Queens Gonna Queen

***Spoilers for The Rain Wilds Chronicles. Mentions of the events of The Farseer Trilogy, The Liveship Traders Trilogy, and The Tawny Man Trilogy are fair game, too.***

Well, I am gobsmacked. What a conclusion. The way all of the pieces fit together at the end to complete the puzzle Robin has been building throughout this series.

I know The Rain Wilds Chronicles often get labeled as the weakest of RotE. And it’s tough when you’re interrupting the Fitz-centered series and your competition is Tawny Man, Liveship Traders, et. al. But damn. It really cannot be overstated how excellent this series is. I mean, if the criteria is “slightly less good than the greatest stories ever written,” then sure.

And it’s such an essential part of the larger saga. I’ve spent a decent amount of time discussing how RWC expands the worldbuilding and lore, but it is absolutely mind-boggling to think where we started – with Fitz fucking around in Kelsingra back in the Farseer trilogy, memory stones activating while we had no clue what was going on – to where we are now.

Have I mentioned Robin Hobb is the GOAT? I’m truly in awe of the world she’s created.

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So where to even start?

I’m going to the scene that took my breath away: Thymara and Rapskal (🥺) heading down the well.

To me, this was the culmination of our whole tale. The moment our dragons’ and Elderlings’ place in the world was finally secured – the age of dragons and Elderlings restored.

And there were so many threads throughout this story that led to the opening of the well. From the time spent establishing Rapskal’s immersion into the memory stones and surrender to the tale of Tellator and Amarinda, to the numerous moments Thymara insists she will never go down the well (talk about famous last words), all the way back to our very first scene with her in Trehaug- where we learn of her climbing prowress. This was her destiny all along.

And as she unlocks the seams, filling the well with Silver once again, she saves baby Phron, Tintaglia, and unlocks the key to Kelsingra’s future.

But this triumph is not without sacrifice.

And I have to say, in an ending full of joy and satisfaction, losing Rapskal to the memory of Tellator devastated me. He’s long been a favorite here at WWS. His endless optimism and goofy demeanor were such a welcome, necessary presence in an often heavy, slogging journey. He was a light in some of the darkest moments. A beacon of faith and hope.

And he gave himself entirely in the pursuit of knowledge and skills needed to restore the Elderling race.

Tellator mostly sucks, and it’s hard not to share Thymara’s detestation of him – we mourn Rapskal too! – but it’s difficult to deny his utility in rallying the Elderlings to their potential and unlocking the Silver.

And though it’s sad, it also feels narratively necessary in freeing Thymara’s heart fully to Tats. In the end, she doesn’t have to deny her love for Rapskal or choose between them. Her love for him remains, and ultimately becomes something shared with Tats, even as she moves forward knowing he’s gone to her as she knew him.

I don’t think his contributions can be overstated.

• He alone had the enduring faith that the dragons would fly- and his dragon was the first to take to the skies.
• He and Heeby survived the flood and found Kelsingra, ultimately shepherding the others there.
• And he gave himself completely to learn what was necessary for the dragons and keepers to prosper.

He was brave and good. And I hope a glorious statue is raised in his honor.

Damn. I’m sad as hell.

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Hi ho, Silver!

***Spoilers for The Rain Wilds Chronicles through chapter 11 of Blood of Dragons. Mentions of the events of The Farseer Trilogy, The Liveship Traders Trilogy, and The Tawny Man Trilogy are fair game, too.***

Friends, we are making the turn. I’ve reached roughly the halfway point of Blood of Dragons, so I’m pausing to reflect before the final push.

Quick blogger’s note: I’ve found recapping this series to be a bit more challenging than previous entries. I’m not sure if it’s me losing steam on this mission I’ve set for myself, or just the nature of this story. I keep feeling like a broken record when I sit down to reflect on plot progression, whereas with Fitz, I can wax indefinitely.

That doesn’t diminish my enjoyment, but I’m feeling ready to wrap this up and head back north.

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I see two core threads to this series:

1. the immense worldbuilding and expansion of lore
2. abuse and power dynamics

Let’s get into them.

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The Lore of the Realm

If nothing else, a Hobb enthusiast should appreciate just how much lore the Rain Wild Chronicles adds to our understanding of magic, dragons, and Elderlings. And this opening half of Blood of Dragons delivers some of the most significant reveals yet.

The biggie: Silver.

We’ve been dancing around this mysterious silver substance – familiar from Verity, Fitz, the Fool – throughout the series. But here, the discussion shifts from coded and ambiguous to explicit, as the dragons charge the keepers with finding the Silver well.

Carson and Sedric step out of their episode of House Hunters: Kelsingra, and find the well – yippee! – setting us up with front-row seats to see how it will be used in the back half of this story.

We learn that Silver is the key to Elderling magic.

Dragons naturally have trace amounts of Silver in their blood, but they are strengthened by supplementing it from external sources.

We’ve long known Silver’s tie to Skill magic – Verity’s arms, Fitz’s link to the Fool – but these reveals sent me back to earlier hints about Fitz’s connection to dragons and Elderlings. (I mean, c’mon – beauty and allure that potent don’t come from nowhere.)

There’s also a nice callback to the touch of Silver on Malta’s neck. Which is totallllly something I recalled and was extremely aware of. 🤥

So yes: Silver really is the key to it all.

“This is the Silver well, the whole reason Kelsingra was first built. Remember, a long time ago, you wondered why they’d built such a grand city here. What was the reason for it, what trade, what industry, what port anchored it? Why build a city for dragons in a place so chill and damp in the winters? Why did the Elderlings stay here? And here’s our answer. The Silver well. The secret heart of Kelsingra.”

“It’s dragon Silver. The source of all magic.”

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