the merely evil-for-evil’s-sake Hest, but not by much and it’s all rather flimsy and conventional.
Having said all this, this is still a novel by Robin Hobb, and while I personally consider it her weakest yet, it still maintains a high level of artistry that not many writing in the Fantasy genre achieve even in their best moments. The writing is impeccably beautiful, bringing the fetid jungles of the Rain Wilds and the decayed grandeur of Kelsingra to vivid life in the reader’s imagination. Also, it is just nice to find out what happened to everyone, not just from the previous two novels, but we also meet again characters from as far back as The Liveship Traders. And, of course, it has dragons – nobody, really nobody writes dragons the way Robin Hobb does…
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LibraryThing member FremdeB
City of Dragons deserves way more than 5 stars. This is a great series by Robin Hobb..you should definitely read her books!
LibraryThing member Narilka
After a long, hard journey, Kelsingra is within sight. Separated from their goal by a raging river that's too wide, too deep and too swiftly moving for the Tarman to safely cross, the dragons and their keepers make camp on the far shore as best they can. There is only one for everyone to reach the
City of Dragons is the third in the Rain Wilds Chronicles by Robin Hobb. I'm starting to see a pattern. Just as book one was the set up for book two, book three also feels like a setup for book four. Page time is split between the dragons and their keepers and catching us up on players in the rest of the world: Hest, Malta, Reyn, Seldin and the Duke of Chalced. This change put me off the story somewhat and slowed down my reading pace dramatically. Given the level of character building I expect from Robin Hobb the fact that this book clocks in at just under 400 pages is not much space for her to work with and I found the backgrounds for Hest and the Duke to be on the disappointing side. Yes the Duke is evil and we already knew Hest was a selfish ass based on mentions from Alise and Sedrec but we never really deep dive into their characters the way we did for the others. Malta, Reyn and Seldin are all characters we've known from the Liveship books so it was nice to see them again, if briefly. The chapters for the dragons and keepers I found myself devouring. Their story is what I'm most interested in and the parts we were given did not disappoint.
There is no big climax or any sort of resolution to the story. The plot plods along. There are new threats to the keepers, their dragons and the city but none of it feels particularly urgent. Perhaps that's what this book was missing for me. It was still well written and an interesting read, just needed that little extra something that I missed from the last book.
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city: the dragons must learn to fly. Meanwhile, Captain Leftrin returns downriver to report on the expeditions success and stock up on much needed supplies. Rumors of the city's discovery traveled ahead of the ship. There is much speculation as to what treasures await to be uncovered in Kelsingra and how much profit can be made. In Chalced, the Duke's illness progresses and he grows more desperate for a cure. It is believed that dragon blood is what the Duke needs and he will stop at nothing to get it.City of Dragons is the third in the Rain Wilds Chronicles by Robin Hobb. I'm starting to see a pattern. Just as book one was the set up for book two, book three also feels like a setup for book four. Page time is split between the dragons and their keepers and catching us up on players in the rest of the world: Hest, Malta, Reyn, Seldin and the Duke of Chalced. This change put me off the story somewhat and slowed down my reading pace dramatically. Given the level of character building I expect from Robin Hobb the fact that this book clocks in at just under 400 pages is not much space for her to work with and I found the backgrounds for Hest and the Duke to be on the disappointing side. Yes the Duke is evil and we already knew Hest was a selfish ass based on mentions from Alise and Sedrec but we never really deep dive into their characters the way we did for the others. Malta, Reyn and Seldin are all characters we've known from the Liveship books so it was nice to see them again, if briefly. The chapters for the dragons and keepers I found myself devouring. Their story is what I'm most interested in and the parts we were given did not disappoint.
There is no big climax or any sort of resolution to the story. The plot plods along. There are new threats to the keepers, their dragons and the city but none of it feels particularly urgent. Perhaps that's what this book was missing for me. It was still well written and an interesting read, just needed that little extra something that I missed from the last book.
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LibraryThing member salimbol
While I'm enjoying the characters and the overall themes as much as ever, this book feels more than a bit piecemeal: we touch down with characters and their stories in a fairly scattershot and sometimes repetitious manner, not enough happens overall to give it as much coherence as it should have,
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and like the previous volume, the point where this book finishes feels almost arbitrary. While it's obvious that this is part of a larger whole, I do think that middle volumes should be able to stand on their own more than this one actually does. Nevertheless, 'City of Dragons' has the same solidity and intelligence that grace all of Hobbs' books, and there's some great material in here, particularly about various societies in flux. It will be interesting to be able appraise this series as a whole when the next (and presumably final?) volume comes out next year! Show Less
LibraryThing member eitan.hess
First, I'd like to clarify that I'm a big fan of Hobb's writing. And, until that book I was a big fan of Hobb's publisher. I admire consistency and the ability to control one's greed - rare traits with fantasy publishers.
Until now, all of Hobb's Six Duchies/Bingtown/Rain Wild books were neatly
But here come the Rain Wild Chronicles' 3rd book - one would expect closure, no matter how many pages it's going to take. Did one get closure? Not even slightly! The book basically stops in mid-step. Some people (relatives of the publisher) might say it's to build up suspense... I'd say: Sheer greed. I find that greedy way of doing business rather despicable. Yes, I'm going to buy the 4th book when it comes out, but here's a big thumbs down for the publisher.
5 stars for Hobb's writing, one for the greedy publisher.
Until now, all of Hobb's Six Duchies/Bingtown/Rain Wild books were neatly
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arranged in trilogies. Not too short, not too stretched (Wheel of time, anybody?).But here come the Rain Wild Chronicles' 3rd book - one would expect closure, no matter how many pages it's going to take. Did one get closure? Not even slightly! The book basically stops in mid-step. Some people (relatives of the publisher) might say it's to build up suspense... I'd say: Sheer greed. I find that greedy way of doing business rather despicable. Yes, I'm going to buy the 4th book when it comes out, but here's a big thumbs down for the publisher.
5 stars for Hobb's writing, one for the greedy publisher.
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LibraryThing member randalrh
OK so I cheated and read some other reviews until I found this term: "transition piece". Oh, yes, what a piece of transition this is--if you don't have much time to read, try to find a five-page synopsis of this book and move on to the next.
LibraryThing member Unreachableshelf
I was surprised to find out this book existed because the first two volumes of the Rain Wilds Chronicles stood very well on their own, and because when they were first being published they were described as one big book cut in half because of the size. However, Robin Hobb thoroughly justifies this
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book's existence, engrossingly continuing and expanding the story. I am looking forward to the fourth book. Show Less
LibraryThing member JeremyPreacher
City of Dragons is where the series really starts to pick up, in a bunch of ways. The adventurers have found the city they have been searching for, but making any use of it will require everyone to change and grow (sometimes literally.) Meanwhile, back home, news of the expedition is making waves -
There are a lot of threads here that are interesting, or look to be leading to a real dramatic showdown at the end - some of which I am dreading, like the confrontation between Mr. Megalomaniac and his barely-recovered abuse victims. But the next book should really have a ton of payoff.
(I was more than a little annoyed when I realized this was book 3 of at least 4, not the end of a trilogy, but that's entirely my fault.)
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waves that might turn into a tsunami, if you forgive the metaphor. And we finally get a glimpse of where Tintaglia has run off to!There are a lot of threads here that are interesting, or look to be leading to a real dramatic showdown at the end - some of which I am dreading, like the confrontation between Mr. Megalomaniac and his barely-recovered abuse victims. But the next book should really have a ton of payoff.
(I was more than a little annoyed when I realized this was book 3 of at least 4, not the end of a trilogy, but that's entirely my fault.)
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LibraryThing member LemurKat
Good, but ultimately disatisfactory. I was hoping for an ending, or at the very least, anything conclusive. Now I am left hanging until the next book! Why could this not be a trilogy like all your other books, Hobb?
LibraryThing member Vinbert
I've read a lot of complaints about this series, but I think its ok. Is it groundbreaking? In a word, no. However, it is an enjoyable, fun read, and sometimes thats what its all about.
LibraryThing member stefferoo
This is the third book of Robin Hobb's Rain Wild Chronicles series and unfortunately also my least favorite installment so far. That's not to say I didn't like it, but I'm also sensing a definite slowdown compared to the first couple of novels.
The book picks up from where we last left our group of
And so, we watch as the characters spend much of their time in the book doing...not much of anything. About a quarter of the book blows by before I felt the story picking up, like something interesting was actually happening. It was definitely a slow start, lots of setting up and reintroductions to characters and past events to get the reader up to speed.
I'm notoriously forgetful of things that happened in previous books in a series (especially if it's been a while) so normally I would appreciate it when the author throws in the casual reminder here or there. But that left the remainder three-quarters of this book to blow me away, and honestly, it just didn't. I still enjoyed it, nonetheless...but the truth is I would have enjoyed it even more if it didn't feel so much like a "transition book", i.e. filler.
There were some high points, of course. I liked that we finally got to see more of Hest and his perspective, despite the fact that he's a scumbag of a human being, but it was a nice change from our constant focus on the river and the dragons. And let's face it, sometimes it's the scumbags' perspectives that are the most interesting to read about! There were also large sections featuring Reyn and Malta who are starting to get more attention in this series, though I think I would have been more excited about that if I'd read some of the previous books in Hobb's Realm of the Elderlings universe in which they also appear.
There continues to be interesting and dynamic developments in the relationships between the characters. Couples are pairing off, people are sleeping around, jealousy abounds, etc. etc. etc. More secrets are uncovered about Elderlings and Kelsingra. The dragons and their keepers are all growing and moving forward as characters go. All that's great, because it means there's still a point to this novel. But still, I can't help but feel that the book lacks a certain direction.
And the ending! I'm not sure what to make of that. Let me go on the record to say that I think Robin Hobb is a great writer and that I love her style, but there really doesn't seem to be much logic when it comes to where and how she ends her books. This one was abrupt, but not not exactly a cliffhanger. It makes me wonder if this book and the fourth and final book in the series were meant to be read as one, but then split into two for whatever reason. That could also explain its relatively short length. In any case, I did not expect the book to end this way, limply dangling in the breeze like that.
Regardless, I have one more book to go in this Rain Wild Chronicles series and I'm looking forward to see how it all ends.
The book picks up from where we last left our group of
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dragons, their keepers and their crew. After overcoming the treacherous dangers of the Rain Wild River, the expedition has finally found the legendary Elderling city of Kelsingra. And yet, due to the eruptions and bad flooding, the city can only be reached by flying -- a problem, as despite growing bigger and stronger since the start of their journey, many of the dragons' wings are still stunted, deformed and non-functioning. So close and yet so far!And so, we watch as the characters spend much of their time in the book doing...not much of anything. About a quarter of the book blows by before I felt the story picking up, like something interesting was actually happening. It was definitely a slow start, lots of setting up and reintroductions to characters and past events to get the reader up to speed.
I'm notoriously forgetful of things that happened in previous books in a series (especially if it's been a while) so normally I would appreciate it when the author throws in the casual reminder here or there. But that left the remainder three-quarters of this book to blow me away, and honestly, it just didn't. I still enjoyed it, nonetheless...but the truth is I would have enjoyed it even more if it didn't feel so much like a "transition book", i.e. filler.
There were some high points, of course. I liked that we finally got to see more of Hest and his perspective, despite the fact that he's a scumbag of a human being, but it was a nice change from our constant focus on the river and the dragons. And let's face it, sometimes it's the scumbags' perspectives that are the most interesting to read about! There were also large sections featuring Reyn and Malta who are starting to get more attention in this series, though I think I would have been more excited about that if I'd read some of the previous books in Hobb's Realm of the Elderlings universe in which they also appear.
There continues to be interesting and dynamic developments in the relationships between the characters. Couples are pairing off, people are sleeping around, jealousy abounds, etc. etc. etc. More secrets are uncovered about Elderlings and Kelsingra. The dragons and their keepers are all growing and moving forward as characters go. All that's great, because it means there's still a point to this novel. But still, I can't help but feel that the book lacks a certain direction.
And the ending! I'm not sure what to make of that. Let me go on the record to say that I think Robin Hobb is a great writer and that I love her style, but there really doesn't seem to be much logic when it comes to where and how she ends her books. This one was abrupt, but not not exactly a cliffhanger. It makes me wonder if this book and the fourth and final book in the series were meant to be read as one, but then split into two for whatever reason. That could also explain its relatively short length. In any case, I did not expect the book to end this way, limply dangling in the breeze like that.
Regardless, I have one more book to go in this Rain Wild Chronicles series and I'm looking forward to see how it all ends.
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LibraryThing member Vinbert
I've read a lot of complaints about this series, but I think its ok. Is it groundbreaking? In a word, no. However, it is an enjoyable, fun read, and sometimes thats what its all about.
LibraryThing member Mecaza
Just finished this third book in the dragon keeper series and dying for the next one. Kept me awake most of the night - so exciting.. I was so happy that we have some good news but also some terrifying happenings in this one!! Just hope the person who has book four booked out returns it to the
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library soon! Thanks again, Robin Hobb, for many great hours of entertainment :) Show Less
LibraryThing member Spurts
Buyer beware -- not one to start unless you can afford the all-night read sleep deprivation. This 3rd book is the best of series so far; moved quickly, engrossing and ... *gasp* ... approached Farseer levels! Surely not the last in the series although like other books not exactly a cliffhanger
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ending, just that you know there's a start to another adventure. Very action packed, well paced throughout and reader is just drawn more and more into the characters, including the dragons, who all do develop in very well written ways (one fault I found with earlier books in series is that the story arc built slowly in the beginning with all the really good stuff starting up at the last portion of the books). Show Less
LibraryThing member elenaj
This one has too much of a meandering middle-book feel - plenty of developments, some more interesting than others, but no conclusions, and a good bit of repetition. I hope the fourth book (due to come out in April 2013) has more plot, and less fewer inner monologues.
LibraryThing member majkia
Excellent as usual. The City of Dragons is found in ruins. But, will it awake for the dragons? Meanwhile, once they learn of it, the traders will hurry to pull it to pieces to sell off everything. How to stop them...
Hobb is so very good at mixing plot lines and creating such complex characters.
Hobb is so very good at mixing plot lines and creating such complex characters.
LibraryThing member renbedell
The third installment of the Rain Wild Chronicles, continues where the last book left it. Overall, this book didn't need to happen. It is completely a set-up book, which has some character development and a little bit of worldbuilding. The book is slower and very little interesting moments. I still
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enjoyed the book since I have gotten to know the characters. I'm looking forward to the last book in the series. Show Less
LibraryThing member jazzbird61
It would have gotten 4 stars if the story didn't just stop in the middle. Ms. Hobb has disappointed me a bit with that so if you haven't started, I would wait until the next book(s) have been published. I'm now irritated that I didn't wait until the Kindle book price drop because it was
But as always the writing was excellent and the story-telling up to her usual superior standard. I look forward to the next book, but will have this review to remind me to wait until I know if there is another cliff-hanger ending.
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ridiculously expensive for 1/2 a story.But as always the writing was excellent and the story-telling up to her usual superior standard. I look forward to the next book, but will have this review to remind me to wait until I know if there is another cliff-hanger ending.
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Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2012-02-07
Physical description
400 p.; 6.38 inches
ISBN
0007273800 / 9780007273805
Local notes
Because of the swollen waters of the Rain Wild River, the lost city can be reached only by flight—a test of endurance and skill beyond the stunted dragons’ strength. Venturing across the swift-running river in tiny boats, the dragon scholar Alise and a handful of keepers discover a world far different from anything they have ever known or imagined.
Ex-library.
Ex-library.