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

['thul]

If it should not continue directly after, these beings hope that a small tie-in short story is released giving that time period...

These beings also want others to debate ideas like the ones in their post above... Not as fun to be alone in making them up (or digging them up?)

[Oblivia]

Thanks for the warm welcomes everybody.

I have to say, I'd rather see Thymara with Rapskal, too. And I'm looking forward to seeing if any of the other keepers start to transform.

Farseer - My avatar is a painting by Victoria Frances. She does some amazing artwork.

[Farseer]

These beings wonder if perhaps Thymara will end up choosing Rapskal,

Yet to read the rest of the posts but this jumped out. I agree. I don't see Thymara and Tats together at all...Rapskal is the one for her, at least from the current group of characters in her immediate vicinity or, at least, that's how it appeared to me at the end of DH.

Now that I've put that in print, Thymara and Tats will get together! Back to Rapskal though...he has this ability to make Thymara feel special and this would, in the long-term, suit Thymara's "dragonness" or role of being a "queen" having someone speak of her beautiful wings and such...Rapskal's manner fits well that of a minstrel or Elderling's role to a dragon so why not a male Elderling to a queen (by queen here I mean a female dragon/Elderling as Sintara etc speaks of herself and Thymara,)?

It also seems likely that Rapskal, like Heeby (and most other Hobb characters!), will prove to be even 'more' as he was seen as the 'least' of the dragonkeeper group in many ways. Of course, he has already done more by proving that Heeby would be the first to fly but possibly there is still more greatness for Rapskal to reveal of himself?

EDIT: Not to mention that Rapskal was the first, at least of the Rain Wilders/Bingtowners etc, to rediscover Kelsingra. END EDIT

In another thread we wondered if Thymara may not even end up choosing someone else from another part of the realm as a way of instigating a political alliance such as what was achieved through the bringing together of *Farseer/Tawny Man spoilers*

Spoiler

Verity and Kettricken or Dutiful and Elliania

. Of course this is fairly unlikely but you never know...outsiders may have tended to view the Rain Wilders and their looks as strange but opinions are changing and it would also now be seen as a bit of a coup to partner an Elderling, particularly a rarely-winged one!

I can't add too much without throwing in Farseer stuff as I am hoping we see at least a few hints of characters from the Six Duchies *Major Farseer/Tawny Man spoilers*

Spoiler

who DO have dragon-like traits, such as Fitz and Nettle. They both have their temper side, and Fitz and Paragon both also reflect each other/a dragon during their berserker stages! If Tintaglia or Icefyre once again make an appearance, as they must do somewhere soon, Nettle and Fitz do both still Skill-dream with Tintaglia so could well be 'about' even if we don't hear of them. I am hoping though, as it is around Kelsingra where the storyline will apparently continue, that Fitz will turn up somehow. I think and hope this because the region draws him to it...it was this drawing that took him there in the first place in AQ but which also made him want to later return, and he would have done if it were not for Nighteyes' not wanting to return via the Skill-pillars after the Red Ship Wars.

Remembering too, that Fitz and Nighteyes even attempted to go up the Rain River in a small boat...Fitz himself didn't know why at the time but I think it's because Kelsingra was 'calling' him (or at least the Skill/the Skill River where Verity and Kettle lathed their hands and arms etc), knowing that, eventually, one would reach Kelsingra/the Skill River if they went upriver.

He might be at Withywoods and he might be content but, just as Verity's calling "Come to me" had to be heeded no matter what Fitz did or didn't wish to do, I don't think Fitz will be able to stay away from Kelsingra or the Skill River for too long!

If nothing else, I am least hoping the next book/s reveal to us what was behind the locked doors that Fitz found in the Citadel of Records in the Kelsingra map tower, or we find out something about the Skill River itself (someone may stumble upon it?) or the well from which the dragons consumed the Skill (the well which both Tintaglia and Fitz saw). As you can tell, as far as I am concerned, a book about Kelsingra continues the Farseer/Tawny Man storyline just as much as it does the LST/RWC one!

Love it, Oblivia! I took particular interest as I thought I'd seen it on the Blood Memories site...?

I'm happy to continue adding spolier tags for Farseer/Tawny Man etc in here but I might add a spoiler tag for LST and RWC in the actual thread title? I'd assume that most who head to this thread will have read at least those books but...

[assasin]

I hope that the story continues directly after with some overlap with earleir books.

I'd also like to see a lot more povs. Sylve would probably be my first pick. Hasnt povs from hest and malta been confirmed.

[Lady Laura]

You guys are slowly shattering my idea that Tymara and Tats are gonna get together I'm still not 100% sure about Tymara and Rapskal >< Even though I really want them to get together. Although, the possibility that she could find somebody else is interesting... or that she may decide to live without a partner

I dont know if Hest and/or Malta POVs were confirmed.. only that Hobb said that they would be in the book? (I think ) I hope someone else can confirm this. But I would like to see a Hest POV as I said, and I randomly just thought about Davvie, I'd love to see his pov too, but I dont really see that happening And I hope Seldon comes back! I really started liking him at the end of the Liveship books, and I have no idea how much he is in the Tawny books... (We could have fun guessing who he could pair off with, and by the way, what age would he be by now?!)

And on the "how will the dragons change their Elderlings" topic, maybe a crest like what Malta developed... (or would that be inapporpriate, like only Malta can be crested? Tintaglia might get mad if another dragon did the same to their Elderling )

['thul]

Selden is fairly young in the liveship books, these beings guess his max age is around 12, then add a year for the cocoons, then some 6-7 years for the growth before the expedition... The result is around 20 years or so of age, give or take a couple of years... In modern society, that is fairly young, but in a medieval society, its actually grown up... Biogenetically it is also grown up... (You humans mature sexually in their early teens, and are biologically intended to mate not too many years after that, even if modern human culture has other norms.)

These beings have a feeling that the POV of Hest is unlikely, but there will certainly be some chapters with him in them. Characters like Malta are more likely to get chapter(s), since Hobb has written with their POV before...

There is one thing that slightly makes a combination of Thamyra and either Tats or Rapskal unlikely... all three of their dragons are female, but then, No true dragon queen would let such relationship decide whom to mate with...

Tintaglia might get mad, but some dragons, like Spit, could easily decide to do it for the simple purpose of annoying her...

[Farseer]

You guys are slowly shattering my idea

Never may that happen!

or that she may decide to live without a partner

Too true, Lady Laura! Let's not take away her independence just yet, especially as she has only now really had the opportunity to have any! Actually, I think Thymara has real and admirable strength here...she won't accept anybody just for the sake of being with someone and, for me, she has proven this already. I doubt that's likely to change quickly...?

I dont know if Hest and/or Malta POVs were confirmed.. only that Hobb said that they would be in the book? (I think ) I hope someone else can confirm this.

I can't confirm either but believe this to all be correct from what I have read...?

And I hope Seldon comes back!

No doubt he will be there in some form, even if it's in the background. I am interested to hear of the progression of his changes and where he will fit in the whole scheme of things. As to who he will 'end up with'...hmm...possibly *Farseer/Tawny Man spoiler*

Spoiler

Nettle! Nah, most likely not...she and Riddle seemed quite chummy toward the end of FF...

Following on the LST and RWC storyline (and forgetting Farseer/TM for just a second! ), one of the things I am most curious about is the name of Brashen and Althea's son! Finding out what happens to Paragon, and even the Kendry, will also be something I jump on, if there's anything there...

What else? Ah, outside of what I mentioned in the spoiler tag, in my previous post, I'd like to know if there's any 'other' consequence to the Khuprus family for their role in everything and what Reyn finds at Cassarick...Time's Rainbow and the Star Chamber being my number one topics of interest!

And on the "how will the dragons change their Elderlings" topic, maybe a crest like what Malta developed... (or would that be inapporpriate, like only Malta can be crested? Tintaglia might get mad if another dragon did the same to their Elderling )

Tintaglia did comment that Malta would find out about the added benefit of having a crest, during the mating process, and around this same time it seemed to me as though Tintaglia was suggesting that not all Elderlings bore a crest?

As for the appearance of the Elderlings and their changes, I seem to recall that there were quite a few differences in appearances that have been depicted on tapestries etc over the years and throughout the realm eg height, colouring, presence or lack of scaling, number of limbs (though I have to confirm this latter point, something is niggling me about some observations a character within the plot has made...)...

Venomous/acidic claws for Elderlings makes me instantly think of a discussion we were having in the Others' Island thread, regarding the nails that Kennit found on the Treasure Beach...LOVE IT!!

[Farseer]

Robin is currently in Melbourne (Australia) for Supernova but is still managing to find time to add to the latest book, as per the most recent post on her main site. This is what she had to say:

Came back when the sun got a bit too hot for me, and dutifully worked on my book. The harder I work, the more it grows! Oh, dear! But there is just so much to tell about the Rain Wilds, and the Selden thread is threatening to get completely out of control!

Selden? This should make you happy, Lady Laura!!

[Lady Laura]

It does!! I always wanted to read more about him after the Liveship books. But I can look forward to reading about him in Tawny Man too

[Albertosaurus Rex]

Robin Hobb has just posted some Dutch covers on her website. What interested me most is that the post contains the cover for the upcoming third Rain Wilds book:

Click here to see it - it's quite big!

[Image: Hobb-Regenlanden-3-Drakengebieder.jpg]

"Drakengebieder" translates to something like "Dragon Commander". However, this may not be the English title, because the Dutch titles aren't always direct translations. (Dragon Haven was translated as Drakenziel, which means "Dragon Soul".) Dutch booksellers are listing the book as a november 2011 release, but I have no idea if that is accurate.