Three by Nine with Robin Hobb

I'd read and mostly enjoyed Robin Hobb's Farseer trilogy, although I found the last half of the last book rather disappointing. So disappointing, in fact, that I skipped her Liveship Traders trilogy, which I'd heard ended as unsmoothly as the Farseer Trilogy had.

Recently, however, I found myself in the mood, so I picked up her Tawny Man trilogy, which is the sequel to the Farseer trilogy. I figured I'd be safe, since it was the sequel to Farseer and not Liveship. I mean, I know they're all set in the same world but there wouldn't be too much crossover, right?

So here I am, half way through book 2 of Tawny Man, when suddenly what appears to be the entire cast of protagonists from Liveship shows up. In no time at all, Liveship spoilers abound left and right, and I'm clearly expected to know everything there is to know about Liveship. Which I haven't read. Because I stupidly skipped it.

*sigh*

OK, back to the bookstore. I'll do that thing I almost never do -- stop reading a book in the middle. I'll read Liveship Traders, and then I'll get back to Tawny Man. Not the order of operations the author intended. Which no one but an idiot like me would have had a problem interpreting.