Volume Four of the Rain Wilds Chronicles - Blood of Dragons

I have read everything Robin Hobbs has written, even as Meagan Lindholm. I liked this book, but I didn't love it. Perhaps my expectations for Robin saw too high. I felt like the story just ended. Perhaps she just got tired of this story, and wanted it to end. I still love her writing style, and will read whatever she publishes, I just felt this story kind of fizzled at the end.

She was my first fantasy author and (honestly) I have to motivate myself to read books of another authors. I know there are many but the world Hobb created is impresive! I was suprised there were four volumes of the book but I liked it.

Great ending to the Rain Wilds chronicles; I thoroughly enjoyed the series. I enjoyed the new characters and their story lines. Plus the tie in of characters from the Liveship Traders series. I will be reading Fool's Assassin next. Robin Hobb creates wonderful characters and great stories. If you like epic fantasy her books are for you!

Not a bad read but the various sex scenes (hetero, homo, and inter-species homo) get tiring. Also, the kindle formatting is atrocious. All indications of transitions have been wiped away and a scene jump isn't indicated by any symbol or greater spacing between paragraphs.

Have enjoyed her whole various series! What a creative mind -- how she develops each book and each series on its own, but also weaves them together. The series stand on their own, but if you've read them all, you can appreciate the different perspectives of some of the same events. Just got into her books this year and am now reading the latest, then I will be waiting for her to write and release more. If you like Game of Thrones, you'll enjoy these as well!

Hobbs delivered again. If you are a fan of the series, then you will love this book. One of the things that I appreciate about her books is that the characters are believable. There are no absolutes just as there aren't any in the real world. Her protagonists have flaws and the dragons are far from noble. They are vain, self-centered, and egotistical.

Anyone who likes Dragon stories will love Blood of Dragons! Hobbs is a master story teller and Blood of Dragons is the bow on the package! Thoroughly enjoyed the whole Rain Wild Chronicles and would heartily recommend this good read!

Formatting for Kindle titles is never as good as an actual book and generally I can live with it. This book was the exception. The letters between the bird handlers (if you've read the books, you know what I mean) are a hot mess of fonts & lack of whitespace; this was a minor annoyance. However, the break between story threads, which in the physical books is accomplished with 'blank lines' is completely, utterly absent in the ebook. You're reading one plot line & the next chapter is suddenly a different plot line. It's jarring, annoying and impossible to differentiate from an actual loss of text.

I returned the ebook & ordered a dead-tree version.

Finally an ending.

After the last three books ended like a chapter ending but not really a closing this was somewhat of a relief. I do think that this may have had a little to much of a nice tidy bow tied on it but I have to admit I am just glad there was an ending so I'm willing to over look a little of the neatness of this story. I enjoyed the story but I do think it was a little to neat and because of that it lacked reality and believability.

There were somethings that happened that weren't perfect or ideal but they weren't devastating. With all of the events that happened in this book things things seemed to work out a little to well to be realistic but sometimes we want our stories to be the idealistic and the best possible future and not realistic.

With this book I think I would have enjoyed a little more reality the other books in the series didn't seem to shy away from what is difficult as much as this one did. Yes there were topics in here that were difficult but the characters got what was coming to them and those that were unfairly treated were avenged.

I liked the story around the memory stones and I think this may have been the most realistic part of the book. Thymara was still an interesting character to follow because of how she struggles to find balance and to make her own choices for the right reasons. Of all of the characters in the story I think she is the only one who we follow that really changed that much. The dragons went through physical changes but they did not really change much as far as attitude or action. Kelsingra, the city, played more of a role in this story but not so much as to become a character in and of itself but more to be a more foreboding and welcoming setting. The Duke of Chalced became a real character just on someone who was making demands on others. I like that he was in here and I think it is what made this more interesting.

The Characters were the enjoyable part of this book as with the others in the series. I think that the story itself in this book was a little weaker but maybe that was because it was the ending. I would recommend this book to those that enjoyed the rest of the Rain Wild Chronicles.

The fourth book in the Rain Wild Chronicles, and what an excellent end to the series. For me, this one was a very close second to my favourite book of the series which was book 2. This still had a little too much of the villains for my taste, but this was balanced by their comeuppance (and my favourite scene of the book where Hest got his just desserts [and so did Kalo *snicker*])

I liked the way the storyline with Rapskal and his delving into the memory stones tied in to solve a current mystery, and I actually ended up quite enjoying the little story with Selden and Chassim as well.

This was an action packed book, and I travelled with it happily and enjoyed all of the moments along the way. Sure, there were some bits that dragged a bit, but they were far and few in between. I loved that each of the key characters had a good defining moment – Sedric, Alise and Thymara – standing up for what they believed in.

All in all, this series ended up a lot better than I had initially thought it would, so it left me happy. Not as fantastic as the other series’ I’ve read by her (Farseer & Liveship Traders) but still pretty darn good!

Robin Hobb has been my favourite fantasy author ever since I picked up Assassin's Apprentice many, many years ago now. With Blood Of Dragons, Hobb brings yet another cracking series to a close - this time focused around the Rain Wilds that have been talked about a lot in all of her previous trilogies but never as in much depth and detail as they are here.
Blood Of Dragons brings about the cultimation (for now) of a storyline that has been brewing ever since her first novel and the Farseer trilogy that followed. Though at times this latest quadology has read a little like a grown-up version of How To Train Your a Dragon, over the course of four books this series has slowly grown on me - offering up many interesting and important insights into the mysterious Elderlings of whom Hobb has spoken so much before in all of her preceding trilogies, whilst introducing us to a fascinating cast of characters that have both grown and matured as the series has continued.
Whereas up until now the central theme in all of her other books has been about her characters trying to bring about the return of dragons to their world, this latest entry instead takes a good, hard look at the possible ramifications for these actions, whilst simultaneously asking whether or not such a decision might be so wise. The Elderlings of legend too are on the cusp of returning and there is much to suggest here that this might not entirely be a good thing either.
As war bristles with Chalced and evil forces still conspire to try and secure stolen Dragon parts, the characters of this series find themselves facing some of their hardest challenges yet.
Are they really prepared to die for what they believe in? And just how far will they go to protect their latest discovery - the recently found lost Eldering city of Legend?

I have simply loved this series and much like The Liveships, it has been a grower on me. Though there are some that have described its final moments as anti-climatic, I find them perfectly fitting when put into context with all of Hobb's other books so far. Here, the story is not about big sweeping battles but instead the bigger message - things are changing in this world and quickly, and its people need to learn that in order to survive, they are going to have to adapt and embrace all that is coming.
Though the series lacks the equivalent of a Fitz or a Fool, the return of a few old, familiar faces is a welcome addition and I have no doubt that characters such as Thymara will go onto much bigger and better things in the future as knowing Hobb, I very much doubt that this is the last she intends us to see of them.
Overall, though this series has not always been up to the high standards set by some of her earlier series', this final book is one of the strongest so far. True, we don't always get the endings we might want for some of the characters (and those who have read this will know exactly of whom I mean) but this only adds an extra dimension and depth of realism to her work for isn't this often the case in life that we don't always get what we want?
Highly recommended - but more for fans than casual readers of Hobb's work.

This is the fourth and last book of The Rain Wild Chronicles (after Dragon Keeper, Dragon Haven and City of Dragons).

In Kelsingra, Alise is at a lost. What is her life purpose now that the city is about to reawaken? She doesn’t know yet that Hest, her former husband and tormentor, is on his way to claim her back.

While hunting on the eastern bank, Thymara and Tats find remnants of bridge piles. The dragons could use them as launching platforms to fly across the river. The creatures also tell the Elderlings to find wells of Silver, a substance they need to survive.

Tintaglia is severely injured, shot by Chalcedeans. After a harrowing flight back to Trehaug, she learns that Malta and Reyn have already left. They’re on the Tarman, making for Kelsingra to beg the dragons to save their son Phron. But only Tintaglia can help the infant, and the queen is mortally wounded again on the way.

Meanwhile in Chalced, sick and starving Selden is sold to the dying Duke, who wants to drink his blood and eat his flesh to prolong his life. But the despot needs to heal him first, so he puts him in the care of another of his prisoners: his daughter Chassim. Realizing they share the same fate, the young couple become friends.

In this final volume, the exciting multiple story arcs converge to an thrilling ending. In addition, I loved learning more about the expanding mythology of Robin Hobb’s world, the Realm of the Elderlings, and was absolutely delighted to uncover tiny hints and clues to elements in her former Robin Hobb. I need to read those again!

I first discovered Hobb through the Farseer books and they remain my favorites of hers to date. So if you haven't read those, stop now and go get Assassin's Apprentice (The Farseer Trilogy, Book 1). Now, let's assume you've read that and you've also checked out Tawny Man and Liveship and you're wondering if this most recent set of books is worth delving into. Yes, to an extent I found them enjoyable and this book ends the series in a satisfactory way, but I'll be honest, I wasn't wowed by anything here.

Throughout this series of books, I never really connected in any way with any of the characters. I think the main issue is that there is really no one main character. You could argue it's the girl, Thymara and she is interesting and does develop over the course of the series. I suppose you could argue that about other fantasy series (obviously there's no main protagonist in George RR Martin's books and I love them) but I think this type of more intimate series would have been better being more focused.

And I think that's the weak point of this series - focus. As other reviewers have said, these books seem a little overly long, dragged out and unfocused. They are good, just not page-turning, jaw-dropping amazing like some of her other books.

That said, these last two books in the series are the strongest of the set and have held my attention better. I imagine that this series would have been helped a lot having been a trilogy as opposed to a four-part series.

If you've read the first three, definitely wrap things up with this book. It's nice to see how all the characters end up meeting up and come together near the end (though it's way way at the end).

I liked the liveship traders books and I've been following the dragon spinoffs. This shows the once-sea-serpent dragons as grown, flying dragons at last, living in the dragon city in the jungle of the rain wilds and now being hunted by people who wish to sell parts of them for medicine. If you have not been following the series, it would be best to go back and read the earlier ones first.

Hobb at this point is just writing and selling so she is not too worried, it seems to me, to tighten up her prose. She has always padded stories out and this quartet has felt more padded than earlier books. Partly it is because every secondary character is followed obsessively - even if they end up ignominiously dead we have had to spend many pages getting to know their innermost thoughts and ambitions. Actually, we skip much of those parts, in order to get on with the story. I read this book in a day but the size, over 500 pages in hardback, may deter some new readers. I borrowed mine from the library.

Certainly it's a decent story based on a very interesting premise in this quartet, which is based on the liveship books, another such story, and there is lots of action and description. Fans will enjoy it, new readers should start with Dragon Keeper and work their way along.

Robin Hobb is one of my favorite fantasy authors. Her worlds are so fully realized and she makes me emphasize with the characters so much, even when they're being petty or foolish or just plain stupid. BLOOD OF DRAGONS brings the Rain Wilds Chronicles to a fabulous close.

Hobb has a tendency to end her series with long denouements. That does not happen in BLOOD OF DRAGONS, and I kind of missed it. I especially could have done with a longer ending to Selden Vestrit's story, post-gigantic dragon battle. And honestly, the gigantic dragon battle was a bit anticlimactic. That's not surprising, because humans versus multiple dragons is not a real battle.

Sedric and Alise's stories mostly came to a close in CITY OF DRAGONS, but Hest - Alise's husband - shows up for that final bit of closure. It's not as dramatic as it could be, and unfortunately leads to spending time in Hest's slimy head. More time is spent on the conclusion of the Thymara, Tats, and Rapskal love triangle. It comes to the inevitable after much rehashing of what's been going on since the first book. But I love that Thymara's stayed firm about making her own choice in her own time and that she doesn't have to pick either guy.

This may sound like I didn't like the book, but I blazed through it. I couldn't wait to find out how everything ended, and who would make it out okay. I liked that BLOOD OF DRAGONS also settled several questions about how the humans and dragons would live together. Hobb has done a wonderful job of showing that the dragons aren't humans in any way, shape, or form, but that they have been affected by their keeper's humanity.

I would not read BLOOD OF DRAGONS without reading the first three books first. And while the quartet can stand on its own, I'd at least read the Liveship Traders trilogy first for background on Bingtown, the Rain Wilds, and Chalced. And better yet, start with the Farseer Trilogy, then the Liveship Traders trilogy, then the Tawny Man trilogy before embarking on the Rain Wilds Chronicles. These four can stand alone together, but they're so much better with the full depth of Hobb's worldbuilding. I am fully satisfied by her latest series and eager to read whatever she writes next.

Blood of Dragons (2013) is the fourth Fantasy novel in the Rain Wilds Chronicles series, following City of Dragons. The initial volume in this sequence is Dragon Keeper.

In the previous volume, Tintaglia and Icefyre returned to a desert lake to wash off the gore from their hunting. They were attacked by armored men and archers. After the dragons slaughtered their attackers, Tintaglia found one injured boy who confessed that the Duke of Chalced sent them.

The Duke had also sent men to Bingtown for dragon parts. These agents had inserted two men among the humans searching for Kelsingra. But nobody has reported back to the Duke.

Unknown to the Duke and others, the dragons and their escorts had reached the vicinity of Kelsingra. But they were on the wrong side of the river. The Tubman had tried to cross the river, but the current was too strong and only one dragon -- Heeby -- could fly that far.

Sintara fell into the river while practicing her flight skills. The humiliation was so great that she refused to fly publicly. She did practice at night while everybody else was sleeping.

Thymara had strong motivation to encourage Sintara to practice flying. The dragon was growing and needed more meat. She was always hungry and Thymara was having problems keeping her fed. Naturally, Sintara didn't tell Thymara that she was practicing.

In this novel, Tintaglia is an adult azure dragon. Her mate is the old black dragon Icefyre.

Sintara is a blue dragon. Her keeper is Thymara.

Mercor is a golden dragon. He has more memories than the other dragons and often suggests new ways of obtaining their goals. His keeper is Sylve.

Heeby is a red dragon. Her keeper is Rapskal.

Fente is a green dragon. Her keeper is Tats.

Relpda is a copper dragon. Her keeper is Sedric.

Ranculos is a scarlet dragon. His keeper is Harriken.

Sestican is a blue dragon. His keeper is Lector.

Spit is a silver dragon. His keeper is Carson.

Thymara is a Rain Wilds girl. She is heavily marked by her mutations. Now she is an Elderling of Kelsingra.

Rapskal is a Rain Wilds boy. He is heavily marked by mutations. Now he is an Elderling of Kelsingra.

Tats was a Chalcedean slave. He and his mother gained their freedom in the Rain Wilds. He and have been friends since childhood. Now he is an Elderling of Kelsingra.

Carson Lupskip is a native of the Rain Wilds. He is the chief hunter on the voyage upriver and a friend of Leftrin. Now he is living with Sedric and is an Elderling of Kelsingra.

Sedric Meldar is a Bingtown man. He has known Alise for many years and was a close friend of Hest Finbok. Now he is Carson's lover and is an Elderling of Kelsingra.

Alise Kincarron Finbok is a Bingtown woman. She married Hest Finbok late in her life. Now she has spurned her husband and taken Leftrin as her lover.

Leftrin is the captain of the Tarman. He is infatuated with Alise.

Reyn Khuprus is a Rain Wilder. He and his wife Malta had been changed by Tintaglia into Elderlings. They have an infant son Phron

Tillamon is Reyn's elder sister. She has been heavily marked by the Rain Wilds mutations.

Hest Finbok is a Bingtown trader from a wealthy family. He had married Alise while still bedding Sedric, so she considers the contract null and void.

Selden is Malta's younger brother. He is a captive in Chalced.

Tarman is a Live Ship. He had been modified with wizardwood found by Leftrin.

In this story, Tintaglia has left Icefyre and flies toward Bingtown. She follows the seacoast to the Rain Wilds River and up the river. The pain from her infected wound makes it difficult to take off in the morning and hurts as she flies.

When she lands heavily on a dock, she calls for Malta. The Bingtowners protest the damage she has done to the dock and boats, but finally one tells her that Malta and Reyn have left for Kelsingra. Tintaglia wearily -- with strong determination -- continues up the river.

Across the river from Kelsingra, the keepers are persistently exercising the dragons. They stretch the wings as they remove lice and other vermin. Fente and Sintara have also taken to the air and, like Heeby, can fly to hunt and to bathe in the city.

The other dragons really want to join them, but are finding it difficult. Ranculos takes off, but becomes confused in the midstream and falls into the river. He wades ashore and walks back to the city. Then Sestican launches himself and barely crosses to the other side.

Later Tats and Thymara go hunting and observe wolves chasing large deer. The wolves use the broken stub of a bridge to funnel the deer into a killing ground. While watching the hunt, Tats considers the use of the bridge stub as a launching platform.

The keepers round up the nonflying dragons and herd them to the bridge stub. They tell them to run toward the end and jump. Relpda takes the first leap and Spit is right behind her. Then the rest launch from the stub and all the dragons are flying. Now their bodies only get stronger and their flying improves.

In Chalced, the Chancellor presets Selden to the Duke as a Dragon Boy. The Duke is skeptical and notices that the boy is sick. When Selden agrees, the Duke gapes at his speech. He had considered Selden witless and mute.

Selden talks the Duke into sending him to a healer. She happens to be his daughter. They are both prisoners of the self-centered Duke.

Hest has traveled with Redding up the river to Cassarick while running errands for an unnamed Chalcedean. He leaves Redding in their room in the tree tops while going out to tea. Upon his return, Hest finds Redding and a Chalcedean dead. The other Chalcedean forces him to dispose of the bodies.

Hest is sure that his present uncomfortable circumstances are all the fault of Sedric and Alise. If it hadn't been for them, he would be dining in a Bingtown restaurant and sleeping in his own bed. He is being punished for the errors of others.

This tale takes Hest and others to Kelsingra, where they are greatly surprised. Hest has plans for Alise and Sedric, but they don't agree. Rapskal is drowned in Elderling memories, but Thymara merely finds uses for some Elderling memories.

This series dwells upon differences in viewpoints and morality. All the dragons -- except Mercor -- have very primitive, selfish viewpoints. Hest has a similar point of view. Such viewpoints lead to a very self-centered morality. Alise has a wider point of view and thus a less selfish morality; her main problems is being too open to compromise.

The dragons, however, have only limited mental faculties. Later they discover Silver, which leads to more powerful reasoning abilities and a higher morality. Too bad humans don't have Silver.

BTW, is Silver composed mostly of mercury? The characteristics and effects on humans are much the same, yet even more dangerous.

This is probably the last volume in the Rain Wilds Chronicles. However, the store has just released The Willful Princess and the Piebald Prince, a flashback into an earlier time in this universe.

Highly recommended for Hobb fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of useful magics, angry dragons, and a bit of romance. Read and enjoy!

-Arthur W. Jordin

I have to say, first off, that I am a HUGE Robin Hobb fan and have been for many years. If you love fantasy novels (adult - these are not YA) and have not read Robin Hobb, you need to immediately pick up Assassin's Apprentice, the first book in the Farseer Trilogy, and then keep reading until you get to Blood of Dragons. So, you'll need to read the Farseer Trilogy, The Liveship Traders Trilogy, The Tawny Man Trilogy, and then the Rain Wild Chronicles. (Oh, plus you should go ahead and read the Soldier Son Trilogy, which isn't directly related to the others, but takes place in the same world). I know, it's a lot of reading, but trust me, it will be worth your time! Robin Hobb has created an amazingly detailed world with fantastically unique and interesting societies. It's a must-read series!

Okay, so on to my review of Blood of Dragons. This book ends the Rain Wild Chronicles, but Robin Hobb has obviously left plenty of loose ends in order to leave room for a new series. Still, I felt like she did a fantastic job of giving us a sense of closure for the main Rain Wild characters while tying in older characters that we have known and loved from other books (namely Reyn, Malta and Selden). I especially loved the resolution of Sedric and Alise's stories. (I don't want to give anything away, but I think most readers will be satisfied that Hest gets what he deserves in the end). I also loved that both characters grew so much throughout the book and really came into their own at the end of the series. I did have a couple of picky criticisms - for one thing, I thought the ending was a bit rushed (the One-Day war came and went in the blink of an eye) and I could have done with less of Hest's perspective. Also, I just didn't have the same sense of "That was AMAZING!" as I have with some of Hobb's other series enders. Still, I could only bring myself to take off half a star for that because I just thought that overall the book gave me an extremely satisfying end to an amazingly well-written series. I can't wait for more! 4.5/5 Stars

UPDATE: I finally read all of these series and I loved them all. While there are many that did not like this one as much as they did the FARSEERS, TAWNY MAN, and LIVESHIP trilogies I liked and enjoyed them all. I think that reading the LIVESHIP trilogy before this enhanced my enjoyment and understanding of this series. If I was recommending a reading order if you are new to them it would be FARSEER TRILOGY, TAWNY MAN TRILOGY, LIVESHIP TRILOGY, and finally RAIN WILDS tetralogy. It is not necessary to read them all, but their worlds are somewhat related in the first two trilogies and LIVESHIP and RAIN WILDS are related and I don't think I would have enjoyed this series as much if I had not read the LIVESHIP trilogy and having read the previous trilogies added my enjoyment and understanding of all of them.

There are times when I get a book through Vine and realize that I need to read the earlier books to have an understanding of story. This is very true here and from reading other reviews (after the fact) I know I at the very least I need to read the previous three and that it would be even better if I at least read the "LIVESHIP TRILOGY."

However, after reading reviews and samples from them I am going to go back and read the' FARSEER and `TAWNY MAN; series. I will update this review after I read the `LIVESHIP" series and the previous three books in this series. I will also try to post reviews for each book as I finish them. I will then go back and read the other two series. I am glad I discovered this author. I cannot believe that I had not heard of her until now.

On a separate note, I was bored and looking for something to read and since I had enjoyed all these books I decided to read her SOLDIER SON, trilogy and while I enjoyed it I found it very different from these books. I liked the world and character building and the magic in this trilogy I found the series somewhat slower than these books. I would rate them a solid 4 star, but you should the reader needs to understand it is a totally new world, characters and magic system.

4.50 STARS * Receiving this book through the store's Vine Program did not influence my rating or review of this book; all opinions are my own*.

Robin Hobb, Blood of Dragons (Harper, 2012)

Full disclosure: this book was provided to me free of charge by the store Vine.

For the first time, Robin Hobb has extended past the trilogy and given us a quartet. I admit, I was a little apprehensive--especially given the brevity of the third novel in the series (really, she could have easily combined the two)--but she pulled through, and Blood of Dragons, while not packing as much of a punch as concluding-trilogy volumes like Ship of Destiny or Fool's Fate, brings the Rain Wilds Chronicles to a satisfying conclusion.

NOTE: the plot summary below necessarily contains spoilers for previous books in the series.

Plot: The dragons, and some of the keepers, have finally made their way to Kelsingra--at least, those who can fly. The rest remain in the makeshift village across the miles-wide river until they can fly. But it's not just the dragons and their keepers, of course; some of the ship's crew are still there, though most are on a supply run back to the jungle. (That's a weird sentence, no matter how you present it.) Alise is still there, though after an offscreen confrontation with Rapskal--we only hear about it in retrospect--she has decided, or been forced, to rethink her position within the expedition. Still, despite all the Kelsingra drama, everything seems to be going along swimmingly--except that the Duke of Chalced, still desperate for dragon parts he believes can extend his life, is sending ever-greater numbers of mercenaries into the Rain Wilds--including the guy who's been working with Hest, Alise's husband (and who was previously working with Sedric), and who has decided that since Sedric has disappeared without a trace, Hest needs to head into the rain wilds himself to recover some dragon bits. We all know where that plot line is going, yes? But at the same time, a third thread emerges: Tintaglia, one of the major players in the Tawny Man trilogy, but whom we haven't seen here since the first book, is gravely injured after a battle with some of those same Chalcedean mercenaries. Unable to find Selden, her singer (whom, you will remember, was captured by Chalcedeans in the first book, and his journey through Chalced, and through various hands, has been a tangential plotline throughout), Tintaglia heads for the Rain Wilds as well, looking for healing--which she, and the other dragons, believe can be found in Kelsingra, but the racial memories of neither the dragons nor the Elderlings offer any clues as to how or where--so the keepers must discover it on their own...

If you're already invested in the series, you don't need me to tell you you want to read this book. If you're not yet, and you've read the other series leading up to it (which is everything except the Soldier Son trilogy--and I persist in my belief that the Soldier Son universe is just on the other side of the mountains at the western edge of the Mountain Kingdom), then what are you waiting for? If you're new to Robin Hobb, welcome aboard--but you're at the wrong end of things. Go pick yourself up a copy of Assassin's Apprentice, the first book in the Farseer Trilogy, and work your way up (Farseer, Liveship, Tawny Main, Rain Wilds Chronicles). You'll be glad you did. ****

This is the concluding volume in this series, and, in concluding fashion, this novel brings many of the plots, sub-plots, and threads together for the most part. The life cycle of the dragons has now been completely written and has been revealed to all readers. We also understand a lot more about the city of Kelsingra, its memory stones, and why it was situated where it was. As if all of that was not enough, this novel also concludes the stories of Selden and his travels, Malta and Reyn, and even Alise and Hest. Finally, this novel also sets the stage for a future series where all these resolutions come into play as does the new dynamic between Chalced and the other civilizations in this world.

The author maintains a good pacing in the book and the action never really slows down. The Dragon keepers we've known of old continue to grow up and mature and learn their place in the world as the new generation of Elderlings. One of the things that has always been true of Robin Hobbs' novels has been the presence of strong female heroines and this book is no slouch in this fashion with Alise, Thymara, and even another one playing significant roles in the development of the story. The author also does not shy away from introducing her social beliefs in the way she allows her creations to interact with each other - whether our current society, or her fictional one allow such interactions to occur. In this her message is clear.

Like all the other books in this series, the level of violence displayed is minimal. Oh, the Dragons have to hunt to eat, and so do the humans, but the fighting between humans and humans, and even humans and dragons is restrained and the author does not indulge in orgies of descriptions of unspeakable acts of violence and inhumanity. Not to say that violence does not play a role here, it does. We have fights between humans which result in bloodshed; fights between dragons; and even fights between dragons and humans. All of them are believable in their contexts with one glaring exception (which I will not disclose as it is a major story development that I do not want to spoil for readers).

As the story has evolved over the four books, it has answered many questions about the world that these characters live in. I think that this book provided many answers to questions that I've pondered in the past, and presented them in sensible and logical ways so that the resolutions made sense. I really appreciated that, and it contributed heavily to the high rating that I am giving this book.

For those who liked the little sub-story of the bird keepers and their messages interspersed between chapter headings, this book contains those as well and even takes the story forward to a resolution of sorts. I thought this whole sub-plot was an interesting way of showing that other things are taking place in this world, besides the main story. In this book, the author brings a new story together and ends up resolving it as well, which was very nice to see.

Overall, I think this is a fine concluding volume to an interesting and fascinating series of books and one that will grace my bookshelves. I recommend it to those who have read her other works and want to have the conclusion in their hands.

Robin Hobb concludes her outstanding 13-book fantasy series with “Blood of Dragons (Harper Voyager, $27.99, 425 pages)”, and as long-time readers know, I’m a huge fan, so my ringing endorsement of the last installment isn’t exactly a news flash. That said, though, Hobb does deliver on the promise of the first 12 books, and those who liked those 12 will be happy with number 13.

If you haven’t sampled any of Hobb’s work, I’d start with “Assassin’s Apprentice,” which is the first book in one of two loosely related series. “Blood of Dragons” wraps up the other set of books, though all take place on the same world (pre-industrial, limited magic, but, obviously, dragons). The six books that begin with “Assassin’s Apprentice” (“Royal Assassin,” “Assassin’s Quest,” “Fool’s Errand,” “Golden Fool,” and “Fool’s Fate”) can really stand alone, as can the other seven (beginning with “Ship of Magic”), though reading them in the order they were written is probably best.

It’s possible, of course, that Hobb will continue pursuing stories on this world, perhaps involving familiar characters and perhaps not, but regardless, these 13 books are a tremendous achievement in popular fantasy, and deserve much more critical credit than they’ve been given.

Perhaps they just need a bit more gratuitous violence or a couple vampires ...

I have read all the previous trilogies by Robin Hobb. When the ships series finished I was glad to see some continuation in the Chronicles series. It's been two years since I last touched this world and I came back after a bad episode in my life that left me wondering whether I could get into another book. If you have been away as long as I had I would recommend skimming over the previous books. Otherwise, you will get confused quite quickly.

As with the previous stories, this one is very much character-driven. Once again, you have Tintaglia the great dragon who is torn between what she wants and what her memories tell her she should be doing. She is wounded and all she can do is fly to her ancestral city and hope that these new Elderlings (reborn to a world that nearly forgot them) will help her. Alise and Lefrin are separated; Elderling singer Selden has been taken captive and his situation is truly dire. Blood of Dragons follows all these characters (and tells the story from their points of view) as they struggle to survive and learn the secrets of the lost city of Kelsingra and Chelced's corruption without losing themselves in the process.

As they struggle, they evolve. Occasionally, the book feels disjointed--like Robin Hobb was trying to tie up all the loose ends of all the trilogies at once and maybe she was. However, the writing is as wonderful as ever, the world as convincing (in fact, the Rain Wilds are almost their own character) and since she gives us multiple points of view: dragon, Elderling, and human alike, we get to experience the whole story and get a glimpse of what the return of the Elderlings might mean for the world.

For I get the feeling that while Robin Hobb may have finished this story, she is nowhere near done with her amazing world. And that (to my way of thinking) is a good thing.

I have indulged in the intricate weaving of character development that is the Rain Wilds Chronicles much as I have engaged all of Robin Hobb's other works: from the beginning. Hobb is a master storyteller, but where she really shines is the molding of characters, pounding out personality with emotion and pulling them along in such a way that leaves us all not merely intrigued, but attached. Her heart is in it, and she wants our hearts to be in it as well--and one can feel it here in Blood of Dragons as surely as any other.

Let me begin by saying this is not a book of intense action. They tell me the devil's in the details and Robin Hobb loves details. They pour out of her into a rich, beautifully developed world. Unfortunately, this also means a slower pace--but if you enjoy character-driven narrative and worldbuilding as much as I do, that won't be the problem for you. And that said, this book is quicker than its predecessor, lacking that "middle" book syndrome that unfortunately seemed to plague it.
But first of all: welcome to Kelsingra! If you read the last book (and why are you reading this if you haven't? Bad reader, bad!), this will pick up right where you left off, with our weary group of outcasts struggling to achieve that final dragon dream: flight. Of course, this leads into another hunt, as the dragons begin to crave a substance from the deepest of their memories: the mysterious Silver that was once the lifeblood of the city and its many, fancier properties. Meanwhile, with Chalcedean assassins on the loose and the bumbling, vindictive Hest still stalking about, danger has not yet passed.

Also: Elderling baby. And the continuation of the birdkeeper plot that's started off chapters from the beginning.

Suffice to say, there's still a lot of wrap up. The sheer wealth of characters the series has pulled in has guaranteed that. And in that regard, I will give Hobb this: she definitely wraps things up with a tidy bow. The conclusion to several of the character arcs were genuinely enjoyable--and for me, at least, so were the opening developments with Alise, which, let's just say: it's about time. I'm still not entirely sure why Hobb felt the need to toss in the part of Selden into the mix later in the game, but it does help with the coming together--and probably sets up potential for more adventures later (I.E. more series).

My genuine befuddlement, however, comes from the fact that as slow, laboriously paced as these books could sometimes get, the ending, the grand conclusion herein, felt so utterly rushed. Without committing any sort of spoiler death here, I'll suffice to say it was startling to observe just how off-screen and minimalized the whole matter was, particularly when Hobb spends so much time building everything else up. While her primary focus is (and always has been) her characters, I think this particular short-change to the action was a touch off-putting.

That said, I will keep this review going to make one more point--the main point of the series itself, in all honesty: the Dragons. All along, I have found the development and characterization of the dragons the most unique and intriguing piece of these novels. From their own growth as outcasts and malformed "rejects," as it were, to prideful longing, and the sometimes subtle ways more human characteristics have been leaking into their psyche. Each has their own personality, rather than falling back on the classic, "Dragons are mean!" or alternatively "All Dragons are good!" mindset. They come to us as a bizarre mirror of ourselves--like humans with a lot more weight and more than a few neat tricks up their sleeves.

But in the end, I have to say: I wish I could give this book a 3.5 in terms of stars. Rarely has a book so perfectly hit that note, I'd say, but tragically the store tells me no. Forced to commit, I lean more toward the four, in that regard, for the rich story and sense of character to be found herein, even if things can drag their heels from time to time. These books take a certain brand of fantasy lover to truly fall in love with them, but for those that know and enjoy the style, it will not disappoint.

I have read, I believe, all of Ms. Hobbs works. She is a very enjoyable writer that layers action and the inner lives of characters extremely well. Her characters are often so well done I remember them years after. I still find myself thinking what Fitz is up to for instance. Anyone who hasn't read his story should start. This is his first book Assassin's Apprentice (The Farseer Trilogy, Book 1).

I felt a bit not exactly cheated but short-changed with book 3. Mostly because it was short. But Blood of Dragons is a satisfying read. Thymara, who if not as central to this series as Fitz was to his or Neville, soldier son trilogy, was to his, I have always considered the main character of the Rain Wilds Chronicles. She is one of the highlighted characters of the ensemble here. As is Hest.

For readers of this series all the ends are tied up. You will find out what happens to Selden and if the dragons do make it to Kerslinga and what that means for them and their keepers. I am not a fan of giving away any plot in a review, I stick mostly to my impression of the work, my enjoyment of it. I did enjoy this. It is hard with a rather large ensemble to tell everyone's story. But Ms. Hobb did a good job of focusing to me where she did. I would have liked more internal stories of the dragons, I think they are capable of carrying the story more, but in addition to Thymara and Hest I was satisified with the amount given to Tats, Rapskal, and of course Alise. Not to mention Reyn, Malta and their son Phron have more of a role here than any of the previous three books.

There is also hints of perhaps future works where Althea and Brashen have some roles. Perhaps even Wintrow. AND perhaps some six duchies folk. Hobb fans will enjoy this. I certainly did.

My first "introduction" to Robin Hobb was when I picked up book two of The Farseer Trilogy at a local store. Robin Hobb writes the rare series that has books that can stand alone, but are so much more enjoyable if read as part of the series.

Robin Hobb's books have the very rare quality of being books that I will read twice in a row, the stories are that good, and a second reading just brings greater understanding and enjoyment of the story.

Even reading the stories out of order does not take away from the glamour the author weaves with each page.

Most of the charactors in Blood of Dragons are pretty minor to the story. My advice would be to not waste any of your time in trying to read and/or memorize the charactor lists at the front of the book. I tried reading the lists of charactors before reading the book and just felt confused.

After a few pages of the book, I had enough grasp of the charactors to let me focus on the pure enjoyment of the fantasy world she creates with the friendship/bond between changed humans, unchanged humans, and highly intelligent dragons.

I do want to read the other books in the series after reading this one, and my previous experience with books by Robin Hobb has shown me that reading her series books out of order does not make any of them less enjoyable.

Enthralling, read in less than a day

What I have truly enjoyed about Robin Hobb's writing is that she keeps a familiar world, and tells many stories from that world over the course of her series work. In the Liveship Traders, for example, we are introduced to Tarman and the extraordinary boats that travel the River Wilds. In the Rain Wilds, Hobbs brings up back into that realm, this time investing us with dragons, their keepers, and the Elderling city of Kelsingra.

I have read this entire series, with the third installment being 2012's "City of Dragons."

In the conclusion to the series, the Dragon Keepers, who are being transformed into Elderlings by the power of the dragons who choose them as their keepers, are in search of the silver wells that the dragons require to survive. Using memory stones, the Elderlings recover the memories of the Elderlings who built the city, and learn their secrets.

The dragons are back, in all their splendor and nuances. Sintara is back, in all her brash arrogance, power, and contempt. The majority of the dragons are still unable to fly, and their keepers must assist them with feeding, cleaning, and caring for their wounds.

This is a wonderful tale to get lost in, a good story of a far-away world filled with fantastical creatures and their timeless keepers.

This review is based on an uncorrected proof provided through the the store Vine program.

I've read all the Robin Hobb books set in this world: The Farseer Trilogy, The Tawny Man, The Liveship Traders, and these The Rain Wild Chronicles. I've enjoyed them all, but I do have to admit to liking the Four Duchys better than this part of the world. That said, I loved this one. Ms. Hobb did a great job.

This will probably not make a lot of sense if you haven't read the rest of them. The dragons and keepers come into their own. They are starting to figure out the magic of elderlings, and Kelsingra. We find Seldin, Tintaglia, and Icefyre. Paragon even makes a brief return.

The story is tied up nicely, but leaves you hoping there's another coming. There's still a lot to be told about this world, and I hope Ms. Hobb has it in her.

This is a must read if you're reading the other Rain Wild books. If you're interested in great fantasy, and you're not reading Robin Hobb, I'd suggest you start with Assassin's Apprentice, and just keep going.

The streets of Kelsingra are once again occupied with dragons and their keepers, who are beginning to transform into a new generation of Elderlings. The dragons themselves have taken to the skies, and are truly becoming a force to be reckoned with. But with the Duke of Chalced demanding dragon flesh to heal his weakened body, some humans have dared to attack dragons, and that simply cannot be tolerated. Can Kelsingra's residents locate the mysterious Silver wells needed for the dragons to thrive? How will they handle threats from their enemies?

Fans of Hobb's "Rain Wilds Chronicles" series will rejoice at the release of this epic conclusion, and then weep that the story is over. It's truly that good. As always, the characters, human and dragon, come across as very real; these are characters you can happily lose yourself in. There is intense action and just enough romance to make your heart swell. All is resolved by the end of this book; readers will be especially satisfied when Hest finally gets his comeuppance! If you've missed the other books in this series, pick them up before starting "Blood of Dragons." You don't want to miss this one!

Tintaglia, dragon queen, forged an agreement with the inhabitants of the Rain Wilds to help protect her from dangerous invaders if they would protect an unhatched brood of dragons. When they actually hatched, and were misshapen, weak, not only could not feed themselves, but could not take care of themselves, keepers were chosen. One by one the dragons chose "their" keeper. As time went by, the people tired of hunting for the dragons, and they and their keepers were sent to search for their ancient homeland, Kelsingra. Against all odds, they not only found it, but became more beautiful, and capable and their keepers were changed into Elderlings, the race who cared for the dragons. Once they reach home there is much to learn if the dragons are going to continue to exist.

I love this series. I was not disappointed that I had to wait a year to read this final book in the series. I became involved with the characters, including the dragons, and felt like I had lost friends at the end of this book.

Robin Hobb has a silvery magical metal at the heart of magic in the final book of her Rain Wilds Chronicles. In which the stunted dragons have found their way to the lost city of Kelsingra which had wells of the silver that is found in the Blood of Dragons (hard from Harper Voyager) that provided all the magic. Here is the tale of the excitement of getting the dragons across the river to bathe in the city baths to change into full strength dragons. Here also is the hard work of cleaning out the well and finding the seam of silver that the dragons need for full health. Finally we have the conflict between The Duke of Chalced who has sent his minions after dragon parts to recover his health and will stop at nothing to get it. This is a must read for fans of Robin Hobb which answers all the questions of how magic works in her strange world.Review printed in the Philadelphia Weekly Press

Robin Hobbs is a brilliant writer the world she has created from the Assassin series to now has been nothing sort of incredible. Her characters, even when unsympathetic, still grab hold of you and keep you reading late into the night.

Blood of Drgons is the fourth and final book chronicaling the struggle of the new born dragons and their keepers as they try to come back from extinction. Beautifully visualized and fantasically created this book is a marvelous conclusion to the Rain Wilds Chronicles.

The dragons are angry, unsymathetic arrogant beings for the most part and yet by the end, as Hobbs has done before, we walk away with an understanding and even a liking for many of them as well as their keepers. And considering the reason for their anger there is some justification.

I am not a spoiler reviewer but I will say that to not read this series and all the other amazing books in this series would be a mistake.

Wow what a series "The Rain Wild Chronicles!" I was sad to find this the final book in the series. Again Miss Hobbs descriptive writing holds true, giving the right amount in intreigue to the important parts as the memories stored in some of the stones of the city of Kelsingra, and handling of other as the sexual preferance ,with , as if to say only a passing mention, I found these done with great thought and taste.
I did spend several late nights reading as I just could not put it down, There was something compelling me to read on and on, regardless that I need to arise early the next day.
I do believe this is one series that I shall re-read again, as there is so much detail put into each book, that my mind could no encompass it all in the first reading. I believe the Rain Wild Chronicles to become a "Classic."

Let me start out by saying that I have been a fan of Robin Hobb for many years. I read her Farseer, Live Ship Traders, and Tawny Man Trilogies when I was in junior high and really enjoyed them. Her Soldier Son Trilogy left much to be desired but I was hoping that with her return to this world she would get back to great writing. Unfortunately, although it was nice to see what some of the characters had gotten up to and be introduced to new ones these books had problems from volume one.

My main issue is that although the series is four books long it probably should have been three. Every book in the set seemed to drag quite a bit. And I am not talking about a scene here and a scene there that could have been trimmed down, but entire chapters and plot lines seemed to take forever to get through. There were view points that I felt just weren't needed, and really did not add much to the story and felt superfluous. Had the series been edited down to three books I think it would have made for a much better read overall. The feeling I got reading it was that this was like a "Directors Cut", instead of it needing to be a theatrical version.

On top of the issues mentioned above, I had problems with many of the characters. There were too many POV characters for starters, and to be honest I found most of them annoying to some degree or another. By the end, I knew where the story was going and didn't care, there wasn't much surprising about the plot. I wasn't rooting for anyone. Things had dragged on too long and the characters seemed to be treading the same ground again and again.

If you enjoy Robin Hobb and have read her other books, you may enjoy this for the fact that you get to return to the Rain Wilds and find out what happens after the events of Ship of Destiny. If this series is your first time getting into her, then stop, and pick up The Farseer trilogy, because these books will not make you like her. writing.

It seems people either love the Rain Wilds or they hate them. The things that some reviewers claim plague the series, such as the slow pace and overabundance of characters, are things that I actually love about this series. It is far more immersive when Hobb stretches the story out. I have read some books that have gotten rave reviews that left me feeling a little empty because they felt too rushed to me and the character development just happened too quickly and without depth for me to get into them. Hobb has done the complete opposite with this series and I can't express how much I love it. I liken it to the Lord of the Rings series, which is often criticized for being long and drawn out but is clearly loved by enough to make it a huge success. If you're looking for a fast-paced read, then this series isn't for you. If you really want to feel drawn into a rich, fantasy world, I highly recommend the Rain Wilds series.

While drawing on the tales from prior books in the series, this installment is a stand alone. The contained stories are woven independently and can be immersive with each struggle. This is a coming of age discovery in so many ways, some of which might be unpleasant. My only complaint is this installment might have been less from the dragons’ perspective, however it was still spell binding.

The final book in The Rain Wild Chronicles didn't leave me disappointed. The story moved along swiftly and there were no parts in the story that got bogged down tempting you to skip a few pages just to get on with the story. It was told mainly in two or three different parts but switched back and forward enough to remember what was happening in the other part. Just when you were about to give up hope there would be another twist and your faith would be restored. I think Robin Hobb is conscious of what her readers want to happen and I would have been disappointed if things didn't go the way that they did. Loved this book and didn't want it to finish while on the other hand I couldn't wait to read the final chapter.

Of all her books, I enjoyed this series the most. I tend to avoid fantasy like the plague,but having read her Farseer books, I had to give these a go as well.
I was reeled in like a fish on a line. This being the final book in the series is a disappointment to me,but this may be all she has to say about this corner of her universe.
The only downside to her series is how women are treated with the usual double standards one would have seen in the 1950's and earlier.
Anyway, other than that, I truly enjoyed it and highly recommend it for other readers.

This is the first book I've read by Hobb and I was excited to find that it brought back the memories I had of reading Anne McCaffrey's series. For me, the hardest thing about this book was the sheer number of characters that needed some page time. It's a problem of all high fantasy books when they get up there in the series. Because each character needs a bit of story telling, each of them only get a bit of time before we have to switch to the next character. It leaves them a bit flat and underdeveloped. There is a good chance I will start this series soon.

This is a wonderful and satisfying conclusion to the Rain Wilds Chronicles. In the earlier books, our heroes have overcome obstacles and found their new home in the magical city of Kelsingera. In this volume, they finally come into their full powers, and also get to explore and enjoy all the magic they have earned. Even better, it's payback time. There is an evil Duke who has been chasing and attacking dragons for their blood. I don't want to give away the ending, but I'll just say it was very satisfying to see what grown-up dragons do to their enemies.

The plot, setting and characters in this series are wonderful, and Robin Hobb is a master story teller. I don't agree with the reviewer who said the story dragged on too long. I loved it so much, I wished it would never end.

This work stands on it's own -- here's the shaved-down version of this well-imagined (and nicely-conveyed) fantasy yarn [WARNING: Semi-spoiler at the end of this review.]:

Humans attempt to kill a Dragon Queen [Tintaglia] for "parts" believed to have medicinal properties. The variable-colored, telepathic, venom-spitting dragons naturally retaliate, drinking silver for magical energy.

Elders, which are humans changed into winged half-serpentine "servant-protectors", join the dragons in their quest for vengeance.

Dragons, Elders, and humans return to re-build their ancestral city of "Silver".

It's a compelling read that any fantasy buff will surely enjoy.

The character development of the dragons picks up in this book; honestly it wasn't until I was well into the third book that I felt I knew much of anything about all but the main character dragons, Sintara, Mercor, Kalo, etc. Mercor is my favorite "nice" dragon, he is wise and thinks things through before making decisions and is more human oriented than the rest. Sintara is downright mean at times, arrogant and snobby, much like a diva, but her ancestral memories tell her that is how a real dragon should be so I guess we can't hold that against her, and she does experience a few realizations in this last book which makes her a bit more likable. The keepers continue to develop into "real" Elderlings and there are some unexpected surprises. The situations in these books are so real and plausible to me that I find myself, as a mere human, really wondering if it is a good idea to help dragons repopulate and once again thrive in the world.

I was happy to see the dragon Tintaglia finally appear again in this last book; she was introduced in The Tawny Man series where Icefyre also made his appearance at the end of the last book, but we don't get to know Icefyre very well as we do Tintaglia.

I'm a big Robin Hobb fan, my favorite being the Farseer/Tawny Man series. I still miss Fitz and the Fool and wish she would consider continuing the story as I did not want it to end and feel there is more that could be written about the characters we came to know so well.

I feel the same about The Rain Wilds Chronicles, maybe not as strongly, but it is the same with the characters, you get to know them so well and there are so many interesting individuals that I could easily see her writing another two books. What would be really fantastic is if Robin Hobb could write two more books including both the Rain Wilds and Tawny Man story/characters since they were already tied together in several ways, and okay, while she's at it why not include some of the Liveship Traders clan as well.

The Blood of Dragons is the Fourth and final book in the Robin Hobb's series about stunted Dragons and Stunted People. This series is set in the same world as Mrs Hobb's Farseer, Liveship, and Fool series's. However it is not up to the standards of those books. I feel like this series was more of an exercise of world building than a great story. The young love story line been the Thymara, Rapskel and Tats isn't that compelling, nor is the storyline surrounding Alise and ex husband Hess. What was interesting was the Dragons and their relation to the magic that has been introduced in the previous books all set in the same world. I don't know if that is enough to save the book. It does however, set the stage for a more interesting series with more compelling storylines in the future in that world. The world has been nicely fleshed out in the 14 or so books that Mrs Hobb has set there.

I was pleasantly surprised to find this was more than a trilogy! I love Robin Hobb's stories, and I followed this one with great interest. I went straight from Liveship Traders to this one, skipping the Tawny Man series. There may've been a tiny detail or two I missed, but, I caught up easily in he first book, and then read two, three, and four in little more than 24 hours apiece.
Quite possibly one of the best stories I've ever read. I plan on having these in hardback, and happily keeping them in my library for years to come. Absolutely marvelous. Well-written, engaging, and many surprising plot twists. It is definitely not for too young a reader, as it has adult situations and deals with gender, sex, and sexual preference (as has the whole series) but, it's in a loving way, and isn't offensive at all.
I would recommend this to any fan of fantasy novels and of dragons.

Blood of Dragons is the 4th and final book of the Rain Wilds arc in Hobb's series of fantasy novels - the 3 trilogies before this were the Farseer, Liveships and Tawny Man. All 16 books are called The Realm of the Elderings.

(The Rain Wilds books pick up from the end of the Liveship series.)

I hear that Rain Wilds was originally a 2 novel set. It reads like it was planned that way and they expanded to 4. These books are FAT. Too many characters, and you don't care about enough of them. Every chapter in all 4 books is introduced with messages from bird couriers. Put them all together they'd be novella length. A waste of time. All the info from these exchanges, so far as advancing the story, could have been done in a couple of paragraphs. PADDING.

But it's not a terrible book. I liked the book and I liked the series. I just wish she had cut it down to two novels.

You notice I'm not talking about what happens in the book. There's no point. You're not going to buy this if you haven't read the earlier ones. Hobb plays fair. Situations set up in the 1st 3 books are resolved in the 4th. That's all you need to know

Like Hobbs? Like Realm of the Elderings stuff? Get this.
Never read her stuff before? Do Not Start Here!

The Rain Wilds Chronicles are four books that tell of dragons of old. They address a type of dragon I have never encountered before, closest perhaps, to the dragon riders of Pern in the bonding between human and dragon but with fascinating and extensive differences.
Robin Hobb has created a world where humans and sentient dragons enrich each other. The haughtiness of the dragons is beautifully balanced with the adoration of their chosen keepers.
I loved each book and wished I, too, could be 'changed' and care for a dragon.

A wonderful ending to another terrific trilogy! I just love these books, indeed, all of Hobb's work. Its very difficult to choose my favorite, trilogy, but I have to confess the Fool will always be my favorite...

Let me start out by saying that I have been a fan of Robin Hobb for many years. I read her Farseer, Live Ship Traders, and Tawny Man Trilogies when I was in junior high and really enjoyed them. Her Soldier Son Trilogy left much to be desired but I was hoping that with her return to this world she would get back to great writing. Unfortunately, although it was nice to see what some of the characters had gotten up to and be introduced to new ones these books had problems from volume one.

My main issue is that although the series is four books long it probably should have been three. Every book in the set seemed to drag quite a bit. And I am not talking about a scene here and a scene there that could have been trimmed down, but entire chapters and plot lines seemed to take forever to get through. There were view points that I felt just weren't needed, and really did not add much to the story and felt superfluous. Had the series been edited down to three books I think it would have made for a much better read overall. The feeling I got reading it was that this was like a "Directors Cut", instead of it needing to be a theatrical version.

On top of the issues mentioned above, I had problems with many of the characters. There were too many POV characters for starters, and to be honest I found most of them annoying to some degree or another. By the end, I knew where the story was going and didn't care, there wasn't much surprising about the plot. I wasn't rooting for anyone. Things had dragged on too long and the characters seemed to be treading the same ground again and again.

If you enjoy Robin Hobb and have read her other books, you may enjoy this for the fact that you get to return to the Rain Wilds and find out what happens after the events of Ship of Destiny. If this series is your first time getting into her, then stop, and pick up The Farseer trilogy, because these books will not make you like her. writing.

It seems people either love the Rain Wilds or they hate them. The things that some reviewers claim plague the series, such as the slow pace and overabundance of characters, are things that I actually love about this series. It is far more immersive when Hobb stretches the story out. I have read some books that have gotten rave reviews that left me feeling a little empty because they felt too rushed to me and the character development just happened too quickly and without depth for me to get into them. Hobb has done the complete opposite with this series and I can't express how much I love it. I liken it to the Lord of the Rings series, which is often criticized for being long and drawn out but is clearly loved by enough to make it a huge success. If you're looking for a fast-paced read, then this series isn't for you. If you really want to feel drawn into a rich, fantasy world, I highly recommend the Rain Wilds series.

While drawing on the tales from prior books in the series, this installment is a stand alone. The contained stories are woven independently and can be immersive with each struggle. This is a coming of age discovery in so many ways, some of which might be unpleasant. My only complaint is this installment might have been less from the dragons’ perspective, however it was still spell binding.

The final book in The Rain Wild Chronicles didn't leave me disappointed. The story moved along swiftly and there were no parts in the story that got bogged down tempting you to skip a few pages just to get on with the story. It was told mainly in two or three different parts but switched back and forward enough to remember what was happening in the other part. Just when you were about to give up hope there would be another twist and your faith would be restored. I think Robin Hobb is conscious of what her readers want to happen and I would have been disappointed if things didn't go the way that they did. Loved this book and didn't want it to finish while on the other hand I couldn't wait to read the final chapter.

The core of this series should have been the Alise, Hest & Sedric love triangle. Robin Hobb is a genius at creating distinctive characters. You could easily take almost any character in this book and write a separate novel. Sometimes, writing too many interesting characters is her Achilles's heel. As much as I loved some of the other characters they were at times distracting and made following the story confusing and tedious. I'm a HUGE Robin Hobb fan but at times in this Rain Wilds series she either tackles too many stories or doesn't have a clear vision of how to lay our the story arc. I'm glad I read this fourth book and I almost gave up after the third. The fact is, even as a flawed book series, it's still better than 95% of the fantasy being written today. Let's hope the world of the Farseer, Liveship Traders and Tawny Man has room for a few more series.

Of all her books, I enjoyed this series the most. I tend to avoid fantasy like the plague,but having read her Farseer books, I had to give these a go as well.
I was reeled in like a fish on a line. This being the final book in the series is a disappointment to me,but this may be all she has to say about this corner of her universe.
The only downside to her series is how women are treated with the usual double standards one would have seen in the 1950's and earlier.
Anyway, other than that, I truly enjoyed it and highly recommend it for other readers.

This is the first book I've read by Hobb and I was excited to find that it brought back the memories I had of reading Anne McCaffrey's series. For me, the hardest thing about this book was the sheer number of characters that needed some page time. It's a problem of all high fantasy books when they get up there in the series. Because each character needs a bit of story telling, each of them only get a bit of time before we have to switch to the next character. It leaves them a bit flat and underdeveloped. There is a good chance I will start this series soon.

This is a wonderful and satisfying conclusion to the Rain Wilds Chronicles. In the earlier books, our heroes have overcome obstacles and found their new home in the magical city of Kelsingera. In this volume, they finally come into their full powers, and also get to explore and enjoy all the magic they have earned. Even better, it's payback time. There is an evil Duke who has been chasing and attacking dragons for their blood. I don't want to give away the ending, but I'll just say it was very satisfying to see what grown-up dragons do to their enemies.

The plot, setting and characters in this series are wonderful, and Robin Hobb is a master story teller. I don't agree with the reviewer who said the story dragged on too long. I loved it so much, I wished it would never end.

This work stands on it's own -- here's the shaved-down version of this well-imagined (and nicely-conveyed) fantasy yarn [WARNING: Semi-spoiler at the end of this review.]:

Humans attempt to kill a Dragon Queen [Tintaglia] for "parts" believed to have medicinal properties. The variable-colored, telepathic, venom-spitting dragons naturally retaliate, drinking silver for magical energy.

Elders, which are humans changed into winged half-serpentine "servant-protectors", join the dragons in their quest for vengeance.

Dragons, Elders, and humans return to re-build their ancestral city of "Silver".

It's a compelling read that any fantasy buff will surely enjoy.

The character development of the dragons picks up in this book; honestly it wasn't until I was well into the third book that I felt I knew much of anything about all but the main character dragons, Sintara, Mercor, Kalo, etc. Mercor is my favorite "nice" dragon, he is wise and thinks things through before making decisions and is more human oriented than the rest. Sintara is downright mean at times, arrogant and snobby, much like a diva, but her ancestral memories tell her that is how a real dragon should be so I guess we can't hold that against her, and she does experience a few realizations in this last book which makes her a bit more likable. The keepers continue to develop into "real" Elderlings and there are some unexpected surprises. The situations in these books are so real and plausible to me that I find myself, as a mere human, really wondering if it is a good idea to help dragons repopulate and once again thrive in the world.

I was happy to see the dragon Tintaglia finally appear again in this last book; she was introduced in The Tawny Man series where Icefyre also made his appearance at the end of the last book, but we don't get to know Icefyre very well as we do Tintaglia.

I'm a big Robin Hobb fan, my favorite being the Farseer/Tawny Man series. I still miss Fitz and the Fool and wish she would consider continuing the story as I did not want it to end and feel there is more that could be written about the characters we came to know so well.

I feel the same about The Rain Wilds Chronicles, maybe not as strongly, but it is the same with the characters, you get to know them so well and there are so many interesting individuals that I could easily see her writing another two books. What would be really fantastic is if Robin Hobb could write two more books including both the Rain Wilds and Tawny Man story/characters since they were already tied together in several ways, and okay, while she's at it why not include some of the Liveship Traders clan as well.

In this finale that wraps up 14 years of writing and character development that stretched over seven books and two series, Robin Hobb delivers an amazing end to the saga of the Rain Wilds. While I do not want to discuss spoilers for those who have yet to read the full series, I do want to discuss a few topics related to this book and the entire series.

I first want to tackle the issue that most folks seem to have problem with: the length of book vs the amount of action / story development. While I fully agree that Hobb is a bit of a lengthy writer, that is her overall style with all of her books, not just this book or this series, so I feel that mentioning it as something you do not enjoy about her books is a bit redundant.

Another issue that I've seen discussed is the lack of surprising developments. The plot is underdeveloped in some areas, making the subjects (either people or places, or even entire mini plot lines) rather boring. The flip side to this, I feel, is that she did a really great job with the main story and characters that we are familiar with from the preceding novels.

As far as the quality of the overall story (the entire series taken as one work), I feel that her earlier series are better, but this is purely opinion. The characters from earlier works feel more realistic, like folks you would know if you were in the story, while the characters from the later series have lost that personal touch she once conveyed.

Overall, the book is wonderful as is the series and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it (and look forward to reading it again), but I can identify areas that I feel were weak in comparison with her normal writing style. A solid 4/5 and recommendations to anyone familiar with the author or any interest in fantasy works.

The Blood of Dragons is the Fourth and final book in the Robin Hobb's series about stunted Dragons and Stunted People. This series is set in the same world as Mrs Hobb's Farseer, Liveship, and Fool series's. However it is not up to the standards of those books. I feel like this series was more of an exercise of world building than a great story. The young love story line been the Thymara, Rapskel and Tats isn't that compelling, nor is the storyline surrounding Alise and ex husband Hess. What was interesting was the Dragons and their relation to the magic that has been introduced in the previous books all set in the same world. I don't know if that is enough to save the book. It does however, set the stage for a more interesting series with more compelling storylines in the future in that world. The world has been nicely fleshed out in the 14 or so books that Mrs Hobb has set there.

I was pleasantly surprised to find this was more than a trilogy! I love Robin Hobb's stories, and I followed this one with great interest. I went straight from Liveship Traders to this one, skipping the Tawny Man series. There may've been a tiny detail or two I missed, but, I caught up easily in he first book, and then read two, three, and four in little more than 24 hours apiece.
Quite possibly one of the best stories I've ever read. I plan on having these in hardback, and happily keeping them in my library for years to come. Absolutely marvelous. Well-written, engaging, and many surprising plot twists. It is definitely not for too young a reader, as it has adult situations and deals with gender, sex, and sexual preference (as has the whole series) but, it's in a loving way, and isn't offensive at all.
I would recommend this to any fan of fantasy novels and of dragons.

Blood of Dragons is the 4th and final book of the Rain Wilds arc in Hobb's series of fantasy novels - the 3 trilogies before this were the Farseer, Liveships and Tawny Man. All 16 books are called The Realm of the Elderings.

(The Rain Wilds books pick up from the end of the Liveship series.)

I hear that Rain Wilds was originally a 2 novel set. It reads like it was planned that way and they expanded to 4. These books are FAT. Too many characters, and you don't care about enough of them. Every chapter in all 4 books is introduced with messages from bird couriers. Put them all together they'd be novella length. A waste of time. All the info from these exchanges, so far as advancing the story, could have been done in a couple of paragraphs. PADDING.

But it's not a terrible book. I liked the book and I liked the series. I just wish she had cut it down to two novels.

You notice I'm not talking about what happens in the book. There's no point. You're not going to buy this if you haven't read the earlier ones. Hobb plays fair. Situations set up in the 1st 3 books are resolved in the 4th. That's all you need to know

Like Hobbs? Like Realm of the Elderings stuff? Get this.
Never read her stuff before? Do Not Start Here!

The Rain Wilds Chronicles are four books that tell of dragons of old. They address a type of dragon I have never encountered before, closest perhaps, to the dragon riders of Pern in the bonding between human and dragon but with fascinating and extensive differences.
Robin Hobb has created a world where humans and sentient dragons enrich each other. The haughtiness of the dragons is beautifully balanced with the adoration of their chosen keepers.
I loved each book and wished I, too, could be 'changed' and care for a dragon.

A wonderful ending to another terrific trilogy! I just love these books, indeed, all of Hobb's work. Its very difficult to choose my favorite, trilogy, but I have to confess the Fool will always be my favorite...

This completes the story, and yet there's quite a bit that doesn't seem truly resolved. Robin Hobb has created a truly massive story and I don't think her readers are going to be completely satisfied with this ending. It is magnificent in many respects and, in my opinion, definitely deserves a five star rating. But many of us will be hoping for some kind of continuation. The series is so good, nobody wants to see it end.

There are some really interesting things about this novel, but it is definitely not a series that is easy to pick up mid-stream. The premise of the series was really appealing to me, but I found it slow moving and difficult to finish. I agree with some other reviewers that the non-fantasy content detracted from the novel for me (ex: a bad marriage being discussed as we might in current society, rather than in ways that feel consistent with the genre).

I was very excited when the first book in this series came out a few years ago. I am a long time fan of Robin Hobb and anything new from her makes me very happy. The first book thrilled me, but the second not so much.

This though. This made up for it. The transformation and character growth is wonderful. Like I said it was a satisfying conclusion but I would love to see more books in this wonderfully fleshed out world.

From a sci-fi/fantasy fan, this book was a pleasant distraction. It helped to pass the time, though my preference is for the Forgotten Realms variety of books involving dragons. The book was well written, and the characters developed, what left me wanting was the minimal action, and the predictability of the story. The suspense just was not there and the conclusion seemed rushed.

*possible spoilers*
This series was an enjoyable read. It felt like it could have lasted another few books and I really don't mind a slow pace at all. It seems like this book was just a very abrupt end to the series. During the last battle, you don't even get a real account of what happened except when the characters are discussing the aftermath. I really could not believe this is how the ending played out. It's like Hobb tried to just wanted it to be over with. I felt disappointed at the pacing. The editor should have done a better job.

This has been the sixteenth book that I've read from Robin Hobb, and I must say, it is an exceptional ending to yet another brilliant series. Her writing kept me so engrossed, it was hard to put book down. I had the book back to the library in just four days.

I know books are hard to review since everyone has different tastes and opinions, but if you've enjoyed the other three books from the Rain Wilds Chronicles, I feel pretty safe in saying you will not be disappointed. It reads just like her other books, and ties up all the loose ends. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Let me start by saying that I really am a fan of Robin Hobb. Her first three trilogies (Farseer, Liveship Traders, Tawny Man) were beyond exceptional (that is, if I don't count the ending of Fool's Fate, which coincidentally, ruined ALL of THOSE books for me, thank you very much). But I cannot bring myself to finish Blood of Dragons. To be painfully honest, the whole Rainwilds series has been a disappointment for me, as was the Soldier Son Trilogy before that. I've made so many attempts over the past two and a half months to finish reading this book and I just will not waste any more time trying to read something I don't like.

In quick summary, the writing seems unfocused and all over the place, rushed badly at times and other times full of filler and repetition that contribute little or nothing to the story, there are too many uninteresting and unlikable characters, and hardly any plot. And another thing that really bothers me about the Rainwilds series: these books read as if Hobb is writing for a much younger audience now (until you get to the sexual content), so I'm a bit confused as to who her target audience is supposed to be. Overall, the whole experience for me was like trying to read a weak, watered-down version of what Hobb's books used to be and what I know she's capable of. I haven't felt the magic I used to feel when reading her books in a long, loooong time, and it's discouraging and disappointing.

You know, I would rather wait years for Hobb to craft a really GREAT book than to read something substandard, rushed, heavily-padded and over-priced such as this. I probably would not recommend this book or series, but if you are a die-hard fan and simply must read it, I would advise buying the books used or borrowing them from the library or a friend if at all possible. Who knows? You might enjoy the book, and no doubt many do. Unfortunately I didn't. In the end, I feel bad for not being able to give a positive review for one of my favorite authors, but the truth is, there are just too many great books out there I'd much rather be reading.

Totally enjoyed Blood of Dragons. I try not to give away too much of the story in reviews. Book tied up all the loose ends for me. Worst part was Hest, but even that worked out well. Excellent mix of action and adventure. Highly recommend the series. Only other thing I can add is I bet Kalo had a bit of indigestion.

I love all of Robin Hobbs books set in the same world but following different characters. This one was no exception. I think it tied up *some* of the story lines quite well but I would love more. I always want more! I want to know what happens with Alise specifically. I felt her story was far from over.

I have enjoyed most of Robin Hobb's work and "Blood of Dragons" is no different. This is not the best book but enjoyable nonetheless. It was an excellent ending to a series that has slowly became one of my favorites. Hobb does a nice job of wrapping everything up and not leaving too many loose ends. I was surprised and pleased with the ending.

Stories of Dragons are uniquely fascinating but to add dragon "touched" keepers was a big draw to this story. The usual human failures and triumphs were dwarfed by the keepers but the side story of the bird messengers and their masters was really a human collateral to this great saga. The science fiction twist was ingenious.
Loved it all.

I was lucky to discover this author right after she completed this whole story. I started with the first book, Assassin's Apprentice, and recently completed Blood of Dragons. I loved all of them, and was very satisfied with the endings! I highly recommend these books!

This is really a spellbinding wonderful, thought provoking series with lots of fun and adventure at every turn.Highly recommend starting the series at the beginning-each installment is well written and can clearly stand on its own.

This is just a truly terrific, original saga with excellent character portrayals. The author, Robin Hobb, writes fantastically well and has a great imagination.

Enjoy the magical arm chair ride with this series! Great fun!

Hobbs is an adept storyteller, and creates characters with a diversity of character....ones that I loved hating, and delight in their downfall.

The fantasy of bingtown, and all the characters created are like an expanding play. I devour each book so happily...I especially love the imaginative worlds in these books, yet there are the themes of very human problems as well.

I finished the book, but it was a hard slog. Much of the plot was obvious where it was going and almost juvenile. The sense of danger and conflict was non-existent. Everything works out far too neatly. Each book in the series gets worse. If there is another sexual, I won't be reading it.

Robin Hobby did another great job in the fourth book of the series. The story is well developed and the characters continue to grow. I did not get bored or find myself able to completely predict the plot line. I love the outcomes for some of the villains so far and look forward to expect next book.

An excellent tale discovering things about Kelsingra, heritage rights and knowledge. Politics set right, or at least in the right direction, and Dragons becoming full dragons. A fun adventure of growth and fantasy.

This was my favorite novel by Robin. While I have absolutely enjoyed all of the Live Ship / Assassin / Fool / Rain Wild books, this triumphant finale got me misty eyed several times. Seldon's trials and praise-filled rescue by Tintagia was awesome. I literally had to stand up for a moment and do a little dance. I hope Robin reads these comments and knows how much these books are enjoyed !!!!

Robin brings on journeys as no other fantasy author has done for me. Her characters are rich, and her stories are masterful. This was her masterpiece, and may she bring us back to the rain wilds again.

This final saga of the dragon's journey up the river is as captivating as the rest of the series. I am sad that this is supposedly the final in the series because I think the ending left the story wide open.

However, I'm hoping this will result in a companion series because there is a lot more to the story of the dragons

I chose this rating because I believe the author has lost site of her reader. She used to express such unique ideas with such good story. Now I can only guess she is lesbian and wishes to promote her agenda. The joy of her writing is now gone!! No more!