Defining Characteristics: RH and ML

[FoolishGirl]

What I wanted to say is, that for me, Robin Hobb and Megan Lindholm are two completely different writers with different style and different stories. RH’s style is more poetic – I love the way, she describes everything, I love her characters. Here diction is so , hm, pictoresque, polished and so, so rich and stirring (you see I go into raptures). Whereas MH’s stories are somehow strange and a bit disturbing (again: I can only judge the short-stories, because I never finished Ki and Vandien or other novels)...
RH’s stories simply overwhelm me with all her charme and magic .

Finella, I absolutely love how eloquent and passionate you are about how RH's writing affects you. I think many of us here, ended up here in this forum because of the visceral and undeniable reaction we had to her work. It's fascinating that you perceive such a difference between RH and ML, and I can't wait to read some ML myself, to see how I like her style. I will admit I have some trepidation about plunging into ML, as I just don't want to be disappointed!

[finella]

Hi FoolishGirl,

my reaction to her work has a sort of history. I am an early Lord of the Rings child. Since I read it, I was searching for ages for something, that thrills me in a similar way. I was almost going to give up fantasy at all. But then by chance I came across The Farseer and was thrilled immedeately. And that was it. In a way RH saved the whole genre for me .

I know, I will give ML annother try in near future. It’s definitely not fair to expect her books making me that glowing like RH’s stories do. And it was probably a mistake, to start with ML subsequent to a RH „fest“. I’m pretty sure, that I will get familiar with her too, but right at the moment the stories don’t „send for me“ so eagerly. There are others waiting (i.e. re-read of ASOIAF, before the next book will come out in summer).

So please read ML soon . I really wonder, if you also feel such a big difference, or whether I’m perhaps the only one here.

[Farseer]

All in all, the word choice, style, themes and basic story elements left no doubt for me BUT that only makes me look forward to the other ML books even more than previously, to see if this remains my opinion across the expanse of her works. I have a feeling though that, from here on, Hobb may step into the shadows and Lindholm will jump out and demand my sole attention.

Next stop, the ML short stories in 'The Inheritance'!

I have been meaning to come back here to say that, yes, after reading 'The Inheritance', Hobb did step back into the shadows somewhat and there was a difference between her and ML. It's hard to put my finger on exactly what I actually mean by that, despite thinking that I'd had it sorted! I wonder if I may also be suffering from being a regular Newsgroup and Robin Hobb website visitor as I see all 'three' women (or the one woman with her three parts united!) present in various pieces there. The ML works in TI seemed to simply be an extension of what I find there...?

Possibly ML does come across as more cynical but that could be more to do with the modern settings she uses rather than what she's writing? I just don't know...

[Farseer]

While only having read three chapters and a prologue of any ML work, I can already see the similarities, in both story and style, with RH works. Without my prior knowledge of their joined identity, I cannot guarantee that I'd have known for sure but I think I'd have suspected that these authors had some kind of connection with each other, even if it was only that one was a fan or reader of the other.

It possibly could have also been different if I'd chosen a different place to begin my ML sojourn but, with 'The Reindeer People', I think it is very apparent. Let's see if I change my mind by the end of the book!

I may have seen a difference with some of the ML short stories within The Inheritance but I am once more agreeing with my initial post on this, after having recently begun Harpy's Flight. I think it is vividly apparent that the same person wrote this book and the RotE books...

...still, I will see if things contradict this thought when I reach further into the quartet.