Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

Two Political Fantasy Books

The Willful Princess and the Piebald Prince by Robin Hobb

The Kingdom of Copper by S. A. Chakraborty

by Leave a Comment

cbr17bingo – Citizen (for The Kingdom of Copper, in which the shafit are second class citizens) The Willful Princess and the Piebald Prince How does Robin Hobb do it? This novella is told in a straightforward, fairy tale-type manner, with relatively little dialogue, and it was still so engaging. I will admit, though, that I had some idea of what was coming. I vaguely recalled a brief mention of what happened to the Piebald Prince in The Farseer Trilogy, so part of the reason I was engrossed […]

Such Compelling Characters

Ship of Destiny by Robin Hobb

by Leave a Comment

cbr17bingo: favorite (completes my first BINGO) I don’t think Robin Hobb can fully turn me into a wholehearted lover of multiple POV storytelling, but if anyone can, it will be her. I got frustrated each time the POV shifted because I wasn’t ready to be done with the one I was currently reading, and each time I was very quickly sucked into the new one. While I still had favorite and less preferred character POVs, each was still compelling in their own way. Robin Hobb writes […]

Expansion of Serpent Lore

Mad Ship by Robin Hobb

by 2 Comments

cbr17bingo: green  This book took me on an emotional ride that was worth every moment. We continue to spend time with the same characters as the first book—the Vestrit and Haven families, Kennit, and Brashen—plus one of the Rain Wilders and a Companion of the Satrap. We also get more time with Amber and Paragon, which I loved. The characters are adjusting to the new and evolving situations in which they find themselves. Malta remained intensely frustrating for a large chunk of the book, as […]

Are All of Robin Hobb’s Books a Masterclass in Writing?

Ship of Magic by Robin Hobb

by 3 Comments

While I don’t mind multiple POV books, I generally prefer single POV. This book, though, masterfully demonstrates just how useful multiple POV can be. It was so different from the Farseer trilogy in which we’re always in Fitz’s head, and the emotions are unrelenting. In Ship of Magic, when you need a break from the drama with one character, there’s a different character whose drama you can jump into! It’s written in the 3rd person, but don’t expect that to spare you from the author’s toying with your […]

For Those Who Like Their Fantasy Slow and Emotional

Assassin's Quest by Robin Hobb

by 3 Comments

This was an excellent book that I’m not likely to ever re-read, and I imagine I’ll say that about the other books in the Realm of the Elderlings series. Robin Hobb can tell a great story and an emotional story. The Farseer trilogy has evoked a lot of depressed and anxious feelings from me. They’re emotional, heartbreaking books, which is why I say I probably won’t re-read them. But they are masterfully told, which is why I will be continuing on with the rest of the […]

I’m Still Not Clear on How Different Wit and Skill Are

Royal Assassin by Robin Hobb

by Leave a Comment

This was heavy. I had heard Robin Hobb wrote depressing books, but I expected it to be depressing due to trauma and loss, and while the books aren’t short on those things, equally depressing is the powerlessness of Fitz. I sometimes found myself chafing at the restrictions placed upon him as someone who has both too much and too little power. As the son of a prince, he is viewed as important and maybe even a threat, but as the bastard son of a prince, […]



Help Our Mission

You can donate to CBR via:

  1. PayPal
  2. Venmo