City of Dragons
The Rain Wilds Chronicles, Vol 3
Robin Hobb

Harper Voyager
2012 / ISBN: 0061561630
Fantasy
Amazon

Reviewed by Carmen Ferreiro

As City of Dragons, the third volume in The Rain Wilds Chronicles, starts, the dragons and their keepers have found the mythical city of Kelsingra. A city built for the mighty dragons of old by the Elderlings, humans-enhanced by dragons to be their servants.

But they are not there yet. Neither dragons nor humans can reach Kelsingra. Humans because the River Wild·s currents prevent their barges to cross. And dragons because these dragons are crippled creatures whose defective wings do not allow them to fly. Instead, earthbound and unable to hunt for themselves, they depend on the youngsters the River Wilds Council has sent with them to fill their basic needs. But if the dragons want to survive, they must learn how to fly, for reaching the magical city might be their only way to fight the greedy humans that, as soon as they learn Kelsingra is real, will come to steal its many treasures.

Like its two predecessors, this third installment is a beautifully written, engaging story with fully realized characters that already feel like friends. An evil antagonist lurking in the background, ready to kill the dragons to steal their power, casts an ominous dread over the future of the dragons and their keepers.

The series that will end with Blood of Dragons in 2013 is a continuous story, not four distinct books. Although this is not a negative if you read them together, it is quite frustrating when you have to wait still another year for the next installment.
But if the fourth is as good as City of Dragons, the wait is very much worth it.