Hobb, Robin
SHAMAN’S CROSSING Book One of The Soldier Son Trilogy
Robin Hobb
EOS/Harper Collins Publishing 2005
Hb 577 pages
ISBN#s
10:0-06-075762-0 and 13:978-0-06-075762-5
What makes a good story? It depends on who you ask. If you are the kind of person looking for a literary-style read in fantasy fiction, then this volume might interest you [action/adventure fans need not apply]. Also, if it is the title that has caught your interest, pay special attention to the series title because that is the angle the author will pull you toward. The volume title just reveals what this “soldier son’s” first ordeal is. There is magic in this book, but it is not the main focus; neither does the main character consider this magic “good”.
So, what’s the book about? It’s about a world where travel is still on horseback and by river, where a previous war and the current economics of whether or not to build a “King’s Road” into the wilderness has divided a country politically. Nevare Burvelle is the soldier’s son of a soldier’s son and has known since early childhood that the good god marked him for a soldier by his birth order. First sons are heirs, second sons are soldiers, third sons are priests, fourth are artists, fifth gather knowledge, etc. Nevare has grown up on the frontier with savage Plains Indians. One nearly kills Nevare by throwing him into battle with a shaman witch of another enemy. Nevare’s world, however, is centered on going to the center of civilization to attend the King’s Cavalla Academy where he will learn more than his father taught him about how to be a soldier. But Nevare learns just about as much or more--first hand--about current politics that are turning deadly. Injustice is common at the Academy and Nevare is constantly torn between “honor” and fairness, and then while he sleeps he is pulled into nightmares about the shaman witch who wants to use him to destroy his people.
The world-building in SHAMAN’S CROSSING is intense. I ran across a couple minor plot glitches but they were too miniscule to worry over. Otherwise, the editing is good. The descriptive style is so complete that it plods and slows the action <yawn>. However, the characterization is good--I especially enjoyed the minor characterization and subplots that brought a fullness to the story, making it feel more real. Will I read the next in the series? Only if I’m very bored and have nothing better to read.Return to Reviews