Forest Mage

Book Two of the Soldier Son Trilogy

By: Robin Hobb

Narrated by: John Keating

A luminary in SF literature, Robin Hobb continues her marvelous Soldier Son trilogy with part two, Forest Mage.

Nevare Burvelle has survived major combat and is making a quick recovery from a disease plaguing his fellows in the King's army. He also believes he is free from the Speck magic that held him under its sway. Now traveling home to rendezvous with his fiancée, Nevare suffers haunting visions and soon realizes that malicious magic still resides within him - and is intent on destroying everything he holds dear.

©2006 Robin Hobb (P)2009 Recorded Books, LLC

First half brutal, than you get what you paid for.

The first half.id well written and performed, but it has some brutal stuff. The ending works. It pays for the work you put in.

Great writing

Robin Hobb’s character development and world building is just astounding. Looking forward to the next book!

is anythibg better than a story by Robin Hobbs?

After Shamans crossing, I was a little bit disappointed in the story. Our hero seemed a bit doltish and naive. well, he still is, but he's learning. Oh so slowly. One thing that makes this story so remarkable, is how I still want to keep reading, even as I despise the foolishness of the hero and the somewhat heavy-handed moralizing not found in her other works. nonetheless, I have to know what happens to these people! Robin Hobb is a master of world-building.

Magical

Thee unlikeliness of the hero is refreshing. Looking forward to moving on to book three.

difficult book

I adore Robin Hobb's writing: her books are a treasure. Her writing is rich and detailed and her world building is beyond compare. I have enjoyed every one of her books that I have read. This one included. That being said there were elements of this story that i had a difficult time with. dispite this i enjoyed it very much

Fantasy-themed Drama

The negative reviews of this book are unfair. This series is a good drama with little action. Neat plot and perspectives, speculation, and Hobb's way of convolution make this a great work. Not all magic, gore, and crowns falling. I almost pity those wanting this trilogy to be something it's not.

having a difficult time identifying its direction

I like the story, it's well-written and for the most part I really like the characters. It's a cool concept. But I just don't really know where it's going. And she's having a tendency to create certain qualities in characters that make them somewhat likable and then completely destroying them as people later and making them hateable. Also you keep waiting for something to go right for this guy. You're not sure what you're rooting for and sometimes the reactions of the other characters towards him make you so angry. Still a good story and I think it worthwhile read. I'm waiting to see where the series ends up

Absolutely Amazing

Any additional comments?

This isn't my first time reading Forest Mage, but it is my first time really giving it enough thought to review it. I don't know that I can be disappointed with Hobb's works. It just doesn't seem like a possibility for me. The balance of introspection and activity makes this book a true first-person wonder. The richness of the world around Nevare rivals our own world. Gernia is a real place. It's that simple. It's just a different reality from ours. Forest Mage truly feels like Hobb has traveled to that place, plucked a book from their world, and brought it back for us to enjoy. This is simply a masterpiece of storytelling, and one I am pleased to have uncovered.

Fantasy lovers, Hobb is well worth your time. I promise it.

Gloomy, mostly background info

I was going to suggest folks jump to chapter 13 if Nevare’s troubles start to get too heavy (as I found). The middle is ok, the end gets heavy again. Nevare gets thrown about by life and we get lots of background and buildup.
I think you could skip to book three without too much trouble. I’m maybe a quarter of the way into book three and find it more interesting. I haven’t read any other books by this author. Maybe the ending to book one is as happy as they get.

Thrilling

I couldn't stop listening. I had to know how each moment would end and lead into the next!