A review by poisonenvy
The Inheritance: And Other Stories by Robin Hobb, Megan Lindholm
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.