Forest Mage (The Soldier Son #2)

I will preface things by saying that I have completed the trilogy and now returning to review all three books.

Book 1 was quite an enjoyable and engaging read. We came to know Nevarre – our hero- as he grew from young boy to young man, experiencing many joys and traumas on his way there. A unique world was created by Ms. Hobb with the gusto we expect from her.

With Book 2, things change dramatically for our hero almost from the first page, and honestly, the story goes in quite a different direction from this point forward. Nevarre experiences an extremely life-altering after-effect of the Speck plague/magic that’s set his course on a dramatically different road.

For a good half of the book, the story is indeed rather engaging as we see how Nevarre struggles and yet tries to persevere through this mind-blowing physical change. I will say here that I can’t come close to comparing the nature of this fantastical transformation of a hero/heroine to any other fiction I’ve read before. Of course, most here who are even this far in the trilogy are likely rather avid readers of fantasy in the first place. In most fantasy our hero/heroine has some sort of strengths – albeit physical, magical, intellectual or all the above. Yet, at the same time they often face obstacles, short-comings, maybe character flaws, injury, and possibly even some sort of disfigurement. Nevarre’s transformation – and yes, a result of a magic present in the world – is not really like any of these things with the exception of a correlation to the latter, yet plays a pivotal role in the plot and events impacting Nevarre the rest of the way.

The reason I go into detail on this subject is that the extreme nature of this particular change plays very much into the perception that humans have of other humans. And generally when we read – or at least when I read – we expect our heros to excel in some ways. As a male, I expect to read about a male hero in fantasy that I can imagine myself or aspire myself to be, or likewise a heroine I can admire and respect. Despite Nevarre’s obviously strong character – yes, he has some flaws but you know he is good – his transformation may have a huge impact on how one may or may not perceive him moving forward. And, I will say this, it is not a situation I would find myself fantasizing about, aspiring to be a hero like Nevarre.

So, to point, if you plan to go further with Book 2 expect an underlying psychological aspect to the story as there is a deeply troubling and uncomfortable progression, or regression rather, to the series especially for at least a good portion of this book. Things settle in a bit as Nevarre’s world changes dramatically toward the end as it story directs the reader toward how the story will be in Book 3.

I read the first book quicklyin a matter of days. Book 1 was much more conventional and quite enjoyable. I started to struggle in book two , mainly adjusting my “perception” to Nevarre’s new reality (in this fantasy world). Probably finished the last two books over the course of a year or so as I took it in smaller doses.

Overall, I can say I enjoyed the trilogy after completion, although enjoy may not be exactly the right description. I guess I can say I’m better for having read it. It is not for everyone, but if is one thing in the fantasy genre, it is very different.

I enjoyed this trilogy. I postponed reading it for years because of poor online reviews — big complaint seemed to be little “action,” and lots of navel-staring in this trilogy. I actually enjoyed the 3 books because Robin Hobb is such a good writer. The world was interesting and the magic was very different. Parts were haunting…the dancers, the father, killer trees, the obesity-as-good view…made me think. I still love Fitz/Fool series the best, but Soldier Son was quite good. I am glad I decided to finally read it.

Robin’s stories have a lot of depth and detail in the characters and the story. In The Forest Mage you are really getting to see how the ‘Magic’ is ‘transforming’ the main character physically and mentally. Is he willing and in control and being his real self or is it all beyond him. Is the saying “Fear Thy Self” really true? In this book you start learning more about other people who are not what they seemed to be.
People are not so primitive as they seemed and those who were so self assured are very afraid!

I can’t say that I’m really surprised by all the negative reviews for FOREST MAGE, but I would like to challenge the majority opinion here, and defend the quality of this story. I do hope that the negative reviews don’t discourage potential readers from reading these emotionally-charged stories from one of the best epic fantasy authors of all.

Most of the negative reviews here have focused on these books (and this one in particular) being depressing, boring, or overly-long, and while I certainly see their points, I have to contest all three points. First of all, the fact that Hobb has the power to cause actual feelings of depression in her readers testifies to the emotional intensity of the story and the connectedness readers feel with Nevare. I mean, no matter how bleak Conan the Barbarian’s life gets, you don’t start feeling sorry for him to the point of being actually sad. There’s no emotional attachment there! Nevare’s story is absolutely brutal, unfair, sad, and frustrating. And it has incredible emotional impact on readers precisely because Navare as a character is intimately knowable, believable, and sympathetic. It simply demonstrates the talent of the author that she can craft such fleshed-out and like-able characters. And despite the obese, depressed, whore-visiting Nevare not being exactly the typical fantasy hero or easy-to-love, it is his very imperfections and self-doubt that drive the reader up the wall with frustration (and sometimes down the drain with depression). Any story that has such emotional power ranks as well-worth the read to me.

As for being boring, keep in mind that this isn’t your typical hack-and-slash, fire-and-lightening, orcs-vs-dwarves fantasy. This is a carefully set up study of our vulnerability and helplessness to fate, as well as our resilience in the face of incredible hardship. And while there might not be many sword fights with between elves and orcs, or midnight flights from Ring Wraiths, there is still lots of more subtle action here. A marked increase in the amount magic in FOREST MAGE (compared with

Shaman’s Crossing

) is also evident here, with a greater involvement of the Specks, and Nevare’s growing understanding of his own power. I suspect that many of the people that complain of this book lacking action are the same that complained of the first being too mundane. In some ways, it is the very mundane-ness and Navare’s inaction that make the few moments of true excitement all that much more powerful.

And, while this book is certainly long, I don’t think it can be consider TOO long by any means. Every chapter chronicles some new and important event that continues to shape Nevare into who he must become, and the descriptive style of Hobb’s is what makes her worlds so intimately knowable. If you can allow yourself to enjoy the detail of the tastes and textures of food for Nevare (that in itself is some of that subtle action), and really get emotionally invested in Neavare’s future, I think you’ll thoroughly enjoy this captivating story (for all 700+ pages). Personally, I can’t wait to read the concluding volume, and will keep my expectation sky-high for Hobb. Highly Recommended!

OK, it took me a little while to get to the end of this series but the journey (while mildly uncomfortable) leads to a conclusion that is profound and touching. I was amazed at the talent displayed here, because it seems the author is treading such a fine line most of the time. There are certain times in the book when you know that if it had been written differently, it would have been offensive and/or uncomfortable to an utterly extreme level. But the artistry behind the way Robin herds your brain into thinking about something a certain way is plainly astounding. It’s an intelligent book, and it requires a certain appreciation for the writing that I think might escape some, but for others it is well worth the read.

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