Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Unavailable
    Dragon Haven
    Unavailable
    Dragon Haven
    Unavailable
    Dragon Haven
    Audiobook19 hours

    Dragon Haven

    Written by Robin Hobb

    Narrated by Anne Flosnik

    4/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    The dragon keepers and the fledgling dragons are forging a passage up the treacherous Rain Wild River. They are in search of the mythical Elderling city of Kelsingra and are accompanied by the liveship Tarman, its captain, Leftrin, and a group of hunters who must search the forests for game with which to keep the dragons fed.



    With them are Alise, who has escaped her cold marriage to the cruel libertine Hest Finbok in order to continue her study of dragons, and Hest's amanuensis, Bingtown dandy Sedric. Rivalries and romances are already threatening to disrupt the band of explorers-but external forces may prove to be even more dangerous.



    Chalcedean merchants are keen to lay hands on dragon blood and organs to turn them to medicines and profit. Their traitor has infiltrated the expedition and will stop at nothing to obtain the coveted body parts. And then there are the Rain Wilds themselves: mysterious, unstable, and ever perilous, its mighty river running with acid, its jungle impenetrable, and its waterways uncharted.



    Will the expedition reach its destination unscathed? Does the city of Kelsingra even exist? Only one thing is certain: the journey will leave none of the dragons nor their human companions unchanged by the experience.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherTantor Audio
    Release dateMay 11, 2010
    ISBN9781400183340
    Unavailable
    Dragon Haven
    Author

    Robin Hobb

    Robin Hobb was born in California but grew up in Alaska. It was there that she learned to love the forest and the wilderness. She has lived most of her life in the Pacific Northwest and currently resides in Tacoma, Washington. She is the author of five critically acclaimed fantasy series: The Rain Wilds Chronicles (Dragon Keeper, Dragon Haven, City of Dragons, Blood of Dragons), The Soldier Son Trilogy, The Tawny Man Trilogy, The Liveship Traders Trilogy, and The Farseer Trilogy. Under the name Megan Lindholm she is the author of The Wizard of the Pigeons, Windsingers, and Cloven Hooves. The Inheritance, a collection of stories, was published under both names. Her short fiction has won the Asimov's Readers' Award and she has been a finalist for both the Nebula and Hugo awards.

    More audiobooks from Robin Hobb

    Related to Dragon Haven

    Related audiobooks

    Fantasy For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      Herne: The Hidden Hero

      Mar 11, 2021

      Herne: The Hidden Hero
      4 min read

    • Article

      A Sporting Life In Africa

      May 19, 2021

      A Sporting Life In Africa
      2 min read

    • Article

      Weird World Folklore Frenzy

      Oct 6, 2022

      Weird World Folklore Frenzy
      2 min read

    • Article

      Beauty and THE BEAST

      Nov 26, 2020

      Your mum probably told you ‘looks can be deceiving’, and never was that more true than in mythology. Leaving gods, goddesses and mortals to one side, as a rule, the more beautiful the creature, the more likely it is to be planning to rip your head of

      4 min read

    • Article

      History Lesson

      Mar 5, 2020

      History Lesson
      1 min read

    • Article

      6 Watery Folklore Wonders

      Mar 25, 2021

      6 Watery Folklore Wonders
      5 min read

    • Article

      Weird World Folklore Frenzy

      Oct 6, 2022

      Weird World Folklore Frenzy
      2 min read

    • Article

      Wildlife Wonders 70 The Big Tuskers Of Tsavo

      Sep 12, 2023

      The hunt is over. We have found the big tusker after a days-long search. He sways ankle-deep in love grass, his jowls heavy with ivory. I snare him in my sights, aim the barrel lens, press the shutter. Then I lay my camera aside and lose myself in th

      7 min read

    • Article

      Lines Of Sight

      Nov 11, 2023

      Lines Of Sight
      4 min read

    • Article

      Once A Place Of Plenty…

      Nov 25, 2019

      Once A Place Of Plenty…
      1 min read

    • Article

      Forfeit

      Jan 1, 2021

      Forfeit
      7 min read

    • Article

      Inspecting the Game

      Mar 1, 2021

      Poled upriver in teakwood dugouts wedisembarked and were greeted a second timeparaded up a prayer-flag avenueand mounted on five elephants, seatedsnug in the howdah’s pillowed canework carriage,three to a pachyderm under the canopyplus the mahout wit

      1 min read

    • Article

      Global Ghouls

      Oct 7, 2021

      The Chinese hopping vampire Similar to the Western concept of the zombie, the Jiangshi is seen wearing the clothing of the Qing Dynasty. Jiangshi are said to be created by a soul that is unable to leave a person’s body because of suicide or a lust fo

      1 min read

    • Article

      Moments In Time

      Aug 12, 2022

      Moments In Time
      9 min read

    • Article

      Who Are You Calling Prickly?

      Sep 13, 2023

      Who Are You Calling Prickly?
      6 min read

    • Article

      Mythical and MAGICAL

      Mar 15, 2023

      For hundreds of years, beasties and mischievous fairy folk have inhabited our imaginations. Lurking in our woodlands and lakes, and along our seashores, they are said to sometimes show themselves to humans. Here are just a few of the otherworldly cha

      3 min read

    • Article

      Amber Eyes Full Of Beauty

      Jun 24, 2020

      Hares are captivating animals. It’s easy to see why they have featured in a wealth of folklore and mythology over the years, and we are continuously drawn to ponder the secretive life of a creature that is graceful, cryptic and even ‘mad’. Brown hare

      4 min read

    • Article

      The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea

      Feb 16, 2021

      For centuries, coastal communities from all round the world have told tales of terrifying serpent or squid-like sea monsters that lurk beneath the waves, waiting to snatch unwary sailors and fishermen to their deaths. But is there any truth to these

      4 min read

    • Article

      No Apocalypse Now

      Aug 8, 2020

      No Apocalypse Now
      3 min read

    • Article

      Time-tripping

      Aug 12, 2022

      Time-tripping
      6 min read

    • Article

      The Age of Convergence

      May 27, 2022

      The Age of Convergence
      1 min read

    • Article

      The PRIDE

      May 1, 2023

      The PRIDE
      5 min read

    • Article

      Beyond The MIGRATION

      Aug 31, 2020

      Beyond The MIGRATION
      5 min read

    Reviews for Dragon Haven

    4/5

    415 ratings24 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 4/5
      I enjoyed Dragon Haven more than Dragon Keeper, as the characters go through more development and this part of the story ends very satisfactorily. It still felt a little slow, but Hobb writes so well that I didn't mind this at all! Looking forward to picking up the next book in the series.
    • 3/5
      Rather padded out with too much detail. Unlike the fool and the assassin, I haven't really bonded with any of the humans or dragons, so I longed for more story. The plot and the outcome of most of the characters were also pretty predictable so lacked suspense for me. Shall retreat to the Fitz and the Fool trilogy.
    • 4/5
      Loved it.. couldn't put it down, read most of the night.. until my eyes are falling out of my head :) Lots of excitement,, lots of bad things and sad things.. but the dragons are not so crippled now.. getting stronger as they wend their way towards a new future with their keepers.. and their keepers! Well.. that's another story :) Can't wait for number 3 to be returned to the library - next person on the list - for four as well.. hooray. Many thanks, Robin Hobb, for hours of delightful pleasure!
    • 4/5
      Dragon Haven is the second in the Rain Wilds Chronicles by Robin Hobb. Events pick up immediately where the first book leaves off. This makes a whole lot of since as apparently they were meant to be one larger novel and split in two due to size. This was definitely a step up for me as if feels like this is where the story really takes off. With the liveship Tarman and its crew in tow, the dragons and their keepers continue the long journey upriver. Their destination: Kelsingra. If it even exists. Some of the dragons have ancestral memories of the place but these memories are incomplete and are in doubt. The journey treacherous and the dangers of the Rain Wilds are not to be taken lightly. And when the price for dragon parts is so high, there are those among them who will cave to temptation and do anything to make their fortune. As anyone who is a Robin Hobb fan knows, one of her main strengths are her characters. She creates some of the most fully fleshed, believable characters around. Each point of view character goes on a fairly significant arc, as do some of the secondary characters, leaving them in completely different places than when they started this journey. Sedrec went on one of the best arcs for me. Hobb worked her magic taking this highly unlikable guy and turning him into a person of integrity through the various hardships he endures. I was proud of Alise for finding her courage and determination to make herself more than a useless, spoiled Bingtown lady. The Dragons change too, though differently as they work to patch together their missing memories and learn what it means to be true dragons. I am absolutely in love with little Relpda. Her simple view of the world is changing as her bond with her keeper grows. I will be heartbroken if anything happens to her before this series is done.On the downside, this book almost has a YA feel to it with all the romance plots. It seems like there's someone for everyone. And many of the characters agonize internally about "should I or shouldn't I" with regards to sex. I liked how as part of Thymeria's arc she realizes that all the other keepers have been having sex, making the world not so innocent after all, kind of like that realization you get in high school. That did lend a nice coming of age slant to the story. But it just went on for too much of the book and I felt the point became belabored by the end. I was quite surprised at all the reveals in this book. Everyone's dirty laundry is aired and worked through. The bad guys get their comeuppance. Answers are given for relationship between Dragons and Elderlings as well as why Rain Wilders are so heavily marked, both mysteries which were started in the Liveship books. Almost all the story threads started in book one reach a form of resolution. Normally these are things that I would expect to be gradually revealed through the whole series if they were going to be revealed at all. It makes me wonder what is set in store for the second half of the series.
    • 4/5
      Predictable? A bit. Well written? Yes! Robin Hobb, thank you for another excellent instalment of character driven storytelling.
    • 4/5
      The continuation of the Rain Wild Chronicles series picks up where the 1st book left off. The journey continues for the search of Kelsingra. The book is really good, especially if you enjoyed the first book. It continues developing the characters, including the dragons. Being a journey book, this definitely focuses more on the characters.
    • 5/5
      About a third of the way into this book, I realised that Ms Hobb had done it to me again and I had started to really care about these characters and their adventure.You start to want a happy ending for the likeable characters and even the arrogant dragons like Sintara, you hope will gain the ability to fly.But what happens when the outside world learns about what they have found? Will a few earthbound dragons and new Elderlings be able to defend it?Straight on to next volume to find out.
    • 4/5
      This is the sequel to Dragon Keeper. I would not recommend reading this particular series out of order. This is very much a book focused on its characters rather than plot (though the plot is interesting). The characters grow so much in this book. If you enjoyed the first one, you'll like this one. I also consider this to be slightly better than the first one, so I recommend sticking with the series if you're on the fence.
    • 4/5
      A direct continuation of the story started in Dragon Keeper. There's a little bit of catch-up material at the beginning, but I wouldn't recommend starting here: it's not a stand-alone.
      In this installment, the dragons plot to get the humans of the Rain Wilds to think it's their idea to send the dragons away to find the legendary city of Kelsingra, where once graceful, powerful dragons lived in harmony with more-than-human Elderlings.
      The handicapped and less-than-lovely dragons set off on this less-than-hopeful quest with a motley assortment of outcast humans; including all the main characters that we met in the first book.
      There's a lot of good, entertaining character development here; we get to know all the dragons as individuals, and the interpersonal drama is attention-grabbing as well.
      However, I'm docking it a star for a really jarring, out-of-place and preachy incident of slut-shaming. It was really disappointing and nasty, and can't really be explained away as being just a character's perspective.
    • 4/5
      The story of The Rain Wild Chronicles continues with this sequel to Dragon Keeper. Maybe the plot's simply picking up, or perhaps it has to do with the characters finally starting to grow on me, but somewhere between the pages of this book, I realized I've actually become quite smitten with this series.As I recall, the end of the first book came rather abruptly, so it's not a surprise that this one picked right up from where it left off. The dragons and their group of keepers and supporters continue to travel along the river in the hopes of finding the legendary Elderling city of Kelsingra, and we return to familiar characters such as Thymara, Alise, Sedric, Leftrin and the blue dragon Sintara. The book follows the narrative of these characters, chronicling their incredible journey of adventure and peril -- complete with the inevitable pitfalls, unexpected romances and bitter betrayals.Since the background and all the introductions were covered in the first book, I feel like we're finally able to get into the meatier parts of the story. I also mentioned before that I wasn't too impressed with any of the characters when I first started this series, but while most of them were kind bland on their own, the dynamics are getting more interesting now that they're all starting to interact with each other.The dragon keepers, mostly made up of heavily marked Rain Wilders who were born disfigured with features like scales and claws, were considered outcasts back where they came from. A few of them have their own ideas of whether or not the status quo should change or remain the same once they reach Kelsingra and establish their own society, which not surprisingly leads to a fair bit of conflict. Also, separate a group of people from civilization and force them to eat, sleep, hunt and survive together for months at a time, and sooner or later you get the kind of relationship drama worthy of prime time reality TV.I still have issues with some of the pacing, though. For the most part, I love Robin Hobbs' writing, but once in the while, I notice she'll have the tendency to fill the pages with swaths of lengthy exposition, going over events and plot developments that the reader is already fully aware of. This is occasionally the case with character speech and internal dialogue too. There was one particularly harrowing scene involving Sedric, Jess, a copper dragon and a killer flood where I had to wonder how anyone could waste so much time just standing around monologuing.I also noticed the way a situation would be deliberately dragged out, by making certain characters like Alise and Sedric uncharacteristically clueless and obtuse. It was established in Dragon Keeper that Alise's husband, Hest, is actually secretly Sedric's lover. By the end of that book, it seemed like everyone has figured it out except for Alise, who would normally be such an astute, observant woman. Likewise, Sedric seems oblivious to the fact that his sexual orientation is known to one of the hunters in the crew, is also oblivious to the fact that the hunter prefers men and is attracted to him as well. It's the sort of plot device I would expect from a cornball romance novel, but I do have to give my kudos to Hobbs for her meaningful way of handling the topic of hidden homosexuality.Definitely looking forward to the next book, as this series is turning out to be a rather exciting tale of adventure-fantasy.
    • 5/5
      Wonderful! I enjoyed this book even more than I did the first in the series. The characters are so wonderfully created, each of them unique and different.
    • 4/5
      Dragon Haven begins to move some things along - the dragons start to develop a little more agency, various other relationships develop, and a few pieces of the larger puzzle start to become clear. It's still a deliberately slow book, and still very much focused on relationships instead of action, but the relationships start to crystallize as the characters all begin to come in to their power.
    • 5/5
      I enjoyed this book a lot. I've always loved Hobb's stories. They all have a trend of making the reader a little depressed but this series is less so that way. That or I have simply not felt it as much as usual. Hobb is all about character development. If you're looking for a book packed with action this is not the one for you. It has plenty of action but the primary focus is on the characters and how they grow and develop. This most likely contributed to why I liked the first book less than this second book. In the first the characters were younger, more naive, or more set in their ways. Now there are big changes. Each character is changing, growing; and watching that evolution is fascinating. Another fascinating aspect is the dragons themselves. Dragons tend to be personified as beautiful magnificent creatures. Here they are not. These dragons are sickly (although that is another thing changing! Cheer) and arrogant. They are as intelligent, maybe more intelligent, than humans and they know it. Think of how we have treated other humans in history and all the strife we have caused. These dragons have the same capabilities. They are dangerous in more ways than just being big with claws, wings and teeth. Hobb's writing style is also fantastic along with her world building. I'm really looking forward to the next book to see even more growth.
    • 4/5
      Slightly plotless and a little repetitive at times, but with a pleasingly strong focus on characterisation and growth (particularly for Sedric, as I expected, but Alise and Thymara were also well-served) and thematically strong. In particular, Hobb is examining female agency and sexuality in an interesting fashion (I don't actually find it that dogmatic, though some reviewers have). While I think this series lacks some of the "magic" of her earlier trilogies set in this world, Dragon Haven was still a very satisfying read (I devoured it in the space of a day). Bring on the next book!
    • 4/5
      Hobb explores the Rain Wilds, an area of the world that she mentioned in her other trilogies, but now it gets its own full plot line. A whole new cast, but you come to love them as much as the characters in her other books. As always, I love Hobb's engaging and descriptive style. You can't help but be engrossed. This series is a bit more sexual than her others.
    • 5/5
      The second book in The Rain wilds Chronicles continues the journey of a small company of humans and dragons in search of a lost city. This book demands that both humans and dragons learn from one another and overcome their difficulties. The dragons, born disfigured and unable to hunt and fly, rediscover what it means to be a dragon. Many of the dragons and keepers bond strongly throughout the novel, and it is only Sintara who continues to be self-centred. Sintara’s refusal to bond with her keeper and continued arrogance becomes boring quickly. The humans on the journey grow through their relationships with one another. Rain Wilder Thymara is afraid to have relationships with men she admires because of the physical defects which make her, and her fellow dragon keepers, outcasts in the Rain Wilds society. I admired her continual strength and self confidence, and her refusal to let others make decisions for her. The character development of Alise is centred around dealing with accepting the nature of her relationship with her husband. I found her to be a much more enjoyable to read once she took her life into her own hands. In contrast to the previous book, the end of Dragon Haven was satisfying and although it left room to continue the story in the future, the plot line gave closure. Robin Hobb’s world building skills, trademark character development and unique portrayal of the coming age of a group of malformed dragons make this novel a delight to read. Her multi-faceted characters and twisting plot take you right into the world she creates. The slow revelation of the secrets of dragon magic and the connection between humans, Elderlings and dragons was satisfying and answered many of my questions while leaving some territory unexplored for the next book.
    • 5/5
      The first book, is called The Dragon Keeper.The second book, Dagon Haven, is a continuation from the first book. The first few pages were about ”what had gone before” for those who may not remember where things were at, luckily for me I did, but I read it anyway to bring it all clear in my mind.This is the second series I’ve read by Robin Hobb. The first one, The Farseer Trilogy, was great but it had long sections where nothing seemed to happen and equally long descriptions and weather reports (which I really do hate). I was able to let those things go because I became attached to the characters. However, in The Rain Wild Chronicles the author didn’t go off in these tangents as much and because of that I felt the books were easier to read…and much more enjoyable.The story is told from several view points; all had their secrets and stubborn ways. I especially liked watching the characters grow and change. And there were “issues” to be dealt with that were quite confronting as well. Romance was foremost in these books, so I imagine they were mainly written for women, as I can’t see men enjoying them as much as there is lots of conflict, of the emotional kind, but few of the fighting kind.The review is short as I don’t feel the need to go on and on about it. I really did enjoy the book and recommend it. It’s different.
    • 5/5
      [Contains minor spoilers.]Essentially a continuation of the first book, Dragon Keeper - it's really one book split in two. This book (well, both) were fantastic! I couldn't stop thinking about the characters every moment I wasn't reading it, which is very distracting, so it's a good thing I was on holiday. The plot also affects my emotions a lot, which can be good or bad. Some books do that, the kind you can't put down mainly (although not always).There is not a lot of action or "things happening" sort of plot in this book - it's all about character development. They are travelling upriver to find a place which may or may not exist, and that's it. But the development of the characters and their relationships with each other (I don't necessarily mean sexual relationships, but there is that too) is what makes it so compelling. They are all so strongly realised, especially the female characters. The keepers, teenagers mainly, act very much as their age would suggest - it's all a bit Lord of the Flies with them sometimes, whereas the adult relationships of those accompanying them are more complex and difficult, for societal reasons as much as anything. I like Alise's story best, since I suppose I can relate most closely to her, but also Thymara's story.There are homosexual relationships as well, although they are not covered in as much detail as the heterosexual ones. It did seem slightly unlikely to me that there would be three gay characters in this cast of about 20 people - what a coincidence, now a new relationship can develop for character X! But it does make for good plot, and it's very tenderly written.The dragons are interesting in their social heirarchy and development - some things I didn't see coming emerged here and there. They're not particularly likeable, although that's in good part because the main focus in that area is on the keeper Thymara and her relationship with Sintara, the most obnoxious, arrogant and annoying dragon ever, in contrary to the relationships between most of the other keepers and their dragons, which are more fantasy-conventional bonding. The hints and ties to the Farseer and Fool series are there, primarily related to the Elderlings and their civilisation, which is satisfying if you've read them, but they are entirely stand-alone books. I've not read the Liveship books yet (I'm about to) but I believe they're more closely linked to those, particularly given guest-characters in the first novel.The book rounds off the story of the two novels very well, leaving it right until the last minute. It's a suitable end point, even though it does leave you wanting more, and more could be done. I think it was originally intended as a two book sequence, but she is going to be releasing two more in the series next year, six months apart, which I can't wait for! Although I wait with some trepidation - the happy ending of this book is probably not going to last very long, and I know Hobb doesn't always give you what you want.
    • 4/5
      Saw this and remembered that I had read the first in the series, although I didn't remember anything specific about it.This book definitely felt like a middle book of a trilogy. Decent plot development, but a less than satisfying end. Parts of the middle felt like filler, and the development of the relationships between the characters seemed to drag on.Still, at the end I was satisfied with the book, and will probably try to remember to read the third book when it comes out to see the conclusion.
    • 5/5
      It was a pleasure to read Dragon Haven. As I stated in my review of the the series' first novel, I was quite surprised by Robin Hobb's ability to build characters and make them believable. I was expecting a quiet, brainless read--I mean heck, it had the word Dragon in the title... It was bound to seem like every other novel I've ever read that's created a dragon universe (with the possible exception of How to Train Your Dragon), right? well, not exactly. Hobb's dragons are deformed, arrogant beasts with little respect for humans and their traditions. Their keepers, the opposite of McCaffrey's celebrated dragonriders of Pern, are societal outcasts who escaped being exposed to the Wilds as infants. The dragons and their keepers travel up the acidic swamp river, searching for the almost-mythical city Kelsingra, where dragons and humans coexisted. The plot is a relatively straightforward affair. The fantasy is coherent, not because of the fantastic world, or the amazing dragons, but because of the relationships Hobb explores. She manages to portray each character with remarkably strong internal coherence. She doesn't lock ito any one perspective, but tells the story from a variety of characters' points of view. The young Thymara, the scholar of Elderling history Alise, her troubled friend Sedric, and even the dragon Sintara. Each has their own strong personality, their own motivations, and each of their actions and relationships seem plausible. Many reviewers on Amazon point at this as a problem: "Nothing happens. The people just whine a lot and they don't do anything interesting." I find this to be an asset to her writing. I don't WANT anyone to do anything. I want these people to grow. And Hobb writes exactly that kind of story. Many people seem to be put off by Hobb's portrayal of gay characters in this series. I read one reviewer say Hobb's book is nothing more than a "manifesto for the homosexual agenda." It's a fantasy, people. If you can suspend disbelief long enough to accept the existence of dragons, you should be able to handle two men sharing a loving, committed relationship, in a culture that doesn't bat an eye.It's probably the most fantastic (in every sense of the word) passages in the novel; more so than acid-filled riverbeds, and magic dragon clothes: a world where gay men and lesbians are treated as equals. In all, I loved the novel. This surprised me. I didn't think Hobb could sustain this culture for one book, let alone two. I hope to be just as impressed in February 2012, when the third volume of the series releases to the public. Thank you, Ms. Hobb, for your well-rounded and interesting characters. Five of Five stars.
    • 3/5
      I'm afraid I find the quality of Robin Hobb's books decreasing with every new book. Still enjoyable though, with many believable, flawed but lovable characters. The writing is OK but could have benefited from some editing work.
    • 4/5
      In Dragon Keeper, Robin Hobb started a duology of novels set in her "Farseer" universe. After the events which allowed the Traders to become independent (as chronicledin the Liveship novels), a group of dragon eggs, entrusted to the inhabitants of the dense and deadly Rain Wilds rainforest, have hatched into pale imitations of the dragonTintaglia, who laid them. A misfit group of keepers, hunters and dracophiles banded together to take the young proto-dragons deep into the Wilds in search of an ancient dragoncity. Dragon Haven completes and concludes the story of those keepers, their dragons, and those with them, as the physical challenges of the deadly Rain Wilds, dissension amongst thecrew of the Tarman, and doubts about whether the mysterious dragon city of Kelsingra even exists anymore threaten the health and well being of not only the expedition, but allof those associated with it. Robin Hobb is one of the most acclaimed writers of "low fantasy" (fantasy without tremendous amounts of magic), and the conclusion to the Rain Wilds series, Dragon Haven, shows us why. First, its all about the characters, especially female characters. Well drawn, complex, conflicted and most importantly, capable of change and growing, Hobbs characters continue the development they started in the first volume, and grow to meet the challenges they meet. Not only the young adults, Thymara, Tats, Rapskal and the other keepers. Not only the adults, too, Alise, Captain Leftrin, Sedric and the other adults. No, Hobb's deft hand extends to the dragons, as well. While dragons with personalities is not new in fantasy fiction, Hobb's still-growing dragons evolve and change over the course of the two novels, and more especially this one.Second, the milieu of the Rain Wilds is vividly described and invoked in her writing. The Rain Wilds, with significant (and frightening) changes resembles the temperate rain forests of the Pacific Northwest that Ms. Hobb makes her home in, and that mise en scene, that sense of place, is wonderfully set before the reader. The Rain Wilds are a character as much as the human or dragon characters are. Unintentionally, perhaps, but the book has only reinforced my desire to see the area of the country that inspired the Rain Wilds.Thirdly, the plot. Although the first book ended in medias res, and clearly as the first book of a duology, we receive a solid resolution to the plots of the first book. Even the keepers of the messenger birds, Erek and Detozi, whose messages have served as a window to the world beyond the Tarman, have a subtle and small plot of their own that resolves nicely. Although part of the resolution seems to come a bit out of the blue, I realized at the end that I had, indeed, missed a Chekhov's Gun Ms. Hobb had subtly placed earlier in the series. Lastly, the inventiveness of Ms. Hobb's writing. Let me give you one example, her Dragons. Dragons are not quite as common as werewolves and vampires in novels these days, but a glance in the local F/SF section of the bookstore shows that Dragons have always been a big part of the Duchy of Fantasy. Hobb does not tread new ground; her dragons are new, and different, given their weaknesses, deformities and deficiencies that the dragons have been cursed with, and must overcome in order to become true dragons. I can't help but wonder what the young life of other fantasy dragons were like, now that Hobb has so expertly thought out and shown us the birth and development of young dragons in her world.You couldn't and shouldn't read this book before reading Dragon Keeper. Fans of Hobb will have already bought this book, of course, and their loyalty to her writing is rewarded. Start with Dragon Keeper, and continue on with Dragon Haven, and I would bet good money that you will become a fan of Hobb's writing, too.Highly Recommended.
    • 2/5
      Like the River, the Plot is Going Nowhere FastSet in the same world as the Farseer and Liveship trilogies, Dragon Haven and the preceding Dragon Keeper, broadened Hobb's already rich universe. I do love returning to old, familiar worlds: there's something special about seeing places, people, and situations from different perspectives! Alas, though I happily devoured both "Rain Wilds Chronicles" books, I did not adore them.Picking up directly where book one left off, Dragon Haven continues the story of the former serpents/bad-tempered dragons and their misfit keepers as they battle up the strange and dangerous Rain Wild River in search of the lost city of Kelsingra. Following along, the unhappily-married scholar Alise and the liveship/barge captain Leftrin struggle with their personal temptations and honour, while the manipulative Sedric has to face the ramifications of his past poor judgement. Unfortunately, like the Rain Wilds River, the plot meanders slowly and muddily along: getting stuck, occasionally having sudden flash floods of inspiration/awesomeness, but ultimately not going anywhere much. It is a tale of personal growth and choices -- but both the growth and choice comes to late to engage me. Choices Have Consequences (a fact particularly stressed in one very dark scene), but in the end, we don't see more than a hint of what the final consequences might be. Which is a disappointment, especially as the (mostly unsympathetic) characters have angsted over their decisions for a 1000 pages. I find myself wondering: is this is really supposed to be the concluding volume of a duology? (At present, no third book has been announced. Congratulations, characters, your literal/figurative journey is over! The End.)Overall this is not Hobb's best work. That said, her world remains vivid, detailed & entertaining. The characters -- if not always very likeable -- are at least real and complex people. Also, the pigeon keeper interludes are a delight. In my own way, I liked this book. I even enjoyed it. But oh! beating a few characters with a Clue Stick in volume one would have sped things up considerably.
    • 4/5
      To be honest I was disappointed with this book. Disappointed that it was the last in the series, that is. It finished where I expected it to, so the story of what happens next will hopefully be explored in another series.Robin Hobb fans (like myself) will read this book no matter how bad a review it gets. In Dragon Haven, the quest for the Elderling city of Kelsingra continues. The narrative was gripping enough that I wanted to keep reading but there was always a nagging feeling of when will something happen? When some action did happen it was concluded quickly. This novel is character driven not action driven. One reviewer said this book was Pride and Prejudice with Dragons. Not having read Pride and Prejudice, I cannot comment about that but I feel that does ring true as relationships and lots of dialogue takes precedence over action. I would offer that this is 'ChickLit' with dragons. The dragons even sparkle in the sun, if that's what you like.The central theme of this book was Transformation. The Dragons were transforming from brutish beasts into... real dragons. Their Keepers were transforming into the fabled Elderlings (part human part dragon). The more the dragon and keeper interacted with each other the quicker both of them transformed. The relationships between the characters was changing but most importantly the characters of the main characters were changing. Their personalities were being forged in the furnace of the quest and under the hammer of the traumas they faced. Just as the Dragons guided the transformation which was happening to their Keepers, two human Hunters on the expedition, Carson and Jess, guide the transformation of character within two of the young men, Sedric and Greft respectively, for better and worse. I was happy to see the outcome of Sedrics' transformation even though the journey was painful to read about. The biggest gem in this book for me was a speech given to all the females on the expedition by Bellin. A normally taciturn woman and background character, she steps to the fore in a time of distress and takes charge. Bellin gets six pages in the spotlight, most of it a speach which is backed up by her actions.I felt very uncomfortable with the homosexual encounters sprinkled through this book. However, being a fan of Robin Hobbs' writting and of this 'Realm of the Elderlings' series, I would still have read Dragon Haven even if I had been prewarned.