The Robin Hobb Collection discussion

Ch26 -


Best chapter of the book and possibly the trilogy. Finally - Nevare does what he is supposed to do - and he knows what to do. He just couldn't know or do it as two people.
The scene where he visits his father and Yarill was awesome. But now he's selected a tree - it can't be over yet - there's still eight or none more chapters to go!

Ch 27-


Orandula takes a death. I'm guessing this means Nevare will leave his life (or death) with Lisana and live again. I knew it was too early for him to die.
I'm calling him Nevare only becauser I'm not sure what to call him now - I'm too used to thinking of Nevare as his Gernian half. What to call him now that he's one whole?

I'm also guessing that the Croaker birds are eating away all his excess flesh - so maybe skinny Nevare returns.

Ch 28 -


Skinny Nebare does return - but is he a ghost? People can see him but not see him that well? It also seems he's left Soldier Boy inside the tree with Lisana.

Ch 30 -


It's gold! And it does pull the Gernians away from the road. Nevare's reunion with Kesey and Epiny was cool

Alex wrote: "I wonder who the other god is that bargained for his life/death. "

I think he just calls that "The Forest" which I'm assuming is what "The Magic" is. If not the Forest then I'll have to settle for the magic being a netball team

ch26-30 i was a bit shocked with these chapters (especially the first two), i didn't see any of this coming.

the forced merging of the two but nevare/soldier boy don't live for a very long time, although what he does during his dance is quite outstanding.

Orandula taking his death and basically making the original nevare whole again (i don't care that soldier boy kept insisting he was nevare too until lisana split them up, we've never seen nevare with soldier boy behaviour so i don't accept him as part of it).

it does give a lot of options for nevare to return to his old life again, and become that cavalla officer.
i didn't really like the scene of Nevare "Ghost" with Likari. i get that it was needed for Nevare to return to Gernia, but it sounded downright cruel.

These are some of my favorite Hobb chapters ever.

This climax came out of nowhere. All the pieces finally come together all at once - the spindle, the book, stone, and Orandula. I'm blown away by how tightly it's executed.

The scenes with his father were particularly heart-rending. The magic was every bit as ruthless with him as it was to Nevare, sapping his whole life away all because it needed Nevare to go to the forest and he was the instrument used to make it happen. He lost his family, his legacy, his mind. I just hope that the discovery of gold lifts the Burvelles up again, and I'm so glad Nevare wrested the magic into giving that glory to his father rather than the Stiets.