171 of 178 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Only for the intelligent reader, May 14, 2006
I couldn't believe some of the bad reviews this book got. They made me wonder, was I reading the same book as the other reviewers were? A lot of people seemed to miss the point completely, or misquoted facts, or didn't understand the storyline. Look, this isn't a perfect book, but it doesn't have most of the so-called flaws that some of the other reviewers pointed out. I think perhaps many of the flaws were with the readers, not with the book. This book isn't the best book I've ever read, not by any means. But it is pretty damned good, and I must confess, by the time I got to the second half of it I was so hooked that I couldn't put it down. It was like sugar laced with MSG, it was so addictive!
I think the real problem people have with this book is that it doesn't spoonfeed you. All the details aren't presented to you on a platter right on page one. You actually have to do a bit of THINKING, and piece a few things together for yourself. The writer occasionally skimmed over a few details in the story, and took her time explaining a few other things, but I think maybe that was so the readers could fill in their own details or work things out for themselves. Personally, I quite liked that. I liked reading a story that made me think, and left a few things open to my own interpretation. I also didn't mind that most of the action was set in just one valley. Some people complain that there isn't enough world building, that the story doesn't go to enough places, geographically speaking. Au contraire, I actually liked the psychological drama of knowing that these people were trapped with their enemies and their problems in this small valley. The seige mentality just added to the drama for me (like in the classic 'Day of the Triffids', where the characters are stuck in a small farm surrounded by deadly triffids.) The characters couldn't run away from their problems, because there was nowhere else to run to, so they had to stand and face them. That was powerful stuff...when flight isn't an option, you have to fight, or perhaps work out an alternative to fighting.
I also quite liked the characters of Aren and the Hob. They were realistic for me, and I believed in them. Some people say that the characters didn't FEEL enough, that they lacked emotion. But then, this is set in medieval-type times, where life was brutal. People then were rather more accustomed to violence and loss than us. They probably dealt with it more readily and expediently than we do. Although I don't think Aren was unfeeling, not at all. She nearly went mad with grief. She couldn't bear to go back to her parents' farm for a long time. She dreamed of vengeance, and had heartbreaking flashbacks to happier times. I think she then tried to cut herself off from those memories and move on as a means of self preservation. A lot of men who come back from war refuse to talk about, or try not to think about, the horrors they've been through. It's typical of how quite a number of people cope with loss or grief. But she was never unfeeling, not by a long shot.
Some reviewers complain about how awful the villagers were. But while I agree that the villagers were initially mean, in the end, the villagers showed themselves capable of redemption and evolution. And I think that's a powerful and wonderful message. People under pressure, who fear for their lives, sometimes do bad things. But that doesn't mean that they can't go on to admit their mistakes and try to make things better, like these villagers did. Bravo to them! I ended up quite liking most of them, nearly as much as I liked this book. They, like it, really grew on me.
Look, all I can say is, if you're an intelligent reader who likes something a bit different, especially in the fantasy genre, ignore the bad reviews and give this book a try. I quite enjoyed it, and I am personally rather angry that I almost didn't give this book a go because of some of the bad reviews I read here. I'm glad I took a risk and didn't miss out on the chance to read such a compelling, articulate book.
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31 of 31 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Quite Good For Me, November 27, 2006
I'm surprised by some of the bad reviews, because I enjoyed this book quite a bit. But of course, everyone likes different things.
For me, the characters in this book were complex and interesting. I loved the fact that the heroine was not beautiful, sexy, and strong -- something different. I loved the character of the Hob, and actually got pretty caught up in what happened to all the characters. I found myself caring if they lived or died, which isn't true with all stories. And I especially liked the author's point that many of the "evil" characters and creatures were also victims themselves. I found the characters more three-dimensional than usual.
Another minor point but enjoyable for me. I also loved the fact that the horses in the story were not black stallions named "Satan" or white mares named "Wind Spirit" or such some thing. They were normal horses with entertaining personalities of their own. The author's experience with real horses definitely comes through.
People have mentioned that this isn't the author's best book. In that case, I am more than inspired to read her other books to see what happens when she improves, since I think this book is pretty darn good. I would probably give it 4.5 stars.
Recommended.
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34 of 38 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
An early Briggs book, February 9, 2007
I came across Briggs because of my fascination with Modern Paranormal novels. Her Moon Called (Mercy 1) and even better Blood Bound (Mercy 2) are amongst the best available in this genre. After reading these 2 books I decided get some of her older books and my first read is The Hob's Bargain. This is apparently her only stand alone book which is why I went to this first. Although an obvious early book in her career, it is still very creative and fun to read. The 2 central characters are Caefawn, a hob who serves the mountain spirit of Hob's Mountain, and Aren, a middle aged woman whose brother was selected by the bloodmages to become an apprentice because of his magical abilities and instead chose death. Aren has just been widowed on the day after her wedding when a band of raiders attack her farm killing all of her immediate family. On a mission to find survivers of a neighboring village Aren meets Caefawn, who puts her under his wing on orders from the mountain. He will teach her how to control her magic, unite her village and the raiders who start the story, and prepare her to fight an experienced bloodmage coming to town.
Why I like Patricia is that she creates well thought out worlds with logical rules and regulations. We meet a lot of the fey, mostly dark, get to know Caefawn, the last hob, real well and, find ourselves cheering for Aren as she fights all around her for survival and peace. In this book, and why it is only a 3, characterization is weak, even Aren and Caefawn are a little too 2-dimensional and not the fully fledged out 3-dimensional characters that they demand. Everyone else is way to 1-dimensional. The reason I recommend this book is that the story is superb, the pacing is well done, and the twists and turns are completely unpredictable. The climactic battle is very tense and dramatic and well executed. If you like Patricia's other books, I think you will like this. If you haven't read her then get Moon Called (5 star). If you like stories about the fey then get this book.
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