Science Fiction and Fantasy Association of New Zealand

Dragon Haven Dragon Haven
by Robin Hobb
Harper Voyager

Supplied for review by Harper Collins New Zealand

Reviewed By: Alicia Ponder

The dragons of the Rainwild are stunted pitiable things, huge and misshapen that are nothing more than a burden to the fragile Rainwild settlement. They are sent up the river to die, along with their handlers, people like Thymara, children barely crossing into adulthood, scaled and deformed and reviled. But the dragons have a dream, a city where dragons and humans lived together and some of their human companions are willing to face death to find this city -- others are only driven by greed, intending to slaughter the dragons and anyone who stands in their way.

This is the second book of The Rain Wild Chronicles, so I can only really say that if you liked book one of this series you'll probably like book two. In some ways the story is about as subtle as a sword, and as gentle as an ogre stomping on butterflies. But then I like such things and I also enjoyed this -- in a slightly annoyed, my goodness the publisher could have taken a minute to edit this, frame of mind. The odd spelling mistake I can live with -- the excess repetition not so much. Still, I read the book in about two days, in a please-don't-make-me-put-this-down haze.

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