How did you get involved with RotE (spoilers Farseer, TM & Soldier Son)

[londonlassie]

Really? Nevare similar to Fitz? I don't see any similarity at all. Nevare didn't drag me through the wringer like Fitz did..ever!

I've heard it said several times on the internet, but I think the largest list of similarities I've seen was in the "Gernia Vs ROTE" thread in the Gernia forum, especially this part of the first post by Farseer

Similarities between Nevare and Fitz

* We were introduced to them both whilst they were still young boys and were privy to their overall development into young men.

* Though they didn't always get it right, and though they were divided against themselves for a portion of their lives, they both displayed talent in their given vocations - Nevare as a soldier's son, cadet, soldier and farmer; Fitz as an assassin's apprentice, later the royal assassin and general royal lacky thereafter etc.

* While there were others involved in their training, both had an older mentor with whom they forged a solid, shared and meaningful relationship...Nevare had Sgt Durill and Fitz had Chade.

* Both took on catalytic roles that would prove to change the fates/courses of their worlds. To fulfil these roles, both were strong in their given magic/s.

* Though strong, they were both "like small boys", ignorant and untrained in their wielding of the magic - examples of this would be the frustration displayed by Olikea or Kinrove with Nevare, and Kettle with Fitz.

* Via their magic, both were able to communicate/travel within their dreams. Nevare dreamwalked and Fitz Skill-dreamed.

* Though having escaped many near-death episodes at various times, both 'died' to their old lives (after copping a beating and being accused of murder!) and also reluctantly returned. Both particularly feared that they would be recognised and made to pay for their 'crimes'.

* Despite losing their faith and way at times, both served and stayed true to their families and monarchs.

* Both took in and cared for a boy who was not their own child, but who they treated like, and came to think of as, a son - Likari and Hap.

* Both seemed to have an unsatiable desire and multiple partners (!), but still held to one main 'love' (by this I mean a love like the love Fitz had for Molly, not that which he had for Fool...let's let that debate rage elsewhere!). It could get a bit confusing here between Nevare and Soldier's Boy (as they had Amzil and Tree Woman) but it was Amzil who won out in the end for Nevare, and Molly for Fitz.

* With so many other loftier goals to strive for, they also both pined for the former lives they could not have and also longed for a life of their own...one that was founded on having a home with hearth and family.

* Both lost parts of themselves and then had to have those parts reunited (with help from an external force eg Kinrove and Fool) to be made whole again...though Nevare then unwittingly divided himself once more!

Though I have others, this will do for the time being...I expect enough debate between us all, just on these points !

[KekPafrany]

What would prompt me to read the books is that several people have said that Nevare is similar to Fitz, and yet they dislike Nevare and love Fitz. So there must be some kind of huge difference between them which renders one likeable and the other the opposite.

Fitz made the changes, all of them. Nevare's role was usually too passive to my liking. Things just happened around him and he was there, watching but couldn't do and couldn't know anything. Not a lucky position for a main character in a story.

I plan to read it again however, so maybe I'll understand better.

[fool-ish]

I suppose, on reading that from the Gernia thread, I can see some similarities and as I've only read Shaman's Crossing, I really haven't a clue what goes on in the next SS books. I cared about Fitz from the beginning, yet (awful as it sounds) found I couldn't care less about Nevare

[londonlassie]

I suppose, on reading that from the Gernia thread, I can see some similarities and as I've only read Shaman's Crossing, I really haven't a clue what goes on in the next SS books. I cared about Fitz from the beginning, yet (awful as it sounds) found I couldn't care less about Nevare

That doesn't sound bad at all, fool-ish. We all have characters we just click with, and characters who don't move us at all.

I'm not surprised, either. There doesn't seem to be a lot of praise on the internet for Nevare.

[Farseer]

Just adding a spoiler tag to the thread title, especially for SS as this is a RotE thread. Of course, it's likely I'll look back at old posts and discover that we needed a spoiler tag a long time ago!

As for similarities and differences...one glaring difference is that I am in love with one character and not the other. Guess which is which. It is for the former that I introduce other readers to Hobb and hope that one day theywill tell someone else that they became involved with RotE through me (some random nutter they met in a bookstore lurking near the fantasy 'H' section).

[londonlassie]

Just adding a spoiler tag to the thread title, especially for SS as this is a RotE thread.

Whoops, my bad. Sorry, Farseer.

As for similarities and differences...one glaring difference is that I am in love with one character and not the other.

Oh, the joys of falling in love with fictional characters, eh? *coughKennitcough*










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[Farseer]

No worries...I am the worst repeat spoiler offender here. As for SS, I felt that I understood liveships (especially Paragon and Vivacia), simulacra such as Verity-as-Dragon and other similar aspects of RotE far better after reading the series. I know I talked about ascendancy etc in the Gernia thread but I think there may also be a conversation here in the RotE room too...something I chatted about with those beings known as 'thul at least. I found it fascinating actually!

[finella]

I discovered RH’s books in the public library some 6 years or so ago, because I was looking for something for summer-holidays. I started with AA and was hooked at once. I remember my husband and friends were very irritated, because I spent all my time with reading and were not addressable at all for hours . Since then I read all her books for several times (SS only once, because I also don’t really like it that much) and tell everybody, what an adorable writer Robin Hobb is, never mind if he wants to hear it or not . And I am proud to tell, that two of my friends, who were’nt interested in fantasy at all („puh, you and your fantasy“) fell also deeply in love with Fitz and the Fool, Nighteyes, Paragon, Ophelia, Amber etc.. The one friend told me just last week, that it’s my fault, that her housework has run down to a minimum and also the conversations with her husband .

[fool-ish]

I discovered RH’s books in the public library some 6 years or so ago, because I was looking for something for summer-holidays. I started with AA and was hooked at once. I remember my husband and friends were very irritated, because I spent all my time with reading and were not addressable at all for hours . Since then I read all her books for several times (SS only once, because I also don’t really like it that much) and tell everybody, what an adorable writer Robin Hobb is, never mind if he wants to hear it or not . And I am proud to tell, that two of my friends, who were’nt interested in fantasy at all („puh, you and your fantasy“) fell also deeply in love with Fitz and the Fool, Nighteyes, Paragon, Ophelia, Amber etc.. The one friend told me just last week, that it’s my fault, that her housework has run down to a minimum and also the conversations with her husband .

[Farseer]

Love it, finella! I've been using the RH vs Housework excuse for years.