See buying choices for this item to see if it's one of the millions that are eligible for Amazon Prime.

22 used & new from £2.43

Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
   
Forest Mage (The Soldier Son Trilogy)
 
 

Forest Mage (The Soldier Son Trilogy) (Paperback)

by Robin Hobb (Author)
3.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (53 customer reviews)

Available from these sellers.


1 new from £2.75 21 used from £2.43
Other Editions: RRP: Our Price: Other Offers:
Hardcover 2 used & new from £6.99
Paperback £8.99 £6.99 49 used & new from £0.28
Mass Market Paperback (Reprint) 11 used & new from £3.89
Library Binding (Reprint) 7 used & new from £13.31

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

Renegade's Magic (The Soldier Son Trilogy)

Renegade's Magic (The Soldier Son Trilogy)

by Robin Hobb
3.4 out of 5 stars (29)  £7.19
Shaman's Crossing (The Soldier Son Trilogy)

Shaman's Crossing (The Soldier Son Trilogy)

by Robin Hobb
3.4 out of 5 stars (70)  £6.99
Fool's Fate: Book Three of the Tawny Man (Tawny Man 3)

Fool's Fate: Book Three of the Tawny Man (Tawny Man 3)

by Robin Hobb
4.7 out of 5 stars (58)  £6.79
The Golden Fool: Book Two of the Tawny Man (Tawny Man 2)

The Golden Fool: Book Two of the Tawny Man (Tawny Man 2)

by Robin Hobb
4.4 out of 5 stars (23)  £6.39
Fool's Errand: Book One of the Tawny Man (Tawny Man 1)

Fool's Errand: Book One of the Tawny Man (Tawny Man 1)

by Robin Hobb
4.5 out of 5 stars (50)  £6.89
Explore similar items

Product details

  • Paperback: 672 pages
  • Publisher: Voyager (5 Feb 2007)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0007196164
  • ISBN-13: 978-0007196166
  • Product Dimensions: 23 x 15.2 x 4.8 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (53 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 154,410 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in this category:

    #20 in  Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Authors, A-Z > H > Hobb, Robin

Product Description

Review
'Hobb is one of the great modern fantasy writers... what makes her novels as addictive as morphine is not just their imaginative brilliance but the way her characters are compromised and manipulated by politics.' The Times

George R R Martin
‘Even better than the Assassin books. I didn’t think that was possible’

See all Product Description

Tags Customers Associate with This Product

 (What's this?)
Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
Check the boxes next to the tags you consider relevant or enter your own tags in the field below

Your tags: Add your first tag
 

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?


 

Customer Reviews

53 Reviews
5 star:
 (15)
4 star:
 (18)
3 star:
 (4)
2 star:
 (8)
1 star:
 (8)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
3.5 out of 5 stars (53 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
27 of 28 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Laboured...but worth it., 29 Jul 2006
By Jumbo "Jumbo" (Hampshire, England) - See all my reviews
Shaman's Crossing was the first Robin Hobb book I had read, so I was very much a latecomer to her writing. However, it hooked me in to the extent that I read The Farseers, Liveship and Tawny Man Trilogies and found them to be far superior titles.

That said, "Forest Mage" is a huge improvement and a very good book. From the sumptous cover and positive ending to Shaman's Crossing, the novel could trick you into thinking better things are just ahead for Nevare. Wrong.

Forest Mage is a book steeped in misery. As many have stated, the after-effects of the Speck magic unleashed into Nevare in Shaman's Crossing cause him to lose control of his outward appearance and be shunned by his own people. The first four or five chapters of this book can make for incredibly uncomfortable and upsetting reading. And it only gets more miserable from there.

Piece by piece, Hobb decides to remove what Nevare holds dear. A lot of Forest Mage takes place on the Gernian frontieer, which is miles away from the lawful school setting of the first book. The glorious vision of the King's Road and imperialist expansion in the first novel gives way to the reality - a barren wasteland subject to martial law, angry mobs, starving and dead children, where the military has no faith remaining and desertion and suicide are high.

As forlorn as Nevare often is, by the end of the book you really begin to fight for him. One of the main attractions towards his character comes with the realisation that neither the prejudiced, ignorant Gernians nor the completely alien Specks (the main "civilizations") are genuinely sympathetic entities worth fighting for. Yet Nevare, in his own way, doggedly persists to uphold what he believes is right.

Overall, Forest Mage is to be considered an extremely dark fantasy novel. Still, Hobb maintains her wonderful descriptive talent and fluidity of prose throughout. Never have I seen a character been put through so much in any genre of book I've read before. Only bad things happen in Forest Mage, and there is no light at the tunnel at the end.

Bring on Renegade Magic.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
29 of 31 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars PLEASE remember that this isn't Farseer!, 24 Aug 2006
By Jennifer Winn (nr Durham, uk) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
reading through the reviews i was a bit disheartened to hear so many people deploring the fact that Nevarre just isnt Fitz... well, he isnt, so of course he's going to be different!
the first book in this series, i admit, left me feeling a bit disappointed. Now i have finished this book, however, i am much reassured. because of the fact that this is quite a hefty trilogy, it's only right that the fist installment should set the scene.
i was dubious about starting this one, but as soon as i sat down with it i knew that Robin Hobb had done it again! without rehashing the plot (you can just read other reviews for that) let me assure you that Forest Mage pulls out all the stops and i wish it was already july 07! i cannot wait for the final installment, not least to find out what the hell he has to do for the magic!
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
39 of 43 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Thank you Robin!, 10 Sep 2006
By Ms. Lyndsay E. Wallace "Miss W" (Edinburgh, Scotland) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
I've never really been into fantasy all that much but Robin Hobb came highly recommended so I thought "why not?". The Farseer books blew me away and since then I have read pretty much everything of hers I could get my hands on.
I've read a few reviews of her newest Soldier Son trilogy and have been disappointed by the inability people have to let go of the old and embrace the new. Yes Fitz, Nighteyes and the Fool became the loves of my life whilst I was reading the books and I was quite frankly devastated when I read the final page of the last book in the series but I've kept my mind open and allowed Hobb to entice me with something different.
Shamen's Crossing is a slow mover (as was Assassin's Apprentice) but this is key to why Hobb's characters are so beautifully developed. The main character in this book is not immediately likeable but this is to show just how inhibited he is by the world his father has created for him. He does not understand what it means to love someone of his own accord, to choose a path for himself which is not predesigned. I think the reader feels alienated from him because we no longer live in a world where our decisions are made for us. I will never forget Fitz but his story is over (thankfully a happy ending) and Nevare's is only just beginning.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)


Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Most Recent Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Harder Work Than Usual
I was disappointed in this book partly because my expectations of Robin Hobb are so high. Her characterisations are excellent, her plots full and thought provoking. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Sir Furboy

2.0 out of 5 stars Poor show
Having been a great fan of Robin Hobb for a long time, I snapped up this latest trilogy as soon as the first installment came out. Read more
Published 5 months ago by A. Stephen

5.0 out of 5 stars True to Robin Hobb's tradition.
This is the second volume is the Soldier Son trilogy (after Shaman's Crossing and before Renegade's Magic). Read more
Published 11 months ago by Stephanie Noverraz

4.0 out of 5 stars Get it off my chest
I have just finished this book and note it has mixed reviews. It's easy to see why - for an 800 page book little "happens", and certainly there is nothing to match the Farseer... Read more
Published 16 months ago by Pe Mortlock

2.0 out of 5 stars Dismayed
As someone who really enjoyed the Farseer and Tawny man trilogies, I read Shaman's Crossing expecting the superior spinning of tales she is so justly known for, but was bitterly... Read more
Published 17 months ago by Tyler Readman

5.0 out of 5 stars Slow moving, but well worth it
When I read the first book in Robin Hobb's "Soldier Son Trilogy", Shaman's Crossing, I was of the opinion that anybody who wasn't a fan of Hobb's may find themselves bogged down... Read more
Published 17 months ago by David Roy

4.0 out of 5 stars Better than the Assassin trilogy
Other reviewers' reactions to this trilogy have struck me as so weird that I find myself moved to write a review myself. Read more
Published 18 months ago by Vindiche

1.0 out of 5 stars not what i expected - a let down
i read the first book in the series - soldiers son - and i really enjoyed it - it grabbed me through till the end. Read more
Published 19 months ago by S. Williams

5.0 out of 5 stars Superb writing, beautifully developed
The problem with Forest Mage is that in many ways it is not a fantasy at all. The writing, as In Shaman's Crossing, is far closer in style to Charles Dickens (in Great... Read more
Published 21 months ago by An English Reader

1.0 out of 5 stars What a difference a 'book' makes.
Firstly, I do have to say that I am a Robin Hobbs fan and enjoyed her other triologys. Unfortunately I feel she has pushed the depression button down too far on this particular... Read more
Published 21 months ago by Moonwitch

Only search this product's reviews



Customer Discussions

 Beta (What's this?)
This product's forum (0 discussions)
  Discussion Replies Latest Post
  No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
  [Cancel]


   
Related forums


Listmania!


Look for similar items by category


Feedback


Health & Beauty at Amazon.co.uk

Elemis Resurface and Renew Skin Care Gift Set of 4 Products
From soap to shavers, massagers to mascara, stock up on your daily essentials or truly pamper yourself.

Discover Health & Beauty

 

More From Robin Hobb

The Liveship Traders...

The Liveship Traders 1: Ship of Magic

Robin Hobb, author of the Farseer trilogy, has returned to that world... Read more
£8.99 £6.99

 

Boys Smell

Lynx Africa Body Spray and After Shave Gift set
But we make sure they smell good...

Discover male grooming at Amazon.co.uk

 

Treat Someone

Amazon.co.uk Gift Certificates--available in any amount from £5 to £500 With an Amazon.co.uk Gift Certificate, you can get them what they want (even if you don't know what that is).

Learn more about Gift Certificates

 
Ad

Where's My Stuff?

Delivery and Returns

Need Help?

Your Recent History

  (What's this?)
You have no recently viewed items or searches.

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.

Look to the right column to find helpful suggestions for your shopping session.

Continue Shopping: Top Sellers

amazon.co.uk Amazon Home
International Sites:  United States  |  Germany  |  France  |  Japan  |  Canada  |  China
Business Programs: Sell on Amazon  |  Fulfilment by Amazon  |  Join Associates  |  Join Advantage
Customer Service  |  Help  |  View Basket  |  Your Account
About Amazon.co.uk  |  Careers at Amazon
Conditions of Use & Sale |  Privacy Notice  © 1996-2009, Amazon.com, Inc. and its affiliates