Shaman's Crossing e-book - $1.99

[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 ...