Dragon Haven - Robin Hobb

RATING: FOUR STARS

Kelsingra, the lost city of the Elderlings, seems as distant as ever for Captain Leftrin, his crew and the ragged band of dragon keepers as they break new ground through the Rain Wilds. There is no indication that they are even heading in the right direction as they search for the city; the weather is worsening inclemently; and, worse still, tensions are beginning to mount as their supplies diminish and tools are lost. But hope remains and the keepers’ determination to find the ancient city and a safe haven for their dragons is as strong as ever. 

But even as the Rain Wilds are bringing the humans to the knees, the dragons are becoming stronger. They are being hardened by the adverse conditions, growing more competent and deadly with each passing day. Their deformities are vanishing as they eat more and more, and they are beginning to fill out with muscle. Soon, the dragons know, they won’t need keepers. Soon, they know, they will be able to take what they need as they did in the days of yore . . . 

The Good

Robin Hobb has outdone herself in Dragon Haven, both in imagination and storytelling. The book is even better than its predecessor and really develops the ideas of the series. Despite being set around a small river barge that journeys through inhospitable wilderness, the plot is exciting and the story does not become stale. This is mainly due to Hobb’s skill at balancing the social dynamics of her story with surprise and shocking events that come out of nowhere. In fact, Dragon Haven is a real page turner that is very difficult to put down!

As I have briefly mentioned above, Hobb’s characterisation is particularly good. She has really managed to create a diverse cast that are relatable and really seem like living people. This adds a refreshing sense of realism to the story (that fantasy often lacks), which Hobb uses well for dramatic effect in the calamities that befall them. 

What is particularly impressive is Hobb’s creation of characters from completely different classes and walks of life. Aboard the Tarman, she has characters ranging from rich and spoilt merchant traders that have never done a day’s hard work in their lives, to those that are so low born that they have been ostracised from society due to their genetic deformities. Hobb develops these characters well and is convincing in their thought process, beliefs and motivations while using their ‘point of view’, which has allowed her to tell the same story from multiple angles!

The Bad

As in Dragon Keeper, Hobb writes in very long chapters that have seldom few brakes in them. While this doesn't really diminish the story itself, it does make the novel a bit of a chore to read (which is why I have raised the issue here). It takes a real time commitment to read a chapter (unless you are happy to break yourself in an unnatural part of a story) and means that the book isn't really suitable for 'light' reading. It was a particular problem for me as I mainly read books on the bus to work, which meant that I frequently had to stop reading in random parts that disjointed the story somewhat.

Secondly, these very long chapters do make the story and its chronology slightly hard to follow in places. It’s not actually their length per se, but due to Hobb’s use of multiple points of view in one chapter. I've never really been a fan of this (and think that’s it’s clearer if writers stick to one character’s viewpoint per chapter, such as George R. R. Martin does in A Song of Ice and Fire), which makes the story easier to follow.

My Thoughts

Overall, though, Hobb has excelled and Dragon Haven is a fun, exciting book. She has put her own unique spin on dragonlore that I really liked and has penned quite a unique novel. I definitely recommend reading it (or beginning the Rain Wilds series) to any fan of fantasy, as Hobb is certainly worthy of her reputation as a master.