Product Description

The first book in a brand new trilogy from the author of the Farseer, Liveship Traders and Tawny Man trilogies. Young Nevare Burvelle is the second son of a second son. Traditionally in Gernia, the firstborn son is heir to the family fortunes, the second son bears a sword and the third son is consecrated to the priesthood. Nevare will follow his father -- newly made a lord by the King -- into the cavalry; to the frontier and thence to an advantageous marriage, to carry on the Burvelle name. It is a golden future, and Nevare looks forward to it with relish. For twenty years King Troven's cavalry have pushed the frontiers of Gernia out across the grasslands, subduing the fierce tribes of the plain on its way. Now they have driven the frontier as far as the Barrier Mountains, home to the enigmatic Speck people. The Specks -- a dapple-skinned, forest-dwelling folk -- retain the last vestiges of magic in a world which is becoming progressive and technologised. The 'civilised' peoples base their beliefs on a rational philosophy founded on scientific principle and a belief in the good god, who displaced the older deities of their world. To them, the Specks are primeval savages, little better than beasts. Superstitions abound; it is said that they harbour strange diseases and worship trees. Sexual congress with them is regarded as both filthy and foolhardy: the Speck plague which has ravaged the frontier has decimated entire regiments. All these beliefs will touch Nevare's training at the Academy; but his progress there is not as simple as he would wish. He will experience prejudice from the old aristocracy: as the son of a 'new noble' he is segregated into a patrol comprising other new nobles' sons, all of whom will encounter injustice, discrimination and foul play in that hostile and deeply competitive environment. In addition, his world view will be challenged by his unconventional girl-cousin Epiny; and by the bizarre dreams which visit him at night. And then, on Dark Evening, the circus comes to Old Thares, bringing with it the first Specks Nevare has ever seen!

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #10522 in Books
• Published on: 2008-07-01
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 640 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 Praise for The Liveship Traders series: 'Even better than the Assassin books. I didn't think that was possible' George R R Martin A truly extraordinary saga! the characterizations are consistently superb, and [Hobb] animates everything with love for and knowledge of the sea. If Patrick O'Brian were to turn to writing high fantasy, he might produce something like this.' BOOKLIST 'A wonderful book, by a writer at the height of her abilities' J V Jones

About the Author
Robin Hobb was born in California in 1952 and majored in Communications at Denver University, Colorado. Assassin's Apprentice was her first novel, and was followed by the equally successful Royal Assassin and Assassin's Quest. She lives outside Seattle, Washington.

Customer Reviews

Crossing boundaries
Robin Hobb is well known, in fantasy circles at least, as being a writer of fiction with a more serious bent. In her Farseer Trilogy, her theme was that of a coming of age; in her Liveship Trilogy, she addressed the issue of how people deal, or fail to deal with life's lessons. Her aim is both higher, and broader here, as she tackles boundaries and differences, between cultures, within cultures, between classes, and within classes.

Like in the Farseer trilogy, she writes in the first person; her protagonist, Nevare, is the second son of a newly appointed noble who was a colonial style trooper. Nevare can be likened to her Farseer hero's shadow, being restrained where Fitz was passionate; willingly constrained by authority and tradition where Fitz was not. There are essentially three peoples in his world - the Gernian, who can almost be likened to the British colonials, the plainspeople who are an allegory for the Native Americans, and the Speck, a people more alien and wild. The way Hobb sets up the interaction between these three cultures is thought provoking in a way that typical fantasy writing is not; the theme of cross cultural segregation shapes the people in this world and significantly directs their fate. Within this context, Nevare himself wrestles with a class divide that echoes the cultural segregration.

One of the most pleasing aspects about this book is how well it can be read as a stand alone novel, despite it being the first in a trilogy. The ending is satisfying, although it is a happy fact that there are another two books to come. Her hero is a sympathetic one, and her usual deft touch ensures that the reader feels some sympathy for the her antagonists as well. Above all, what I liked most about this novel was how little it resembled any of Hobb's previous novels; in this genre it is all too easy to churn out pulp fiction.

Hobb does an excellent job of evoking Nevare's world; her writing is sound, if not overly lyrical. The book does flag slightly in the first few chapters in that Nevare initially seems more a cipher than a real person, but once her groundwork is set firmly in place, the story rapidly gains a page-turning tangibility, and Nevare becomes a very likeable hero indeed.

The plot is not at all easy to predict: Hobb leads the reader to predict the outcome of many events in the novel, and then neatly turns events on their head with a light-fingered touch, with not a hint of contrivance.

Thoroughly recommended. More please!

literary excellence
I have been quite a fan of Robin Hobb for some time and having read all her previous work I had looked forward to the release of this new trilogy. I was of course a little disappointed at first to see a move away from the world of the farseer's, as I had enjoyed all three of the previous series' and the short stories set in this land, however the more I thought about it the more enthusiastic I was about a new world and a fresh story. After reading just a fraction of the book I could see that my enthusiasm had not been misplaced as I could hardly put the book down and although similarities between certain characters in the story can be drawn with characters in previous stories these similarities are only superficial and do not in anyway detract from the experience. The world and the characters are beautifully crafted and completely believable, as always. It is hard not to find yourself totally immersed in the story and many times whilst reading this book I wondered where the hours had gone. I do not intend on writing a detailed analysis of the plot and characters in this book as for one I don't like spoilers, so refuse to write them, and two this is a review not a book report. However I will say that this book was a delight to read, so much so that I have already pre-ordered the second book in the trilogy, and I would recommend it to fans and casual readers alike and even if they receive just a fraction of the pleasure that this book has given me it would still be well worth a read.

Damn Good Book
I've long been a fan of Robin Hobb and I think this book ranks among her best. Its originality, insight and characterisation make it far above such books as the latest offerings from Jordan, Martin and Feist. While these authors are continuing with a slowily drying concept, Hobb pushes the borders of fantasy, using it to critique Western-cenricism, class discrimination and imperialism in a fascinating and important way for the genre as a whole.
The book is full of lovely sociological type situations, particularly when the hero lives in a dormitary; Hobb really captures what it is like to live in a closed community with power balances and the tension that people can feel. I really enjoyed the book, it seems like she could have ended the series at the end of the first book as it was complete in itself and has a lovely ending, somethnig that seems to be Hobb's speciality.
I can't understand why anyone would deter others from reading this book, it's fantasy that's thoughtful and interesting, filling the genre's potential for social critique that's inherent in Fantasy. Yet it's far removed from this world and still very escapist, Hobb has to be commended for striking such a balance.
The magic component is lacking, it's true, but the book was an introduction to the world, and the main character was in denial through the book so it's naive to judge that at this stage.
It's a very interesting and engrossing book and I encourage anyone who's enjoyed her books in the past, or enjoyed fantasy books to read this ground breaking world.