Soldier Son - New Series

[Jay]

I've seen a July release date for the first book in the new series

That's old news - however I just didn't update what I posted before (which I apologize for) - I went ahead and contacted the Ireland Voyager office, to see if they woull confirm the Glasgow news and they confirmed July 4, is the date and the info they (Glasgow) sent out was a mistake. I reported this and the correction at the Hobb board, and just failed to do so at some other places.

The July 4 dates seems strong as the ARC's were shipped last week, which is a good sign - and Hobb herself has said recently it shoudl be a go on July 4.

Furthermore, just for any interested sometime in September I will be conducting an interview with Ms. Hobb/Lindholm for FBS.

Thanks for the reminder to update!

[rune]

Dont worry about it Ainulindale I just thought it was great that I'd noticed an earlier release date and wanted to share


I'm interested to see readers views on this book mind. I'm sure I will probably buy it eventually, but with it being a completely different series I'd like to hear how detailed it is first

[Jay]

No doubt Rune

I'm expecting this any day, as it seems some otehr have already received it and is suppsoed to be in the mai las of a last week.:0

Very exciting - new Hobb, and although some haven't like the pre-release synopsis, it sounds very interesting to me.

[nixie]

Having now read the first book,i feel this series is going to be Hobb's best work to date.

[rune]

Originally Posted by nixie

Having now read the first book,i feel this series is going to be Hobb's best work to date.

Can you give a little more detail about the story - of course without giving away anything

[nixie]

Most of the book centres on Nevare's first year at the academy,apart from the first few chapters that touch briefly on his childhood.There is little real magic in the book.We know the plainsmen have magic but that can be contained by iron.Also the Specks have magic,but we don't encounter them to near the end of the book.
What keeps you reading is the characters.You want to get to know them,you come to care about them.
I have seen some negatives reviews,bemoaning the lack of real action,that it's mundane,but what I see is a young man and his friends striving to suceed in a world full of injustices,that want nothing more than them to fail.

[rune]

Originally Posted by nixie

Most of the book centres on Nevare's first year at the academy,apart from the first few chapters that touch briefly on his childhood.There is little real magic in the book.We know the plainsmen have magic but that can be contained by iron.Also the Specks have magic,but we don't encounter them to near the end of the book.
What keeps you reading is the characters.You want to get to know them,you come to care about them.
I have seen some negatives reviews,bemoaning the lack of real action,that it's mundane,but what I see is a young man and his friends striving to suceed in a world full of injustices,that want nothing more than them to fail.

Does sound like it may be a little slow. I may have to hire this one before I buy

[Rosemary]

I have mentioned this in another thread, so please forgive me if you have seen it already.

According to our Booktrack here in Western Australia 'Shaman's Crossing' has jumped straight in at #10. Not sure when it hit the bookshops here so it is certainly doing very well. Must check it out for myself I think!

[Jay]

I enjoyed Shaman's Crossing with soem smal lreservations, at any rate, I just want to say I finished and reviewed this book last week, Shaman's Crossing, if anyone is interested here

[MoonLover]

I've also just finished Shaman's Crossing. It is currently at number 5 on the Oz bestseller lists, which is fantastic for the author.
I quite enjoyed this book. Granted, it can be very difficult when you have fallen in love with the author's previous worlds and characters, to take an open mind into a new series. So I opened the book with both trepidation and curiousity, and I admit, I looked hard for any early references to events and places that I have come to love in the Farseer and Liveship tales. There were none that I could see. This is a brand new world. It seems slightly more technologically advanced than the Six Dutchies - the ruling people have access to guns and cannons etc, yet their society is very 18th century with it's strict social rules, especially regarding the roles of women. The main character of Nevare is a scion of a new nobility growing up in a fiercely guarded 'old nobility' society. He is portrayed as a good man, one who thinks he knows his place and duties as the 'soldier son' of his family. Honour seems to rule most of his actions. It took me a while to warm to this man - he seemed a bit too straightlaced to me, but his encounters with the native magic workers of his world planted in him an unusual destiny, one which I feel has not yet been fully developed, regardless of the small 'victory' that closes the book. Hobb has developed the world and history of Gernia very well, with enough hints to let the reader know that the 'hero' of the story may not necessarily be on the right side after all. I especially liked her description of the destruction of forests - a telling point in todays reality of deforestation in Asia and South America, amongst others.
All in all, a very enjoyable work, well worth the reading. Looking forward to the next volume.

Karen

[rune]

I've got this on order from my library. I feel the need to try it out that way first as Im a little concerned it may be overdetailed.
I'll probaby love it but seem to be more careful these days with impulse buying

[rune]

Just started reading this, got the first 30 pages in. It's slow going at present, I'm hoping it will pick up.

[rune]

I'm really struggling with this first book in her new series. It's very slow, plodding, nothing much happening at all

[rune]

I'm pleased I didnt buy this book and hired it instead. It's probably been the most boring I've ever read by this author It picked up, the last 100 or so pages, and considering it's a big book, that's pretty sad.

[Rosemary]

I'll be borrowing from the library as well Rune. So far the reviews I have read here and at other sites have not been very good. I also don't like the sound of an 18th century setting.
Still, I will try and read it. It always seems a little difficult to do that after reading so many bad reviews.