Forest Mage : Book Two of the Soldier Son Trilogyby Robin HobbOh, Robin Hobb, what has happened to your books? I started reading you with the Assassin's books (Farseer Trilogy) and then struggled my way through the Golden Fool books (Tawny Man Trilogy) and though they were all really long and well-packed books, the more I read the less they are entertaining or exciting.When I broke down in 2005 and bought Shaman's Crossing in hard cover (over $30!!) I was filled with hope for an adventure like I found in the Farseer Trilogy... but no. I did like some of the characters and I found the story line had promise, but I refused to buy Forest Mage in hardcover last year because it was so not worth the amount of money. Even last month when it came out in paperback I hesitated but then broke down and bought it because I couldn't find anything else and had nothing to read.726 pages. It took me over two weeks to struggle through this book because I hated almost every second of it. I didn't care one whit about the plot or the characters. The main character, Nevare, whom I liked in the first book was so bloody annoying in this one that by the end when I thought they were actually going to let him die I was THRILLED! Then, with 10 pages left I remembered that this was a bloody trilogy and the author was probably going to save him somehow. I could hear the entire audience go " awwwww!" at that. Drat. One more book to go, another 700 plus pages of agony. We'll see what I think in 2 years when it hits the shelves in mass market because there is no way in hell I will pay hard cover price for that book - even with all the on-line stores lowering their prices.Oh, and to sum it up - solder boy gets fat, full of magic that he doesn't want, gets kicked out of the army and no one likes him because he is fat, even his father hates him. It's SO hard being fat, NO ONE respects you when you're fat, being fat is like the worst thing that can ever happen to a body.Good grief, man! It's like watching Entertainment Tonight when they send uber-skinny reporters undercover in fat suits and they get mocked. Give it a rest already.