The Dragon Keeper

This one was a really slow start for me. By the back half, I was into it... But the first half was really a slog.

Also, I hate Sedric so much I don't even know if I want to read on, given that I was reminded I wanted to continue Hobbs series by a friend reviewing the 4th rain wilds book, and from the review I know what happens to him. I loathe him. I don't care about his fucked up relationship with Hest, literally nothing on Earth excuses his actions, nor does it excuse his high-handed treatment of Alise... a woman he helps Hest gaslight. A woman who thinks he's a friend, when he's really a piece of shit.

He's worse than a piece of shit, actually. I'd rather dress a piece of shit in a little outfit and carry it around all day as my friend than have Sedric in my life, that's how much I hate him.

I want to like Alise, but she flip-flops and is stupid and spineless and allows Sedric - HER EMPLOYEE - to berate and belittle her and order her around like a child. I can't take much more of her, honestly.

I love all the previous miniseries that make up this overall series, and I enjoyed this. Under normal circumstances I'd already be starting book 2. But I don't know if I have the fortitude for this right now. Between life stress and COVID and work stress and etc, I'm leaning into books as escapism. Not books that make me hope one of the main fucking characters gets eaten by a dragon.

(Wow, this took me a whole week. I thought I'd finish it sooner than that...)

I must admit that I'm suffering from Hobb withdrawal after having finished

Fool's Fate. With that and a desire to read about arrogant dragons, I chose this book. Hobb excelled at most of what she set out to accomplish, which is why this book receives four stars. However, she left some things in an unsatisfactory condition.

I should liken Hest's behavior to Kyle, Wintrow's father in the Liveship series. Both are utterly unlikable and both will or have undoubtedly received their just desserts. However, I feel that Hest is more repugnant than Kyle, possibly because of how he purports himself in his marriage. Kyle might have abused the crap out of poor Wintrow, tattooed him, and generally turned him into a human puppet for Vivicia, but Hest is worst in that his behavior is complicit with Sedric. Kyle acted on his own cruel ways without much help from anyone else. Hest and Sedric, by helping along the sham marriage, and Sedric for instigating it, are arguably worse.

And this leaves me in an uncomfortable position, because, for all that Kyle (and the Piebalds and everyone else lumped in that category) are utterly unlikable characters, they weren't POV characters. To have Sedric take on a POV and be aware of everything that he's putting Alise through is abhorrent to me. I don't care what your inclinations are. Be a decent human.

If Hest is a horrible human being, in some ways Sedric complements him exactly. The evil that he's done, at the end of the book, has repercussions that I hope he suffers from for a very long time. I could handle Sedric (and possibly Hest) if Sedric weren't a POV character. I don't want inside his head, thanks.

Moving on from that...there were a few typos here and there, things I would have thought fixed by the paperback edition but evidently not. In some ways, Greft's behavior toward Thymara is reminiscent of Hest toward Sedric and Alise, because he seeks to control the situation. Greft is manipulative, selfish, and cold. While this builds tension, it just adds to the overwhelming amount of negative characters in this book.

It's odd to note how much the serpents have changed personality-wise since their transformation. Maulkin is almost the same (I love you, Mercor!), but Sintara has become almost a mini Tintanglia. I think it's impressive that the dragons have such strong personalities, although the fact that they're all disabled in some way or another sickens me. Maulkin fought so hard to have them hatch as dragons and for naught, it seems.

It's good to see familiar faces again, speaking of Maulkin. I cheered when Alise and Sedric climbed aboard Paragon and was glad to see Althea, Brashen, and Malta again. However, their appearances are more like cameos than anything really noteworthy.

I'm hoping for more impressive character development in the next book. Reportedly, this was intended to be one book, Dragon Keeper and Dragon Haven. It might have been better suited as one long book. Since Hobb has done long books in the past, I'm not entirely certain why she changed her mind here. It ended rather abruptly here and more character exposition would have been nice.

This is not to say there aren't sympathetic characters. There are. I just feel like the sympathetic characters are overshadowed by the cruelty of the antagonists. Also...can I just say this, "OMFG SEDRIC GIVE IT A REST."

Ahem. This is longer than I'd intended, so I think I'll stop here before I ramble too much.

Technically, I'm reviewing this twice, but it's also a second read.

Upon second reading, I realize that events move ponderously slow. We also see, through multiple POVs, how certain characters regard themselves versus how other characters see them. This clarifies in part Alise's position, particularly how little control she feels she has. Leftrin sees her as a stronger character, Sedric sees her as a weaker one, and Thymara considers her an interloper.

I noticed anew how much Thymara and Alise and Hest and Graft parallel each other. Although Thymara and Alise have their differences, they grew up in constricted households where they were expected to live or be a certain way. Forces beyond their control move them and target them, such as Hest, Greft, and Sintara.

Greft and Hest are manipulators for different reasons. Greft yearns to be seen as important and to control everyone because he has little control over his appearance and transformation. Hobb implies he started out this way, perhaps because he had to struggle to own anything. He takes without worrying about the repercussions because he figures he can force any person to back down.

Hest, restricted by his parents' expectations and society's expectations, evolves sideways. He needs to manipulate people to feel in control. Power struggles are a central issue, particularly as Sedric, Alise, and Thymara learn how to assert themselves. "Why do they act that way?" "Perhaps because we let them."

This book isn't without its flaws. As mentioned before, it takes a ponderously long time to build up to the ongoing plot. We lack a varied dragon POV and Sintara is not an entirely pleasant character to inhabit. Moreover, although Sedric's behavior can be partially forgiven due to his infatuation with Hest, certain behaviors he engages in are particular egregious. He exists as a grey character, one whose morality is called into question.

Hest's "romance" with Sedric is also called into question the second read through. Hest likes to dominate whatever and whomever he can. His relationship with Sedric is only pleasurable when they're on unequal footing. Their first encounter, he sexually assaults Sedric into compliance.

As I've said before, there is nothing redeemable about Hest. He "behaves" around Sedric and then throws temper tantrums. He is a textbook case of an abusive lover and Sedric stays with him because he's unaware of any other options. Alise, also feeling unloved, stays with him to prove her fidelity. To Hest, Alise and Sedric are mere possessions and he must keep them in line.

To a certain extent, Sedric mirrors this. He needs to keep Alise in line so that he can generate his happy ending. While Alise is not a possession, she constitutes an important relationship in his life that he feels he must sustain at all costs.

This book is rich in characterization and details that can be unpacked later through additional readings. Oh, I love it so.

*****5.0*****

RTC

Loved it :)