Shaman’s Crossing (The Soldier Son Trilogy - Book 1)

Somehow Hobb hasn't managed to build a believable world in this first of a new trilogy. It's perfectly understandable that an American author might want to use the history of her own country as a template for a fantasy universe, breaking away from the European feudal stereotypes, this particular one feels off-puttingly fake. There are too many worlds in collision here and not enough of a synthesis between them - still some of the European feudal social structure, the exploration of the North American frontier, Native American shamanism. There's also a custom of determining nobles' sons' careers entirely by birth order which is so rigidly enforced i find it hard to believe. Tacking this cultural patchwork together is the peculiar twentieth-century-flavoured terminology, which doesn't help.

Aside from other people's complaints about Nevarre being too pompous to be a sympathetic narrator, his other self in the spirit world appears to be coming out of nowhere. It seems that the splitting of his personality was supposed to have been explained by his first journey into the dream world, but nothing in that adventure seems to account for the later separate personality, which is pretty baffling.

With the conclusion of the Tawny Man trilogy (Fool's Fate), Robin Hobb has decided to move on, at least temporarily, to another world she's created. Shaman's Crossing is the first book in the "Soldier Son" trilogy, but it is quite self-contained. In fact, if the front cover didn't mention the trilogy, I would never have known (though I probably could have guessed, considering everybody's writing trilogies these days). I do like the fact that it's a story in itself, and it's fairly complete with no dangling ends. Unfortunately, it is also incredibly slow which makes it really hard to get through.

In Hobb's new world, the first son of a noble inherits the title and property of the lord. The second son of a noble is destined to be a soldier. Recently, the king has raised certain soldiers who acquitted themselves well in the previous wars versus the Plainsmen to a "new" series of lordships, which has created a lot of class tension between the originals and the new. Navare is the second son of one of the new nobles, and he can't wait to grow up and go to the military academy and become an officer. All of his childhood is geared to that destiny, and he can't think of anything else that he could be. But when he gets there, all is not what it seems. A strange encounter as he was growing up seems to be affecting his dreams now, and his very odd cousin, Epiny, sees another aura around him that doesn't appear to be his own. Will his hard times at the academy grow into murder? Or worse? And what of the magic that appears to be affecting his very soul? Navare's first year at the academy may be his last.

Hobb has set up an interesting world with conflicting nobilities, a history of warfare and an honour system that ties everything together. Everything in Navare's childhood is geared to teach him lessons and prepare him for life as an officer, yet one of these events may completely turn him away from the academy. The pull between the magic that Navare doesn't even understand and his determination to do what the Good God has laid out for him is striking, and keeps Navare an interesting character. The story is told in first person from Navare's point of view, so we see this struggle quite clearly. At times, Navare gets annoyingly archaic in his attitudes and he sounds too much like a prig, but this is all part of his growing up process.

Characterization has always been Hobb's strong suit, and here is no exception. Everybody is clear and there is little confusion. Though some of Navare's fellow cadets tend to blur together, none of them are important to the plot, and the important ones are easily remembered. When Navare gets in the middle of a quiet power struggle between two of the other cadets, it's very immediate because of the viewpoint we see. Even the antagonists are quite clearly defined and while we never see anything from their side, we can usually tell what is going on behind their actions.

One caution (I wouldn't call it a fault) if you're used to books with either short chapters or easy stopping places where you can put the book on your bedside table and go to sleep. There is none of that here. The chapters are usually at least 20 pages long, and they are one continuous narrative. So if you don't like stopping in the middle of the action, choose your reading times wisely.

The one fault I would say that Shaman's Crossing has is the very slow pace of the entire thing. If the story wasn't self-contained, I would say that it was all set up (and it may still be for the rest of the series, for all we know). We get a lot of detail about Navare's childhood, with the initial chapters only jumping a few years each. Several encounters are important to what happens later, but there are others that appear to be just character-building or establishing the setting. In fact, the first chapter is a perfect example, where Navare meets a Scout and his daughter (the Scout married a Plainswoman, so the daughter has some magic). Scouts aren't exactly looked upon well, and this Scout is no exception. An altercation happens and Navare feels some kind of attachment to this girl. I'm sure this sets up something in subsequent books (if it doesn't, I'll be extremely annoyed) but it doesn't do much for this story other than establish part of the world and give the reader a little action to start off with. This is even more important because there isn't much action after this point.

Honestly, it's only the strength of Hobb's characterization and my faith in her storytelling ability that kept me reading, as the pace was almost glacial. In fact, it's even slower than Fool's Fate and we don't have established characters that we already know and love to help us through. The last third of the book is quite good and moves quickly, though the final confrontation is a bit of a let-down.

If you're a Robin Hobb fan, you will probably really like Shaman's Crossing, for the characterization if nothing else. If you're not already a fan, I would suggest that you don't start here. Read one of the "Assassin" books or even the "Liveship Traders" first. If you don't, it's very possible you'll get bogged down here and never want to try Hobb again. Once you have some grounding in her writing style, Shaman's Crossing will be worth picking up again. I'm giving this book four stars because I ultimately did enjoy it and I'm very glad I read it, but I'd give it 2 stars for first-time readers.

David Roy

Several previous reviewers have stated that they didn't like this new series (Soldier's Son trilogy), especially compared to Robin Hobb's earlier works. My wife and I have disagree greatly: while we loved Robin's earlier works (the Assassin series, the Liveship Traders, and the Tawny Man books), we felt Shaman's Crossing was an excellent book, and were sad to reach the end of it.

Shaman's Crossing is the beginning of a trilogy, so don't expect everything to be wrapped up by the end. As others have noted, it also starts somewhat slowly, as you learn the background and makeup of the protagonist, Nevare Burvelle. Even this background, however, is an enjoyable read, with the story throwing you into an "adventure" of sorts within the first few pages.

The characters in the novel are very believable, each with their own backgrounds and points of view, and the situations and locations keep the story moving along, while also providing a real depth to the world. By the time we finished this first novel, we felt we really understood Nevare's world, and were eager to continue the story.

What more can I say -- it's a great book, doesn't require any previous series knowledge, and should be picked up and read immediately! :)

Everyone keeps reiterating the same thing...slow, boring, main character never seems to try to change his predicaments he is faced with. I will say one thing: what? No it didn't have any big battles, and it was a little slow at many points, but he is also still an adolescent. How many of you can say that many things happened to you when you were a youngin' that were worth reading about? What you should do when reading this book is honestly answer these questions: If i had the same upbringing with the same moral code, would i have questioned the things he questions? Would i have stood up and fought back with all my might against the maelstrom of things going on around me? NO! You wouldn't have. Nevare does the best he knows how to do with the little experience he has in life other than soldiering. He doesn't know how to react, and he handles it quite well compared to what a normal person would. How at his age would he be expected to be able to take the things that happen to him in stride like many reviewers say that he should? Facts: He is a good boy who is naive about the world around him, but starts to realize that the world doesn't work the way he was always told. His little world is crushed around him, and at a young age he has to figure out a way out of the quicksand of the events that happen around him. I say give the book a chance and remember while you are reading how realistic the book is to true life. I would have given it a five if he weren't so naive, but find myself battling my 4 stars since that is one of the points of his character development: to realize for himself what is moral and immoral, fair & unfair.

Somewhere in the not to distant past, like a couple of years ago, I recall Robin Hobb finishing a brilliant trilogy - the third in a trilogy of trilogies. Now she starts a new trilogy in a new world and there is a definte 'dashed' air about this book.

Our hero. Nevare, is the second son of a recently elevated second son. In this world of Gernia, second son's are soldier son's and thus our hero is born and raised to be a soldier - and by golly does he dogedly go about it.

As the book progressed, getting tediously bogged down in mind numbing details about Nevare's upbringing, military encounters, spiritual encouters and dreams, I realised Hobb has chosen to tell this novel from one view point only - Nevare's. Unlike her previous books where she has woven the talk around one or a few strong and interesting encounters, this book is told from one person's point of view - every single solitary chapter. With teeth-grinding detail, Hobb informs of us all the good, the virtue's, the flaws and values of this one character. Some other characters take shape within the book, but never does Hobb stray from telling the story from Nevare's viewpoint and only his viewpoint. It gets tiring at times because he isn't exactly the most likeable character in the book.

And then there are the names... I don't know why but there seemed to be an incredible lack of imagination devoted to creating names for this new land and tale by Hobb. Everyname, be it city, country or person's name seemed to be the result of a 2 second think job beforehand. What is a country with stolid values? What is a country with great fictional fantasy significance? Combine those 2 and voila, we get the country name for this novel! What is a fine sounding estate in the UK? Change a vowel and voila, we have an fine estate-sounding name for a Lord's place/village etc. What is a masculine spounding name? Change a vowel or consonant and voila, you have a character's name. Some of these were so obvious it made my eyes roll as I read them...

But despite the burgeoning flaws in this book, it is not a bad read, even if it gets tedious in places. It defintely could have done with some chapters devoted to developing other characters and plot lines, but I recall the first book in the "Liveship Traders" trilogy by Hobb's not being particularly exciting either. So I can only hope this trilogy will improve like a fine wine as Hobb's developes it as well. But if this is your first time in reading a book by Hobb's, then its best to start at the beginning and read the King's assasin books first and work through her other trilogies, because I'd hate for you to give up on this author before you've read her best stuff, ie the previous 9 books she wrote!

Having read and enjoyed the Farseer, Twany Man and Liveship Traders trilogies, I was very much looking forward to this series. What a disappointment. As stated by many other reviewers, this series is slow and dull, and the main character simply becomes unlikable and pathetic as the series goes on. It is commonplace in fantasy novels that the primary character is a bit self-doubting and downtrodden. But, Nevare, the main character in this trilogy, is such a "sad sack" character that it gets to the point that you hope someone kills him off just to put and end to his (and the reader's) misery. Too bad George R.R. Martin did not write the series considering his penchant for knocking off main characters!

To say the plotting is sluggish is a compliment. This trilogy drags on with seemingly very little happening, other than Nevare's never-ending "woe is me" introspection. Had I not enjoyed Hobb's other books, I likely would not have finished this series, but I kept reading thinking that it just had to get better. Unfortunately, it did not. With so many good books to read in the world of literature (including Hobb's other works), this trilogy, sadly, is a waste time.

I have devoured everything Robin Hobb has written and anxiously awaited more; from the first sentence to the last, every one of her books has been masterfully written. She's one of the few fantasy writers I put in the same class of JRR Tolkien. Shaman's Crossing is no exception. If anything, it demonstrates how she is still growing as a writer. The detail of her world-creation amazes me, and the quality of her writing makes a very reflective book engrossing - who needs action? Not me, not in this book. I enjoyed every quiet word. Unusual for Hobb, this book feels nearly like a stand-alone - hey, it has a satisfying ending! I'm just glad it states on the cover it's the first of three. I'm dying to learn more about the Specks; surely the most interesting people she's created since her 'Rain Wild' culture.

Perhaps my opinion on this book is somewhat biased due to the fact that I am a Robin Hobb fan. I do admit I might not like this book as much as I did if I had not read her previous books.

Many will critisize this book by saying that the characters are plain and shallow. That the main character himself is shallow and accepts things as they come. Indeed I believe that is the character that Robin Hobb likes the best. Nevare is not particular charismatic, he is not a "natural leader" people dont look up to him. In short... he is everything a hero should not be. And yet it is his story that we follow.

Robin Hobb creates the backdrop in this book for her new trilogy. Make no mistake, much of this book seems to be a set up. The world is described through the eyes of someone who exepts things as they are. Who does not challenge authority. This world is in many ways bland. Peoples lives are preordained to them not only by the status of yoru family (ie noble versus non noble) but also by your birth. What your father is, you are to be. And for nobles the very order of your birth determines your life. The eldest son will follow in the footsteps of his father, becoming the lord over his holdings. The second son will become a soldier. Third a preist.. forth an artist.... and so on. This is the holy writ of the good god, and as such is not questioned.

In this book we see some signes of things changing. Of the order of their world being looked at and questioned. We see signs and hints of what could be. This very stagnent world seems to be on the very edge of a major change. This change is viewed best at the ending of the book. And seems to poise the series to launch off. Make no mistake though, this book is a set up for that.

And so here we have it. A book by Robin Hobb. Keep in mind when you are reading it, that Robin Hobb writes the book that she feels needs to be writen. And not the book that she feels her audience wants to hear. As a result this book seems to go slow without the constant battles/conflicts that seem to be in all other books to keep them moving. In Robin Hobbes books you see the most character driven story of any other author out there. And if you can respect that she writes the story that is there, and not the one that people would expect, you will be rewarded with some of the best writen character, in a deep detailed world of mystery that you will come to love.

And so there we are. The story is set, its characters laid out. Now we can but wait and see what will become of it all.

If you are new to Robin Hobb I would not read this book first. Read the Farseer trilogy, as it is one of the best fantasy trilogy's ever writen. If you are already a Robin Hobb fan then pick this book up. I could not put this book down as I was engrossed in the story. It was well worth the read.

Marked by its almost complete absence of physical conflict (a bizarre flaw for a sword and sorcery book and one that continues into Hobbs newer Rainwild Chronicles). The Soldier Son Trilogy is nonetheless a surprisingly good read.

Taking advantage of her hard won expertise in creating a compelling first person narrative, Hobb plays to her strengths and gives us the story of the conflicted son of a successful soldier (given the title its fair to say that's not a spoiler) and his ongoing struggle to carve himself a place in the world despite opposition from mystic and mundane forces alike.

All things considered, a good read but far too similar in style (and lacking the excitement of) the authors Farseer books, the Soldiers Son trilogy still remains a quality read and one thats especially recommended for those that prefer plot over action.

Premise: Nevare is a second son. And as such, his future has been decided since birth - he will be a soldier. But when his well meaning father gives him over to an old enemy to learn their ways,Nevare's path takes an unexpected turn that will work at destroying that expected future. As grows older and joins the academy, not only will he find that the structured world he has been led to believe exists, is not as black and white as he'd been told, but that he could be used as a weapon to destroy all he holds dear.

Review: Wonderfully detailed world, with well constructed societies, politics, etc. The prose was smooth as silk and a delight to read. I was totally fascinated by the differing cultures and social structures as well as the hazing and other difficulties at the academy. Only difficulty I had was that the main problem was often subdued and was minimally hinted as ever getting to have an impact. When it does, it does it BIG, but it took its sweet time. Yet this only bothered me subliminally, the rest keeping me quite busy and content.

This is a very well written book. Hobb creates in interesting inner life for Nevare. The sense of a young man caught up in currents that are completely beyond him is very well communicated in his narrative. Nevare is a very real, well-written character, totally believable.

Where this book is lacking is in the drama of the conflict and climactic scenes. The underlying magical conflict of the novel is in many ways secondary to the larger conflict of the story. It is lacking in a degree of suspense and and that soaring sense, feeling more like a plot contrivance to resolve a piece of the conflict and set up the next two novels.

That said, the question that I ask myself is whether or not I am holding Hobb to a higher standard than I would other fantasy writers. Her past trilogies have been so utterly superior that I have incredibly high expectations of her novels. I think that four stars is a fair assessment; a very fine novel that doesn't rise to the highest heights.

I read quite a few reviews that complained this new book was starting too slow - most of you must have already forgotten how slow the first Farseer and Tawny Man books were!! Its just Robin Hobbs style, to give lots of background detail on her main characters, which results in that there's always something for you to connect with the main character, allowing you to invest emotionally in his struggles. The climax was intense for me, and I couldn't put the book down for the last 200 pages, I had to keep reading till I finished the book. I can't wait for the second one, I'm thrilled with where Robin Hobb is taking our new hero.

One day in a Half Price Books another customer pointed out a couple of Robin Hobb trilogies to me: the Farseer trilogy and the Liveship Traders trilogy. I was an instant Hobb fan and rushed out to find the Tawny Man trilogy which was equally fulfilling. The I came across all 3 of the Soldier Son trilogy at one time and was very happy since that is almost unheard of when shopping locally at book sellers. The first book was marginally enjoyable and I won't spend a lot of rhetoric bashing this particular trilogy but I will just say I think she could have done this one in one book. I felt this story plodded on and on and while I did find some of the characters interesting it was a chore to make it through all 3 and when I was finally done I was very disappointed. I am currently reading the Rain Wilds Chronicles second book and I am anxiously awaiting the 3rd and 4th books. This series has more than made up for Soldier Son in my mind. I heartily recommend Robin Hobb and would not recommend Soldier Son, but if you must read it, read everything else first!

Background: I read through the Farseer trilogy a few years back, and I immediately fell in love with Hobb's knack for description blended with her masterful development of unique characters. So, I picked up Shaman's Crossing, hoping for another rich world delivered by a fantastic storyteller, including detailed descriptions of alternative magic, customs, settings, and, most importantly, people.

Unfortunately, Shaman's Crossing delivered none of these things.

Pros: The book is definitely a Hobb piece; her descriptive ability and storytelling come in full-force throughout the book. Unfortunately, however, her imagination did not give her much of a story to work with.

Cons: There are several, despite Hobb's writing ability.
-Her subject matter is, to put it bluntly, boring. The majority of the book deals with the customs and ways of Gernia, which could be described in two pages. Indeed, those two pages come early on, but Hobb insists on repeating each and every detail excruciatingly throughout the novel. After you finish the book, you realize that you don't care. The customs also seem to be lifted directly (at the very least, heavily influenced by) the Christianity-dominated Middle Ages. I understood the gist of her world within the first few chapters because of my knowledge of some European history textbooks; unfortunately, her book is less entertaining than many of said textbooks.
-The plot development is incredibly stagnant. The majority of the book deals with Nevare's time in training. The interplay and drama between him, his classmates, and his professors literally encompass more than the entire book. To add to this, the plot action she discusses throughout this section revolves around two things: boring, repeating elements (like his static relationship status or his touch of magic) or minute happenings in the Cavalla. On the latter, Hobb's work becomes like Harry Potter, where events happen without any actual substance or meaning; in Shaman's Crossing, however, these little events are barely entertaining. The book goes from slow (his transition from boyhood to the Cavalla) to a grinding halt when he actually gets to the Academy. Even the climax was not very exciting, as Hobb failed to build any real emotional bonds to supplement "the most exciting scene" with any real action whatsoever.
-The characters are stale and uninteresting. Nevare's character literally becomes annoying to follow. His only interests never change, and I can only hear so much about how much he wants to impress his father and serve his king. On top of his outlook, his attitude is completely conservative; he never wants to stray from tradition (a boring tradition, as established within the first few chapters), which makes for an un-entertaining character. He barely learns anything throughout the novel, and his development is non-existent. Her other characters are relatively unimportant, as not one departs from her original description of them. She completely discards old, developing characters (like Nevare's father, who showed potential through his training schemes) in the middle of the book, and she introduces new characters with little background or change (like Nevare's uncle). The only character who might originally be entertaining is Epiny. However, her strong-willed character gets old fast, and, by the end of the book, I was left wondering whether she was a thinly-veiled attempt by Hobb to critique feminist repression in the Middle-Ages.
-Last, Nevare's magic that she uses to add depth to the character goes wholly unexplained and, quite frankly, does not actually provide for any entertainment. Through the Farseer Trilogy, Hobb's examination of magic (like the Wit, Dragons, etc) and her descriptions of an assassin's work made even the slower parts very entertaining. But, in Shaman's Crossing, Nevare's magic (which he obtains in arguably the book's only good chapter, though in a nebulous and confusing way) plays a very minor role. Hobb decides to convey all contact with Nevare's shamanism (which is never really detailed except for a connection with the Earth) through dreams. Unfortunately, the magic she described shared about as much logic as a dream, and, even had it been fully detailed and usable on some medium outside of an REM cycle, it would not have been entertaining.

In general, Hobb knows how to write fantasy books. However, her approach to Shaman's Crossing added boring characters to an unimaginative setting with a slow, dry plot. In the end, I managed to read the book, but I cannot say I was pleased or entertained.

There are so many wonderful possibilities in the world Ms. Hobb creates for this series, but somehow this book is a chore to read. I liked the idea of American Indian style shaman magic and the clash of cultures but I am 287 pages into the book and hardly anything has happened. She really could have used a good editor on this project. I like descriptive prose, but I don't care about reading page after page with long decriptions of things that don't relate to the main story. Maybe the trilogy should have been one book and she would not have needed so much tedious filler.
I logged on to see other opinions of the book because I was about to throw it away and it looks like tossing it is a good choice. I am sorry to see an interesting world go to waste. I did enjoy the Farseer series.

Robin Hobb is an excellent writer. Her descriptions are well researched and bring you right into the story. She has the basis of an excellent novel, basically the American expansion into the plains in the 19th Century. The characters are realistic with major flaws of character. Unfortunately, when I read a fantasy novel I'm looking for a hero, not a flawed character who has promised to betray the nation he so fervently believes in. There wasn't anyone to root for in the book and I like to have a cheering interest. This is the first book of Ms. Hobbs that I haven't thoroughly enjoyed.

I discovered Robin Hobb a few years ago by picking up books at random in the Fantasy section of my local book store and reading the first page.

The first fifteen books I looked at left me unimpressed -- and perhaps a bit demoralized about the genre, which I hadn't read in a long time. But when I picked up Fool's Errand, I was intrigued by the voice -- it was so real, so intimate -- and was promptly sucked into the two Fool trilogies and the Liveship trilogy.

When I picked up Shaman's Crossing, I didn't know what to expect -- but found the complete departure from the familiar 'high fantasy' world refreshing and intriguing. I always admire authors who strike out in new directions and do it well, and Hobb takes lots of creative risks. Like setting a story in a time and place that much resemble the American frontier, for example, and giving her character a very 'un-hero-like' affliction. I loved it -- the twists and turns of the plot, the depth of the conflict, the realness of the characters, the incredibly well-crafted world so completely different from ours (and from her previous creative endeavors)... and on a deeper level, the way Hobb makes me look at my own world with new eyes. I found myself feeling every bit as conflicted as her hero -- and dying to know what would happen next.

I firmly believe that Robin Hobb is the best fantasy author currently in the game -- and that the Soldier Son Trilogy is yet another masterpiece.

Bravo!

Nevare Burvelle is a second son of a noble family - in the world of Gernia, this means that he is a 'soldier-son' and destined for the military from birth; likewise, his older brother is brought up as an heir and his younger brother is to be a scholar. "Shaman's Crossing" follows his childhood, family, education, and then for a large part of the novel his training at the military academy. As a character and narrator Nevare is most respects shown as an obediant son, though by the end of the book he's starting to grow out of that. Cracks start to show in the dutiful, conventional facade that he's been brought up to believe is right; and the book becomes more interesting for it - it'll be great to see how Hobb develops this in the following books.

The scene is set in the kingdom of Gernia - their western territories have been conquered by another nation and they have expanded to the east in response. In the process the Gernians have wiped out and colonised the native plainspeople, and now they're threatening to infringe on the mountains and the mystical 'Specks' who live there. Colonisation, cultural conflict, and racism loom largely, intertwining with Nevare's inner struggle between his conventional soldier-son heritage and his independence. Thematically "Shaman's Crossing" is more complex than the standard fantasy doorstop, leading Nevare and us to critique the Gernian invasion (although, thankfully, Hobb doesn't romanticise or patronise the Specks either). In fact throughout the book Hobb is adept at creating doubt about Nevare's initially conventional worldview - it's with relief that we start to see him question and struggle with the life that has been mapped out for him.

The tone is drier and less intense than Hobb's earlier books, and the descriptive passages and expositionary dialogue seem less smoothly integrated - stylistic flaws that are minor, but noticeable. The standard ingredients of the fantasy epic (magic, quests, romance) are muted, even more so then in her previous novels. When they do appear, Hobb tends to bring a twist to them and to our expectations of what an epic fantasy should be and do. She's not as successful at confounding our expectations as she was in the Assassins or Liveship trilogies, but I really enjoyed the thoughtfulness and carefulness of the world and characters she's created, and look forward to the next.

This is a well-written tale launching a new series by Hobb. Typical "first in series" issues noted by other reviewers are far outweighed by the writer's ability to craft an engrossing and thoughtful story. There's quite a bit here for the reader: a coming of age story augmented by themes such as environmentalism, sexism, racism, and class conflict. It will be interesting to see how the author parallels the protagonist's awakening to these issues with the conflicts they create in his society in future volumes. Fans of Linholm/Hobb's other novels should enjoy Shaman's Crossing, as should aficionados of Ursula LeGuin, Sheri Tepper, and Robin McKinley.

As a service academy graduate, I also give the author credit for her accurate portrayal of a military academy. She nailed the feel of the first year experience.

I've been DEVORING Robin Hobb of late, reading through each of her triolgys and finally ending with this book. I have to say that after reading all her other books straight through, this one was a bit of a disapointment. It just didn't grip you in the same way her other triolgys did. Perhaps that world was just more real for her, I don't know.

But regardless, she is still a very good author & it was a very enjoyable book. I will definitly be reading the following books in the triolgy.

This is also in response to the negative reviews! I loved The book! I am still reading it and cant put it down and am anticipating the next one! People who haved given negative reviews obviously have no idea what good story writing is about. Yes this is very different than her last books she has written but that is the best part! Its refreshing and different! Come on people how much can you talk about the same characters and same land? It is nice to see a different approach! I couldnt put the book down once I opened it! I htink she wrote it brilliantly to keep the readers wondering where it is going! I loved it! And to those who wrote a negative review, well you need to expand your horizons, and venture a little furthur than what you are used to and comfortable with! 2 Thumbs up to Robin Hobb! I am hoping the next book will be as good as the first!!

Let me say right from the start that I absolutely adore Robin Hobb's Farseer series. I also enjoy her work as Megan Lindholm. So when I bought this book I was ready for a fantastic novel. What a disappointment. I hate the main character. I hate the world. I hate the plot line. I hate the pacing. I just can't finish this mess.

I love the other Robin Hobbs books (liveship, assassin, dragons) but this one took me. LONG time to get into and doesn't keep quite the same pace as the other books. Once I was about halfway through, I started to care about the characters...but almost gave up before that. Will probably read the rest of the series - but not jumping into the next book immediately as I have done before.

This was a solid, though unspectacular, performance from Robin Hobb.

Her performance was somewhat akin to the basketball player who scores 14 points and six rebounds per game.

Such a player is a solid starter, but not a star.

this was not at all a riveting book. it took me about a week and a half to finish it. I used the book to read for about half an hour at bedtime before sleep overtook me.

I found myself skipping through the shamanistic aspects of the tale, which I did not find credible, based on how the story was told.

Some portions of the story involving Nevare and Epiny were interesting, but certainly not interesting enough to carry the book through 600 plus pages.

Although I've been reading SF and fantasy for 30+ years, I hadn't ever read anything by Robin Hobb so I was looking forward to a good read. Unfortunately I picked Shaman's Crossing, which now that I have read more of the the store reviews I understand is not one of her best. The protagonist is overly stereotypical and although very well described is not a sympathetic character - shallow, chauvanistic, and without original thought. I managed to finish it, but I have no interest in reading the remainder of the series, instead will try another one of her series. Somehow I kept thinking of Harry Potter, and how the description of a school year could be interesting, instead of a dry and boring narrative of the absolutely forseeable food eaten, boots polished, and military hazing.

I wonder if Robin Hobb is embarassed that she wrote this book. I have a signed first edition, and I'd almost rather hide it than let anyone know that the author of the Liveship Traders wrote the Shaman's Crossing. The book is a morality tale and yet, what is painted as evil was sympathetic to me. The "bad guys" seemed to be similar to Native American tribes resisting the Western (in this book, "Eastern") expansion of caucasians.? It created quite a dilemma for me - although the main character survived and saved his friends, I found myself wishing that the "bad guys" had won, and been able to keep their land and forests free from logging, etc.? The book brought up tons of ecological issues - and these were not resolved.? Any ecological thoughts that the main character thought were assumed to be brainwashing from the tribal shaman that had taken over part of his brain.? The picture of an imperialist and warlike nation was distinctly similar to the United States - and I do feel that she gave it a little too much sympathy.? She showed issues with their racist and ethnocentric society but never resolved those issues.? Nor were the class issues ever truly resolved.? The class warfare depicted at the boarding school that features in the book - the only reason?it stops is because so many people die?that the remaining people are forced to band together.? At the end of the book, there's just not enough resolution and you definitely feel that although certain nasty characters get punished (on the imperialist side)...that the dominating and technologically superior society will run unchecked over all of the remaining land, enslaving and killing the indigenous people, destroying the environment thoughtlessly, and basically end up just like us.? Sorry, but I don't want to read about REAL LIFE when I'm reading fantasy. For me, a great fantasy would involve nature's defenders winning and a true multi-racial, multi-cultural society.? In addition, the characters were stock and unoriginal - two-dimensional at best. I could predict almost every plot twist due to the plodding and trite nature of the book. It was still pretty engaging towards the end, but overall...thumbs down, Ms. Hobb. Her previous books have been wonderful and I do not understand what has happened. There's no indication that this was the first in a trilogy - and even so, I'm not sure I'd want to read on.

Ok..so this book starts REALLY slow..almost painful! The writing is so in depth about things as to be almost ridiculous. I call it a Slog when I have a book like this that I can barely read a few pages without getting tired. Around page 150, I came back to the store to see if other people were totally bored -- most were! Good thing I'm not one to NOT finish a book.

BUT!!!

About page 200 or so, in the 2nd half of the story when Nevare goes to the academy, I was hooked. The story was still slow and descriptive, but you want that in a good fantasy book (or at least I do). There are little gems in this book -- almost cliches that do NOT end up being cliche. If you like in depth stories (not ones with just lots of killing and mostly dialogue), you'll like this book.

I am looking forward to book 2 of the series. I'd recommend this to those who are Hobb fans or fans of in depth stories (sometimes too much).

I picked up a much lighter book after finishing this one, and I was in awe at the lack of detail -- I guess the book grew on me!

I'd give it 4 stars for the 2nd half of the story and 2 for the first..so 3!

The book is marginally entertaining. It barely manages to hold the reader's attention, and requires one to slog through pages of "explanations" for why her characters act a certain way, instead of simply placing them in situations and letting the reader watch them make decisions.

I don't think Ms. Hobb did her homework very well on this one as the consequences of the character's actions are not in line with the actions themselves. I specifically refer to Nevarre's coming of age experience in the desert. This experience would tend to change a person, and we see none of that in Nevarre. His actions at the Academy don't reflect either the desert experience, or the training he got as the "son of a soldier".

As a whole Hobb has missed a good opportunity to develop her characters. The theme and plot are all wonderful, its why I picked up the book in the first place, but her execution is lacking. In this case the editor should have done his job better and made her go back and fill in the missing pieces.

This book is not worth paying full price, check it out from the library, or buy it from a used book store.

The setting is a thoroughly unlikable society filled with narrow-minded bigots. The story is that the characters are extremely nasty to each other while horrible things happen in their world. Who would not want to spend 30 or 40 hours imbibing the author's malice toward her characters and her readers?

I recieved this book from my daughter for Christmas. It's the best Christmas present I've gotten since I was fifteen years old, and was given Robert Heinlein and Ray Bradbury from my divorcing parents. As excited as I was by these writers as a very young man, my interest in most science fiction/fantasy has palled at three times that age. It rarely contains enough to hold my interest. Better to read the likes of Donald Harington or Richard Russo, if I'm in a mood for a book. If I just want story and pyrotechnics, I'll stick to computer games.

Robin Hobb, though, offers something different. She is the real deal: an actual writer whose interests happen to lie in the fantastic realm. Not too fantastic: we have nearly real people here, inhabiting a nearly real world, each heightened to That Which Is by Hobb's talent with language and vision.

I was particularly impressed with Hobb's handling of the shamanistic aspects of the book. Shamanism offers us profound glimpses into the fabric of reality, but those glimpses can't replace our day-to-day experience of consensual reality. At best, shamans learn to walk both worlds. (At worst, of course, people deny one reality or the other. Some choose to live in the pale representation of a world that WalMart and Dick Cheney and the folks at Budweiser hawk at us. Others lose themselves so completely in the shamanic realm that here at home they earn labels such as "schizophrenic"). Hobb knows these things. Her writerly vision is that of a shaman; she nevertheless recognizes that her characters must inhabit and come to terms with the realities of their human world. Her main character's forays into the shamanic realm always leave him wondering about their true nature. Later, of course, they lead him to questioning _his_ true nature. Perhaps as the trilogy continues, he will come to accomodate them more fully into a whole of a life. For now, they are a small but vital part of his experience, and of the reader's experience of the book. We read along, accreting the details of this young man's early years, and the shamanic passages--evocative, beautifully rendered, mysterious--give us the sense that there are deeper tropisms in play than anyone in the novel yet suspects.

Also interesting is the culture these people live within. It is at once familiar and alien. It is internally consistent, logical, and believable enough to be disheartening: it's not our culture, but it does shine a light into some disturbing recesses of our society.

Hobb's writing is graceful and precise. Several times through the course of my reading, I would share a paragraph with my wife. Not too many books would stand up to such noncontextual quotation, but this one does. It is literate, unpretentious, and moving. Definitely worth a look.

No, Shaman's Crossing is NOT Assasin's Apprentice, or Fool's Fate or even Mad Ship. However, we have to understand that Hobb is venturing into a new world, with new characters and new issues.

Nevare Burvelle, our hero, does not have the same charisma as Fitz, and yet he is compelling, for his everyman-ness, the way in which he must often make his decisions whilst battling against his own fears of inadequacy.

There are many echhoes of Native American culture in the descriptions of the Plainspeople, with the addition of another, far more menacing species, the Specks. Personally, this book did not really pick up for me until about halfway through, when Nevare reached Battle Academy. The conclusion and lead to it were gripping, fascinating, and left me eager for the next book.

Some people have complained that the other characters were not developed enough, yet I disagree. I love the character Epiny, as well as the subtleties of Gord, and even the pathetic Caulder.

Overall, I recommend this book. Even if, as others have said, it is not up to par with Hobb's other trilogies, it is still far better than much of what we are offered in modern fantasy.

I loved this book. I've always been disappointed with Robin Hobb's previous books. I've bought them all but finished only a few. I've found them filled with brilliant ideas and landscapes, but the characters are moody and introspective and passive. Nothing seems to happen. In contrast, this book has it all: a lucidly imagined world that makes military and economic sense, great characters, and fast pacing. I read it in two days.

I think that if you loved her previous books you'll be unhappy with this book: it reads more like military science fiction than classic fantasy. Contrary to some of the negative reviewers, I found the viewpoint character of Nevare to be engaging and believable. Over the course of the book, he matures from a naive, obedient, callow boy to a more hardened, young man who begins to understand the complexities of his society.

Shaman's Crossing (2005) is the first fantasy novel in the Soldier Son trilogy. In a world much like our own during the nineteenth century, the country of Genria is following a Manifest Destiny. Yet their war with the Landsing had gone poorly and their ports and coastline had been lost in the peace treaty. The new king turned his eyes to the east and took the plains from the natives.

In this novel, Lord Keth Burvelle was the second son -- the soldier son -- in his family. As a youngster, he had attended the old Arms Institute, training to become a coastal artillery officer. The end of the war with the Landsing eliminated any need for such skills, so he became a cavalla officer.

The newly reformed cavalla had been based on the hereditary knights of the old kingdom, but was equipped more like the horsemen of the eastern plains. Keth Burvelle had reached the rank of Colonel when his feats of arms at the battle of Bitter Springs had been rewarded with a title and lands from the King. During the ensuing years, Lord Burvelle had also been very influential in the establishment of the new King's Cavalla Academy.

Nevare Burvelle is the soldier son of Lord Keth Burvelle. Nevare has known his role in life since his earliest memories. As the Holy Writ says, the first son is the heir, the second is a soldier, the third is a priest, and so on. He has been training for the role of soldier son since his eighth year.

After a year of unsatisfactory tutors and keepers, Sergeant Duril had arrived and became his primary keeper when Nevare was nine. Duril had taught him how to ride and maintain Sirlofty, a fully trained warhorse. Duril had also taught him situational awareness and other skills that he would need as a soldier.

In this story, Lord Burvelle turns Nevare over to Dewara, a Plains warrior, in his twelfth year to teach him the ways of the Kidona. Dewara shows him how to survive in the desert places and finally leads him on a journey into the dreamworld, where they meet Tree Woman of the Dappled Folk. Dewara brings Nevare back to his father more dead than alive, with two notches cut in his ear.

Later, Nevare learns that his father had wanted him to learn to use his own judgment rather than to blindly obey orders. Instead, Nevare learned to question his father's judgment. He also tries to forget the things he has experienced in the dreamworld.

Then, after his eighteenth birthday, Nevare is taken to Old Tares to attend the King's Cavalla Academy. He also visits his Uncle Sefert -- the Burvelle heir son -- and his cousin Epiny -- his uncle's eldest daughter -- before entering the academy. Epiny is a very strange girl, old enough to be considered a woman, but acting childish.

At the academy, Nevare finds that several things have changed in recent years. Colonel Stiet -- the new commandant -- is not a cavalla officer and seems to favor uniformity over effectiveness. Moreover, he also seems to favor the old noble families over the new nobility.

Nevare finds himself immersed in a conflict between the sons of the new nobles and the old nobles. The academy has more cadets from the new noble families than from the old nobles. Under Colonel Stiet, the new noble sons are assigned separately from the old noble sons and are culled periodically to correct this imbalance.

This story relates Nevare's training as a soldier son. It also tells of his experiences with the magic of the Plainsmen and the Specks -- the Dappled People -- of the forests. He sometimes tries to tell others of his experiences with the magic, but only finds a few people who believe him. His father is one of those who disbelieve, so he mostly tries to forget these happenings.

Highly recommended for Hobb fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of strange magic, exotic societies, and cultural conditioning.

-Arthur W. Jordin

After the great series of stories from the realm of Fitz and the Fool, this was a disappointing book. I felt that the protagonist's behavior was unrealistic and inconsistent (even though she spent *way* too much time rationalizing and justifying his decisions).

Perhaps it was just that I couldn't quite empathize much with the characters. Most of the book really dragged along; seemed like it could have been half the number of pages.

Perhaps the next one...

Shaman's Crossing is a new direction for Robin Hobb. She has left her already created world of dragon magic and liveships to try a new direction in multiple ways.

She tells this tale with a greater level of detail and from only a single POV character. This limits what she can tell the reader. It can be a very frustrating way to write. My own personal experience shows this, as my editor would gladly attest.

The Soldiers Son Trilogy seems to be developing a couple of themes, some of which she has explored in earlier work. I look forward to reading the rest of this trilogy.

This novel (and trilogy) was painful to get through. I re-read the Liveship series after this just to make sure I enjoy the author. I do. For me, it really plodded. This is a departure from Hobb's other works an is paced much more s.l.o.w.l.y. Even knowing what I was getting into was not enough for me to enjoy this trilogy. If you are sophisticated enough to have enjoyed this, please take the high road and refrain from trolling, this is my opinion and one shared by many others.

After reading all of the negative reviews about this trilogy I was pleasantly surprised when I actually read it. It's not my favorite set by Robin Hobb but it is enjoyable. I remember one review mentioned that Nevarre wasn't likeable which made me nervous about reading this series. But he seemed to be a likeable and honorable enough character to me that did the best he could with what life handed him.

I loved the Farseer series and the Liveships stories. Even when I didn't particularly like a character (in terms of personality), they were always well-described and 3-dimensional, and it was obvious that I wasn't meant to like them - but I was meant to understand them. The story was always nuanced and intriguing. I really wanted to know what was going to happen next.

Not so with this book.

I wanted to like this book, I really did. I was looking forward to another series by one of my favourite authors. I read it thoroughly, even when - as has been noted by other reviewers - it was a slow and boring slog to get through. (Boring? Hobb? But yes, it is true - this book is frequently boring.)

I found the story to be dull, but I'd have given it the benefit of the doubt as it's the first book in a series, if only I'd been able to care about the characters. I couldn't, though. They're largely one-dimensional, and when they're not they're just unlikeable. I found myself totally not caring what happened to any of them. Worse, I kind of got to the point where I rather hoped they'd all die just to make it end.

Honestly, it's enough to make me wonder if she didn't get it ghostwritten by someone who more-or-less knew how she puts words together, but didn't know enough to craft an immersive world filled with complex, interesting characters.

This book is a huge disappointment. I may check out the others from the library, out of sheer morbid curiousity, but I am really irritated that I wasted my money on buying this one.

The mystical scenes were quite strong, worth four stars or better. The long interlude at the military school, however, was slow and unconvincing. There are a ton of interesting characters and potential plot lines set up for the sequel -- I'll keep my fingers crossed.

If you are a fan, I'd recommend the book.