lischa3000's review against another edition
2.0
This book had a few good stories that got me thinking, but I had a hard time with the female protagonists generally weak disposition and lack of courage. Magic always saves the day, the women try at best, but show no real strength in my opinion. Except for the protagonist of Homecoming.
I guess life and people are often as described in these stories, and that it is probably what the author wants to portray. It's just not my cop of tea.
I guess life and people are often as described in these stories, and that it is probably what the author wants to portray. It's just not my cop of tea.
seriuzbiznus's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
readandfindout's review against another edition
dark
medium-paced
3.5
Overall rating: 3.5 stars
Lindholm stories: average of 3 stars
A Touch of Lavender: 3.5 stars
The Silver Lady and the Fortyish Man: 3.5 stars
Cut: 2 stars
The Fifth Squashed Cat: 1 star
Strays: 4 stars
Finis: 3.5 stars
Drum Machine: 3.5 stars
Hobb stories: average of 4.25 stars
Homecoming: 4.5 stars
The Inheritance: 4 stars
Cat's Meat: 4.5 stars
Lindholm stories: average of 3 stars
A Touch of Lavender: 3.5 stars
The Silver Lady and the Fortyish Man: 3.5 stars
Cut: 2 stars
The Fifth Squashed Cat: 1 star
Strays: 4 stars
Finis: 3.5 stars
Drum Machine: 3.5 stars
Hobb stories: average of 4.25 stars
Homecoming: 4.5 stars
The Inheritance: 4 stars
Cat's Meat: 4.5 stars
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Child abuse, Drug abuse, and Animal death
Moderate: Body horror, Bullying, Child death, Domestic abuse, and Sexual harassment
lanica's review against another edition
3.0
It's almost impossible to give a rating to a collection of short stories...some stories are wonderful, others...not so much. This one is no exception.
I loved (5-Stars)
"Strays", "Homecoming" and "The Inheritance".
I liked (4-stars)
"Finis", "Cat's Meat", "Drum Machine", and "Cut"
Were okay (3-stars)
Didn't really like (2-stars)
"A Touch of Lavender", "Silver Lady and the Fortyish Man" or "The Fifth Squashed Cat"
Nothing was so bad it rated 1-star.
I loved (5-Stars)
"Strays", "Homecoming" and "The Inheritance".
I liked (4-stars)
"Finis", "Cat's Meat", "Drum Machine", and "Cut"
Were okay (3-stars)
Didn't really like (2-stars)
"A Touch of Lavender", "Silver Lady and the Fortyish Man" or "The Fifth Squashed Cat"
Nothing was so bad it rated 1-star.
justgj's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
charlibirb's review against another edition
4.0
Really cool set of short stories! Usually short stories aren't enough to hold my attention, but these are lovely. Some SciFi, some fantasy, and a couple stories from the world of her main book series.
poisonenvy's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
3.88* taken from an average rating of all ten stories.
And so my quest to read one short story every day of 2023 continues (ignoring the couple months it took me to get through Voltaire's Candide and Other Stories). This time, I got to feed my Robin Hobb obsession with a collection of her short stores!
Overall, this collection wasn't as strong as I had hoped it would be, but there were a couple of standouts ("Cat's Meat" was by far my favourite story in the collection, but I also really liked "Strays").
Let the reviews begin:
SPOILERS HEREIN OUT
A Touch of Lavender 3.75*
I never quite knew where this story was going, nor do I know how I feel about it. I loved the music motif throughout. It was heartbreaking how Billy's education turned him from his mother & I hate society's vilification of addicts. I hated the ending -- Not Lisa being taken away, but how every other problem conveniently disappeared so that the ending could wrap up.
Silver Lady & the Fortyish Man 3*
This was very sweet for Lindholm to write for her husband's birthday, but I don't know how much I loved it as a published short story. Still, it was sweet.
Cut 2.5*
I don't actually know how I feel about this one. Hobb says she had no answers, only questions, but this still felt very Boomer-judging-body-modifications to me, with a deliberately extreme premise to really sell it (though I recognize that this is often how it goes for sci fi). I didn't love it, that's for sure.
The Fifth Squashed Cat 3.75*
Do I love the premise of this one? No. But I did kind of like that it's gross haha. But I did enjoy the story overall, and the idea that not everyone is meant for everything.
Strays 5*
This one I loved a lot. No notes. I just really loved the characters, and the conflict, and... pretty much everything, really.
Finis 4*
I actually really enjoyed this one. the twist was broadcast miles away, but I didn't mind that, even as I screamed at the narrator for giving all his client's secrets and thoughts away to some suspicious man who ended up showing up and not even knowing her name? What the hell, man. Worst landscaper.
Drum Machine 3.5*
So, I didn't love the first part of this for... idk, reasons? It just seemed the kind of sci-fi that makes me roll my eyes. Like, a lot. But I did love the second part, with the whole perfection is the death of progress/creativity bit.
Homecoming 3.75* This review also has mild spoilers for the RAIN WILDS CHRONICLES
The first thing that struck me during this was how the Rain Wilds was originally settled by criminals and exiles, though by the time RWC comes around, the new settlers, ex-slaves and criminals, were disparaged (even, a little, in the narrative itself). And I was also struck by how Rapskal's thoughts towards drowning in memories seemed to be echoed here in this story, too. I loved to see the Rain Wilds being built, largely, by women.
Overall, this was a nice bit of world building.
The Inheritance 4.5*
This was so good? An excellent story about the true cost of giving up your pride and your will, and how soul crushing it is to allow people to walk all over you without even trying to stand up for yourself.
Cat Meat 5* ALSO CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR THE FARSEER TRILOGY
Well, this was by far the best story in the collection. The tension was palpable throughout, and I spent most of the story wondering if and hoping that Rosemary, Gillam, and Marmalade would come out alright. Though, I'll admit to some initial disappointment to realizing that Rosemary wasn't our Rosemary, the assassin. Marmalade by far stole the show.
And so my quest to read one short story every day of 2023 continues (ignoring the couple months it took me to get through Voltaire's Candide and Other Stories). This time, I got to feed my Robin Hobb obsession with a collection of her short stores!
Overall, this collection wasn't as strong as I had hoped it would be, but there were a couple of standouts ("Cat's Meat" was by far my favourite story in the collection, but I also really liked "Strays").
Let the reviews begin:
SPOILERS HEREIN OUT
A Touch of Lavender 3.75*
I never quite knew where this story was going, nor do I know how I feel about it. I loved the music motif throughout. It was heartbreaking how Billy's education turned him from his mother & I hate society's vilification of addicts. I hated the ending -- Not Lisa being taken away, but how every other problem conveniently disappeared so that the ending could wrap up.
Silver Lady & the Fortyish Man 3*
This was very sweet for Lindholm to write for her husband's birthday, but I don't know how much I loved it as a published short story. Still, it was sweet.
Cut 2.5*
I don't actually know how I feel about this one. Hobb says she had no answers, only questions, but this still felt very Boomer-judging-body-modifications to me, with a deliberately extreme premise to really sell it (though I recognize that this is often how it goes for sci fi). I didn't love it, that's for sure.
The Fifth Squashed Cat 3.75*
Do I love the premise of this one? No. But I did kind of like that it's gross haha. But I did enjoy the story overall, and the idea that not everyone is meant for everything.
Strays 5*
This one I loved a lot. No notes. I just really loved the characters, and the conflict, and... pretty much everything, really.
Finis 4*
I actually really enjoyed this one. the twist was broadcast miles away, but I didn't mind that, even as I screamed at the narrator for giving all his client's secrets and thoughts away to some suspicious man who ended up showing up and not even knowing her name? What the hell, man. Worst landscaper.
Drum Machine 3.5*
So, I didn't love the first part of this for... idk, reasons? It just seemed the kind of sci-fi that makes me roll my eyes. Like, a lot. But I did love the second part, with the whole perfection is the death of progress/creativity bit.
Homecoming 3.75* This review also has mild spoilers for the RAIN WILDS CHRONICLES
The first thing that struck me during this was how the Rain Wilds was originally settled by criminals and exiles, though by the time RWC comes around, the new settlers, ex-slaves and criminals, were disparaged (even, a little, in the narrative itself). And I was also struck by how Rapskal's thoughts towards drowning in memories seemed to be echoed here in this story, too. I loved to see the Rain Wilds being built, largely, by women.
Overall, this was a nice bit of world building.
The Inheritance 4.5*
This was so good? An excellent story about the true cost of giving up your pride and your will, and how soul crushing it is to allow people to walk all over you without even trying to stand up for yourself.
Cat Meat 5* ALSO CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR THE FARSEER TRILOGY
Well, this was by far the best story in the collection. The tension was palpable throughout, and I spent most of the story wondering if and hoping that Rosemary, Gillam, and Marmalade would come out alright. Though, I'll admit to some initial disappointment to realizing that Rosemary wasn't our Rosemary, the assassin. Marmalade by far stole the show.
alex_sedai's review against another edition
3.75
I didn’t love the first half of the book which were Lindholm short stories, mainly because some of them were a little too odd for me. I definitely enjoyed the Hobb short stories more so. Which is no surprise, anything that is part of RotE is always going to grab my interest.
ajmaybe's review against another edition
3.0
So far, I've only read the three stories ser in Robin Hobb's Realm of the Elderlings. This is actually my second encounter with "Homecomings." I read it first in the Legends II anthology. It was the first Robin Hobb that I read. I liked it then and it stayed with me enough that eventually sought out more Hobb. Now, reading it again after having read the Rain Wilds Chronicles, Liveship Traders, and Farseer series, I love it. It is a prequel to all of those, and is engrossing and original on its own. If you've read the later novels, the knowledge you have of this world's future doesn't spoil the story at all; it only adds layers and questions and angles of interest. "Homecomings" is in the 4-5 star range.
"Cat's Meat" and "The Inheritance" are fine stories, but more ordinary. They are only lightly interwoven with Hobb's created world. This may make them more approachable on their own, but they are also fairly simple and not as richly suggestive and compelling as I've come to expect from Hobb. 2-3 stars for these.
"Cat's Meat" and "The Inheritance" are fine stories, but more ordinary. They are only lightly interwoven with Hobb's created world. This may make them more approachable on their own, but they are also fairly simple and not as richly suggestive and compelling as I've come to expect from Hobb. 2-3 stars for these.
colourmeread's review against another edition
4.0
I loved this book. I enjoyed reading stories from both Lindholm and Hobb and seeing how their styles differ. I did enjoy the Hobb stories a bit more but that may just be because I've been reading her books for years. This book has me looking forward to reading Lindholm's novels though!