The final book in the Rain Wilds Chronicles will be better understood with the background from the prior books. Anne Flosnik picks up the tale as the young dragons and their human caretakers struggle to recover knowledge of dragon magic. Flosnik’s presentation of characters is consistent with that of the prior books in the series; voices for male characters are a bit strained and hoarse but effective. Narrating at a steady pace, she chronicles the parallel stories of the neighboring duke who is seeking dragon parts to stave off old age and the dragons who seek to recover their former glory. Overall, Flosnik creates atmosphere and builds on the characters’ relationships. J.E.M. © AudioFile 2013, Portland, Maine

The dragons have successfully returned to the the lost city of Kelsingra, but terrible new problems emerge and fester for them and their human keepers. The mythical silver wells are nowhere to be found; without them, the dragons will wither and die. The final volume of Robin Hobb's dragon ego Rain Wilds Chronicles brings plot surprises and reading pleasure.

The fourth Rain Wilds Chronicles epic (after City of Dragons), Hobb’s 13th novel set in the world of the Elderlings, wraps up the current set of storylines involving a new generation of dragons and the Elderlings (human-dragon hybrids) who serve and protect them. As most of the dragons and their keepers repopulate and reinvigorate the lost city of Kelsingra, the ailing Duke of Chalced sends people to hunt dragons for their life-extending and transformative properties, and the ancient dragon queen Tintaglia fights for her life. With a wide scope of coverage and a narrative that jumps among members of the sprawling cast, this tale feels both leisurely and unfocused, and knowledge of previous installments is essential to full comprehension. Hobb makes up for this breadth with a wealth of detail and language bordering on poetic. (Apr.)

A satisfying story” — The News-Star (Monroe, LA) on DRAGON HAVEN

“A deservedly popular author, an accomplished storyteller with an engaging and readable style.” — London Times

“A master fantasist.” — Kansas City Star

“[A]n engaging tale with fully realized characters that already feel like friends.” — Las Vegas Review Journal on CITY OF DRAGONS

“Real-life resonance gives the story extra depth…Bring on the next installment.” — Kirkus Reviews on CITY OF DRAGONS

“Dragons, magic, and intrigue combine to make this book a fascinating read” — Booklist

“Hobb excels at telling big stories and juggling multiple story arcs. Fans of the author and of this series who eagerly await this installment will not be disappointed” — Library Journal (starred review)

“Hobb excels at world building, wonderful prose, and the ability to endow her creatures with humanity...The novel has many threads skillfully interwoven, to create an exciting tale of growth, change, and stubborn survival.” — SFRevu on BLOOD OF DRAGONS

[A]n engaging tale with fully realized characters that already feel like friends.

Hobb excels at world building, wonderful prose, and the ability to endow her creatures with humanity...The novel has many threads skillfully interwoven, to create an exciting tale of growth, change, and stubborn survival.

A master fantasist.

Dragons, magic, and intrigue combine to make this book a fascinating read

A deservedly popular author, an accomplished storyteller with an engaging and readable style.

A satisfying story

Dragons, magic, and intrigue combine to make this book a fascinating read

A master fantasist.

A deservedly popular author, an accomplished storyteller with an engaging and readable style.

"A satisfying story"

"A satisfying story"

[A]n engaging tale with fully realized characters that already feel like friends.

Hobb wraps up her "Rain Wilds Chronicles" fantasy series, intriguing because the dragons featured aren't trouble but in trouble—they will sicken and die if they don't reach the lost city of Kelsingra. Finally, they've made it with their keepers, who are beginning to exhibit markings that link them to their dragons. But the silver wells the dragons really need still can't be found, so the keepers must do a bit of risky memory walking.

The final book in the Rain Wilds Chronicles will be better understood with the background from the prior books. Anne Flosnik picks up the tale as the young dragons and their human caretakers struggle to recover knowledge of dragon magic. Flosnik’s presentation of characters is consistent with that of the prior books in the series; voices for male characters are a bit strained and hoarse but effective. Narrating at a steady pace, she chronicles the parallel stories of the neighboring duke who is seeking dragon parts to stave off old age and the dragons who seek to recover their former glory. Overall, Flosnik creates atmosphere and builds on the characters’ relationships. J.E.M. © AudioFile 2013, Portland, Maine

Hobb (City of Dragons, 2012, etc.) returns to the Elderling city of Kelsingra for the fourth and final installment of the Rain Wilds Chronicles. In the first three books of Hobb's series, a dozen dragons hatched, centuries after they had been believed to be extinct. Each dragon was paired to an outcast teenager as its dedicated keeper. Through their contact with their dragons, the teenagers began to metamorphose into Elderlings, increasing their lifespans while also giving them dragonlike physical characteristics. Accompanied by the crew of the Tarman, a sentient ship similar to those in Hobb's Liveship Traders trilogy, dragons and humans set out to find the lost Elderling city of Kelsingra. This book finds them settled into the old city, but now searching for hidden wells of magical silver, which the dragons need to survive and the keepers need to revive the crumbling city to its former glory. To do so, the keepers must immerse themselves in the ancient memories still living within the city--possibly at the risk of losing their own identities. At the same time, they find themselves in danger of imminent attack by the henchmen of a decrepit duke looking to obtain dragons' blood to restore his vitality. While the previous book in this series was slow-paced and relatively uneventful, Hobb makes up for lost time here. The final third in particular is packed with action, culminating in a thrilling dragon raid on a castle with a daring midair rescue. But for all her skill with action scenes, Hobb's greatest talent remains rendering very thoughtful, fleshed-out characters, male and female alike. For example, when childhood friends Alise and Sedric stand up to Hest Finbok, the man who bedded and betrayed them, it's clear how much each character has grown since the beginning of the series. A satisfying conclusion to a superb fantasy tale.