Dragon Keeper discussion (WARNING: CONTAINS UNMARKED SPOILERS)

[aldaroncastle]

But the fact that this is part of a series was clearly marked. How much clearer that "Part one of the Rain Wilds Chronicles" can you get?

Oh, it's totally marked that it's part one of a series. It's not marked that it's the first half of one book, if you take my meaning.

If it's the first part of a series, you still have some expectation that something will be resolved, and that there will be some kind of climax. If the novel is the first half of one book, then hopefully, you won't be disappointed when you reach the last page and the story just stops.

The only other example of this I can come up with is To Green Angel Tower, by Tad Williams. The book was split into two, because of printing limitations, and the two halves were titled To Green Angel Tower, Part I and To Green Angel Tower, Part II.

[Nuytsia]

Ok I haven't read Dragon Haven yet so ...... no spoilers!
But I was just wondering - was Sisarqua one of the serpents in the Liveship Traders?

On the subject of the dragons, here are a few thoughts:
Sintara = Sisarqua. Confirmed in the book.
Mercor = Maulkin. I think this is pretty much agreed upon.
Kalo = Kelaro. Both are said to be the biggest in size. Similar names.
Sestican = Sessurea. They have similar names, which seems to be an emerging pattern in the dragons. They're also both blue, though this is a little shaky as evidence because colour seems to change from serpent to dragon.
Veras = Shreever. Stretching it a lot here, but one name ends with VER and the other starts with VER.

This would leave us with Ranculos, Fente, Arbuc, the copper, the silver, and some (unnamed?) others.

[joost]

On the subject of the dragons, here are a few thoughts:
Sintara = Sisarqua. Confirmed in the book.
Mercor = Maulkin. I think this is pretty much agreed upon.
Kalo = Kelaro. Both are said to be the biggest in size. Similar names.
Sestican = Sessurea. They have similar names, which seems to be an emerging pattern in the dragons. They're also both blue, though this is a little shaky as evidence because colour seems to change from serpent to dragon.
Veras = Shreever. Stretching it a lot here, but one name ends with VER and the other starts with VER.

This would leave us with Ranculos, Fente, Arbuc, the copper, the silver, and some (unnamed?) others.

Spoiler

Kalo is confirmed in Dragon haven (Kalo shouts 'I was Kelaro of Maulkin's tangle', or something very similar). In that same passage, it's (IIRC) implied that Sessurea was in the cocoon that was used for Tarman's feet (Kalo talks about Sessurea's memories, and looks at Tarman). Unfortunately, I can't find the passage right now,

[Mervi]

Re: Dragon Keeper feeling slow + being the first part of a series. I follow (or should I say "glance through") most of what people are blogging about Robin's books (via Google Alerts, just in case it finds something newsworthy) and A LOT, I think I could say a majority of people, have been confused about the publication of the RWC. People refer to is as a trilogy constantly, wondering when the last part will come out etc. Most do not seem to have a clue about the publication history (ie that it's one book split in two), even though that information comes up with a very basic google search. I think the problem is that the books themselves aren't too clear on this (at least in the UK editions there are no clear markings of it being a two-part story, or even DH being the concluding part) - and of course people *expect* Robin to write in trilogies. I wish the publishers would have taken a bit more time and thought before putting it out there. I understand that time is money, and the readers had already been left without a new Hobb book for a year but I'm sure we could have waited a bit longer so they could have done the marketing better. I mean, look at [[The Reindeer People]] and [[Wolf's Brother]] which too were originally written as one book and split by the publisher. Both were published the same year, and (at least my UK editions) were clearly marked "part one of a two-book sequence" (in the first pages) and "the two-part story of ... reaches its dramatic conclusion" (on the back).

I don't mean to sound complaining, but I can't tell you how many "actually, it's not a trilogy" and "the second part picks up speed because it's actually the latter half of the original book so do keep on reading" comments I've left around.


Also, I'm wondering if the next book (which Robin has said will be about the events after Tarman's expedition) will be labeled "Rain Wild Chronicles" as well. It that book is one part, people will probably start considering it the concluding part of the trilogy, unless the publishers change the strategy and start marking the parts more clearly. I guess some would say it's not a big deal, and I would have probably agreed before. After reading so many blogs and reviews about these book however, I've learned that what people assume they are reading (stand-alone, series, trilogy) DOES affect their experience a lot, and sometimes the situation isn't fair to the book in question.

[Nuytsia]

Doh joost spoilers for Dragon Haven! MY EYES READ IT!

Mervi I must admit when I first found out about Dragon Keeper I was a bit confused as to whether it was a stand alone book, part of a trilogy (woops yes I have come to assume fantasy series come in trilogies) or what! I did find out by looking around the internet of course, but there was some confusing info about it back then!

I'm also curious about how the next book will fit into the overall picture.

[joost]

Doh joost spoilers for Dragon Haven! MY EYES READ IT!

I apologise. I saw 'CONTAINS SPOILERS' in the title, so I didn't spoilerize my comment. It has been hidden from unwanted reading now.

[Mervi]

Mervi I must admit when I first found out about Dragon Keeper I was a bit confused as to whether it was a stand alone book, part of a trilogy (woops yes I have come to assume fantasy series come in trilogies) or what! I did find out by looking around the internet of course, but there was some confusing info about it back then!

Oh, I didn't mean to imply it was the fault of readers, just the opposite!

[Farseer]

I tend to think of both books as just 'The Rain Wild Chronicles' and NOT individually as DK and DH. To me, DK and DH are more like the part headings you find in books from time-to-time, not singular book titles (just as if I put them on top of each other and then stapled the back cover of DK to the front cover of DH!). Still, I can see where other people could have become confused, particularly if they’d been new to Robin's work.

I guess some would say it's not a big deal, and I would have probably agreed before. After reading so many blogs and reviews about these book however, I've learned that what people assume they are reading (stand-alone, series, trilogy) DOES affect their experience a lot, and sometimes the situation isn't fair to the book in question.

Yes, I agree, and feel now that the RWC books (and, as a flow-on effect, therefore Robin and her other works) have received a lot of negative feedback that could have been avoided if the format had been made clearer to other readers preceding their release. Disappointment seems to be a consistent element in all of the RWC feedback (at least, that I have read) and that seems directly related to the prior expectation that it would mirror the previous three trilogies...in my opinion, you could never fairly compare one book (even if it IS broken up into two parts for publishing reasons) with a trilogy, let alone three, and so, if you were expecting the two books to form a part of a trilogy, well, you were always going to be disappointed, I suppose!

This is such a shame as I felt they were a terrific continuing of the tale, but then I was never confused or ever had a problem with the 'book-in-two-parts' thing as, as I've maintained in other posts, I never expected that they would be too much more than what they were (particularly after reading 'Homecoming' and ‘Words Like Coins’). It was only ever going to be another thread in the overall tapestry...

I know Robin said she was thinking of the new, upcoming installment as 'Dragon Traders' (though this was not what she plans to actually call it). Whatever it ends up being, I would also hope, Mervi, that the tag of Rain Wild Chronicle is left alone now...better to keep it as ‘Dragon Traders’ than to add to the confusion.

All in all though, I'd be quite satisfied if even a one-chapter publication was released every month or so...am more than happy to accept whatever crumbs fall from 'Tangle leader's' table...!

[Nuytsia]

Doh joost spoilers for Dragon Haven! MY EYES READ IT!

I apologise. I saw 'CONTAINS SPOILERS' in the title, so I didn't spoilerize my comment. It has been hidden from unwanted reading now.

No worries!

Mervi I must admit when I first found out about Dragon Keeper I was a bit confused as to whether it was a stand alone book, part of a trilogy (woops yes I have come to assume fantasy series come in trilogies) or what! I did find out by looking around the internet of course, but there was some confusing info about it back then!

Oh, I didn't mean to imply it was the fault of readers, just the opposite!

That's cool, I didn't really think you did. It looks like Farseer's post has made more comprehensive comments on the point than me anyhoo!

Farseer what's this "a one-chapter publication was released every month or so" - back to some sort of Dickensian system??!!!
Heheh I wonder what we fantasy fans would be more happy with actually. A book every year or two , or a chapter every hmmm fortnight?

[Lord Punctual]

Well I must admit that until I read this thread I was one of /those people/ who did not realize that the RWC was one book split into two. That makes much more sense! I was a little baffled at the way that DK ended, and thought that Ms. Hobb was just suddenly experimenting with monstrously precipitous cliff hangers.

I'm actually glad that this isn't in fact a trilogy, because I thought that the story wrapped up pretty well in DK. I would like to know more about what happens with our merry band of misfits, but then again I almost always want to know more about what happens to the characters after the end of a story. In the past, with other authors, I've found that in stories that follow a group of people on a journey, and then have a concluding volume about what happens when they reach said place, usually would have ended better before said volume. (Wow, that sentence was a lot more convoluted than I meant for it to be. Sigh.)