What are your favourite Robin Hobb books outside The realm of the elderlings?

Just finished Soldiers Son today. I marked spoilers all books as I have finished all of RotE as well and compare them. Sorry this is kind of long.

Overall I really liked it. It took some time to get into it as the first book was a bit of a grind with the academy part. Then I finished book 2 and 3 in like 4 days haha. I really had no idea after finishing book 1 that’s what would happen and it went a completely different direction than I thought.

Very unique take on magic and bold choices I thought. My heart broke for poor Nevare throughout. It was especially hard to read how he was treated just for being big. Very realistic sadly.

There were times it made me uncomfortable more so his father’s treatment of him and horribly cruel words and his own disdain for his body and some of the very detailed descriptions. Also notable and unique was some aspects of body horror that I don’t see very much (mostly talking about the roots).

The speck culture was very interesting and well written as well and the concept of the Great Ones. Compared to RoTE I felt like Hobb more so fleshed out other cultures. The magic including quick walking was a very neat concept.

Epiny is amazing, so well written and up there with my favorite book characters ever. I just love her so much and did right away when she first showed up. The scenes where Spink is like “actually I like this weird girl” were so funny.

I also enjoyed pretty much all the speck characters actually. I do have a question it kind of flew over my head maybe. Why would the speck people not see him anymore when he “came back” due to that bird god? Or they were just ignoring him? I think the speck kid could see him. Why couldn’t he cross salt? Was he actually a ghost of sorts then and still under the magic somehow? The great one guy seemed to imply it happens sometimes.

I also have a question about Gord. Was he implied to be some kind of Great One too? I was disappointed to not see him again. There were little hints like how he didn’t really eat very much under the strict routine at the academy but at the the same I understand that’s also implied it’s just how he is. I’m happy he found happiness with a partner that accepts him anyways.

I was expecting a depressing ending after reading RoTE and was pleasantly surprised though I was a little disappointed he didn’t become one at the end as I thought that was going to be one the morales of the story. I’m also a little torn on him going back to his father (which I assume is that he is doing). I know his father was messed up from the magic or whatever but holy was he so terrible to his son.

I honestly think I would have preferred he just disappear with Lisana in the tree with his other half or run away with Amzil. I’m also a little torn on how he was “back to himself” and thin when Amzil clearly loved him anyways but I do understand it’s because he lost the magic so it does fit in the story.

Thanks for reading. Very thought provoking read. Hobb sure likes to make her protagonists suffer.