The Inheritance (short story collection)

[Mervi]

Well, I'll just tease you a bit more and tell that there are two protagonists in that story... meaning it's told from two points of view.

I just sent in a list of typos to the publisher. It's so funny how those creep in. I checked some of them against previously published versions of the stories, and they don't exist there! Not sure my list made it in time even for the US first printing, but I hope it will help when the book is reprinted.

[joost]

I just got a message from Amazon that it's shipped!

[joost]

And it arrived on thursday. But I just started Umberto Eco's 'The Prague cemetery' so I'm finishing that one first

[Farseer]

Mine actually hasn't arrived from TBD yet so I have to say I am rather disappointed by that! I am so glad I decided to buy another copy while I was away, not knowing if it had arrived here or not, as I'd have been rather grumpy to have gone nearly the length of the state and still been without a copy!

I'd devoured 'Cat's Meat' before I'd touched down in Brisbane!

[Lady Laura]

I just bought it yesterday, I saw it in the shop and couldn't resist! But I'll have to wait til I actually read Farseer and Tawny before I read it LOL

[joost]

Okay, review.

I must say that I preferred the Robin Hobb stories over the Megan Lindholm stories. But the best story in the book is a ML one: Strays

A touch of lavender: Had a really hard time getting into this story. I never felt any connection to any of the characters. Overall not a bad story, but pretty forgettable for me.
Silver lady and the fortyish man: Didn't work at all for me. It felt pointless and I just didn't care what happened to the lady.
Cut: Interesting theme, bad ending.
The fifth squashed cat: Also an interesting, albeit somewhat gross, theme. But in the end it felt a bit empty.
Strays: As I said, the best story for me. I felt really connected with Lonnie, and it was a beautiful sad ending.
Finis: Nice, small, a bit too short, somewhat predictable, yet a fine bloodless vampire story.
Drum machine: Hmm, not sure about this one. I liked it, but I didn't love it. But definitely one of the better ML stories for me.
Homecoming: Skipped this one this time, because I've already read it a few times in the Legends II book. Very good backgroundstory for the Rain Wilds.
The inheritance: A likeable main character, and a good ending, but if this was a contest and I had to drop the weakest story from the RH stories, this would be the victim.
Cat's meat: I felt a bit sorry for Meddalee's end, but Pell deserved everything he got. This is the kind of short story that I love.

[Lady Laura]

I'm curious to read the Megan Lindholm stories, but I'm a lot more excited about the Hobb ones. You're review was interesting May I ask is "Hest" in Cat's Mead the same as in the Rain Wilds Chronicles? Or is it the other Hest, who I don't know?

[joost]

May I ask is "Hest" in Cat's Mead the same as in the Rain Wilds Chronicles? Or is it the other Hest, who I don't know?

It's a different one, this story takes place in Buck (near Forge, it is mentioned somewhere in the story).

[Lady Laura]

Thanks for that! The "Other" Hest

Has Hobb many other short stories set in the RotE, which are not included in The Inheritance?

[joost]

Urrrr. The guy is called Pell. Why was I thinking about Hest?

One thing I didn't like about the book: The cover suggested it was a 'flip book' (start from one side, you get the Lindholm stories, turn the book around and you get the Hobb stories). It does feel like one book of short stories now, which probably is a good thing, but the cover doesn't make sense now.