I really haven't read enough Robin Hobb. She has flown under my radar, mostly because my first encounters with her were through the library, and I have this bad habit of checking out books in the middle of the series (ahem, Golden Fool) and then wondering what the hell is going on. Last year I read Assassin's Apprentice, and I have acquired the remaining two books in that trilogy, so I hope to finish that soon. For now, however, I've turned to the Soldier Son trilogy. And though I've exceeded the amount of space I usually devote to anecdotes, I shall mention how I acquired these books. I actually read Shaman's Crossing years ago, probably back when it first released. I didn't like it. I thought it was dull. So I was hesitant to re-read it and finish the series, but all three were left abandoned at a one-off bookswap we had at the gallery where I work. I don't like to turn down free books, much less a complete trilogy in matching paperback.So here we are.With Shaman's Crossing, Robin Hobb turns her attention to colonialism. She combines world-building with fairly competent characterization, politics with just a pinch of zesty magic, to create a story that is rich if a little over-saturated. Although I have reservations about this book, I think Hobb does deserve the accolade the Baltimore Sun has blurbed on the cover of my edition: she is "a master fantasist."I don't think I can talk about the world without talking about Nevare, and I certainly can't talk about him without talking about his world. So I'll do both. Nevare Burvelle is the soldier son of a new noble; i.e., his father was also a soldier, but he so distinguished himself in battle that the king elevated him to a newly-created lordship. And in Gernia, commoner sons take on their father's profession, while noble sons follow an order: heir, soldier, priest, artist, scholar, etc. It's all in the Holy Scrolls, and apparently violating that order is taboo. This is one of those premises that sounds really cool but that I have a hard time believing would actually work. But I rolled with it. Oh, and women don't get to do anything except plot political marriages and have babies and wear dresses (I think in that order).If you are starting to get the idea that Gernia, for all its power and prestige and riches and quality of life, is a not-so-nice allegory for the British Empire, you might be on the right track. And Gernia's imperialist policies form the political backdrop for Nevare's maturation into an adult and his conflict with the spiritual forces of the Plainspeople and the even more mysterious, distant Specks. Nevare becomes caught in the middle of a three-way conflict: the Plainspeople are fighting against the Specks, who drove the Plainspeople onto the plains in the first place. From the west, Gernia is displacing the Plainspeople, and will soon go up against the Specks. Nevare, thanks to an encounter with a Plainsman, has been magically linked to a Speck spell that has its own ideas about how he can be used, as a tool, to bring about Gernia's ruination.So here's the thing: I like Nevare. He is earnest but not obnoxious, and he is capable and competent yet still prone to making mistakes. (I can't stand protagonists who always manage to get it right.) So, because Gernia is Nevare's homeland, and yes, if I'm being honest, because I've internalized eurocentrism despite my best efforts, I kind of want Nevare and his country to succeed. Well, not so much succeed as in colonize and oppress the Plainspeople and the Specks; but I don't want Nevare to have to betray his own people. At the same time, I want the Specks and the Plainspeople and their magicks to survive against Gernia, against its soldiers and technology and cold iron.These paradoxical, torn loyalties experienced by the reader through Nevare are what make Shaman's Crossing fascinating and brilliant. I want Nevare to survive and make his father proud; I want the Plainspeople and Specks to survive. While not mutually exclusive, one of these will definitely need to compromise in degree somehow. I'm interested to see how Hobb resolves the plot, but for now let me ruminate upon what it means.There are no easy answers. Although it can be trying to hear the justifications and racism at times, seeing colonialism from this perspective does help me get into the mind of the colonialists and understand the motives driving them to expand. It isn't just avarice; Gernia itself feels threatened by rival country Landsing, which wrested from them their coastal provinces, rendering their proud navy obsolete. Unready to provoke another war with Landsing, Gernia's king turns his eye eastward. So there is a pressure-cooker situation happening, where Gernia can't stop moving east, and the Plainspeople have been pushed westward by the Specks. Something's gotta give.This is worldbuilding, people. Living, dynamic worlds where events of the novel are but a small part of what's happening. So many fantasy novels build great political intrigues into their plots, yet these exist in a vacuum where it seems every other political entity happens to be sleeping. Hobb has created a society shaped by advances in technology, the loss of a costly war, and controversial political decisions by its ruler. This, in turn, has shaped Nevare. He is growing up as the first of a new generation, the soldier sons of new nobles, attending the King's Cavalla Academy.Of course, peeling away the politics, we see that the structure of this novel is that of the boarding school. The King's Cavalla Academy is like a Hogwarts setting (without the magic). I'm assuming the friendships and enmities Nevare has formed here will contributed to the plot of the subsequent two books. Most of his time spent at the Academy consists of being persecuted for being a new noble.Oh, in case you didn't guess, the old nobles who were around before the war didn't appreciate the king diluting their power with new nobles who are, naturally, loyal to him. When it comes to communicating this concept, Hobb gets very heavy-handed. Sometimes it seems like every second conversation Nevare has is about how the old nobles hate the new nobles and are waging a proxy class war via their sons. It's relevant; it's realistic, but it's also way overstated.This tendency to harp on the intricacies of her world is Hobb's one indulgence that detracts from an otherwise-great book. It doesn't help that, since Shaman's Crossing is in the first person, we hear it all in Nevare's voice. I love that Hobb is enthusiastic about her world—and that her world is worth being enthusiastic about—but sometimes I just put the book aside and took a break because the lengthy descriptions and exposition were getting on my nerves.You know who also got on my nerves? Epiny. I feel bad, because she's a spunky little women's rights activist who is surprisingly good at critical thinking. Yet she's also young, and she acts so immaturely at times. I so wanted someone, anyone, to tell her to start behaving with a modicum of composure. However, this is not a flaw; it is probably deliberate in, or at least very appropriate to, how Hobb tells the story.Shaman's Crossing takes a lot of common fantasy motifs—technology versus magic, soldiers versus tribal warriors, class conflict, etc.—but as with her other series, Hobb has fabricated both story and setting enough to make her work stand out. Even though this isn't one of my favourite fantasy novels, and it isn't my favourite Robin Hobb story, it still demonstrates her ability as a fantasy writer, and it's entertaining and even a little thought-provoking. As the beginning of a trilogy, it has a satisfying conclusion and a tantalizing arc. As its own story, it is a deep character piece set against the backdrop of colonial politics. Shaman's Crossing is more complex than I gave it credit for being the first time I read it: don't make the mistake I did.My Reviews of the Soldier Son trilogy:Forest Mage →
I still don't get why this book is rated almost a star less on goodreads compared to the Realm of the Elderlings books. The writing is just top notch stuff. I get that the plot is slow as it usually is in most her books, but then again if you are already in love with Robin Hobb you know that it's the characters more than the plot that drive the story. It's the relationships between characters that provide most of the dramatic tension.Anyway, I loved this book. The story is told from a single first person male POV, which reminded me a lot of the way the Fitz and Fool books are written. The setting has a very old Colonial American feel with the Gernians and their cavalry fighting the horse warrior culture(Native American Indians)on the plains with references to another superpower occupying the coast (French or English). They even have muskets though they don't feature heavily in the book. Throw in another forest/jungle dwelling people on top of that plus the old magic of this world and you get quite a mix.Protagonist, Nevare Burvelle, is the second sun of a Cavalry (Cavelle) officer. All second sons become soldiers in this world and being the second son of a second son means Nevare is off to the Cavelle Academy. I love stories with a boarding school setting whether it be Hogwartz from the Harry Potter book or the University in Rothfuss' King Killer Chronicles. This book was no exception. Even though it takes a while to get to the Academy, once we do the book got even more interesting for me. Unlike the ones I mentioned this Academy is not a school of magic. it's a straight up military school, but no worse off for that. The friendships, the rivalries between "Old Noble's sons and New Noble's sons, the atrocities committed, the intrigue that reflects the politics and happening of the wider world - it all works together in a way that had me looking forward to each listening session.Speaking of listening sessions, Jonathon Barlow does an excellent job as narrator. His quiet spoken voice really suited the main protagonist contemplative demeanour through the book and is a good option for anyone considering the audio version of the book.I'm giving this one 4.5 stars upgraded to five because that goodreads rating really doesn't do the book justice. The Fitz and Fool books are still my favourite but if this book is anything to go by I predict this series will top the Liveships and Rainwilds series. A great start.4.5 stars
What do You think about Shaman's Crossing (2006)?
...Hobb's books have always attracted me because of the characterisation, but in this book it fails her to an extent. I did enjoy the novel a lot. I even think it is a little underappreciated. The themes Hobb addresses and her uses of a very non standard fantasy setting make it a noteworthy book. But almost six hundred pages of first person narrative with a main character who keeps thinking in circles, keeps denying change and keeps rationalising his society's sexism, prejudices and arrogance is a bit too much of a good thing. I liked the book well enough but I do see why it will never be a fan favourite.Full Random Comments review
—Rob
On a re-read, this was bumped up to a full 5 stars.I won't ruin the rest of the series (because it takes quite a turn), but there's an incredible amount of foreshadowing. Tiny details and encounters that will have larger implications in Forest Mage and Renegade's Magic.But this book works even if you're reading it for the first time. Every character is fully fleshed out, and though it starts a bit slow, you soon won't be able to put the book down.Does this book wreck you emotionally? Of course, but isn't that why we read Robin Hobb in the first place?Recommended for veterans of this author. If you're just starting out, I recommend Assassin's Apprentice and then following the trilogies in published order from there. This is my least favourite series that Hobb has written, and it's still a masterpiece.
—Alex Ristea
This is not just a bit different for a Robin Hobb book, but different as a fantasy book too. If it was a first attempt at a novel I would imagine that it would be hard to get it published, bucking the trend of what popular fantasy seems to be. Here Hobb throws out quite a lot of what seems to be 'normal' Instead of the standard medieval setting the blueprint of this new series is the expansion into the old west, particularly the cavalry and the subjugation of the indigenous peoples.Obviously it is not a direct transposition, but it can be seen clearly, and as such many of the tropes of the traditional fantasy are dropped, swords and armour, are replaced by uniform, guns and sabers. There is a strong feeling of technological advances, from heating in houses to running water there is a feeling of progression, and this is where the crux at the heart of the story comes into play.There is magic, a naturalistic shaman magic that is owned by the natives, and it is being eroded and destroyed by the incoming invaders, as they tear down forests for their own needs. Not only is this conflict escalating, as a plague of magical origin attacks the soldiers, but of course with a writer of Hobbs ability there is a lot more going on; political upheaval and unrest, a crumbling male/female dynamic, and a society on the cusp of changing it's traditional ways.All set in a school giving a macrocosm of the outside world and seen through the eyes of a pupil, one who is desperate to prove that he is the perfect son, intent on being all he can despite the prejudice thrown in his direction.It also happens that the natives have had the chance to use him, to create in him the seeds of a weapon that might just tear the invading society down.As always Hobb writes well, and as is often the case in a first book in a series it starts slow setting out it's stall, but finishes superbly.
—T.I.M. James
