Fantasy

Forest Mage

Forest Mage

  • Downloads：2408
  • Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date：2021-04-05 14:55:06
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Robin Hobb
  • ISBN：0008286507
  • Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
  • Download

Summary

The sequel to 2005's Shaman's Crossing finds protagonist Nevare Burvelle -- the second son of a nobleman and destined for a career in the military -- with his world turned upside down。 After surviving a plague that wiped out many of the students and instructors at the king's military academy， Nevare returns home for his brother's wedding， only to learn that he has been medically discharged from the school。 The plague usually leaves its survivors skeletally thin， but Nevare， inexplicably， has begun to gain massive amounts of weight。 With his family believing he's a glutton， Nevare is disowned by his father and eventually ends up finding work as a lowly cemetery guard in a frontier town near the border with the Specks， a race of dapple-skinned forest dwellers who possess powerful natural magic。 But in a world where technology never stops advancing， can the Specks survive？ And what does the suddenly bloated Nevare have to do with their struggle？

Set in a sprawling， vividly described realm that is as majestic as it is menacing， and powered by some extremely topical themes （environmentalism， cultural homogenization， human rights， religious persecution， etc。）， the Soldier Son trilogy is easily Hobb's most significant work to date。 Incorporating elements of military fantasy， New Age spirituality， and political allegory， Forest Mage can be faulted only for suffering from a serious case of middle-volume syndrome: As the second installment of a trilogy， it lacks both a true beginning and a satisfactory ending。 All will be forgotten， however， when the concluding volume （tentatively entitled Renegade Magic） of this unique and powerfully moving saga is released in 2007。 Paul Goat Allen

Download

Reviews

Marilyn ，

Utter garbage and I only got less than half a page of the first chapter page。 How this got published is beyond comprehension as it’s only fit for the kitty pan

Amy ，

Oofda！ This was hard for me。 Nothing good ever happened。 Not even at the end。 No wrap up and I like a good wrap up。 Also， I just didn't like that the main problem was Nevare being fat。 It just seemed so basic。 I get that it's more complicated because。。。magic， but I guess I couldn't get interested。 I read the whole thing and won't read the next one。 Oofda！ This was hard for me。 Nothing good ever happened。 Not even at the end。 No wrap up and I like a good wrap up。 Also， I just didn't like that the main problem was Nevare being fat。 It just seemed so basic。 I get that it's more complicated because。。。magic， but I guess I couldn't get interested。 I read the whole thing and won't read the next one。 。。。more

Bogdan ，

Excellent second part to what is shaping up to be a great trilogy。The book may appear slow and repetitive， but in a style so specific to Robin Hobb's masterpieces， this is what builds to great moments of hightened suspense。 This build up makes the intense moments believable， realistic and it made me empathise a lot with the characters。 And the book isn't quite repetitive。 Every time a theme or passage reoccurs， we tend to discover something new and at least I held my breath hoping that Nevare wi Excellent second part to what is shaping up to be a great trilogy。The book may appear slow and repetitive， but in a style so specific to Robin Hobb's masterpieces， this is what builds to great moments of hightened suspense。 This build up makes the intense moments believable， realistic and it made me empathise a lot with the characters。 And the book isn't quite repetitive。 Every time a theme or passage reoccurs， we tend to discover something new and at least I held my breath hoping that Nevare will also learn what I am at least suspecting。She has a fantastic talent for writing unfortunate characters。。。 true， these characters sometimes have a tendency to pity themselves， but who doesn't？ I love Nevare's evolution， but besides that， he is still learning。 He goes through natural phases， specific to his age， ambition and education: one moment he pities himself and the next moment he becomes the optimistic young man who still sees the silver lining， or some opportunity for success。 And the secondary and even side characters are complex， not only likeable or not。There are many hints of what there is to come， but that does not make the book predictable， because many other hints are in fact red herrings。I like the magic system。 The magic seems all powerful but it isn't quite so， since it is so easy to deplete one's reserves。 However， I want to learn more about how it works: BRING ON RENEGADE'S MAGIC！ 。。。more

Jodie ，

This book was sooooo slow and the content didn't add enough to the story to justify the pace。 It feels very much that the story would have benefited from heavy editing to keep the characters and events engaging。Unfortunately it ended up with very few of the characters being likeable。 This is something of an achievement in itself， but doesn't really compel the reader to continue reading。 Again the same as with the first book it doesn't feel like the reader has anyone to root for。 In fact the only This book was sooooo slow and the content didn't add enough to the story to justify the pace。 It feels very much that the story would have benefited from heavy editing to keep the characters and events engaging。Unfortunately it ended up with very few of the characters being likeable。 This is something of an achievement in itself， but doesn't really compel the reader to continue reading。 Again the same as with the first book it doesn't feel like the reader has anyone to root for。 In fact the only really compelling aspect to the story is finding out what levels of abuse will be inflicted on the main character and how events will be resolved。 。。。more

Ines Gracia ，

I definitely loved this book much more than the first one。 Even if it was longer and the rhythm was as slow as the first one， I found it more transcendent and relevant。 In particular， I love how she wrote a story about colonialism， and how she pictures in equal parts both cultures， putting Nevare in the middle of them with such much intelligence and care。 It was really a delight to read this part of the story。 I planned to read this one - because I bought it before reading the first one - just f I definitely loved this book much more than the first one。 Even if it was longer and the rhythm was as slow as the first one， I found it more transcendent and relevant。 In particular， I love how she wrote a story about colonialism， and how she pictures in equal parts both cultures， putting Nevare in the middle of them with such much intelligence and care。 It was really a delight to read this part of the story。 I planned to read this one - because I bought it before reading the first one - just for obligation and stop this trilogy… but now I’m quite certain that before the year is over I would have finished the next book。 。。。more

Aoibheann ，

Although I love Hobb and I loved the first book in this trilogy this one was a bit disappointing。 It was quite frustrating as it centres around Nevare basically being fat and not being able to/not doing anything about it。 And Lao about “the magic” but you never know what the hell is happening with it。 Even towards the end I was wondering where it was all going coz it took a hell of a long time to get there。 Nevare as a protagonist is quite annoying this time too as he tries to play the martyr fo Although I love Hobb and I loved the first book in this trilogy this one was a bit disappointing。 It was quite frustrating as it centres around Nevare basically being fat and not being able to/not doing anything about it。 And Lao about “the magic” but you never know what the hell is happening with it。 Even towards the end I was wondering where it was all going coz it took a hell of a long time to get there。 Nevare as a protagonist is quite annoying this time too as he tries to play the martyr for no reason and it’s all just very， well， frustrating。 I didn’t root for the Gernians or the Specks either。 Hoping the third book will have a bit more structure and not be as drawn out。 。。。more

Janne Vanwynsberghe ，

Op het ogenblik van schrijven， ben ik er nog niet uit over de score。 Twijfel tussen 1，5/5 of 2/5。Het eerste boek van de reeks was een volledige karakter-opbouw met een vrij goed plot en leuke verrassingen。Dit tweede deel laat geen spaander heel van de karakter-opbouw uit het eerste boek。 Géén enkel personage toont de karakters en kenmerkende eigenschappen beschreven in het eerste deel。 Behalve dan de moeder （die in het eerste boek zelfs niet voorkomt） en Epiny。Zelfbeklag， egoïstisch， nooit zijn Op het ogenblik van schrijven， ben ik er nog niet uit over de score。 Twijfel tussen 1，5/5 of 2/5。Het eerste boek van de reeks was een volledige karakter-opbouw met een vrij goed plot en leuke verrassingen。Dit tweede deel laat geen spaander heel van de karakter-opbouw uit het eerste boek。 Géén enkel personage toont de karakters en kenmerkende eigenschappen beschreven in het eerste deel。 Behalve dan de moeder （die in het eerste boek zelfs niet voorkomt） en Epiny。Zelfbeklag， egoïstisch， nooit zijn schuld want het is altijd iemand anders zijn fout， pagina na pagina hetzelfde onderwerp die in elk hoofdstuk meerdere keren voorkomen en blijven strijden voor waarden waar het hoofdpersonage al lang niet meer voor staat。Na verschillende reviews over deze reeks te lezen， lijkt het mij inderdaad niet de beste trilogie van Robin Hobb om mee te starten als je nog nooit iets van haar gelezen hebt。 。。。more

Prunthaban Kanthakumar ，

Amazing story！ It is heart wrenching。 But Robin Hobb can really bring characters alive！

Meli Mair ，

The series grows on you after a while。 Very good character development。

Ange ，

Forest MageThe Soldier Son book #2By Robin HobbThe second instalment in Robin Hobbs Solider Son Trilogy， this book picks up directly after the concluding events of book 1 （Shaman’s Crossing）We see a return to the narrative style story telling of protagonist Nevare Burvelle as he continues to pursue his goal of becoming a soldier in the Kings army。 Along the way we hear from many familiar characters as well as some new ones。I don’t want to get into anything too ‘spoilery’ so I just want to say th Forest MageThe Soldier Son book #2By Robin HobbThe second instalment in Robin Hobbs Solider Son Trilogy， this book picks up directly after the concluding events of book 1 （Shaman’s Crossing）We see a return to the narrative style story telling of protagonist Nevare Burvelle as he continues to pursue his goal of becoming a soldier in the Kings army。 Along the way we hear from many familiar characters as well as some new ones。I don’t want to get into anything too ‘spoilery’ so I just want to say that this is one HEAVY read！ （And I don’t just mean the physical weight of the chunky book）。 Whilst book one left me feeling happy and optimistic， this instalment left me feeling ragged， heartbroken and doom-laden。。。 Even so it was a thoroughly enjoyable read， and the sense of connection that Hobb manages to weave between the characters， story and the reader once again makes this a truely immersive reading experience。 I really found that I couldn’t put this down！I have heard it said that this is a series for Hobb fans only， and that anyone new to Hobb should read some of her other works first。 I’m not sure if there is any truth there or not， but I can say I am a huge Hobb fan and I am a big fan of the series so far and can’t wait to see how things conclude in part 3！！ 。。。more

Lizzy ，

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 I can sum this up pretty much-Nevare got bossed about。 Got fat。 Got pushed about a bit more， moped and resisted and worried about everything。 Got bullied。 Was miserable。 Finally gave in。I kept reading till the end purely to see if someone would put him out of his misery。What a dire book to read in lockdown！ Won't bother with the next。 I can sum this up pretty much-Nevare got bossed about。 Got fat。 Got pushed about a bit more， moped and resisted and worried about everything。 Got bullied。 Was miserable。 Finally gave in。I kept reading till the end purely to see if someone would put him out of his misery。What a dire book to read in lockdown！ Won't bother with the next。 。。。more

Becky ，

4。5 stars

LoKat ，

Fat-shaming exists， even in fantasy lands。。。I enjoyed the complexity of the characters and the world， and the internal struggle between Nevare's faceted personality。 Luckily I've already got Book 3 from the library。 Fat-shaming exists， even in fantasy lands。。。I enjoyed the complexity of the characters and the world， and the internal struggle between Nevare's faceted personality。 Luckily I've already got Book 3 from the library。 。。。more

Heather ，

I feel I should write a review of this one because I never ever thought I'd give a Robin Hobb 2 stars。 Firstly， I'm a counsellor， and I would say that if you struggle with body image， eating disorders， low self-esteem connected to body weight etc。 then this book could be incredibly triggering for you。I found the book as well-written as many other Hobbs and I read it to the end。 It almost put me off reading the third book in the trilogy but I'm glad it didn't。Hobb doesn't hold any punches in any I feel I should write a review of this one because I never ever thought I'd give a Robin Hobb 2 stars。 Firstly， I'm a counsellor， and I would say that if you struggle with body image， eating disorders， low self-esteem connected to body weight etc。 then this book could be incredibly triggering for you。I found the book as well-written as many other Hobbs and I read it to the end。 It almost put me off reading the third book in the trilogy but I'm glad it didn't。Hobb doesn't hold any punches in any of her books， but this one was unrelenting in a way I found unpleasant to read。 I think the balance of light and dark was off for me。 There was very little to offset the bleakness of this book。 There were long sections describing food and the physical attributes of an overweight body。 Previously okay relationships were seemingly destroyed。 Characters who at one point were fairly balanced in their good points and their flaws （something Hobb is usually particularly good at） suddenly descended into out-and-out-horrible。 Reading this book felt， at times， like wading through molasses。 What kept me going was knowing how amazing Hobb is， and the belief that all this was somehow necessary to the story， and would resolve into an absolutely amazing tale - That I would complete the trilogy and re-assess my rating of this book。I didn't。 I'm glad I read the full trilogy but this book I still think was unpleasant and unbalanced。 Necessary to read if you want to complete the story， and you're introduced to some important characters。 Not an awful book - though I've probably made it sound that way - but just not the most enjoyable read。 。。。more

Yulneedsbooks ，

Esta es una de esas reseñas donde uno se encuentra en un punto crítico， y en un momento peliagudo。 Me debato entre lo que decir， y me cuesta expresar lo mucho que， por una parte， me ha gustado el libro， y lo mucho que， por otra parte， me ha desanimado。 Forest Mage es el segundo libro de la trilogía de The Soldier Son， escrita por Robin Hobb， y un aparte con respecto a su obra magna la saga The Realm of the Elderlings。 En muchos aspectos， The Soldier Son ha conseguido estar a la altura de los lib Esta es una de esas reseñas donde uno se encuentra en un punto crítico， y en un momento peliagudo。 Me debato entre lo que decir， y me cuesta expresar lo mucho que， por una parte， me ha gustado el libro， y lo mucho que， por otra parte， me ha desanimado。 Forest Mage es el segundo libro de la trilogía de The Soldier Son， escrita por Robin Hobb， y un aparte con respecto a su obra magna la saga The Realm of the Elderlings。 En muchos aspectos， The Soldier Son ha conseguido estar a la altura de los libros de esta escritora que yo tanto aprecio， en especial con la ambientación de magia primitiva y en estado bruto， y la profundización en su personaje central。 No obstante， Forest Mage me ha llegado a gustar algo menos que el primer libro de esta trilogía， y esto es debido a que Hobb se adentra en un terreno peligroso， el de la crítica， los roles， los trastornos de alimentación y la imagen externa， y en ocasiones， aunque estuviese bien llevado， se podía hacer repetitivo。 Además， había varias ocasiones en las que Hobb machacaba demasiado al personaje， y lejos de que el mensaje fuera "da igual la apariencia externa que tengas"， parecía acentuar la gravedad de la obesidad y cómo afecta socialmente a estas personas。 “None of us ever know what we are choosing when we choose life。 If certainty is so important to you， than you should have chosen to be dead。 That is a certain thing。”Con todo， la lectura es bastante buena， tiene suficientes toques de acción y una magia nunca vista， los personajes se exploran a sí mismos y van descubriendo su camino en el mundo， y el protagonista， lejos de que queden sus problemas resueltos， se enfrenta a serios conflictos que lo llevarán a evolucionar grandiosamente。 Eso， acompañado de una prosa que， como siempre digo， es bellísima y muy reflexiva， hacen que la novela sea un embrujo que nos tendrá a todos cautivados en sus páginas。 Por tanto， ¿De qué trata？Forest Mage empieza donde lo dejó el anterior libro， es decir， a finales del fuerte brote de la plaga Speck en la academia militar a la que asiste Nevare Burvelle， tras que este， caído enfermo y al borde de la muerte， se enfrentase a la mujer de sus mejores sueños y también de sus peores pesadillas。。。 Tree Woman， que ha estado junto a él todo ese tiempo， en otra realidad， controlando cada acción suya y teniendo un romance con la otra parte de Nevare， una que se ha aliado con la parte más salvaje y primitiva de la magia。。。 oponiéndose a su gente y luchando junto al resto de gente Speck。 Venciendo a Tree Woman， Nevare comienza a contemplar la posibilidad de que， habiendo recuperado la integridad de su cuerpo （sin ya sentirse dividido en dos personas distintas）， todo vuelva a la normalidad。 Y， no obstante， la magia sigue ligada a él。。。 Haber sobrevivido a la plaga ha tenido grandes repercusiones para los cadetes enfermos， entre las que se encuentra una terrible bajada de peso que los incapacita para seguir asistiendo a la academia。 Uno de los que tienen estas bajas es el inestimable amigo de Nevare， Spink， el cual， casado con Epiny， trata de salir adelante costosamente。 “A leaf turns in the wind， and you suddenly have a different perception of what colour it is。”Por otro lado， el caso de Nevare es diferente。。。 su caso es de uno entre un millón: la plaga， lejos de hacerle adelgazar， le ha dejado como repercusiones un cuerpo que， a cada día que pasa， es cada vez más grande。 Aunque al inicio Nevare lo atribuye al reposo en el que tanto tiempo ha estado， pronto va dándose cuenta de que puede tener que ver con la magia， la cual， posiblemente， aún no lo haya abandonado。 Incapacitado para seguir ejerciendo como soldado， se enfrenta a un mal que no creía posible: ser objeto de burlas， de malas miradas， de descontento y de decepción para su familia y sus conocidos， dado que se le considera un "glotón" que se ha echado a perder a voluntad。 A toda costa， Nevare trata de hacerles entender que esto no depende de él， pero no le creen， y le fuerzan a un duro régimen de extrema actividad física y escasa comida。。。 Al ver que esto no funciona， Nevare， desconsolado y viendo cómo todo su mundo se le cae a pedazos， decide enfrentarse él mismo a esa parte suya de la magia， la cual， aún despierta， le está destruyendo todo lo que él amaba。。。 ¿Debe luchar contra la magia de su cuerpo， o debe aprender a convivir con ella， y dejar que， con un rugido， el poder corra por sus venas。。。？ Es decir， ¿debe huir de él mismo。。。 o debe aprender a valorarse como ahora es， y de lo que ahora es capaz？ ¿Es capaz de dominarse a sí mismo， o la magia lo está invadiendo？ ¿Hasta qué punto puede llegar la magia por hacerse con el poder？Temática demasiado centrada en el dolor， con poca "chispa" de ligereza， buena idea a desarrollar pero demasiado desesperanzadoraLa fantasía tiene un propósito que yo valoro por encima de todo lo demás: pasar problemas y conflictos reales， de nuestro mundo actual o histórico， a una realidad inventada。 Tensiones sociales pasan a estar también en el marco fantástico， como el machismo， el racismo， el nacionalismo， el materialismo， la ambición， la autoexigencia。。。 Y la fantasía los abarca desde otro punto de vista， dominándolos con una perspectiva diferente。 Robin Hobb se ha atrevido con este libro a tratar el tema de la imagen corporal， la relación con uno mismo en el plano físico， y las sensaciones del cuerpo。 Es un tema peliagudo， que a veces maneja bien， y otras veces no lo aclara con tanta delicadeza。 “It was all so meaningless when I looked at it that way。 It was meaningless in the same way as when I stood up from a game and then looked down on the scatter of playing pieces， and realized that they all were just bits of polished stone on a wooden board marked with squares。 All the meaning they'd had moments before when I'd been trying to win a game were meanings that I'd imbued them with。 Of themselves， neither they nor the board had any significance。”En cierto modo， parece que este libro en concreto está hecho para hacer sufrir al personaje， para hacerle pasar por situaciones precarias， violentas y descorazonadoras， y para verle desvivirse por tratar de estar a la altura de las expectativas de los demás。 Es un libro que es duro de leer， desconsuela en muchas ocasiones， y apenas hay esperanza o llamas de felicidad。 Por tanto， no es recomendable que lean este libro personas que están pasando por una mala racha， o que se debaten mucho con lo que sienten y con cómo se ven con su imagen física。 Lo digo porque este libro tiene mucho detalle en las descripciones， además de que Robin Hobb en esta trilogía en concreto hace muchísimo uso de la realidad sensorial: tacto， color， forma， sabor， sonido， y demás planos de los sentidos que se focalizan mucho en el cuerpo de Nevare y en la comida que éste ingiere。 Puede ser duro leer estas cosas si tienes problemas de alimentación， por lo que es aconsejable que dejes la lectura para otro momento。Dicho esto， hay que añadir que Hobb a veces es muy severa con las escenas crueles。。。 Tan solo por su aspecto físico， Nevare se enfrenta a situaciones horribles， donde nadie le cree， donde nadie le quiere， donde lo cosifican y lo tratan con muchísimo desprecio。 Incluso su familia lo cuestiona， lo fuerza al hambre， y lo lleva hasta casi la muerte。 Más de tres cuartos del libro transcurren con Nevare sufriendo， y puede hacerse un poco repetitivo， además de muy cruel， e incluso algo exagerado， pero en el fondo se explica por qué tanto dolor， debido a que， en el mundo que crea Hobb con esta trilogía， sabemos que a cada persona desde su nacimiento se le asigna un destino， y debe llegar a él por el bien de su familia。 Un solo error， y todo se viene abajo， y caes en el deshonor。 Gernia es una nación muy estricta， con normas muy duras e implacables， que detesta todo lo que es diferente， desde otras culturas hasta tan solo que una persona tenga sobrepeso。 El propio Nevare， sobre todo en el primer libro， tenía un pensamiento muy cerrado sobre el mundo， y gracias a personajes como su prima Epiny， Dewara， o incluso como Tree Woman， ha ido cambiando eso。 Por lo tanto， se entiende un poco mejor que en este mundo tan severo， tan difícil， los personajes lleguen a presionarse los unos a los otros por estar a la altura de las elevadísimas expectativas que hay montadas。 Una de ellas es que nunca， por nada en el mundo， debes tener relación con gente de otra cultura， a los que se les ven como salvajes。 Otra es que siempre， pase lo que pase， tienes que llegar a donde el Good God， como se llama a su dios， te ha encomendado que llegues， y que le sirvas desde el puesto de trabajo que es tu destino。 Las mujeres no pueden alzar la voz， los hombres no pueden tener sentimientos。。。 y al final， se deja claro que muchas de las personas con las que Nevare se rodeaba tan solo lo querían por lo que él podía llegar a ser， no por lo que era。 Cuando todos estos esquemas se rompen， Navare se encuentra enfrentándose a una cruda realidad: que puede que el mundo que siempre ha admirado sea corrupto， y que puede que no dependa tanto de él mismo cambiar， sino que， al contrario， tiene que aprender a aceptarse。 “Isolation was better than shame。 I would continue on my own。 This was my fight and no one else”La idea es muy buena， pero Hobb se recrea demasiado con el sufrimiento de Nevare， y esto entorpece un poco el ritmo de la trama， que se hace demasiado denso， demasiado pesado， demasiado gris y desconsolador。 Últimamente estoy que en los libros necesito algo de chispa， algo de humor y dulzura， y este libro， en su mayor parte， carecía de eso。 De hecho， he echado de menos a personajes que en el anterior libro aportaban muchísimo a la historia， con su ingeniosidad y su amor， como son Spink y， sobre todo， Epiny。 Epiny era fascinante， pura dinamita。。。 ¡Cuánto se la ha echado de menos。。。！ Ritmo de la trama estable， lento y muy reflexivo， y un argumento cautivador aunque un tanto repetitivoTodo esto que en los párrafos anteriores he comentado viene a decir que el ritmo de la historia no es para nada desenfrenado。 Todos conocemos a Robin Hobb。。。 ella es de detenerse mucho a pensar， dejar claro en todo momento lo que sus personajes sienten y piensan， y poner mucha intención en que se reflejen todas sus dudas y todos sus miedos interiores。 Todos los libros de Robin Hobb siempre tienen un ritmo que tarda en avanzar， sobre todo los segundos libros de sus trilogías son los que menos se mueven， y Forest Mage no ha sido excepción。 De hecho， hay que admitir que Forest Mage ha sido de los libros de Hobb que más han tardado en arrancar。 Lo que pasaba en los capítulos era importante， entendíamos mejor al personaje， sufríamos con él y nos dábamos cuenta de lo mucho que estaba batallando consigo mismo， pero apenas hay acción en este libro， y las escenas de tensión se pueden contar con los dedos de una sola mano。 Y pese a esto que digo， también hay que añadir que muchas eran las escenas en las que me daba un vuelco en corazón de angustia， y he conectado en este libro muchísimo con Nevare y con lo que sentía y experimentaba。 “Any future can be！” she replied， laughing at me。 “If it were not so， if it were fixed， it would be a past。 You say a foolish thing。 How can a future be impossible？”El ritmo es， por tanto， bastante lento， muy reflexivo， pero alterna muy bien una escena con otra， por lo que es estable y dinámico， no llega a cansarte， y， si os ha gustado el ritmo de otras lecturas el estilo de Hobb， en esta novela tiene uno bastante parecido， igual de contemplativo y pensativo。 Hobb， como siempre， hace muchísimo hincapié en las emociones de los personajes， y eso es clave， a mi parecer， para entender y apreciar esta lectura。 Además de eso， el argumento de la historia es sólido， cautivador， retoma bastantes temas que dejaba en el libro anterior， como esta batalla de culturas que hay actualmente en Gernia， o cómo el mundo de este territorio sigue fielmente el rol que les han impuesto desde su nacimiento。 En Forest Mage， un personaje buenísimo para contrarrestar esto es Hitch， un hombre que ha aportado muchísimo a la historia。 La ambientación de esta novela sigue siendo igual de detallada， e igual de sensacional，  hay mucho detalle en el mundo en el que nos metemos， la cultura está muy bien esbozada， a todo Hobb le ha dedicado mucha paciencia y mucho pensamiento， y esto se nota。 Es cierto que el argumento se centra más en el aspecto de Nevare que en la magia y en el mundo en sí mismos， y eso es una lástima， pero aún hay un montón de detalles para disfrutar de todo lo que esta autora tan formidable crea。 Su prosa es tan tierna y dulce que se lleva en el corazón， y， aunque es cierto que en este libro su estilo era más duro， más doloroso， sus pausas para pensar， para compartir y para plasmar cómo es por dentro Nevare eran sublimes。 Personajes muy bien esbozados， con mucha personalidad y muchas complejidadesAlgo que siento de esta trilogía es que los personajes secundarios no tienen tanto peso en la trama。 En The Realm of the Elderlings， te podías encontrar con que personajes como The Fool， Nighteyes， Burrich， Chade， Kettricken y demás personajes tenían un papel importantísimo en la trama （sobre todo los dos primeros）， y eso pasaba con la primera trilogía y pasaba con otros personajes de siguientes， pero en The Soldier Son la historia se centra única y exclusivamente en Nevare， esto para gusto de unos， y para menos interés de otros。 Los personajes secundarios son más que nada "complementos" para Nevare， van y vienen， no son grupos de héroes sino que tienen breves apariciones。 En Forest Mage， hay personajes del anterior libro， y otros nuevos， pero aparecen con poca constancia， a veces salen y otras veces no， y lo único continuo siempre es Nevare， y lo mucho que va cambiando a lo largo del libro。 Algo muy positivo de esta obra es que Nevare va experimentando muchos cambios en él， evoluciona mucho y no deja de cuestionarse， es un personaje que trata de tirar para adelante en todo momento， y al que a veces le cuesta levantarse un día más y tener todo el peso de la carga sobre sus hombros。 Pienso que no es necesario que un personaje sufra tanto para que evolucione， pero a veces esta fórmula funciona， y Nevare ha pasado por tantas cosas que poco a poco aprende a vivir más consigo mismo y con la magia en él。 Es un personaje que disfruta de la soledad， que aprende a vivir sin hacerlo a expensas de los demás， y que aprende a ver a la naturaleza como un confidente， una constante en su vida。 La magia lo envuelve， lo cautiva， le cuenta secretos， y él la corresponde。 Hay varios personajes secundarios que ayudan mucho a perfilar toda la complejidad de Nevare， como su padre， aunque la parte negativa， el resto de miembros de su familia con un poco de menor medida， Epiny en concreto lo salva innumerable número de veces， Spink， y personajes nuevos como Olikea， Lisana， y Hitch， que suponen un cambio para el protagonista。 Aun así， también tengo que decir que， para todas las páginas que tiene el libro， he sentido que Nevare no ha cambiado tanto como debería， aún hay muchas cosas de él que pulir， aún le queda un largo camino hasta estar feliz y a gusto consigo mismo， y me duele darme cuenta de que puede que en el tercer y último libro vuelva a haber una fuerte racha de sufrimiento por su parte。 La trama avanza muy despacio， y la evolución de Nevare es igual de perezosa， y， aunque es interesante leer sobre sus pensamientos， perfectamente expresados con la gran prosa de Hobb， sí que creo que este libro es bastante pesado de leer。 Una prosa cuidada， tierna y sosegadaSiempre lo digo， pero Hobb tiene una prosa muy， muy cuidada。 Mima mucho su novela， y eso se nota con las preciosas descripciones que tiene。 Hobb suele tener cautela a la hora de tratar temas duros， y por eso me ha sorprendido un poco que en esta novela el estilo que emplease para los problemas de Nevare fuera más duro， un mazacote de dolor sin momentos de ternura o de cambio。 Porque por ejemplo， en la otra saga Fitz también sufría mucho， pero de alguna forma tenía siempre a alguien a su lado， generalmente a The Fool y Nighteyes， que le hacían menos doloroso el camino， más ligero， más animado。 Forest Mage no es un libro animado， es un libro muy gris， desolador， que también enseña a vivir sin nadie a tu lado， pero es difícil， se trabaja mucho la soledad y， a veces con tanta meticulosidad que llegué a sentir un tirón de malestar en mi cuerpo。“They need other people to make them think they’re alive。 They only feel like they’re important if someone else tells them they are。”Con todo， algo que me hizo el camino más ameno， y menos amargo， fue la prosa de Hobb， la cual es calmada， sosegada， dulce en ocasiones， usualmente con un tono relajado y muy reflexivo， controlado y adecuado。 Hay un poco más de retroalimentación con el tema de la imagen corporal en este libro， y es algo que a mí me ha gustado menos， porque a veces los personajes que hacían daño a Nevare eran exageradamente crueles， pero， por lo demás， creo que Hobb sí que dejaba ver resquicios de ternura， en las descripciones， en los pensamientos， y en la plasmación de los sentimientos de Nevare， los cuales eran fáciles de identificar， fáciles de compartir， muy cercanos y reales。ConclusiónForest Mage es un libro con el que tengo bastantes emociones encontradas。 Por un lado， me parece que remueve demasiado dolor， demasiado rechazo y soledad， la mayoría de los personajes son muy crueles y el protagonista sufre demasiado y apenas tiene momentos de respiro。 Por otro lado， esto permite explorar una parte que desconocíamos del mundo creado y de la sociedad en él， y también entender mejor cómo funciona nuestro propio mundo con respecto a esto。 Además， la prosa es generalmente delicada （un poco más dura en este libro que en anteriores， eso sí）， las descripciones quitan el aliento y hay muchas reflexiones en la novela， y varios puntos de inflexión。 El ritmo de la historia es bastante lento， algo pesado， un tanto perezoso， me ha costado más terminar este libro que otros de la autora， y， aunque en general me ha gustado saber de algunos personajes， no he estado tan unida a ellos como en la gran saga suya The Realm of the Elderlings。 Por tanto， al final he sentido que este libro ha estado algo peor de como yo me lo esperaba， pero me leeré el último tomo， a ver cómo concluye todo。。。PUNTUACIÓN♫ Personajes: 3/5♫ Acción: 2。75/5♫ Trama: 2。75/5♫ Originalidad: 3。75/5♫ Tensión: 3/5♫ Desenlace: 3/5♫ Prosa: 3。5/5VALORACIÓN PERSONAL:  7。5/10Más reseñas aquí en el blog La Llanura de los Mil Mundos: http://lallanuradelosmilmundos。blogsp。。。 。。。more

Lucas ，

Grim

Illyana Clark ，

I am honestly a HUGE fan of Robin Hobb， and I could write for a long time about all the reasons I love her literary works she composed， but I will keep this brief。 I LOVE this series！ I do not understand the negative reviews on it， nor do I agree with the remarks made against the book by other reviewers。Robin Hobb is brilliant at making one truly KNOW the characters in the book， and while some complain about the slower nature in this series。。。。 I find it magical and delightful！ I feel like I’m l I am honestly a HUGE fan of Robin Hobb， and I could write for a long time about all the reasons I love her literary works she composed， but I will keep this brief。 I LOVE this series！ I do not understand the negative reviews on it， nor do I agree with the remarks made against the book by other reviewers。Robin Hobb is brilliant at making one truly KNOW the characters in the book， and while some complain about the slower nature in this series。。。。 I find it magical and delightful！ I feel like I’m living inside Nevare’s head and experiencing his life through his eyes！ I LOVE the detailand expositions she composed in all her series， and it stands true for this series too！ I love the aspects of humanity she explores in her characters both main and side 。 I honestly compare her to J。R。R。 Tolkien in terms of her writing style and the quality of her works！ Her worlds she creates become almost literally tangibleTo the point I can imagine existing completely within her sculpted and scripted worlds！ I adore this series！ I will not give spoilers， but I literally could not put it down！ Once it caught me up- I was hooked！ I’m genuinely saddened this series is not globally a bigger deal in the literary world！ It’s so wonderful on so many levels！ Well done， Robin！！！！ Thank you so much for sharing your gift with the world！ I’m enchanted， as always！ 。。。more

Audrey Friedman ，

Loved loved loved all of Robin Hobbs series and they all have a special place in my heart。 I have read and re-read all of the books and short stories I have been able to find and I was surprised to see that I hadn't included any of Robin Hobbs books in my GoodReads library so I am adding them all now。 Loved loved loved all of Robin Hobbs series and they all have a special place in my heart。 I have read and re-read all of the books and short stories I have been able to find and I was surprised to see that I hadn't included any of Robin Hobbs books in my GoodReads library so I am adding them all now。 。。。more

Kurt Vosper ，

This continues to be my favourite story by Robin Hobb。 Excellent characters。 A well thought out world。 Amazing writing。 This series is worth your time。 Some novel ideas。 It moved along better for me than any of her other books （which I also enjoyed）。

David Zimny ，

Book two of the Soldier Son series finds our hero Nevare in a weight crisis。 Despite exercising and not eating to excess， Nevare is becoming obese。 We find out it is due to the magic inside of him。 I wonder if author Robin Hobb had at one time been heavy or cared for a loved one who had been heavy， because there are vivid descriptions of the pain and fatigue Nevare newly experiences as a result of his weight gain。 Also he notices how people start to treat him with ridicule， and women look on hi Book two of the Soldier Son series finds our hero Nevare in a weight crisis。 Despite exercising and not eating to excess， Nevare is becoming obese。 We find out it is due to the magic inside of him。 I wonder if author Robin Hobb had at one time been heavy or cared for a loved one who had been heavy， because there are vivid descriptions of the pain and fatigue Nevare newly experiences as a result of his weight gain。 Also he notices how people start to treat him with ridicule， and women look on him with disgust。 Forest Mage is strong on character development， but low on action。 It tells how Nevare's own family basically disowns him because they perceive him as letting himself go。 Forced out of his home， he enlists with a shoddy military regimen。 This regimen is the only one with standards low enough to accept a soldier who is in Nevare's physical condition。 There is a story about a human sub-race called Specks who worship trees and summon a plague upon Nevare's army camp because they are chopping down the Specks' trees to make a road。 Forest Mage has the plight of many middle books in trilogies， in that it seems to set a stage for what's to come rather than be an interesting work with its own merit。 High two stars， but I'll give it the benefit of the doubt with three stars。 。。。more

Emily ，

4。25！

Zezee ，

QUICK SUMMARY （SPOILERS）This one picks up shortly after the events in the first book。 Nevare and his surviving schoolmates， instructors， and other folks in the city of Old Thares are recovering from the Speck Plague that swept through the city。 In addition to his physical convalescence， Nev is also trying to come to terms with the fact that he was instrumental in starting the plague and that there’s a part of him that belongs， or at least is loyal， to the Specks。 That part of him feels remorse f QUICK SUMMARY （SPOILERS）This one picks up shortly after the events in the first book。 Nevare and his surviving schoolmates， instructors， and other folks in the city of Old Thares are recovering from the Speck Plague that swept through the city。 In addition to his physical convalescence， Nev is also trying to come to terms with the fact that he was instrumental in starting the plague and that there’s a part of him that belongs， or at least is loyal， to the Specks。 That part of him feels remorse for killing Tree Woman。Compared to everyone else （except Rory， who the plague seemed to have skipped （if I recall correctly） and Gord， who wasn’t around when the plague swept through）， Nev is recovering quickly。 His fellow floormates， however， were seriously affected by the plague and probably will not become a member of the cavalla as they initially dreamed。 Spink was sent home with his new wife， Epiny， but some of the other boys died。 A few remain at the academy， which now has a new leader that is more sympathetic toward the sons of the new nobles。Anyway， Nev seems to be recovering a bit too well and continues to gain weight， which makes him unfit to continue at the academy and causes him to endure some serious fat-shaming from his family and torture from father when he visits home。 In addition to that， sometimes the Speck part of him reaches out to cause something that never seems to go well for Nev later on。Well， Nev is still confused by the magic he supposedly possesses， but he knows that his weight gain is tied to it。 He tries to explain this to his father， but his father is obstinate and simply believes Nev is making up excuses。 The only person who lends a sympathetic ear is Nev’s old instructor， Sergeant Duril， who helps Nev to confront Dewara of the Kidona people one last time。 After that， things go horribly for Nev。 The plague sweeps through Widevale， killing off 98% of Nev’s family， leaving his horrible father and younger sister。Blaming everything on Nev， his father runs him off， so Nev travels to Gettys to seek a new life trailing a bunch of negative consequences （it seems to me） from the magic behind him。 There， Nev meets Specks and even couples with one， reunites with Epiny and Spink （although he took his sweet time about it） and even a woman he apparently fell in love with while travelling to Gettys， and manages to carve out a life for himself。 But， because the magic demands all of him， he’s still outcasted， accused of something he did not do， arrested， and jailed。 He ends this book using the magic to tell everyone to forget him。MY THOUGHTS （MORE SPOILERS）I had high hopes when I started reading this because of how the last book ended and how hooked I was on that one。 I thought it would be the same with this。 But although my interest held throughout my read of this book， I just couldn’t stomach all that Nev goes through because it all seems kind of pointless。 Everything is blamed on the magic。 What is the magic？ I have no idea。 I don’t know， Nev doesn’t know， and no one seems able to tell him or explain it。 It makes this book a VERY frustrating read because it’s like no explanations are provided。 What is the magic？ No idea。 What is Nev supposed to do to help the Specks？ No idea。 Nev doesn’t have a clue and， now that I’m reading the third book， neither does Soldier Boy。 I am so frustrated。 SOOO frustrated and annoyed。In addition to that， the story seems to have gone off track， on a different route from where it seemed to be heading in the first book。 I thought this would be a boarding school book。 It’s not。 I thought the struggle between old and new nobles would be central to the plot， but it doesn’t seem so。 I don’t mind the different direction too much because the Specks are interesting and I’m kinda digging the themes explored in this book （and especially so far in the third） regarding colonization and empires expanding and stealing land from peoples they do not respect enough to form diplomatic ties with， but I keep wondering how the story will tie back to the events and characters in the first book because it doesn’t seem to be heading there。And I just didn’t like that Nev had to go through all that shit for no reason （because the magic being the force behind all that happens to him is not a good enough reason since I don’t know what the magic is）。 It just all seemed like an overindulgence in making Nev suffer。 From the constant fat-shaming to how his father treats him to Nev being shunned just about everywhere he goes to him being blamed for shit he didn’t do。 It became tiring to read about。 Actually， Nev is tiring to read about。 He doesn’t seem to direct his life。 He just seems to allow himself to be pushed （or pulled） along — by the magic。In some ways， Nev reminded Emily and me of Fitz from Hobb’s Farseer books because of how melancholic and down on himself he gets at times， which I understand considering all the shit he’s having to deal with。 Now that I’m writing this reflection， he also reminds me of Thymara from the Rain Wild Chronicles because of how hung up he gets on roles and expectations his society has forced on him。 He’s so obsessed with being a good soldier sometimes that it frustrates me although I understand that it will take some time for him to break away from his society and view things differently。 Well， I guess I notice this last bit more now that I’m reading the third book。Anyway， what got me excited in this book was reading about Spink and my girl Epiny。 I love Epiny。 She’s awesome and I wish the story was about her instead。 She would have made the story shorter。 Actually， in the third book （or was it this one？） Tree Woman even commented that the magic should have chosen Epiny instead。 I wondered if that was Hobb the author making a comment on something she wished she’d done differently in this story。 I also liked learning about the Speck culture and how they regard the conflict with the Gernians。 Now that we seem to have both sides of the conflict， I do not see how it can be resolved without major losses on both sides。OVERALL: ★★★★☆ ½No， I didn’t like it much and was majorly frustrated with it the more I read after the halfway point or so， but it is a well written story and it will keep your interest and it’s Hobb， one of my favorite authors。As posted on Zezee with Books。 。。。more

Angela ，

4 StarsForrest Mage is the second book in the Soldier Son Trilogy by Robin Hobb。Navare's journey of discovery as a Soldier's Son。 With magic， drama， fantasy， and much more- made for an interesting read！ 4 StarsForrest Mage is the second book in the Soldier Son Trilogy by Robin Hobb。Navare's journey of discovery as a Soldier's Son。 With magic， drama， fantasy， and much more- made for an interesting read！ 。。。more

Katy ，

This was another book that， for me， had too many elements that made it so uncomfortable to read - and yet， on the other hand， had aspects that made me want to continue reading it， just to see what would happen next。Nevare， for me， was both too whiney， and too domineered by his father， to be an interesting hero。 He seems to never make up his mind what he really wants， one way or another - until right at the end！ So that's a lot of book wasted just there - and， please， don't mention the getting fa This was another book that， for me， had too many elements that made it so uncomfortable to read - and yet， on the other hand， had aspects that made me want to continue reading it， just to see what would happen next。Nevare， for me， was both too whiney， and too domineered by his father， to be an interesting hero。 He seems to never make up his mind what he really wants， one way or another - until right at the end！ So that's a lot of book wasted just there - and， please， don't mention the getting fat， or fatter， or even more fatter！ Oh， Robin， surely you had a better vocabulary to write about the issue of obesity than this？Having the presumed hero being sulky and whiney throughout most of the book， because he had turned from a trim young man， into somebody trapped in his own body by fat - and so suffered the persecution anyone does， who don't fit the particular physical norm of their society， was like listening to someone scratching chalk across a board - unpleasant - but with such a feeling of relief when it's over！Unfortunately any， and every， society has a physical parameter that is acceptable to it and， if you don't fit the bill， then bigotry will happen - it was just so tediously unpleasant to read about it throughout the whole book - let's be fair， reading about this isn't going to make people feel guilty because they were spiteful to someone who is overweight， no matter what the cause - people are people， and trying to shame them into acceptance of differences won't change a thing！On the bright side， I really liked the female characters in this - well， Epiny and Amzil， anyway。 They were strong characters， who did what was necessary to get the job done - whatever it was， and no matter how bad the job might be and， considering they lived in a society where women seemed to be expected to do their bit to have many children， whilst being obediently servile to their， who then ensured that they only did as， and what， they were told - and should be thankful for that - I was amazed to find these two， but then， I guess women learned quickly how to show one face to their menfolk， and another to other women， in those circumstances！I'm not sure that the eco message hasn't been done more thoroughly - and more enjoyably - in other books I've read， than was done here， either， and I'm still not sure whether it was stubbornness， or just my OCD， that made me continue to read to the end - but， I have to admit， the end was worth the wait， I guess！So， on I go， to start the third book， Renegade's Magic - and I'm hoping this one， as it's the last of the trilogy， will be worth the time spent reading it！ 。。。more

Dandy Vestrit ，

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 6。5/10。 I wish Goodreads used a 10 scale。 I'm not comfortable giving this a 4 but a 3 feels too low too。Anyway I really like a lot about these books so far。 It's just that I know what a 10/10 Hobb book looks like （looking at you Golden Fool， Fool's Fate， Liveship trilogy， Fool's Assassin！） So I can't give these super high scores。 They're good。 They keep me interested but they're not Hobb's finest work。 I love the setting。 Frontier elements in fantasy。 The use of native peoples。 I sort of hoped t 6。5/10。 I wish Goodreads used a 10 scale。 I'm not comfortable giving this a 4 but a 3 feels too low too。Anyway I really like a lot about these books so far。 It's just that I know what a 10/10 Hobb book looks like （looking at you Golden Fool， Fool's Fate， Liveship trilogy， Fool's Assassin！） So I can't give these super high scores。 They're good。 They keep me interested but they're not Hobb's finest work。 I love the setting。 Frontier elements in fantasy。 The use of native peoples。 I sort of hoped there'd be more plains folk but the Specks are just as interesting。 I enjoy the exploration of the Speck Plague， it feels really relatable in this day and age。 I love that the magic makes Nevare fat。 It's not something I've seen in fantasy， how being fat causes people to treat you differently。 As Nevare puts it， "their first reason to hate me。" The end was insane。 Being accused of necrophilia。。。。 Wow。 That's a turn I've also not seen in fantasy。 Big yikes for Nevare。 I don't know how he made it through that trial。 All those things he did not do but looks guilty as hell for anyway。 Hobb really tried hard to make Nevare as hated as possible so he'd turn to the Specks。 I feel sorry for Spink and Epiny thinking Nevare is dead at the end。 I'm very interested in seeing where this goes。 I would like to know from what point in his life Nevare is recollecting these events。 Guess I'll find out soon。 。。。more

Zoey MB ，

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 CW : mentions of fatphobia-This book。。。 It felt so freaking relevant in the way it touches on topics such as racism， colonialism， fatphobia and so much more。 It was actually hard to read as a fat person with an eating disorder history but it was also for me the first time fatphobia was this accurately explored in the genre of Fantasy 。 Robin Hobb has a talent for writing imperfect and very human heroes in amazing Fantasy worlds。I know people feel that this series is slow and that the main charac CW : mentions of fatphobia-This book。。。 It felt so freaking relevant in the way it touches on topics such as racism， colonialism， fatphobia and so much more。 It was actually hard to read as a fat person with an eating disorder history but it was also for me the first time fatphobia was this accurately explored in the genre of Fantasy 。 Robin Hobb has a talent for writing imperfect and very human heroes in amazing Fantasy worlds。I know people feel that this series is slow and that the main character is insufferable， but I personally felt that it was a very accurate depiction。 In my experience， people that benefit the of an oppressive systems are the ones that will be unbearably slow in their process of recognising the oppressive nature of the systems they live in and contribute to。 For me the slow narration and flow of the series mirrors that very very slow change and growth and it really spoke to me。 。Navare is flawed and deeply prejudiced， he is a privileged short sighted man and even his good nature isn't enough to fight what has been embedded into his reasoning （ yes， truly that Good Guy™ who is clueless about anything outside his very limited lived experience）。He lives in a colonial nation and culture， and as a "new noble son" the most he knows of discrimination is how mean and unfair "old nobles" treat him and his pairs。 First World problem much。 Everything from his culture， background and education， has crushed his critical thinking and any innate abilities he might have had to put himself in anyone else's shoes。。。 Shoes of : women or lower class people of his own culture but also and most obviously various indigenous folks who's cultures and people are crushed， erased and sometimes genocided in the name of modernity and civilisation。Agonisingly slowly he will learn to change his perspective， challenge his assumptions， and even that change isn't linear。 Possibly frustratingly for the reader : Navare will be making the same kind of mistakes over and over again。 Clinging to what was taught to him as "right" or "wrong"， vaguely questioning it， then going back to it。 Applying one reasoning to one situation but not the next， etc etc。 By contrast， women in his life are so much quicker to grasp wider societal issues and are far more creative at coming up with solutions。 It's almost funny to consider the difference between how his cousin or mother s minds are far more inquisitive and critical when they were given not a tenth of his privileges and opportunities。 He is also prone to QUITE A LOT of self pitying and weirdly takes responsibility of things in all the wrong ways （aka : feels responsible for stuff he isn't responsible for but also takes 0 responsibility for things he ACTUALY SHOULD。。。） Honesty it reminded me deeply of watching my cis male white friends learn about sexism， racism and neocolonialism。 It's a pretty accurate description of that super not straight forward process。。NOW ONTO THE FATPHOBIA。 Well。 I don't know where to start。 It's painfully accurate。The self loathing described， the way you can't do anything right in the eyes of your peers because being fat automatically makes you guilty。The guilt。。。 The guilt of being fat， of inflicting fatness to yourself and to others。The way it changes how people perceive you， how you perceive yourself。 That distortion of how you body looks and how you remember or want it to be。 The fact that you either let your life be consumed by the sole purpose of slimming and shrinking yourself down or maybe。。。 Just maybe it's not your fault？ And you're allowed to be loved and live your life in a fat body？ And maybe this fat isn't inherently evil and cause for misery but a source of power and strength？ It's also interesting that Robb' s explores how fatness isn't seen as a bad thing in some non Western cultures。I would have loved to see Navarre learn to love his body and learn to accept it， but maybe they'll be more of that in the next book。In any case it's a part of the book that pierced my heart and I related to it a lot。 。。。more

Kieran Nurmi ，

As someone who is overweight， I'm finding the start of this very uncomfortable。 As someone who is overweight， I'm finding the start of this very uncomfortable。 。。。more

FizzBuzz ，

（view spoiler）[Some themes:- judging based on appearances， fat-shaming- rethinking conquest of of hunter-gatherers- just because you were born into a culture doesn't mean it's the best（hide spoiler）]Robin Hobb encourages readers to think for themselves。 Her books cultivate open-mindedness and critical evaluation of societal norms。 I love her books。 （view spoiler）[Some themes:- judging based on appearances， fat-shaming- rethinking conquest of of hunter-gatherers- just because you were born into a culture doesn't mean it's the best（hide spoiler）]Robin Hobb encourages readers to think for themselves。 Her books cultivate open-mindedness and critical evaluation of societal norms。 I love her books。 。。。more

Lindsey Ragsdale ，

All I can say about this book。。。 Poor Nevare。While I really enjoyed Shaman's Crossing and its worldbuilding of the Plainspeople and the Specks and the Kingdom of Gernia， this book fell a little flat for me。 Some reviews have commented that it drags in the second half， and I agree， to the point where I found myself so frustrated at Nevare that I almost didn't want to finish the book。 When you lose sympathy or interest for your main character， that's not good。 However， Robin Hobb as always is a ma All I can say about this book。。。 Poor Nevare。While I really enjoyed Shaman's Crossing and its worldbuilding of the Plainspeople and the Specks and the Kingdom of Gernia， this book fell a little flat for me。 Some reviews have commented that it drags in the second half， and I agree， to the point where I found myself so frustrated at Nevare that I almost didn't want to finish the book。 When you lose sympathy or interest for your main character， that's not good。 However， Robin Hobb as always is a masterful storyteller with rich prose， so I did finish in the end。 I'm not sure I'm going to pick up the third book in the series at this time。 。。。more

Paschalis ，

elibrary

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Forest Mage

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Forest Mage&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Forest Mage&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0