Return to the world of the Liveships Traders and journey along the Rain Wild River in the third instalment of high adventure from the author of the internationally acclaimed Farseer trilogy. Kelsingra awaits for those brave enough to enter! The dragons and their keepers have discovered Kelsingra but so far only Heeby has succeeded in flying over the river to enter the fabled city. The other dragons, with their deformed wings and feeble muscles, are afraid to risk failure and humiliation. But wondrous things await in Kelsingra, a city built for dragons and their Elderling keepers. Alise, overwhelmed by the treasures she finds there, records her finds for posterity. Once the rest of the world knows about the riches the city contains, nothing will ever be the same again. Already, rumours of the city's discovery have floated down the Rain Wild River and reached envious ears in Bingtown and beyond. Adventurers, pirates and fortune hunters are coming in droves to pillage what they can from the city. As is Hest Finbok, Alise's husband! Meanwhile, Selden Vestrit finds himself a prisoner of the ailing Duke of Chalced, who believes him to be some sort of dragon-man whose flesh and blood may work miracle cures. Where is Tintaglia, the great sapphire-blue dragon, when all have such need of her? Has she really abandoned her beloved Selden and the fledgling dragons forever? Or will she too return to seek the wonders of Kelsingra?

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.

Reviews

'In today's crowded fantasy market Robin Hobb's books are like diamonds in a sea of zircons' George R. R. Martin 'Hobb is superb, spinning wonderful characters and plots from pure imagination' Conn Iggulden '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 'Hobb is a remarkable storyteller' Guardian 'Robin Hobb writes achingly well' SFX

The dragons who have returned to the Rain Wilds bear little resemblance to their forebears. Malformed, flightless, and all but helpless, they travel in search of the legendary Kelsingra, the dragon homeland, with a retinue of human keepers, themselves misfits. As they enter the final part of their difficult trek, the bonds between dragon and keeper are stretched to the limit, and hope disappears when the only way to reach their mythical city is discovered to be flight-a skill beyond the capabilities of the dragons. VERDICT The latest volume set in the world of the Rain Wilds (Dragon Keeper; Dragon Haven) illustrates Hobb's talent for complex plotting, scene setting, and character building. Series followers and fans of the novels of Raymond E. Feist and Naomi Novik should enjoy Hobb's depiction of a very different type of dragon. [See Prepub Alert, 8/21/11.] (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.