Dragon Keeper

Written by Robin Hobb

Narrated by Saskia Butler

Return to the world of the Liveships Traders and journey along the Rain Wild River in this standalone adventure from the author of the internationally acclaimed Farseer trilogy.

Guided by the great blue dragon Tintaglia, they came from the sea: a Tangle of serpents fighting their way up the Rain Wilds River, the first to make the perilous journey to the cocooning grounds in generations. Many have died along the way. With its acid waters and impenetrable forest, it is a hard place for any to survive.

People are changed by the Rain Wilds, subtly or otherwise. One such is Thymara. Born with black claws and other aberrations, she should have been exposed at birth. But her father saved her and her mother has never forgiven him. Like everyone else, Thymara is fascinated by the return of dragons: it is as if they symbolise the return of hope to their war-torn world. Leftrin, captain of the liveship Tarman, also has an interest in the hatching; as does Bingtown newlywed, Alise Finbok, who has made it her life's work to study all there is to know of dragons.

But the creatures which emerge from the cocoons are a travesty of the powerful, shining dragons of old. Stunted and deformed, they cannot fly; some seem witless and bestial. Soon, they become a danger and a burden to the Rain Wilders: something must be done. The dragons claim an ancestral memory of a fabled Elderling city far upriver: perhaps there the dragons will find their true home. But Kelsingra appears on no maps and they cannot get there on their own: a band of dragon keepers, hunters and chroniclers must attend them.

To be a dragon keeper is a dangerous job: their charges are vicious and unpredictable, and there are many unknown perils on the journey to a city which may not even exist…

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Release date: Jun 25, 2009
• ISBN: 9780007317110

Robin Hobb

Robin Hobb was born in California but grew up in Alaska. It was there that she learned to love the forest and the wilderness. She has lived most of her life in the Pacific Northwest and currently resides in Tacoma, Washington. She is the author of five critically acclaimed fantasy series: The Rain Wilds Chronicles (Dragon Keeper, Dragon Haven, City of Dragons, Blood of Dragons), The Soldier Son Trilogy, The Tawny Man Trilogy, The Liveship Traders Trilogy, and The Farseer Trilogy. Under the name Megan Lindholm she is the author of The Wizard of the Pigeons, Windsingers, and Cloven Hooves. The Inheritance, a collection of stories, was published under both names. Her short fiction has won the Asimov's Readers' Award and she has been a finalist for both the Nebula and Hugo awards.

Reviews for Dragon Keeper

[narilka · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Dragon Keeper is the first in the Rain Wilds Chronicles by Robin Hobb and tenth in her greater Realm of the Elderlings series. While you can probably enjoy the story regardless, I recommend to have read the Liveship Traders prior to starting this book as this series is a direct follow up to those events and many things from those books are referenced with the idea that the reader is already in the know. So far there is no impact from the Farseer Trilogy at all and only one minor relation to the very end of the Tawny Man series which you can probably skip too and still understand the whole story no problem. Without further ado...It has been many years since Tintaglia saved Bingtown and struck a deal with the Traders to protect the newly hatched dragons. Tintaglia has vanished and the Traders are having trouble with keeping up their end of the bargain. The new dragons were too old when they cocooned as serpents and born too early, hatching weak and deformed. Many did not survive their first year. Those who did are becoming a menace, hampering efforts to excavate a buried Elderling city and costing a fortune to upkeep. There is only one solution: the dragons must be relocated somewhere else. Anywhere else. A crew of keepers are hired to help herd the dragons upriver to the mythical city of Kelsingra. Legends say Kelsingra was the home of dragons and Elderlings in ages past. Does it still exist? Can dragons and keepers survive such a journey?This book is all about setting the stage for remainder of the series. The first two thirds of the book are spent in character building and Robin Hobb is an expert at it. We are introduced to a large cast though the story is told primarily from four points of view. Alise Finbok is in a marriage of convenience with Trader Hest Finbok. Their relationship leaves a lot to be desired. She's a self proclaimed dragon expert and has dedicated herself to learning everything she can about the creatures. She negotiates a trip to visit the hatchlings to learn about dragons directly from the source. Sent with her as her secretary/guardian is Hest's right hand man, Sedrec Meldar. To say that Sedrec is unhappy about this arrangement is an understatement. While grudgingly accepting this horrible duty he decides to put the trip to good use and has a nefarious plan of his own to try and gather dragon parts as they're worth a fortune. Leftrin is captain of the oldest known liveship, Tarman. He and his crew are hired to assist with the dragon's relocation and will be loaded down with supplies for the keepers and hunters that have signed on for the journey. Sintara, also known as Skymaw, is one of the new dragons. She is frustrated by her and her kin's malformed bodies and taunted by ancestral memories of what a dragon is supposed to be. She is paired with Thymara as a keeper. Thymara is heavily touched by the Rain Wilds. Thymara grew up knowing she should not have existed, being born with claws instead of fingers and toes, and jumps at the chance to join the expedition to make her own way in the world. Great care is taken to flesh out everyone's perspectives, backgrounds, motivations and dark little secrets. In addition to the main points of view, there are around 16 dragons total, 14 keepers, the rest of Tarman's crew and a few hunters hired on to help provide food for the dragons on their trip. It seems like a lot but ended up not being that bad to keep up with.Again, the feeling of setting the stage is greatly apparent. The pacing is very slow. Just as the plot really gets going, it ends on a small bombshell that I imagine will have great impact to the rest of the series. It was great learning more about the Rain Wilds, an area hinted at but not really encountered in depth before. My heart really went out to the dragons and their keepers. Both groups are the rejects of society. I hope this journey helps them to rise above their circumstances. But it's a Robin Hobb book so there will definitely be more hardships ahead. It's a good set up and an interesting read. On to book two!

[mooingzelda · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was okay, but not quite up there with the Liveships or Fitz books for me. There's definitely some promise in the overarching plot, and I quite like the POV characters of Thymara and Alise. However, the book is lacking some of the magic of Hobb's other novels from the Realm of the Elderlings. Hopefully things will pick up in the rest of the quartet!

[kassilem · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is a slow book. I remember picking it up earlier this year, or maybe it was sometime last year, and got halfway through before I set it aside and never got back to it. Luckily I remembered most of the first half so when I picked it back up this month I only had half a book to finish. Generally Hobb’s books are all slow. Hobb focuses more on character development and less on action filled scenes. I loved that aspect in her Farseer and Tawny Man series because I loved Fitz and wanted every detail I could get. Here I didn’t like the characters as much. Each one has their downfalls. Not as characters, but as people; this is overall great because that makes them very human and very realistic. But it does cause mix feelings of endearment. Hobb has always given readers the unflattering aspects of life, which I always admire. These aren’t heroes, just people trying to survive in a harsh reality. I’m looking forward to the next book even though I’m sure that one will also take a little bit to get through. While I don’t have much time to give it, going to school as I am, I love Hobb’s writing enough that I’d like to make time for it.

[majkia · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

If there is one thing Robin Hobb does well, it is torture her characters. Nothing ever is easy, and few things work out perfectly, despite incredible efforts by dedicated people with the best of intentions. How... realistic is that.Dragon Keeper picks up where her Assassin, Live Ships and Tawny Man series ended.The one dragon who is alive, helps to usher sea serpents up the Rain Wilds River to cocoon and become more dragons. Only... Well, the sea serpents have been at sea for too long and the hatching doesn't go well, and the story is about what to do with 'failed' dragons.It is a moving tale, as are all her books, difficult in that you want things to work, but somehow they never quite seem to work well. But at the same time, she can grow her characters like no one else can, letting them struggle against impossible odds which might defeat them, but never quite breaks themHighly recommended, if you are NOT looking for light or happy fantasy.

[renbedell · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The Rain Wilds Chronicles follows a new set of characters in the Realm of the Elderlings' world. The story is set in the Rain Wilds and Bingtown. Newly hatched dragons are born and they are not what the world was expecting. A fantastic and interesting group of characters get wrapped up in the dragon mystery leading to a very entertaining book. I am enjoying the story so far and excited for the series.

[sumik_18 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Read this last night. I was not very tired and uh, stayed up until the wee hours reading this book. I haven't read any of Robin Hobbs' books in a while so I had forgotten alot about things in that 'verse. It ended too soon. When I got to the end - it really did feel like the end of the beginning rather than the end of a story. Which figures- given that it's the first book in a planned trilogy. (I understand that book two came out earlier this summer.)

[altheaann · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Yay! The Rain Wilds are back!
This book takes up the story following the Liveship Traders trilogy.
I have to say, the introduction to the story was done masterfully. You know how some authors start a series, and the first chapter or so is an awkward reiteration of "what already happened?"
Well, this does that - and it needs it, because, seriously, it's been twelve years since the Liveship Traders trilogy finished (!), and I could use the reminder. But it doesn't feel forced or awkward at all. I was impressed.
The story focuses on the return of the endangered dragons to the Rain Wilds, and a number of people who are caught up with the dragons' fate. The reality of the dragons is not the glorious thing that many hoped it would be: politics and finance play a significant role.
Among the main characters: Alise, a smart but naive young woman who finds herself in a loveless marriage (as to why it's loveless: duh, is anyone that naive!?) and focuses her energy on scholarship - anything to do with dragons. Thymara: a young girl, physically mutated. According to Rain Wilds custom, she should have been exposed at birth, but her loving father saved her. Leftrin: a barge captain, who steals the now-forbidden wizardwood for his liveship...
Overall, the book is really good. It's not the best in this lengthy epic, and it takes a little bit to get going, but it's very enjoyable.

[hawkinsfamily · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Dragon Keeper by Robin Hobb is the first in a new series. As is the norm for Robin Hobb it is a great fantasy story. It is well written and makes you not want to wait for the following parts of the trilogy.

[elenaj-147457 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Too heavy on the exposition, and too much set-up. The book didn't really start to go anywhere until the last quarter or so. I am optimistic that the second book will have more plot movement and less slow-moving set-up.

[jeremypreacher · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Robin Hobb has a particular flavor that I'm never quite sure I like, but can't stop consuming. She's certainly a master of her particular arts.

Dragon Keeper is a follow-up to the Liveship Traders books (sort of - all new characters, but mostly informed by those plots) and the short stories set in the Rain Wilds.

I liked the dragons themselves - I get very tired of magical intelligent beings who live only to make their human companions feel good about themselves, and the relationship here is almost exactly the opposite. There were some interesting things going on with the human relationships, too - what happens when people who have lived restricted, low-caste lives strike out on their own with no rules? (Although I was kind of disappointed by the psychopathic gay man and his mincing codependent lover - I feel like she could have done something much more interesting and less stereotypical with that setup.)

This is definitely, as Hobb has said, a character-focused series. The plot, such as it is, moves almost infinitely slowly, and the action centers around the individuals (I won't say "people") and relationships rather than adventure. But there's a lot of good stuff going on there, and it's well worth digging into.

[bgknighton · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A string beginning to the series. Well-developed characters, interesting interactions. The villains for the next book are set up. Thymara and Alise are getting stronger. Travel may bring them freedom.

[jamestomasino · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

This book had maybe 20 pages of dragon-related content buried deep in a poor romance novel without any sex. It was poorly constructed, the world-building fell apart quickly, and the Audible narration was just bad.

[virginiagill · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Unfortunately this author committed on of my greatest pet peeves ensuring it's unlikely I will by their books in the future. The crime? Not crafting the each part of a trilogy as a freestanding COMPLETE story. Dragon Keeper just suddenly drops off with no resolution to any of the story threads, most annoying. In general it's a slow story though it is interesting enough to keep you reading. Would I recommend it? Probably not, certainly not without a warning that the story is incomplete.

[mecaza-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I delightful book.. all about some poor crippled dragons who want to soar and the people that care for them.. Part 0f a series and I can't wait to read the second one :)

[nimoloth · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is the first of two (maybe three) set in the same world as the Assasin's Apprentice, Tawny Man and Liveship Traders trilogies. It focuses on the Rain Wilds, and the dragons, and is set, time-wise, at the end of The Tawny Man trilogy. There are no common characters from there (unless you count mention of the dragon Tintaglia), but I believe there are common characters from the Liveship series (I haven't read those yet).It was a very addictive read - one I couldn't put down. It follows about four or five different character threads which eventually join up, and the characters are very well written. You feel for them all. I think the one that most gripped me, emotionally, was Alise's story, although others are equally gripping in different ways. For me it was easy to put myself in her place and to want her to take control of her life.

[maggie1944 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I really enjoyed this story as the "world building" was both unique and believable. The setting was similar to a rain forest but with some interesting twists. The characters were both people and dragons with some interesting hints of cross-fertilization, of a sort, to come. The characters were, in the words of a friend of mine, quite tortured but also in turn lovable and irritating. Even the "evil" people had some redeeming qualities which I enjoyed as this reflects real life. I was disappointed that the novel did not happily stand alone. It really really makes you want to read the next in the series....and you know it! Not yet published. Coming out soon....in hard back. money money money

[mauveberry · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The story was okay and a bit slow sometimes. I felt it hard to like or empathize with any of the characters for the whole book, and parts of it reminded me of the Lord of the Flies. I also didn't like the repeated descriptions of parasites living on the dragons and of how tasty the dragons thought fresh entrails were.

[Malcolm Turner · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Good book well written interesting now reading next in series and enjoying it.

[otownshorty · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Started as a three star but at the end, surged quickly to a 4 star range! Still, it’s not fair to say the entire book was that good, although it certainly kept me interested. I anticipate a weaving of a complex tale, looking forward.

[sweet_serenity · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

*****I just wanted to say that I have finished the second book, Dragon Haven. The improvement from the first book is almost miraculous. So, though I stand by my low rating and negative review of Dragon Keeper, I would recommend you push through it and read the rest of the series, because I adored the second book.*****


I'm only about a quarter through this book, but it is frustrating me so much that I have to vent my feelings. This is a good story, but the writing does it absolutely no justice. I adored the Farseer & Tawny Man series from Hobb, and her writing style was perfectly fine in those. And her wide variety of characters, and in particular her representations of women, were excellent. I think her Liveship series was somewhere in between the others and this book in quality.
The story is ridiculously overwritten. 211 pages in, and I cannot recall any ordinary conversations- they are all super long, almost formal, and seem to talk about the same town issues/ over and over again, with no distinct differences in the perspective from different characters. The speech between one character and the next is almost identical sometimes, and conversation tends to repeat another character's thoughts from a mere one page earlier. I cannot believe an editor was so lax as to approve this! I can ignore bad writing for the sake of a good story, but repetitive, uncreative writing just jars me from the story, and bores and frustrates me.
As for the female characters- why are they so downtrodden? I get that Hobb might want to talk about the struggles of women in a less-developed, slightly oppressive environment, but she has gone overboard. In this, and the Liveship series, no women seem to be free from oppression of some sort, which makes for a boring story and stunts their characters. And I am a strong feminist, so normally I wouldn't make that kind of argument. But Hobb could show the struggles of oppressed women, and even show a few of their perspectives, without repeating the same story over and over again. Yes, fantasy should explore social issues. But it should also be entertaining, and all the oppression just makes me depressed. And the series are completely uncreative in their oppression. They constantly use rape, abuse, or threat of them, as a plotline. Use some imagination for god's sake! Show some more subtle forms of oppression. In the Farseer & Tawny Man series- the women had their troubles, most even faced sexism and oppression, but it was only one facet of their experiences, which made for well-rounded, interesting characters. Free your women, give them more chance to LIVE!
The Farseer & Tawny Man series are about a royal bastard (the born out of wedlock kind, not the jerk kind). The equivalent of this in those stories would be if Hobb had written in an extra five characters facing the troubles of being a bastard in a conservative society, and instead of making their experiences unique, she merely repeated the storyline of the first character with slight differences, over and over again, until their bastardhood overshadowed everything else about them and their experiences.
I sincerely hope this story will improve as it goes along. If just baffles my mind that Hobb could write such amazing, beloved stories, and then turn around and write this disaster.

[shannaredwind_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Robin Hobb's characters are very real. They have strengths and failings and the ability to overcome their failings with effort.

Dealing with dragons is difficult at the best of times. But when they are misformed and need help that they are resentful for, it makes life even more difficult for those contracted to take care of them.

I enjoyed reading this book. I'm sure I would have enjoyed it more had I read the sets of series in their intended order rather than starting with this one, but I'll go back and read the others in her series when I can.

[garybabb · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I got into the story ... good plot. Unfortunately, I found it to "chicky", and I got tired of all the repeating identical details over and over. But, I learned to skim the slow parts and get to the story, which I loved. I was about a third into the book before I discovered Hobbs was a female. This I realized when she went on and own about rolls of petticoats and female attire. But, I do recommend the book, and did read the second book and will read the third when it comes out.

[jessica_reads · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The title of this book being: Dragon Keeper: Volume One had me intrigued. I like fantasy stories and dragons obviously piqued my interest. The beginning was good. It was detailing the efforts of Dragon queen Tantaglia and getting the serpents to their nesting grounds so they can coccon and become dragons. Then we start skipping around getting details that aren't very descriptive from other sotry variables. You meet many characters in their seperate environments that in the future will entwine together. The first 50% of this book is dealt with these tidious details. It isn't until the 2nd half that it even begins to get into the Dragon Keeper side of things.

I really was put off by this book. Every chracter was oppressed. I don't think I read about one single character that wasn't outcast in some form or fashion because of something in their lives. The dragons come our deformed mentally and physically. The Rain Wild chracters that will be prominent are outcast because of deformities in their bodies. The Jamaillia's were slaves. Then there's a woman who apparently wasn't pretty enough when she was young and didn't get any offers. She wants to go meet the dragons but gets afianced by a jerk of a character who then treats her like garbage all because he's a closet homosexual. So he's oppressed as his lover is also she's opressed because of it. What I learned of the societies that these multiple chracters live in is that no one is accepting of anything. The very dragging back drop is equally followed by lagging descriptions of the people and places they go. It ends with the obvious opening as to where the next book picks up. The great news for me is I won't continue with this series.

I have given it 3 stars because 2.5 wasn't an option. The idea was a good one. I don't mind people having to face challenges in order to live their lives but there is too much oppression and angst and sadness for you to feel anything but anger or sadness. If a character is deformed bring to light the challanges they face but don't make their world completely a hell hole because of it. If you want a homosexual chracter then let them be it open and proud of who they are. I would have been more accepting of the book if everyone seemed to want to change what made them special or different because apparently others wouldn't accept them as they were.

[amanderson_2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A very good fantasy with lots of YA crossover appeal. It apparently is set in a fantasy world the author has built in others of her books, but I haven't read those and it didn't matter much. It features a small group of dragons, born deformed in a rain forest land called Rain Wilds, where humans have mostly forgotten dragons and are themselves sometimes born with a touch of reptilian mutations like scales and claws that make them outcasts and sometimes left to die at birth, if the mutations are too severe. An agreement with one of the last full dragons meant that the Rain Wilds tribes are required to feed these deformed, some mentally challenged, flightless young dragons, an arrangement that all parties soon grow sick of. The dragons eat a lot, perhaps including humans if they get hungry enough, and the rain forest is a miserable place for them to live. All decide that the dragons need to be relocated to the mythical land of the Elderlings, Kelsingra. Their shepherds are a small group of teenagers with a few too many mutations for the tribes' comfort level, a boat captain and his crew, Alise, a young woman and dragon scholar who is temporarily escaping a very unhappy marriage, and weak Sedric, Alise's friend and her husband's lover (unbeknownst to Alise). it's going to be a tough journey but an adventure, to be continued in later books.

[mcwolf_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

It's nice to return to the world of 'The Six Duchies' and continue the story of the dragon’s restoration into that world. I enjoyed this story and am looking forward to book two.This book seems to take a similar route as the Soldier Son Trilogy and 'The Dragon Keeper' being book one sets up the main characters, their backgrounds and motivations and then ends as the 'Quest to find the Elderling city of Kelsingra' begins. There are some compelling characters and a few nasty ones as well. A theme which runs through this book seems to be how the various female characters deal with and try to overcome the male bullies who have through various means manipulate their lives.Not too gritty but sometimes a little disturbing.

[rosecrossed · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I had high expectations for this book because of the author, but it took me a while to get invested in it. It has a slow start, but very interesting characters. This book, and its sequal, are really character studies. I recommend this to those who love character-driven novels.

[littlegeek_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

It was ok, I guess. The story really didn't get going until the last 3rd and it ends on kind of a cliffhanger and the second book isn't due out til May. But it was diverting enough. The thing is, most of the world building was already done in previous books, so it needed some a really great story or exceptional characters to give it a wow factor. Didn't really have either, imo. Although the last chapter did make me want to read on.

[montzaleew · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Great dragon book but does not end conclusivelyDragon Keeper is a great fantasy story with many smaller stories that end up blending together to weave a remarkable tale. Many great characters, great plot, and steady pace. My favorite character is a young teen that becomes a Dragon Keeper. She has black claws for fingernails and scales on her body. This I the first book of a series.

[liveshipvivacia · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

(Wow, this took me a whole week. I thought I'd finish it sooner than that...)

I must admit that I'm suffering from Hobb withdrawal after having finished Fool's Fate. With that and a desire to read about arrogant dragons, I chose this book. Hobb excelled at most of what she set out to accomplish, which is why this book receives four stars. However, she left some things in an unsatisfactory condition.

I should liken Hest's behavior to Kyle, Wintrow's father in the Liveship series. Both are utterly unlikable and both will or have undoubtedly received their just desserts. However, I feel that Hest is more repugnant than Kyle, possibly because of how he purports himself in his marriage. Kyle might have abused the crap out of poor Wintrow, tattooed him, and generally turned him into a human puppet for Vivicia, but Hest is worst in that his behavior is complicit with Sedric. Kyle acted on his own cruel ways without much help from anyone else. Hest and Sedric, by helping along the sham marriage, and Sedric for instigating it, are arguably worse.

And this leaves me in an uncomfortable position, because, for all that Kyle (and the Piebalds and everyone else lumped in that category) are utterly unlikable characters, they weren't POV characters. To have Sedric take on a POV and be aware of everything that he's putting Alise through is abhorrent to me. I don't care what your inclinations are. Be a decent human.

If Hest is a horrible human being, in some ways Sedric complements him exactly. The evil that he's done, at the end of the book, has repercussions that I hope he suffers from for a very long time. I could handle Sedric (and possibly Hest) if Sedric weren't a POV character. I don't want inside his head, thanks.

Moving on from that...there were a few typos here and there, things I would have thought fixed by the paperback edition but evidently not. In some ways, Greft's behavior toward Thymara is reminiscent of Hest toward Sedric and Alise, because he seeks to control the situation. Greft is manipulative, selfish, and cold. While this builds tension, it just adds to the overwhelming amount of negative characters in this book.

It's odd to note how much the serpents have changed personality-wise since their transformation. Maulkin is almost the same (I love you, Mercor!), but Sintara has become almost a mini Tintanglia. I think it's impressive that the dragons have such strong personalities, although the fact that they're all disabled in some way or another sickens me. Maulkin fought so hard to have them hatch as dragons and for naught, it seems.

It's good to see familiar faces again, speaking of Maulkin. I cheered when Alise and Sedric climbed aboard Paragon and was glad to see Althea, Brashen, and Malta again. However, their appearances are more like cameos than anything really noteworthy.

I'm hoping for more impressive character development in the next book. Reportedly, this was intended to be one book, Dragon Keeper and Dragon Haven. It might have been better suited as one long book. Since Hobb has done long books in the past, I'm not entirely certain why she changed her mind here. It ended rather abruptly here and more character exposition would have been nice.

This is not to say there aren't sympathetic characters. There are. I just feel like the sympathetic characters are overshadowed by the cruelty of the antagonists. Also...can I just say this, "OMFG SEDRIC GIVE IT A REST."

Ahem. This is longer than I'd intended, so I think I'll stop here before I ramble too much.

[nogdog_1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I quit reading about a quarter of the way into it. Neither the characters nor the plot was grabbing me and making me want to read more. It was reading more like a soap opera than a fantasy novel.