Dragon Keeper

Volume One of the Rain Wilds Chronicles

By: Robin Hobb

Narrated by: Anne Flosnik

For years, the Trader cities valiantly battled their enemies, the Chalcedeans. But they could not have staved off invasion without the powerful dragon Tintaglia. In return, the Traders promised to help her serpents migrate up the Rain Wild River after a long exile at sea—to find a safe haven and, Tintaglia hopes, to restore her species. But too much time has passed, and the newly hatched dragons are damaged and weak, and many die. The few who survive cannot use their wings; earthbound, they are powerless to hunt and vulnerable to human predators willing to kill them for the fabled healing powers of dragon flesh. But Tintaglia has vanished and the Traders are weary of the labor and expense of tending useless dragons. The Trader leadership fears that if it stops providing for the young dragons, the hungry and neglected creatures will rampage—or die along the river’s acidic muddy banks. To avert catastrophe, the dragons decree a move even farther up the treacherous river to Kelsingra, their ancient, mythical homeland whose mysterious location is locked deep within the dragons’ uncertain ancestral memories. To ensure their safe passage, the Traders recruit a disparate group of young people to care for the damaged creatures and escort them to their new home. Among them is Thymara, an unschooled forest girl of sixteen, and Alise, a wealthy Trader’s wife trapped in a loveless marriage, who attaches herself to the expedition as a dragon expert. The two women share a deep kinship with the dragons: Thymara can instinctively communicate with them, and Alise, captivated by their beauty and majesty, has devoted her life to studying them. Embarking on an arduous journey that holds no promise of return, the band of humans and dragons must make its way along the toxic and inhospitable Rain Wild River—an extraordinary odyssey that will teach them lessons about themselves and one another as they experience hardships, betrayals, and joys beyond their wildest dreams.

New adventure, still in love with this world

I loved this start to a new series of stories within this amazing world Hobb has created. I especially like that it's focusing more of the dragons and the lore behind them. We get new characters and treated with old ones as well. It is different from what we'd be use to with the Fitz and the Fool, but it was still a great book.

Always love Robin Hobb but so far this is my least favorite

I’ve been recommending the Elderling books to a friend as I work through them I’ve been telling them to just pretend each trilogy is not 3 books (or four in the case of the Rain Wild chronicles) but just one long book. This book is the best example of this, it just suddenly ends. That’s fine I’m just going to immediately start the next chapter (aka the next book) . Love this world, and her writing. I do wish there wasn’t so much “romance”.

Longing and intrigue, plus dragons

Wasn't expecting this much romantic longing and relational issues in this book, but it did fit the story even if a bit much for my taste. Definitely adds more details around dragons and the rainwilds, but you would be missing out on a lot (plus getting some spoilers) if this is your first read in the series.

Some places it reads like a romance book

The dragon parts of the story are great but in other places it reads more like a romance novel.

The weakest Realm of the Elderlings series

These books aren’t bad, and they actually add a lot to the world building of the Elderlings series. However they are the weakest. The plot is plodding and sometimes just feels like such a slog. Occasionally it hits high points and is really enjoyable, but it never really attains the highs of the rest of the Elderlings books. I don’t recommend skipping these if you really love the rest of the books, but be aware that they aren’t the best.

Dragon Keeper is probably the slowest of the books as it is introducing us to characters that we’ll follow over four books. Alise’s set up is particularly long in its build-up. Leftrin is a bit of a confusing one to follow as well, but he gets better. Thymara is generally pretty cool. I liked her parts.

Anyway, hang in there if you’re a completionist like me. It’s definitely not the worst I’ve read.