As Robin Hobb’s fantasy Dragon Haven opens, the newly hatched dragons and their keepers are restless.  They have set out on an epic journey to Kelsingra, the long forgotten home of dragons and the mythical Elderlings.  But they have no map, no guide and no assurance that their ancestral home even exists.  Led by Captain Leftrin and his Liveship Tarman (a boat with a mind and a will of its own), they push forward.  The journey tests and changes everyone.  The dragons, led by the golden Mercor, although not sure of their powers, begin to grow and remember just what it is to be a dragon.  The keepers, outcasts from the Rain Wilds, long for a new life with the dragons.  As for the humans, they too long—for love, and peace of mind.  As the journey continues, no one is spared.  All, whether dragon or keeper or human, must confront sometimes painful truths about themselves, their pasts and their sometimes frightening futures.

Dragon Haven is a magical novel complete with dragons, treasure and a journey into the unknown.  But it is so much more than just an exciting fantasy, just an adventure.  This is a tale of lies and deceit, of love and regrets, of forgiveness and redemption.  Hobb’s characters, whether animal, human or even magical ship, force us to examine ourselves.  Where do we fit?  What do we love?  What do we long for, and what would we do to capture it?  So, yes, this is truly a magical and fantastical novel, but one that is so much richer and more complex and more wonderful than it appears at first glance.  Dragon Haven is the second volume of the Rain Wilds Chronicles; it mentions events and characters from Hobb’s other novels.  This beautiful book, however, can stand on its own merits.  It is an engrossing and complete story.  If you’ve never sampled the magic and beauty of Robin Hobb’s storytelling, dive in.  I’ll bet you’ll go back for more!