Product Description

The final book in the Soldier Son from the author of the Tawny Man and Farseer trilogies, following on from the bestselling Shaman's Crossing and Forest Mage. The people of Getty's town remember the death of their cemetery soldier vividly. They remember believing him guilty of unspeakable crimes, condemning him, and then watching as other men of his unit beat him until he no longer drew breath. But Nevare Burvelle didn't die that day, though everyone believes they saw it happen. He was cornered by a power far more intractable than an angry mob. When he was a boy, the magic of the Specks -- the dapple-skinned tribes of the frontier forests -- claimed Nevare as a saviour; severing his soul in two, naming his stolen half Soldier's Boy and shaping him into a weapon to halt the Gernian expansion into their lands and save their beloved ancestor trees. Until now Nevare has defied the magic, unable to accept his traitorous fate. But the magic has won: it has extinguished his once golden future, devastated his family and has now turned his own people against him. Faced with endangering the only loved-ones he has left, Nevare has no choice but to surrender to its will and enter the forest.But surrendering to his Speck destiny is only the beginning of his trials. Before he submits completely, Nevare makes one desperate last attempt to deter the Gernians from the Barrier Mountains without causing them harm. But the magic accepts no compromise. Exhausted, Nevare can no longer suppress his traitorous Speck self, Soldiers Boy. Losing control, he becomes a prisoner in his own body; able only to watch helplessly as his other half takes Soldier's Boy is determined to stop the Gernian expansion at all cost, and unlike Nevare, he has no love, nor sympathy for his spirit-twin's world.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1787 in Books
• Published on: 2008-07-01
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 768 pages

Review
'Hobb is one of the great modern fantasy writers! what makes her novels as addictive as morphine is not just their imaginative brilliance but the way her characters are compromised and manipulated by politics' The Times

The Times
'Hobb is one of the great modern fantasy writers... what makes her novels
as addictive as morphine is not just their imaginative brilliance but the
way her characters are compromised and manipulated by politics.'

From the Back Cover
The people of Getty's town remember the death of their cemetery soldier, Nevere Burve, vividly. Believing him guilty of unspeakable crimes, they recall beating him to death.

But Nevare didn't die that day. A power far more intractable than an angry mob seized control of his life and swept him away.

When he was a boy, the magic of the Speck people - the strange dappled-skin tribes of the frontier forests - claimed Nevare as their saviour, shaping him into a weapon to halt the Gernian expansion into Speck lands.

Until now Nevare has defied the magic, unable to accept his traitorous fate. But when the magic threatened the only loved-ones he had left, Nevare had no choice but to surrender to it.

When his efforts at seeking a peaceful solution fail, an exhausted Nevare can no longer suppress his ruthless Speck self, Soldier's Boy. He is determined to stop the Gernian expansion at all costs, and unlike Nevare, has no sympathy for his spirit-twin's world.