The Rain Wilds trilogy is great; don't be put off by magic fat man.
I read the Soldier's Son trilogy all the way through, and didn't think it was that bad in itself, but it did make me think the author had a fat fetish (your status in Speck society is determined by how much of a fatty boom batty you are). Plus she has a daughter. I'd feel weird if my mum wrote something like that.

Though thinking about it, Nevare's disfigurement had to be something that people would think was his fault, in order for the story to work. If he got pox scars or something people would just feel sorry for him, but if he's fat that makes everyone think he's just a lazy tubbyguts.
( Bob Todd whee, Wed 30 Jun 2010, 12:47, 1 reply)

I just spent 2 minutes pondering and:
The speck types could pass on a disfiguring STI when shagged, the bloke gets it and has horrible facial nastiness or something. Or even better... she could have written 2000 pages of an Outislander trilogy which would have been 2000 pages I'd enjoy reading.

And how am I supposed to trust you on the rain wilds books if you actively enjoyed the Soldier Son? ;)
(ElectricSexPants would like to be the Sultan of something, Wed 30 Jun 2010, 12:57, closed)

but STIs aren't spread apart from through sex
and those who witnessed the Speck dance as well as slept with them also fell ill
( Amberl was stripey and dominated Europe, Wed 30 Jun 2010, 13:21, closed)