Shaman's Crossing e-book - $1.99

[Farseer]

A little Christmas message to you from Robin, via her site:

We have Shaman’s Crossing on sale in e-book form for $1.99!!

So, if you haven’t finished your holiday shopping, and want to introduce a friend to one of my books, I’d be honored! Or if you want a fireside read for yourself over the holidays or if you suspect one of those ‘surprise’ gifts for you might be an e-reader, this is an opportunity to step into my world for $1.99 and see what you think of it.

Merry Christmas!

Here is the link for i-device users or for Barnes & Noble .

From what I can gather from someone on the Newsgroup though, it is only available to readers from the US? If you find that it's otherwise, please let us all know - thanks!

[finella]

A little Christmas message to you from Robin, via her site:

We have Shaman’s Crossing on sale in e-book form for $1.99!!

So, if you haven’t finished your holiday shopping, and want to introduce a friend to one of my books, I’d be honored! Or if you want a fireside read for yourself over the holidays or if you suspect one of those ‘surprise’ gifts for you might be an e-reader, this is an opportunity to step into my world for $1.99 and see what you think of it.

Merry Christmas!

Here is the link for i-device users or for Barnes & Noble .

From what I can gather from someone on the Newsgroup though, it is only available to readers from the US? If you find that it's otherwise, please let us all know - thanks!

Puh, do you think, it's a good idea to "step into Robins world" with the Soldiers Son trilogy ?

['thul]

These beings think that it is far better to step into it with another book. These beings did not enjoy SS as much as they enjoyed the rest.

[finella]

These beings think that it is far better to step into it with another book. These beings did not enjoy SS as much as they enjoyed the rest.

I exactly feel the same. SS in my eyes is the worst choice if you want to convert somebody to RH.

[Rocketking]

It might be a good book to begin with. It's a disappointment if you read it after the other RH books but if you read it without being biased you can actually enjoy the story. Don't expect it to be something like the Farseer-trilogy.

[Farseer]

I agree with Rocketking as it very much depends on the reader.

Though I would almost always hand someone Assassin's Quest to begin their Hobb sojourn with (as the Realm of the Elderlings books are also my favourites ), there are many who have actually ventured into the RotE via Gernia. Some of this is evidenced in the various Gernia threads here on thePlenty but also in many other places.

While the majority of reviews do make it pale into insignificance somewhat when compared with the RotE tale, especially when reviewed by those who read RotE books first, I found the SS series to be more than readable and enjoyable and there is obviously enough there for those who read it first to want to then move on into Farseer etc...as many do.

I actually found many parallels between the SS and RotE books and while SS could never, ever be considered as good as RotE (in my opinion, of course...but then, for me, no other book series by any other author can be considered as good either! ), it is difficult to fairly compare a series of three books with a series of twelve, soon to be thirteen with BoD, as well as the many short stories that accompany the main plot. This is especially true when we have invested so much of that time with the characters we love so much within the RotE books.

I would even go so far as to say that reading SS hugely improved my understanding of *spoilers for all ROTE books*

Spoiler

the concept of ascendancy within the RotE, with regard to Kettle (Kestral) and Gull's places within Verity-as-Dragon, the Greater and Lesser dragons as well as the Vestrit family's anmas within Paragon, Vivacia and Bolt and even Fitz while he was joined with Nighteyes etc...

All very, very interesting.

Aside from introducing a new reader to Hobb's work, I think the offer would be a wonderful opportunity for those of you who have read the RotE books but who are a little fearful of forking out $$ for any of the SS books in the face of the negative reviews. Having the opportunity to purchase Shaman's Crossing for $1.99 is an easy way to try it before having to invest further in the second two books, especially if borrowing from a library isn't an option.

I know I bought and had the SS books on my bookshelf for years before I finally forced myself to read them, and I wish I had read them sooner. Give them a go and if you hate them you hate them but, as Rocketking pointed out, you shouldn't expect something like the RotE books...they are something else altogether.

PS I should have thought about this a little more and placed this in the Bingtown's night market thread rather than creating a whole new one! Apologies!

[Valarya]

I'd have to agree with almost everything Farseer so wonderfully said up there. It would almost be better to read SS first just so you can appreciate it more.. at least for most people.

For myself, I took it for what it was: a trilogy on it's own in a new world with completely new characters. I didn't compared it to RotE and wound up thoroughly enjoying it. In fact, some of the aspects of magic in that trilogy touched me more than some of the magics in RotE. In every game I've ever played I always pick a Druid-like character, someone in-tune with nature and the elemental magic it holds. I've read so many fantasy novels about Druids in general, that the idea of a new-type of Druidic magic from this series greatly intrigued me!! Also: Shaman's! Who doesn't love shaman's? I think of fat little Nevare and his forest often.. and it makes me smile.

I picked up the first book of RotE and read all 9 books in succession and the very next day I picked up SS and still loved every moment of it. (This was way before RWC was even uttered.)

Hope that gives you yet another perspective.

['thul]

The magic system was intriguing but a bit under-used. It could have been much more.

These beings are working on thinking out a story for some purpose with a magic system and all that, but its not clear enough yet to write down.

[finella]

For myself, I took it for what it was: a trilogy on it's own in a new world with completely new characters. I didn't compared it to RotE and wound up thoroughly enjoying it.

I think, I did it the same and at least tried to take it as a trilogy on it's own. Specially, because I read SS years after Farseer, Liveship and Tawny Man. But still I wasn't that intrigued. I liked it, just because Robin is a fantastic writer and able to construct a wonderful, but nevertheless logical world, fascinating characters and an interesting magic system. But I definitetly wouldn't have become such a hardcore fan with it. After having read Farseer (from the library), I bought just everything, I could get of her, in german and english. Just to own everything and have it in my bookshell . And slowly and with great relish I read the Lifeships and Tawny Man. And waited one or two years until I read Gernia, simply because I didn't want to compare it. I don't know, what exactly it is, but the books only, hm, pleased me. But never filled me with such enthusiasm. Or caused such roller-coaster of emotions, like the others did.
If I had read Gernia first, I definitely wouldn't have been so keen on reading more of her. I have two friends, who started with Gernia, simply because it was easier to get. They quite liked it but not more. They were'nt that keen on reading more of her. When Heyne lately published the second edition of Farseer in paperback to a reasonable price, I convinced them to give it a try and both fell in love with it. And then read all the others. And they now desperately wait for the german translation of the Rainwild Chronicles. So now Robin simply has got them
I don't know how to express it, but Gernia for me stays a bit shallow in comparism to the others (o.k.,, now I compare ). It still is fantasy on a high level, but still ...

['thul]

That is quite like how it was for 'thul. The feelings weren't of a bad book. decent story and decent writing, but it lacked the thingamajig that comes with everything else Robin Hobb.