Blood of dragons

[joost]

Well, I'm halfway. To be honest, not much spectacular has happened, just expected story developments. But Robin Hobb could describe how a phone book works and it would sound intriguing.....

WARNING: Heavy spoilers for Blood of dragons

- Tintaglia is heavily wounded because of a poisoned arrow. She's also under attack from Chalcedeans on the Rain Wild River.
- The Chalcedeans have kidnapped several traders, including Hest, and are on a boat that's on its way to Kelsingra. The boat is prepared with a special paint from Jamaillia which prevents the acid water from eating the boat.
- Selden is held captive in the palace of the Duke of Chalced, and is treated by his daughter. There seems to be a bond growing between them.
- All dragons have learned to fly and are now in Kelsingra.
- The son of Malta and Reyn is heavily deformed and can only be rescued by Tintaglia's blood.
- Carson and Sedric have discovered a well which produces 'Silver', which seems to be liquid Skill.

[Valarya]

Well, I'm halfway. To be honest, not much spectacular has happened, just expected story developments. But Robin Hobb could describe how a phone book works and it would sound intriguing.....

WARNING: Heavy spoilers for Blood of dragons

- The son of Malta and Reyn is heavily deformed and can only be rescued by Tintaglia's blood.
- Carson and Sedric have discovered a well which produces 'Silver', which seems to be liquid Skill.

Ooooooh!!!!!

Warning: Replies to Joost's heavy BoD spoilers!

- The Well that Fitz found!!!!! Yaaaaaay! If that didn't convince you I don't know what will, lol.

- That is extremely sad about Malta & Reyn's son. I hope he's OK.

[joost]

Finished today. Excellent book, as expected.

Heavy spoilers

- Tintaglia nearly died but she was saved by Kalo who hunted for her, and by Thymara, who managed to activate the Silver well,
- The Chalcedeans nearly killed Tintaglia, but her cries for help were heard by the other dragons who captured the Chalcedean boats.
- Hest tried to win back Alise and Sedric but was ignored by both. He then tried to woo Kalo, who finally gave him the nickname 'Meat'. Guess what happened to Hest next?
- The dragons decide to kill the Duke of Chalced.
- Selden and Chassim are saved by Tintaglia just before the palace of the Duke is destroyed by dragon acid.
- Chassim becomes the Duchess of Chalced. Whether she and Selden get involved romantically is left open, but it's a very definite possibility.
- Ephron Khuprus Vestrit is healed by Tintaglia and lives happily.
- Tintaglia mates with Kalo, and at the end of the book leaves for the Other's beach to bury her eggs that were fertilised by Icefyre.
- Thymara flies!
- Rapskal is completely taken over by the memories of an Elderling (and turns into an obnoxious arse, but that's just my opinion)
- No Fool or Fitz, but a short moment with Brashen, Althea and Paragon (who's hilariously grumpy)

Well, that was it. Now wait for the next book by Robin .

[finella]

And - how do you feel ? Are you not sad, that "everything" is over now, because the series is ended ? No doubts, no uncertainties, no fears, no questions left. Puh, I always feel quite a bit empty after finishing. When I know, there won't come more. Finished, over ...!
Right at the moment I am glad and in a way thankful, that I don't have the books yet. I rather wait and keep on looking foward .

[Farseer]

no questions left

I haven't read them yet but I'd bet my children on the fact that there are still 'plenty' of questions left to be answered by the end of BoD...

Don't let me down Tangle Leader!!

[finella]

Yeah, o.k, there will be certainly a lot of questions, one can discuss about.
But still - knowing, that there will never be annother book continuing a beloved story, would make me feel sad. And we can't rely on her to keep on writing about the Rain Wilds. Who knows, what will come next.

[joost]

One thing I noticed in the translation: In the translation of the LST books, several names were translated to a Dutch equivalent, but in the RWC books those names were untranslated. Different translator perhaps? Little inconsistencies like that are one reason I dislike translations.

Oh, and I like Chassim. Who that is? Read the books .

[Farseer]

So, joost, what happens to those Dutch readers who may not have gone on to read the English versions of LST, as well as the Dutch, and so can't correspond the name translations to the original names? If Althea was translated to something else in LST but appeared as 'Althea' in CoD or BoD (not that I should be calling the books those names when we're talking about the translations!), how would a Dutch reader know who she was in the latter, without having read both the Enlglish and Dutch versions of LST to compare? I'd imagine it would be very confusing?!

Now I'm going to spend the rest of the day distracted by predictions about who Chassim could possibly be! The first things I thought of were 1) a slave or some such from Chalced, possibly even *LST spoiler*

Spoiler

Rache's long lost husband who will somehow reunite with her along the way

2) a dragon we are somehow yet to meet or 3) someone or some being related in some way to the great chasm that splits Kelsingra...of course I couldn't help but also immediately give a thought to poor old *Farseer spoiler*

Spoiler

Charim, Verity's valet from Buckkeep, who died during the attack which took place on Verity's party while making its way to the quarry

No need to tell me yay or nay though. I'm happy to wait.

@finella: Even knowing that I haven't read CoD or BoD yet, I still can't imagine that the Realm of the Elderlings tale would have been fully told by the end of the two-turned-into-four RWC books (EDIT: or is that one-turned-into-two-then-turned-into-three-then-turned-into-four? hehe ). I believe, without a doubt, that we'll be reading more about the realm for some time yet. True, likely not under the RWC banner, unless Robin decides to add more to the 'chronicles' segment, but reading of it in some form (as novels, trilogies or short stories) we will certainly be. Just as the story did not end at the end of TM, it will not end with RWC. Of that I am sure.

[joost]

And - how do you feel ? Are you not sad, that "everything" is over now, because the series is ended ? No doubts, no uncertainties, no fears, no questions left. Puh, I always feel quite a bit empty after finishing. When I know, there won't come more. Finished, over ...!

Didn't most people think the same thing after Farseer trilogy? And then after LST? And again after TM? And for a fourth time after DH?

But no, I'm not sad. Yes, there are probably still stories left untold, but as Michael Ende wrote "[...] that is another story and shall be told another time.".

---

So, joost, what happens to those Dutch readers who may not have gone on to read the English versions of LST, as well as the Dutch, and so can't correspond the name translations to the original names?

So far I've seen 2 names that are different in LST and RWC. RWC translation has left almost all names untranslated. The differences btween LST translation and RWC translation that I could find (but please bear in mind that I haven't read the Dutch translation of LST, just summaries on internet!):
Brashen is called 'Bresker' in LWT
Chalced is called 'Kwarts' in LWT

Both series do have 'Beijerstad' for 'Bingtown' and

Spoiler

IJsvuur for Icefyre (not sure he appears in the first 2 books, so between spoilertags)

though.

Farseer trilogy names are almost all translated:
Veritas Ziener (Verity)
Regaal Ziener (Regal)
Vlijm Ziener (Shrewd)
etc etc

But perhaps this is source for a new thread and not part of a discussion on BoD

[finella]

Just as the story did not end at the end of TM, it will not end with RWC. Of that I am sure.

Well, I really hope, you are right !!!!!!

---

Didn't most people think the same thing after Farseer trilogy? And then after LST? And again after TM? And for a fourth time after DH?

Finishing the second re-read of Assassin's Quest some days ago, I definitely had the blues. Although I love LST and TM and can always pick them up and start reading. But still ... Saying Farewell to e.g. Varity and Kettle, even for the third time, is always hard for me