Shaman's Crossing cover art by John Howe
The Soldier Son is a Fantasy trilogy by Robin Hobb, featuring a more modern setting than usual. The books are:- Shaman's Crossing
- Forest Mage
- Renegade's Magic
Contains examples of:
$$* Agent Mulder: Epiny.
- A Million Is a Statistic: As it turns out, the authorities of Gettys knew all along about the holy trees of the Specks and the creeping depression/fear; they just didn't care, since changing the road's route would draw trading away from Gettys.
- Anti Anti Christ: Nevare doesn't particularly want to wipe out every Gernian in existence just because the Speck magic says so...
- Arranged Marriage: Nevare and Carsina.
- Big Bad Friend: Hitch. Of course, things are a bit more complicated than usually in this trope, since there's no clearly Evil side. Not to mention he couldn't exactly help it.
- Blessed with Suck: Being a wizard sounds great, but not when you realize what it can and will do to you, should you ever go against the will of your magic.
- Cast from Calories: Speck Great Ones gouge on food (especially magically potent food) to become obese and full of magic. Using the magic withers all the stored fat from their bodies
- Cold Iron: Iron stops magic and is harmful to magic-users.
- Gentlemen Rankers: Nevare ends up enlisting in the ranks after his expulsion from the Cavalla Academy. Aggravating his situation, Spink (who does have a commission) is assigned to the same regiment, as is the officer his former fiancee married.
- Gods Need Prayer Badly: Averted.Orandula: Do you honestly believe that we derive our powers because you believe in us? What sort of impotent god would that be?
- Love Makes You Evil: Lisana at the end, killing two guards in a nightmarish way and trying to kill Amzil.
- Man-Eating Plant: Corpse eating plant, although, of course, sometimes they make the corpses themselves...
- Pater Familicide: Mention is made of a father who strangled his wife and drowned his children before shooting himself.
- Powered by a Forsaken Child: The Dance generates the creeping sense of gloom in Gettys and of terror in the forest outside the town.
