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Dragon Keeper: Volume One of the Rain Wilds Chronicles Audiobook
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(3.72) - 78 listener ratings
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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.
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"A bit slow starting, especially with so many characters and story threads to follow, but I got so caught up in the experience that I was startled when the book ended. It'll be interesting to see which of the characters are the first to crack under the weight of the lies they're telling themselves."
— Rosalind (4 out of 5 stars)
Dragon Keeper Listener Reviews
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" I'm a big fan of Robin Hobbs' other trilogies, especially the Farseers, but I didn't like this one as much. Hobbs didn't seem to do an adequate job of describing this "new world" and its fantastical nature, as she's done in other books. The characters are three-dimensional, but there wasn't really one that you can attach to or admire. The book also lacked action, which is probably partly because it's part I. I still want to read the other two books based on her past writing. "
— Mel, 2/18/2014 -
" More mature than it seems at the start - very interesting take on the typical dragon-human relationship! "
— Taylor, 2/15/2014 -
" Didn't know if I was going to appreciate this book at the beginning, but did get quite irritated when I saw that it wasn't going to be concluded before ending; at least an ending of some sort would have been appreciated. However, I do find that I need to read the second book to see if there is some form of ending before going to the third and hopefully conclusion of the series. "
— Mary, 1/28/2014 -
" I didn't care for Robin Hobb's last series. I'm glad to see that she's gone back to the Bingtown traders and Liveships world. This was another book that I could get lost in and forget about the real world for awhile. Sometimes books are the best pain medication for me. "
— Jan, 1/27/2014 -
" I was so looking forward to this. But it's like Ms. Hobb's Soldier Son trilogy which I disliked -- still written brilliantly, but with far too much ugliness and violence against her characters for my own taste. Even the love interests were full of violence and silly quarreling. With this book I'm sad to say I'm finished with this writer. I had hoped for so much more, since it ties into several of her other trilogies which I enjoyed -- though since it especially ties into the Liveship trilogy I guess I should have known better. It was nice to see a teensy tiny bit more about the dragons and their Elderling people but I was reading this to get an awful lot more about them, in an enjoyable book -- this disappointed on both accounts. I hope Ms. Hobb's writing is not reflecting a particularly difficult or depressing life, but I no longer have an interest in following it. "
— Lora, 1/21/2014 -
" Not as good as "the tawny man" or "the liveship traders" trilogies, but great in itself. "
— Ayla, 1/18/2014 -
" I just love Robin Hobb. I've been looking forward to reading these books for ages, and I wasn't disappointed. I love the characters she creates. She gives you heroes with real flaws and villains with real motivations. And DRAGONS! "
— Kirsten, 12/12/2013 -
" I appreciate that I don't always know where Hobb will take the story. I appreciate surprises. "
— Candice, 10/29/2013 -
" Maybe it's my bias toward Robin Hobb as a writer, but I loved the story she set forth in this book. She has a way of intertwining several stories which doesn't seem trite. That said, this is NOT her best book and I like her Liveship Traders trilogy far more. "
— Abby, 10/25/2013 -
" This is a closer look at the Rain Wilders, a people who were touched on briefly in other books. It answers some questions and introduces new mysteries. A good read. "
— Laura, 8/25/2013 -
" This was a $1.98 download on itunes and in the end it was worth just about what I paid for it. It was really long and then in the end basically just said, to find out what happens, read the next book. It did have some good sections, mainly with the character Alise but overall it was unsatisfying "
— Marti, 8/16/2013 -
" I didn't love any of the characters in this book. The situations were interesting, and there was some drama, but that is about all that this book had going for it. Without someone like Fitz or The Fool to anchor me, this story had trouble reeling me in. "
— Leif, 3/24/2013 -
" Not as good as the rest of her books. I had liked the Liveship Traders trilogy but the Rainwild chronicles isn't as good as I thought it would be. "
— Kasi, 1/10/2013 -
" A nice edition to the Farseer book family. I really liked the characters, I always love Robin's character development and I wasn't disappointed. I wish she would have left out the homosexuality, but it was easy to overlook. "
— Desiré, 1/1/2013 -
" I really enjoyed this book. I like the way the author paired and reflected the personalities between the humans and the dragons. "
— Daddy, 6/17/2012 -
" Interesting start.. Doesn't quite match the Liveship trader's trilogy but we shall see. "
— Bartee, 5/27/2012 -
" I m reading it again as the final book is out !! Robin makes those dragons so true and believable you can actually see them in your garden ! "
— Clara, 10/6/2011 -
" I love how Hobb characterizes Dragons--entitled, self-centered, similar to the way she's portrayed cats, but unique in their intelligence. "
— Levi, 7/8/2011 -
" This is an okay book. The story starts out slow, but it's still a page turner. I am little bit dissapointed with the ending the because "a sequel" is too obvious. <br/> <br/> "
— Citra, 7/1/2011 -
" I loved it it was quite interesting "
— Cherisse, 5/31/2011 -
" It was really slow at the beginning but towards the end it got a little better. But I would not read it again. I would not recommend DRAGON KEEPER to any one. It might be good, but when I read it it was bad. I still read it all the way through. "
— Kyle, 5/23/2011 -
" i loved this book i read in year 3. it was a beautiful book. highly recommend it. "
— Mietta, 5/21/2011 -
" Naga!! Entah kenapa saya suka banget sama makhluk satu ini.. :D <br/> "
— Alvina, 5/18/2011 -
" It was very simple yet I couldn't put it down "
— Michelle, 5/11/2011 -
" My only gripe about this book is that I want more, more, more. :P "
— Miquela, 4/24/2011 -
" THIS BOOK IS AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! READ IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! "
— Emma1271, 4/22/2011 -
" Robin Hobb, your books always keep me up late at night. "
— Amy, 4/21/2011 -
" Too little plot, too much drama! Still an enjoyable read, but I definitely found myself getting frustrated at the characters as they keep making the same mistakes and obsessing over the same problems as in book one. "
— Jen, 4/15/2011 -
" I really enjoyed this adventure and I hope that Robin will continue with these characters! "
— Lbd, 4/8/2011 -
" poorly written. so it is not upto my standard of fantasy books. :( "
— Bridgette, 4/6/2011 -
" The Rain Wilds Chronicles is amazing! You have to read the 'Liveships' books to understand but the writing is wonderful and creates that moving picture in your mind that just isn't there in many books. Great Job Robin Hobb and cannot wait for the conclusion to this trilogy. "
— Bob, 3/31/2011 -
" this was (and is) an awesome book :) if you really like asian culture, dragons and adventure, you'll like this book. "
— Mel, 3/30/2011 -
" That is a good book. Ping is very poor. "
— Laura, 3/28/2011 -
" This second book of the Rain Wild Chronicles was well written. I do like the way Robin Hobb writes and look forward to reading more of her books. "
— Margaret, 3/27/2011 -
" starting to read it tonight,i am sure it will be great as the previous part<br/><br/>*********<br/><br/>finished it yesterday and i must say the book is awesome..the kind of book you don't wanna <br/>put down until u get to the last page.. "
— Olga, 3/12/2011 -
" I love this lady's writing style and what a wonderful, imaginitive story! I will be reading more of her stuffand I look very forward to more in this series... "
— Debbie, 3/7/2011 -
" Gave up somewhere around the midpoint. Easily the most boring book I can remember reading. "
— Danielle, 3/2/2011 -
" I really enjoyed the book, can't wait for the next one!! "
— Megan, 2/16/2011
About Robin Hobb
Robin Hobb was born in California but grew up in Alaska, where she learned to love the forest and the wilderness. She has lived most of her life in the Pacific Northwest and currently resides in Tacoma, Washington. She is the author of the Rain Wilds Chronicles, the Farseer trilogy, the Liveship Traders trilogy, and the Tawny Man trilogy. Her books under the pseudonym Megan Lindholm include Wizard of the Pigeons, The Windsingers, and Cloven Hooves. She is also the author of The Inheritance, a collection of stories written under both names. Her short fiction has won the Asimov’s Readers’ Award and been a finalist for both the Nebula and Hugo awards.
About Anne Flosnik
Anne Flosnik, a seasoned audiobook narrator, has over four hundred titles to her credit and several awards and distinctions, including AudioFile Earphones Awards, a USA Today Recommended Listening selection, an AudioFile “Best Narration of the Year” selection in 2009, and the American Library Association’s Special Services to Children Award. She has also been a finalist for the prestigious Audie Award for best narration. She is an award-winning British actress with lead credits on stage, on television, and in commercials and voice-overs.