Pre-release City of Dragons (spoilers Farseer, LST, TM and RWC)

[finella]

Considering the important events that have to be explained concerning Kelsingra, these beings have rather strong doubts that the books will start more than a couple of months after the end of DH. The reactions of people in trehaug/cassarick/bingtown to the survival of the expedition, the thriving of the dragons, the new elderlings and all that are far too many and too important to merely be stuffed into a prologue chapter...

These beings are probably and hopefully right. It would be great to learn about all that – and many more wonderful things

[Farseer]

I patiently await the new book, ok maybe not patiently but waiting none the less. Farseer you mention a book Words Like Coins, I've not heard of this before can you tell me where I can get my hands on a copy.

Welcome to thePlenty, Apricot!

Words Like Coins is a Hobb short story that features in the anthology A Fantasy Medley.

There was only a limited number of copies of the anthology released back in 2009 so they are now very hard to find unless you are willing to pay quite a lot of money eg you can currently purchase a copy from Amazon for $144.95 (used) or $150 (new).

I was lucky to have preordered one when it was first released. Along with Homecoming (in 'Legends II' and 'The Inheritance'), Words Like Coins is my favourite Hobb short story as it adds just that little more to the understanding of things that have happened within the books.

I LOVE your name, by the way!

[Apricot]

Thanks for the welcome and info Farseer. I can't believe there is another Hobb story out there I haven't read and as $150 is a little to rich for me I guess I'll now have to search every second hand book store & garage sale I come across until I find it.

[Farseer]

Apricot, I have re-posted a Words Like Coins link below for you, just to tease you a bit! I'd previously posted it in another thread:

...here is a WLC excerpt from Pat's Fantasy Hotlist site, if you're interested...

It sounds like you may have seen the rest but, in case there are any other RotE-related bits and pieces you have missed, besides WLC, you can have a look on the Realm of the Elderlings wiki link and, on the bottom of the page, you will find a list of all of the titles about that universe.

---

Back on topic of the new book, this is what Robin had to say on the newsgroup a day or so ago:

Four more paragraphs to write. Only four. Will probably take me all the rest of the day to get them right . . .

[Apricot]

Farseer, you are fast becoming my new favourite person!

[Nuytsia]

I’d guess, that Thymara will stay alone for a while. She is in a way very autonomous and I think, she will be busy enough to get familiar with her wings, Sintara and all the other changes awaiting her. I think there will be something bigger waiting for her. (provided that there will be no bigger time gap between the end of DH and the new one)

I hope so ...... sometimes I feel like all the main characters have to end up getting paired up with someone in a lot of the Hobb stories....

[NeverBeenWise]

I believe that Thymara will stay alone for a while, if only because she's just that stubborn. I'd like to see her develop into a more affectionate relationship with Sintara, though; as tense and deliciously dramatic their quarrels and spats can be, there's only so far they can go before sounding dull. When she finally does choose someone I'm leaning towards Rapskal, if only because (1) he's so friendly and optimistic all the time and (2) Heeby and Sintara would probably get along better than Fente and Sintara would, because Fente picks fights and is intelligent, while Sintara can just look at Heeby with some exasperation and disgust and be done with it. Then again, Tats might end up being with Thymara because the second reason would be a good, if minor, source of believable tension in their lives.

I doubt Fitz will make an appearance. He is content with his life in Withywoods *seethes quietly* and will probably not leave his settled life to do much more adventuring, especially with dragons, and most especially with dragons who are not haunting his/Nettle's dreams, pushing him to do things against his will. But perhaps the Fool will make a brief appearance at Kelsingra, or even just get a background mention? Once all the dragons are flying and living there, personally I think he (or she, or it ) should at least get to see the changes he wrought in the world before going back to Clerres. It's not TOO far-fetched, is it? *wistful sigh*

['thul]

many years have passed between Tawny man and the Rain Wild chronicles. The Tawny man and Prilkop were both heading south to Clerres within months of the end of Tawny man.
FitzChivarly is, as you said, unlikely to leave Withywoods. He is fairly old by now, and rather content with his life. However, someone else from the six duchies is fairly likely to appear, even if (s)he might not someone known from previous books. It would not be all that surprising if one that might come up into the mountains would be one (or more) of the descendants of Molly. They have all inherited a certain level of adventurousness and curiosity, both from Burrich and from FitzChivarly.
As the dragons come into their own, it is quite likely that they too will enter the skill river, and then they will also sense the skill use of the six duchies folk. Six duchies coteries may also sense the brooding power in Kelsingra through the skill. A pool of 14 dragons and their Elderling keepers will no doubt cause a certain bubble of skill that others of such skills might just sense. Sense, but not necessarily understand.

As for who Thymara ends up with... That is impossible to say. Sintara has managed to turn her quite well towards the classical dragon queen mentality.

[Omie]

Although I hope not too much time has passed since Dragon Haven, I have to admit I'd quite like to see the character Sylve as an older teenager. I feel like she was a character with hidden potential, with the main limitation being that she was a child in some ways. I hope she makes a reappearance.

[joost]

many years have passed between Tawny man and the Rain Wild chronicles.

Are you certain?

Spoiler

Tintaglia and Icefyre left together at the end of Tawny man. That means that the serpents already cocooned at the end of TM, and RWC starts when the dragons are freshly hatched