Big fan but disappointed in this one

When I put down Forest Mage I was deeply disappointed, and had the sinking feeling that I'd just read a 700-page book in which nothing of consequence happened. In retrospect, this wasn't true, but it certainly felt like it because for the last 300 pages, there is very little development, and the ending was horrifically predictable. Nevare made stupid decision after stupid decision, and even when you can see problems coming down the road with 200 pages left to read, Nevare does nothing until they blow up in his face. Hobb, whose Farseer Trilogy remains my favorite trilogy of all time, even steals one of the plot devices she used in the second book of that trilogy to end this one. I'll still read the third book of the series, but I think 200-300 pages could have been cut from this book. While those pages were used to establish Nevare's character, I think I would have liked him better if I didn't read those 200 pages of him either whining or procrastinating.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

A reviewer

All right, the majority of the reviews here bash this book and say its slow and depressing. In that, they are right. But, as you read, it is clear that all of the action is building up and up and up, and in the last few chapters, it explodes and leaves you going 'WHAT???' Robin Hobb has crafted this book to draw out and enlarge the conflict(s) that Nevare has to confront, and how in the end he cannot run away from them try though he might. Bascially, this second book in the series lays the groundwork for the explosive conclusion to this trilogy that I personally cannot wait for. My theory is that you have to wade through the unpleasantness first to get the gold.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

WOW!!!

I have become a hardcore Robin Hobb fan. She writes like Van Gogh paints or Emeril Lagasse cooks. You will be sure to experience all of the subtle nuances and rich vivid details as she weaves her stories. I love reading fantasy and I thought that I had read the best, but where as Gabaldon and Paolini are exceptional, Robin Hobb is 'the master'. You will not be disappointed with this or any of her other books. The ultimate experience of course will be to be sure to read any of her trilogy or series books in the proper order as they just continue to build in detail and intensity as they go. Check it out, you won't be sorry.

Not What I was Excpeting

I thought Robin Hobb could keep his work strong but in his second book he let his charecters slip and i found this book highlyu dissapointing. i am actualy sorry i bought it. i enjoyed Robin's other works and was expecting much from this series but i was sadly mistaken.

A reviewer

Forest mage was not the best bit of fantasy i've ever read. A bit on the dull side and really depressing and long. not only do most of the characters die but the main character gets a weight problem and eats a lot thefore losing what ever life he had. You have to give the author credit for sticking with a story and making something really different about a fat guy who gets way more action with the girls than he did when he was actually attractive to them. all in all i'm sure it's a pretty good book but just not my cup of tea. As a foot note i am wanting to try some of the author's other works and am hoping they are better.

Long, tortorous and out of character

I really enjoy Robin Hobb's work until this book. It has interesting moments coupled with incredibly looooong, tortorous ones. Nevere goes home and he is fat. He will meet every character that he knows and we will dwell on each of them and how disgusted they are that he is fat. One at a time...each one...and they don't like him being fat. Am I being redundant? Read the book. Also Nevere craves companionship..understood. Until he is offered companionship by Lt. Hitch, his old friend Spink and then he rejects companionship so he can despair, despair, despair in part because he is fat, fat, fat. So he continuely takes action that fails, fails, fails, so he falls into despair, despair, despair. He begs to know what's going on and when people tell him, he doesn't want to hear it, so he despairs, despairs, despairs. Was Robin being paid by the page? If so, it makes me despair, despair, despair.....

Until you understand being fat...

Although I don't consider the Solder Son series as good as the Farseer, Liveship, and Tawny Man series this book does describe what it's like to be hated just because of how you look. If you haven't been there, you just don't know. Another reviewer commented that too much time was spent on Nevarre's coming to grips with his size and the reactions from people he encountered. Again, unless you've been there you don't understand. I would recommend this book on that basis.

Could be shortened down to 100 pages

The idea of the book was just fine but it took the whole book to come to a conclusion that could easily be identified from the beginning. I felt like the story was a broken record that never quite tidied things up. How many times and ways can the 'hero' make mistakes and not understand what was in front of his face. The end of the book left me wondering what next so I will buy the next one, that is the only reason I didn't rate it poorly.

Just impossible to put down

Generally Robin Hobb's books are good. This is the second one of her books that I would say is GREAT! The first being Assassin Apprentice. In Shaman's Crossing I found the book to be good set up for something little did I know I would find such a wonderful read in Forest Mage. I absolutely enjoyed riding the emotional turmoil roller coaster Nevare experienced and through him I did as well. It is the best book I have read this year.

Soldiers Son review

This is an Alright sequal in the trilogy

Back to form

I must say that I was somewhat bored with the first book of Robin Hobb's Soldier Son Trilogy, Shaman's Crossing. This book, however, more than makes up for it. For the first time in the series Nevare Burvelle became someone I could relate to as he's forced to endure ridicule and derision for the effects the Speck Plague left on his body. I could hardly put the book down. For those who've had difficulty reading the first book, this book makes it all worthwhile.

Disappointing

I am a real big Robin Hobb fan. The Farseer series is on my top 5 of all time. This, however, is long winded, boring and lacks some serious identification with the 'hero'. I will look very closely before I buy her again.

Robin Hobb is one of the best high fantasy writers of the new millennium

After recovering from the plague second son Nevare Burvelle is the only one who feels he is not skin on bones. His doctor believes he is gaining too much weight, a rare symptom of the plague. Nobody believes him that the plague came and spread when the primitive magic believers, the Speck people used dust during the dance that made people sick. He believes this because he fought Tree Woman in another realm and recovered the missing part of himself, a person who was Tree Woman¿s lover and used magic.----------------- Now Nevare is returning home, crossing the planes where the King¿s Road is destroying the magic and way of life and bringing outsiders who settle there. He watches the magic being totally destroyed when he sees a boy put cold iron on the Dancing Spiral. Twice he unknowingly uses magic and by the time he reaches home, he is worse than obese. Almost his whole family turns on him and his father disowns him. He journeys to the frontier post of Gettys where he becomes an enlightened man taking care of the cemetery. The Speck people tell him that the magic controls him and he is supposed to stop the sacred trees from being torn down because the magic told them so. He doesn¿t know how to use the magic and if he doesn¿t find answers soon, the Specks will bring war on Nevare¿s country and that means death to all he holds dear.---------------------- Robin Hobb is one of the best high fantasy writers of the new millennium. Her characters, no matter how secondary, are well drawn and have complete personalities. The protagonist is not a hero by choice but because the magic chose him and though he fights it, in the end he gives in to its demand to save his loved ones. There is plenty of action and lot in excitement in FOREST MAGE so readers will thoroughly enjoy this spellbinding tale.--------------------- Harriet Klausner

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