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The Tawny Man #3
Fool's Fate
The triumphant conclusion to the Tawny Man trilogy, from the author of the bestselling Farseer and Liveship Traders trilogies. The moving end to the tale of the Farseers, in which kingdoms must stand or fall on the beat of a dragon's wings, or a Fool's heart. A small and sadly untried coterie - the old assassin Chade, the serving-boy Thick, Prince Dutiful, and his reluctant Skillmaster, Fitz - sail towards the distant island of Aslevjal. There they must fulfil the Narcheska's challenge to her betrothed: to lay the head of the dragon Icefyre, whom legends tell is buried there deep beneath the ice, upon her hearth. Only with the completion of this quest can the marriage proceed, and the resulting alliance signal an end to war between the two kingdoms. It is not a happy ship: tensions between the folk of the Six Duchies and their traditional enemies, the Outislanders, lie just beneath the surface. Thick is constantly ill, and his random but powerful Skilling has taken on a dark and menacing tone, while Chade's fascination with the Skill is growing to the point of obsession. Having ensured that his beloved friend the Fool is safely left behind in Buckkeep, Fitz is guilt-stricken; but he is determined to keep his fate at bay, since prophecy foretells the Fool's death if he ever sets foot on the isle of the black dragon. But as their ship draws in towards Aslevjal a lone figure awaits them...
914 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published October 1, 2003
1,488 people are currently reading
25.1k people want to read
About the author
Robin Hobb
300听books108k听followers** I am shocked to find that some people think a 2 star 'I liked it' rating is a bad rating. What? I liked it. I LIKED it! That means I read the whole thing, to the last page, in spite of my life raining comets on me. It's a good book that survives the reading process with me. If a book is so-so, it ends up under the bed somewhere, or maybe under a stinky judo bag in the back of the van. So a 2 star from me means,yes, I liked the book, and I'd loan it to a friend and it went everywhere in my jacket pocket or purse until I finished it. A 3 star means that I've ignored friends to finish it and my sink is full of dirty dishes. A 4 star means I'm probably in trouble with my editor for missing a deadline because I was reading this book. But I want you to know . . . I don't finish books I don't like. There's too many good ones out there waiting to be found.
Robin Hobb is the author of three well-received fantasy trilogies: The Farseer Trilogy (Assassin鈥檚 Apprentice, Royal Assassin, and Assassin鈥檚 Quest), The Liveship Traders Trilogy (Ship of Magic, Mad Ship and Ship of Destiny) and the Tawny Man Trilogy (Fool鈥檚 Errand, Golden Fool, and Fool鈥檚 Fate) Her current work in progress is entitled Shaman鈥檚 Crossing. Robin Hobb lives and works in Tacoma, Washington, and has been a professional writer for over 30 years.
In addition to writing, her interests include gardening, mushrooming, and beachcombing. She and her husband Fred have three grown children and one teenager, and three grand-children.
She also writes as , and works under that name have been finalists for the Hugo award, the Nebula Award, and the Endeavor award. She has twice won an Isaac Asimov鈥檚 Science Fiction Readers鈥� Award.
Robin Hobb is the author of three well-received fantasy trilogies: The Farseer Trilogy (Assassin鈥檚 Apprentice, Royal Assassin, and Assassin鈥檚 Quest), The Liveship Traders Trilogy (Ship of Magic, Mad Ship and Ship of Destiny) and the Tawny Man Trilogy (Fool鈥檚 Errand, Golden Fool, and Fool鈥檚 Fate) Her current work in progress is entitled Shaman鈥檚 Crossing. Robin Hobb lives and works in Tacoma, Washington, and has been a professional writer for over 30 years.
In addition to writing, her interests include gardening, mushrooming, and beachcombing. She and her husband Fred have three grown children and one teenager, and three grand-children.
She also writes as , and works under that name have been finalists for the Hugo award, the Nebula Award, and the Endeavor award. She has twice won an Isaac Asimov鈥檚 Science Fiction Readers鈥� Award.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 3,460 reviews
March 2, 2018
My review will most likely contradict my rating but seriously, this is not an easy book for me to review. I have several problems with it and yet I can鈥檛 help but love this book.
Fool鈥檚 Fate is the conclusion to the Tawny Man trilogy and as far as I know, it is by far the most highly praised book among Hobb鈥檚 big fans. Honestly speaking, the praises did affect my expectation on this installment a bit. Considering how the majority of the fans鈥攅specially booktubers鈥攃laimed this is by far Hobb鈥檚 best book, I expected more out of it and I was slightly disappointed by how it turned out for me. Don鈥檛 get me wrong, my rating should speak for itself already on how much I love this book despite the flaws and slight disappointment. Regardless of the negativities, let it be known first that I love this book, just not as much as I expected to.
Fool鈥檚 Fate continues immediately from where The Golden Fool left off. Fitz and the gang embarked on a quest to Aslevjal, located in Out Islands in order to kill a dragon. The premise may sound simple but a lot of things happened during this quest. Every character and their own mini factions have their own hidden agendas and motivation in this quest. We as the reader know what each of them is and waiting for the moment when they all will clash was worth it. Fool鈥檚 Fate is also the first book where I think Hobb finally nailed writing great action sequences. When you think about the sizes of this book, the action sequences lasted for less than 100 pages but it was thrilling and gripping while it last.
Picture: Fool鈥檚 Fate by Dagmara Matuszak
This installment has made The Fool one of the best characters I鈥檝e ever read. His developments, his personality, his love towards Fitz, I really can鈥檛 stress this highly enough. The world building was also fantastic in where Hobb interweaved all the lore and plotline from the all the previous eight book with this one. The scale of the story is quite epic, with one large scale battle, a huge cast of characters, mythical creatures, and a LOT of magic usage; it鈥檚 seriously a high fantasy. Prose-wise, once again Hobb improved her writing (insane, I know). I really think that when it comes to prose, Hobb is one of the best writers in the genre. Her ways with words are just incredibly immersive and evocative.
Now I鈥檓 going to mention the parts that didn鈥檛 work for me. There are three major points and remember, I still love this book despite these.
First, once again, pacing and repetitiveness. Chapter 6-12 were repetitive and draggy for me. Here鈥檚 how it goes, Thick get seasick, they arrived at one destination, Thick tried to recover from seasickness by resting and meanwhile Fitz and the gang do some talking and dreaming (literally). After that, they go on a boat again and Fitz has to drag and force the not-recovered yet Thick. Thick doesn鈥檛 want to but end up being dragged anyway. Thick got seasick, angry again, arrive at a destination, Fitz and the gang do some shit and dreaming, goes on a boat dragging the angered Thick again. This goes on for 200 pages (UK paperback edition), it was just unnecessary long, it could鈥檝e been easily done within 100 pages at most, heck even 50 pages. Once Fitz and the gang arrived at Aslevjal in chapter 13, this is when the book鈥檚 quality became golden until the end (see what I did there?)
Next, The Skills. I wish there was less focus on this magic system. This isn鈥檛 Brandon Sanderson level of magic systems, oh yes it鈥檚 intricately written and it has been explained more than a thousand pages throughout the series on how it works but I still can鈥檛 get over the concept that this magic is a deus ex machina plot device. No matter how many rules were put, Fitz always somehow able to bypass them all. I love The Skill so much more when it was used only as a magical telepathy: holds conversations from far away and influence other people鈥檚 thoughts. Now? It has become an Inception and don鈥檛 even get me started on how uber powerful Skill-Healing is. The concept of Skill-Healing can be tweaked easily by Hobb and if she wanted to, this magic system could prolong the series up to an infinite number of books. It IS that powerful. I鈥檓 more of a fan of Wit magic system, the repercussions seems to be more evident in comparison to Skill.
Finally, the ending, this is where I鈥檓 so damn conflicted. I loved and absolutely disappointed with how it ends. Hobb obviously wrote this book with the fool intention (see what I did there?) of ending Fitz鈥檚 storyline here. I mean, the ending itself goes on for more than 100 pages and it concludes everything that started since Farseer trilogy. It鈥檚 overall a satisfying one, beautiful, poignant, and everything has been resolved, Hobb even goes out of her way to tell what happened to each supporting characters in this trilogy, which is something I absolutely appreciate.
But do I like it in overall? Yes and no. I can鈥檛 tell you much without giving away major spoilers, the most I can give is that the relationship that revolves around this female character is just one of the most disappointing and aggravating relationship I鈥檝e ever read, out of anything. It鈥檚 even a bit disgusting in my opinion, I鈥檒l even take reading Lannisters incest relationship over this, at least with the Lannister I know they鈥檙e not right in their head since the beginning. Let鈥檚 just say that I鈥檓 delighted that Hobb decided to continue the series because I don鈥檛 think this is the perfect end for Fitz's story.
As I mentioned several times already, I have a lot of problems with this book but I still love this. It鈥檚 extremely well-written and I think the majority of Hobb鈥檚 fans will easily think of this book as a 10000000/5 stars book. I didn鈥檛 expect this to become one of the very few 6/5 stars books on my personal shelves, but I did expect this to deserved a full 5 stars rating. However, I simply can鈥檛. The last time I felt this conflicted about a book was probably for The Wise Man鈥檚 Fear by Patrick Rothfuss. Same as that book, despite the flaws I had with it, I loved it regardless. I have a very high criteria for putting an author on my favorite author list, there's no doubt that Robin Hobb is a fantastic author but considering that I鈥檝e read 9 books + 1 novella in her Elderling series and only Fool鈥檚 Errand received a full 5 stars rating, I just can鈥檛 put her into my favorite list yet. I hope the last two series in her series, Rainwild Chronicles and The Fitz and the Fool can change this situation. I鈥檒l be taking a one or two weeks break before diving back into this world.
Picture: My copies of Tawny Man trilogy
Series review:
Fool's Errand: 5/5 stars
The Golden Fool: 4/5 stars
Fool's Fate: 4/5 stars
Tawny Man trilogy: 13/15 stars
You can find and the rest of my Adult Epic/High Fantasy & Sci-Fi reviews at
Fool鈥檚 Fate is the conclusion to the Tawny Man trilogy and as far as I know, it is by far the most highly praised book among Hobb鈥檚 big fans. Honestly speaking, the praises did affect my expectation on this installment a bit. Considering how the majority of the fans鈥攅specially booktubers鈥攃laimed this is by far Hobb鈥檚 best book, I expected more out of it and I was slightly disappointed by how it turned out for me. Don鈥檛 get me wrong, my rating should speak for itself already on how much I love this book despite the flaws and slight disappointment. Regardless of the negativities, let it be known first that I love this book, just not as much as I expected to.
鈥淲hen people look most vicious, what you are seeing is not their animal side. It is the savagery that only humans can muster.鈥�
Fool鈥檚 Fate continues immediately from where The Golden Fool left off. Fitz and the gang embarked on a quest to Aslevjal, located in Out Islands in order to kill a dragon. The premise may sound simple but a lot of things happened during this quest. Every character and their own mini factions have their own hidden agendas and motivation in this quest. We as the reader know what each of them is and waiting for the moment when they all will clash was worth it. Fool鈥檚 Fate is also the first book where I think Hobb finally nailed writing great action sequences. When you think about the sizes of this book, the action sequences lasted for less than 100 pages but it was thrilling and gripping while it last.
Picture: Fool鈥檚 Fate by Dagmara Matuszak
This installment has made The Fool one of the best characters I鈥檝e ever read. His developments, his personality, his love towards Fitz, I really can鈥檛 stress this highly enough. The world building was also fantastic in where Hobb interweaved all the lore and plotline from the all the previous eight book with this one. The scale of the story is quite epic, with one large scale battle, a huge cast of characters, mythical creatures, and a LOT of magic usage; it鈥檚 seriously a high fantasy. Prose-wise, once again Hobb improved her writing (insane, I know). I really think that when it comes to prose, Hobb is one of the best writers in the genre. Her ways with words are just incredibly immersive and evocative.
鈥淪ometimes it seems unfair that events so old can reach forward through the years, sinking claws into one's life and twisting all that follows it. Yet perhaps that is the ultimate justice: we are the sum of all we have done added to the sum of all that has been done to us. There is no escaping that, not for any of us.鈥�
Now I鈥檓 going to mention the parts that didn鈥檛 work for me. There are three major points and remember, I still love this book despite these.
First, once again, pacing and repetitiveness. Chapter 6-12 were repetitive and draggy for me. Here鈥檚 how it goes, Thick get seasick, they arrived at one destination, Thick tried to recover from seasickness by resting and meanwhile Fitz and the gang do some talking and dreaming (literally). After that, they go on a boat again and Fitz has to drag and force the not-recovered yet Thick. Thick doesn鈥檛 want to but end up being dragged anyway. Thick got seasick, angry again, arrive at a destination, Fitz and the gang do some shit and dreaming, goes on a boat dragging the angered Thick again. This goes on for 200 pages (UK paperback edition), it was just unnecessary long, it could鈥檝e been easily done within 100 pages at most, heck even 50 pages. Once Fitz and the gang arrived at Aslevjal in chapter 13, this is when the book鈥檚 quality became golden until the end (see what I did there?)
Next, The Skills. I wish there was less focus on this magic system. This isn鈥檛 Brandon Sanderson level of magic systems, oh yes it鈥檚 intricately written and it has been explained more than a thousand pages throughout the series on how it works but I still can鈥檛 get over the concept that this magic is a deus ex machina plot device. No matter how many rules were put, Fitz always somehow able to bypass them all. I love The Skill so much more when it was used only as a magical telepathy: holds conversations from far away and influence other people鈥檚 thoughts. Now? It has become an Inception and don鈥檛 even get me started on how uber powerful Skill-Healing is. The concept of Skill-Healing can be tweaked easily by Hobb and if she wanted to, this magic system could prolong the series up to an infinite number of books. It IS that powerful. I鈥檓 more of a fan of Wit magic system, the repercussions seems to be more evident in comparison to Skill.
Finally, the ending, this is where I鈥檓 so damn conflicted. I loved and absolutely disappointed with how it ends. Hobb obviously wrote this book with the fool intention (see what I did there?) of ending Fitz鈥檚 storyline here. I mean, the ending itself goes on for more than 100 pages and it concludes everything that started since Farseer trilogy. It鈥檚 overall a satisfying one, beautiful, poignant, and everything has been resolved, Hobb even goes out of her way to tell what happened to each supporting characters in this trilogy, which is something I absolutely appreciate.
鈥淗ome is people. Not a place. If you go back there after the people are gone, then all you can see is what is not there any more.鈥�
But do I like it in overall? Yes and no. I can鈥檛 tell you much without giving away major spoilers, the most I can give is that the relationship that revolves around this female character is just one of the most disappointing and aggravating relationship I鈥檝e ever read, out of anything. It鈥檚 even a bit disgusting in my opinion, I鈥檒l even take reading Lannisters incest relationship over this, at least with the Lannister I know they鈥檙e not right in their head since the beginning. Let鈥檚 just say that I鈥檓 delighted that Hobb decided to continue the series because I don鈥檛 think this is the perfect end for Fitz's story.
As I mentioned several times already, I have a lot of problems with this book but I still love this. It鈥檚 extremely well-written and I think the majority of Hobb鈥檚 fans will easily think of this book as a 10000000/5 stars book. I didn鈥檛 expect this to become one of the very few 6/5 stars books on my personal shelves, but I did expect this to deserved a full 5 stars rating. However, I simply can鈥檛. The last time I felt this conflicted about a book was probably for The Wise Man鈥檚 Fear by Patrick Rothfuss. Same as that book, despite the flaws I had with it, I loved it regardless. I have a very high criteria for putting an author on my favorite author list, there's no doubt that Robin Hobb is a fantastic author but considering that I鈥檝e read 9 books + 1 novella in her Elderling series and only Fool鈥檚 Errand received a full 5 stars rating, I just can鈥檛 put her into my favorite list yet. I hope the last two series in her series, Rainwild Chronicles and The Fitz and the Fool can change this situation. I鈥檒l be taking a one or two weeks break before diving back into this world.
Picture: My copies of Tawny Man trilogy
Series review:
Fool's Errand: 5/5 stars
The Golden Fool: 4/5 stars
Fool's Fate: 4/5 stars
Tawny Man trilogy: 13/15 stars
You can find and the rest of my Adult Epic/High Fantasy & Sci-Fi reviews at
February 25, 2020
Omg!! That was sooo good and soooo sad and some happy and stuff 馃槴
Mel 馃枻馃惗馃惡馃惥
September 1, 2022
THIS. THIS HERE IS MY BIBLE. THIS HERE IS A FUCKING WORK OF ART!!!!!
Full review (non spoiler + spoilers) here:
5,000,000 STARS
| |
Full review (non spoiler + spoilers) here:
5,000,000 STARS
| |
June 13, 2018
All friendships go through rough patches, and in this Fitz鈥檚 relationship with the Fool is pushed almost to breaking point.
Fitz has begun to have doubts which come from even stronger feelings of fear; he fears for the future, a future that may not correspond with the Fool鈥檚 crazy ideas.
A dragon lies between them, one Fitz has to slay and one the Fool wishes to save. Friendship becomes the problem and the answer, as Fitz begins to realise that everything that has ever happened to him is because of the Fool鈥檚 touch. For the first time in this series I thought their time together may actually come to an end.
The Prophet鈥檚 Chosen One
Fitz is the Fool鈥檚 oldest, and perhaps only, friend. He is the only person he has ever granted the knowledge of his true name, but he is also his tool: his catalyst. Fitz may doubt his friend, and ignore his kindness and guidance, but he can鈥檛 ignore his power. He has shaped Fitz鈥檚 future, and he intends to shape the future of the world by resurrecting the remnants of a dying race: the dragons. Fitz can鈥檛 realistically stop such an individual; he should stand by his friend always.
Chade is guiding him on the opposite path; he wishes to extinguish the race because, well, they鈥檙e dangerous. But so are men. And Fitz is stuck in between the two men who have shaped his life. However, as frequent readers of the series will know, Fitz will always follow his own mind; this normally changes in the heat of the moment, as the assassin has learnt to adapt the most carefully of laid plans as circumstance warrants.
Neither Fitz, the Fool or Chade were fully ready for what awaited them in the dragons lair. And neither was I. Inside Robin Hobb revealed how complex her fantasy world actually is and how much more we are yet to see.
An ending that Fitz deserves?
Fitz doesn鈥檛 seem to get any real lasting happiness in his life; he has had more than his share of heartache, and it is only going to get worse as the story progresses, so it was wonderful to see him get a glimpse of something at the end of the story. He has sacrificed everything for the Farseer throne, his blood, his youth and even his life have been shed so it seems only appropriate to see him sheath his daggers and hang up his axe even if it is for a short time.
This had a great ending, one that allows the story to move even further forward in the future as Hobb protagonist enters a new stage of life.
Fitz has begun to have doubts which come from even stronger feelings of fear; he fears for the future, a future that may not correspond with the Fool鈥檚 crazy ideas.
A dragon lies between them, one Fitz has to slay and one the Fool wishes to save. Friendship becomes the problem and the answer, as Fitz begins to realise that everything that has ever happened to him is because of the Fool鈥檚 touch. For the first time in this series I thought their time together may actually come to an end.
The Prophet鈥檚 Chosen One
Fitz is the Fool鈥檚 oldest, and perhaps only, friend. He is the only person he has ever granted the knowledge of his true name, but he is also his tool: his catalyst. Fitz may doubt his friend, and ignore his kindness and guidance, but he can鈥檛 ignore his power. He has shaped Fitz鈥檚 future, and he intends to shape the future of the world by resurrecting the remnants of a dying race: the dragons. Fitz can鈥檛 realistically stop such an individual; he should stand by his friend always.
Chade is guiding him on the opposite path; he wishes to extinguish the race because, well, they鈥檙e dangerous. But so are men. And Fitz is stuck in between the two men who have shaped his life. However, as frequent readers of the series will know, Fitz will always follow his own mind; this normally changes in the heat of the moment, as the assassin has learnt to adapt the most carefully of laid plans as circumstance warrants.
Neither Fitz, the Fool or Chade were fully ready for what awaited them in the dragons lair. And neither was I. Inside Robin Hobb revealed how complex her fantasy world actually is and how much more we are yet to see.
An ending that Fitz deserves?
Fitz doesn鈥檛 seem to get any real lasting happiness in his life; he has had more than his share of heartache, and it is only going to get worse as the story progresses, so it was wonderful to see him get a glimpse of something at the end of the story. He has sacrificed everything for the Farseer throne, his blood, his youth and even his life have been shed so it seems only appropriate to see him sheath his daggers and hang up his axe even if it is for a short time.
This had a great ending, one that allows the story to move even further forward in the future as Hobb protagonist enters a new stage of life.
August 30, 2018
Finally I am done crying (thanks to Ms. Kate Daniels) and now I can jot down my thoughts on this fantastic finale of Tawny Man.
As I said in my earlier reviews, Hobb is getting better and better with every story. She once again spun a tale stretching over 900 pages and yet I never felt bored. True, there were moments when I felt few of the events are being mentioned repeatedly but once I got over that hurdle, it was a fantastic story. A story that just put a spell on me and didn't let me go until I turned that last page.
Story picked up right where Golden Fool ended and we see Fitz & Co. making arrangements to embark on the journey to kill the dragon. Making a plan that would leave Fool in Six Duchies to prevent that fate that Fool has foreseen for himself. But fate has other plans for this party and they find themselves amid an enemy that is invincible.
I am in awe of Ms Hobb for how she intertwine different threads to move the story forward. She will keep throwing all the possible fates at the characters, all the while making characters realize that they can't just pick any one as the future of the world depends upon that one decision, so that they can't make a mistake. So they don't have any choice but to trod on the path that will test them the most, and hence the patience of the readers.
I loved how she ended this book and the trilogy. She tied all the loose ends but expense for that in opinion was high as I have to say good bye to few of my favorite characters. I am glad that there's another trilogy waiting for me after this, had this been the end of Realm of Elderlings I would be devastated.
I had high expectation from this book and this gave me everything. Highly recommended.
As I said in my earlier reviews, Hobb is getting better and better with every story. She once again spun a tale stretching over 900 pages and yet I never felt bored. True, there were moments when I felt few of the events are being mentioned repeatedly but once I got over that hurdle, it was a fantastic story. A story that just put a spell on me and didn't let me go until I turned that last page.
Story picked up right where Golden Fool ended and we see Fitz & Co. making arrangements to embark on the journey to kill the dragon. Making a plan that would leave Fool in Six Duchies to prevent that fate that Fool has foreseen for himself. But fate has other plans for this party and they find themselves amid an enemy that is invincible.
I am in awe of Ms Hobb for how she intertwine different threads to move the story forward. She will keep throwing all the possible fates at the characters, all the while making characters realize that they can't just pick any one as the future of the world depends upon that one decision, so that they can't make a mistake. So they don't have any choice but to trod on the path that will test them the most, and hence the patience of the readers.
I loved how she ended this book and the trilogy. She tied all the loose ends but expense for that in opinion was high as I have to say good bye to few of my favorite characters. I am glad that there's another trilogy waiting for me after this, had this been the end of Realm of Elderlings I would be devastated.
I had high expectation from this book and this gave me everything. Highly recommended.
September 29, 2012
If you've made it this far, you probably know what you're getting into when you start a Robin Hobb book. I certainly did, and it doesn't change the fact that my soul is now a heap of shreds on the floor. Oh, is that melodramatic? I don't care! I can count on one hand the number of books that have made me cry, and this is one of them -- twice, in fact, and a few times afterward. My poor soul!
That is not to say that this was a perfect book. I thought the beginning started out rather slowly, so at first I had no trouble sticking to my 50ish-page per day limit as a futile attempt to stave off the inevitable post-book blues. But then, once everyone got to Aslevjal, that idea collapsed and there was no way I was putting the book down until I realized it was one in the morning and the words were swimming before my eyes and I'd stubbornly read the same paragraph five times without comprehending any of it BUT OH MAN .
I also thought the ending was too rushed. There was a lot of catchup and reforged connections, and a number of events fell into place without Fitz making active choices. Some of the changes in Fitz's character between the two series are made more clear, but I didn't have enough time to adapt to that revelation. It's therefore hard to reconcile the ending with lines like The only way I can make sense of it is if I decide that Fitz . In any case, I broke down again during the penultimate, pre-epilogue chapter, and cried for .
However, these books also present one of the most complex relationships I've encountered in fiction, with a lot of commentary about relationships, friendship, love, gender, and sex woven in. It would probably take me a few pages to describe it, and there's not really any good solution to the problem. Now I'm flailing around trying to disentangle what the characters think they want, what I think they want, and what they actually want. Basically, I just want everyone to be happy, and I can't figure out how that could ever occur. Damn Burrich and his line about the horse and the two saddles.
Final note: line up all three books of this series on your bookshelf and look at them. Then think about how a certain character changes throughout the series. AWESOME.
That is not to say that this was a perfect book. I thought the beginning started out rather slowly, so at first I had no trouble sticking to my 50ish-page per day limit as a futile attempt to stave off the inevitable post-book blues. But then, once everyone got to Aslevjal, that idea collapsed and there was no way I was putting the book down until I realized it was one in the morning and the words were swimming before my eyes and I'd stubbornly read the same paragraph five times without comprehending any of it BUT OH MAN .
I also thought the ending was too rushed. There was a lot of catchup and reforged connections, and a number of events fell into place without Fitz making active choices. Some of the changes in Fitz's character between the two series are made more clear, but I didn't have enough time to adapt to that revelation. It's therefore hard to reconcile the ending with lines like The only way I can make sense of it is if I decide that Fitz . In any case, I broke down again during the penultimate, pre-epilogue chapter, and cried for .
However, these books also present one of the most complex relationships I've encountered in fiction, with a lot of commentary about relationships, friendship, love, gender, and sex woven in. It would probably take me a few pages to describe it, and there's not really any good solution to the problem. Now I'm flailing around trying to disentangle what the characters think they want, what I think they want, and what they actually want. Basically, I just want everyone to be happy, and I can't figure out how that could ever occur. Damn Burrich and his line about the horse and the two saddles.
Final note: line up all three books of this series on your bookshelf and look at them. Then think about how a certain character changes throughout the series. AWESOME.
August 20, 2015
So... I don't know how I am supposed to begin writing up a review for this book because never in my whole life have I been as affected and devastated, happy and excited, lonely and angry as I was throughout the adventures of this book. This is my all-time favourite book. It's exceptional. It's leagues ahead of all others (except for The Mad Ship, also by Hobb, which was recently my favourite book... overtaken by another Hobb book!) for so many reasons, and trying to gather my thoughts and rein them in enough to write a cohesive review that not only convinces everyone to read this, but also shows just how special it is to me... it's going to be hard...
So, with all of that said, this book was great right from page one. As with all of the Farseer, Tawny Man and Fitz and the Fool books the main characters are once more Fitz, the bastard, and the Fool, a friend of his with some peculiar abilities. This book picks up not too long after the ending of book 2 when we're following Fitz, Chade, the Fool, Dutiful, Thick, the Narcheska and many more characters as they're about to embark on a rather grand quest. This quest is taking place because it will allow the young Prince the chance to prove his worth and slay a great beast, bringing the head back to the Outislander people and sealing an alliance between them.
This story IS epic, in all senses of the word. There's big long journeys, there's many different characters, there's magic of various kinds. We get to see creatures in the skies and seas who are mystical and magical. We see journeys through all sorts of terrain and waters (yeah, there's ships - I like ships!). We also get to see a lot more than just a regular epic fantasy because not only does it have all of these elements and more, but it focuses on the characters (it is, after all, by Hobb).
Robin Hobb has a way with words. Maybe even more than a way with words. She has an ability to create not only a world which is magic and a wonderful place to escape to, but she can convince me fully about this world. She is one of the few writers I have read where I can visualise all the scenes laid out before me and SEE what is happening as I read the words. The characters that Hobb creates and the scenes of dialogue between them all is fabulous because they make mistakes, they do stupid things, the apologise, they try again, and against all odds they try and get by in this crazy world. She's a master of making the characters become real people who you feel like you know and feel like you understand. She's got an ability to lay down all the words and from them you can draw out a living and breathing world within your head. You can imagine and see it all before you, and you're privy to all the dirty secrets, crude betrayals and strong tragedies and horrors that she unveils.
This story took me in from page one and it's fabulous to be able to say that I started at book 1 of the Farseers and have followed these characters through 6 books now (some characters even through more if they've overlapped with those in the Liveship books). I think the change in both Hobb's abilities and the characters as they have grown and evolved as people and as elements in the world has been superb to watch.
I have to say that I cannot even think of any way that this book could have been better. Every single one of the many, many storylines, questions and plots that Hobb was juggling she managed to tie off beautifully. I can see why, having read this, so many people (Hobb included) didn't think she'd ever return to this set of characters. That's not to say that this is a Martin book and everyone dies or anything like that, but there are some VERY emotional moments where I was sobbing my heart out (no joke, at least 20 times!) There were also so many moments of joy and happiness, redeeming moments and perfect, thought-provoking speech.
Another thing which I adore about Hobb is that she is not afraid of addressing issues. She's got the ability to slide in ideas about gender-equality, race, deformities, sexuality, standing up for things, differing customs and much more. She manages to integrate all of these 'big issue' topics into her books and make them a seamless part of the story, but she doesn't focus on them. The story itself is more about the characters themselves, who they are, what they do and the decisions that they make, but at the same time each of those character have different 'issues' associated with them or as a part of them and we're constantly exposed to these things without even realising it (whether it was her intention or not I don;t know, but she does it very well!).
This story was perfection. There are so many moments I want to tell you all about and cry over because thinking back on the read-throguh of this book it was truly wonderful. However, I don't want to spoil anything about it, all I want is for you all to go and enjoy the wonder of Hobb's world yourselves. If you've read this book I have no doubt that you know what it is I adore about her, and if you've not yet read it then please do try something by her, whether you're in for the long haul and you start at Assassin's Apprentice (Farseer #1) or if you just want to dip your toe in to her stuff and start with Ship of Magic (Liveships #1). Either way is a perfect start, but I hope you enjoy it as much as I have. I can say with certainty that this is my #1 book I've ever read. 100% highly highly recommended!
So, with all of that said, this book was great right from page one. As with all of the Farseer, Tawny Man and Fitz and the Fool books the main characters are once more Fitz, the bastard, and the Fool, a friend of his with some peculiar abilities. This book picks up not too long after the ending of book 2 when we're following Fitz, Chade, the Fool, Dutiful, Thick, the Narcheska and many more characters as they're about to embark on a rather grand quest. This quest is taking place because it will allow the young Prince the chance to prove his worth and slay a great beast, bringing the head back to the Outislander people and sealing an alliance between them.
This story IS epic, in all senses of the word. There's big long journeys, there's many different characters, there's magic of various kinds. We get to see creatures in the skies and seas who are mystical and magical. We see journeys through all sorts of terrain and waters (yeah, there's ships - I like ships!). We also get to see a lot more than just a regular epic fantasy because not only does it have all of these elements and more, but it focuses on the characters (it is, after all, by Hobb).
Robin Hobb has a way with words. Maybe even more than a way with words. She has an ability to create not only a world which is magic and a wonderful place to escape to, but she can convince me fully about this world. She is one of the few writers I have read where I can visualise all the scenes laid out before me and SEE what is happening as I read the words. The characters that Hobb creates and the scenes of dialogue between them all is fabulous because they make mistakes, they do stupid things, the apologise, they try again, and against all odds they try and get by in this crazy world. She's a master of making the characters become real people who you feel like you know and feel like you understand. She's got an ability to lay down all the words and from them you can draw out a living and breathing world within your head. You can imagine and see it all before you, and you're privy to all the dirty secrets, crude betrayals and strong tragedies and horrors that she unveils.
This story took me in from page one and it's fabulous to be able to say that I started at book 1 of the Farseers and have followed these characters through 6 books now (some characters even through more if they've overlapped with those in the Liveship books). I think the change in both Hobb's abilities and the characters as they have grown and evolved as people and as elements in the world has been superb to watch.
I have to say that I cannot even think of any way that this book could have been better. Every single one of the many, many storylines, questions and plots that Hobb was juggling she managed to tie off beautifully. I can see why, having read this, so many people (Hobb included) didn't think she'd ever return to this set of characters. That's not to say that this is a Martin book and everyone dies or anything like that, but there are some VERY emotional moments where I was sobbing my heart out (no joke, at least 20 times!) There were also so many moments of joy and happiness, redeeming moments and perfect, thought-provoking speech.
Another thing which I adore about Hobb is that she is not afraid of addressing issues. She's got the ability to slide in ideas about gender-equality, race, deformities, sexuality, standing up for things, differing customs and much more. She manages to integrate all of these 'big issue' topics into her books and make them a seamless part of the story, but she doesn't focus on them. The story itself is more about the characters themselves, who they are, what they do and the decisions that they make, but at the same time each of those character have different 'issues' associated with them or as a part of them and we're constantly exposed to these things without even realising it (whether it was her intention or not I don;t know, but she does it very well!).
This story was perfection. There are so many moments I want to tell you all about and cry over because thinking back on the read-throguh of this book it was truly wonderful. However, I don't want to spoil anything about it, all I want is for you all to go and enjoy the wonder of Hobb's world yourselves. If you've read this book I have no doubt that you know what it is I adore about her, and if you've not yet read it then please do try something by her, whether you're in for the long haul and you start at Assassin's Apprentice (Farseer #1) or if you just want to dip your toe in to her stuff and start with Ship of Magic (Liveships #1). Either way is a perfect start, but I hope you enjoy it as much as I have. I can say with certainty that this is my #1 book I've ever read. 100% highly highly recommended!
December 30, 2024
A billion stars. Fitz is the greatest character ever put to page in a fantasy series. I love him so so much, and empathize with everything he goes through to the point that this series is actually difficult to read at times for me. I feel like this trilogy not only is a beautiful, raw depiction of what it is to be human, but also how to grow from mistakes and learn to feel and love fully.
Robin Hobb, the woman you are. This is just incredible. No notes.
Robin Hobb, the woman you are. This is just incredible. No notes.
September 2, 2021
Satisfying ending to this trilogy!
Hobb is able to connect all the loose ends and make its conclusion a smooth one.
In the Fool's Fate, Fitz is trying to prevent the Fool from getting into the ship leaving for the island of Aslevjal. As per the last book, Elliana has asked Dutiful to bring him the head of IceFyre in order to seal their alliance. The Fool has confided in Fitz, the Fool knows he needs to save the dragon but traveling to the island means his death and Fitz will do anything to prevent his friend from dying.
During the voyage, things are not easy. Thick is seasick and with his Skill, he is making everyone feel miserable on the boat. Tempers are running high and Dutiful puts Fitz to the task of helping Thick who in turn asks Nettle for help. Yet, their dreams are invaded by Tintaglia who wants to learn more about IceFyre.
Before leaving for the frozen island where Icefyre is supposed to be, they learn of a legend involving the Black Man. Once on the island, someone is already waiting for them. Can you guess who?
The Skill and Witt coteries are in disagreement. One wants to slay the dragon, the other one wants to save it.
So many secrets are finally revealed including the Pale Woman, the Black Man, the dragons, the Skill, the Witt, Fitz, The Fool, the memory stones. I love the explanation we are given about why the Fool and the Black Man were able to change colors while the Pale woman was not.
The Fool and FitzChivalry's friendship and bond are unlike anything else. I love these characters together. I was also happy to see so many other characters reappearing and completing their circle. Yes, they were also some very sad moments that hurt me just as well.
I'm not sure knowing there are 3 more books involving the Fool and Fitz (after the Rainwild 4 books) is a good thing. I think I liked how this ended and I'm not sure I want to know what happens next. What am I saying? Of course, I need to know.
Cliffhanger: No
5/5 Fangs
| | |
Hobb is able to connect all the loose ends and make its conclusion a smooth one.
In the Fool's Fate, Fitz is trying to prevent the Fool from getting into the ship leaving for the island of Aslevjal. As per the last book, Elliana has asked Dutiful to bring him the head of IceFyre in order to seal their alliance. The Fool has confided in Fitz, the Fool knows he needs to save the dragon but traveling to the island means his death and Fitz will do anything to prevent his friend from dying.
During the voyage, things are not easy. Thick is seasick and with his Skill, he is making everyone feel miserable on the boat. Tempers are running high and Dutiful puts Fitz to the task of helping Thick who in turn asks Nettle for help. Yet, their dreams are invaded by Tintaglia who wants to learn more about IceFyre.
Before leaving for the frozen island where Icefyre is supposed to be, they learn of a legend involving the Black Man. Once on the island, someone is already waiting for them. Can you guess who?
The Skill and Witt coteries are in disagreement. One wants to slay the dragon, the other one wants to save it.
So many secrets are finally revealed including the Pale Woman, the Black Man, the dragons, the Skill, the Witt, Fitz, The Fool, the memory stones. I love the explanation we are given about why the Fool and the Black Man were able to change colors while the Pale woman was not.
The Fool and FitzChivalry's friendship and bond are unlike anything else. I love these characters together. I was also happy to see so many other characters reappearing and completing their circle. Yes, they were also some very sad moments that hurt me just as well.
I'm not sure knowing there are 3 more books involving the Fool and Fitz (after the Rainwild 4 books) is a good thing. I think I liked how this ended and I'm not sure I want to know what happens next. What am I saying? Of course, I need to know.
Cliffhanger: No
5/5 Fangs
| | |
December 23, 2024
RATING BREAKDOWN
Characters: 5猸愶笍
Setting: 5猸愶笍
Plot: 5猸愶笍
Themes: 5猸愶笍
Emotional Impact: 5猸愶笍
Personal Enjoyment: 5猸愶笍
Total Rounded Average: 5猸愶笍
Wow. This is brilliant.
Tawny Man concludes with this epic quest to Ice Fire, and along the way there are betrayals, surprises, suspense, action, devastation, sacrifice, and ultimately the final choice Fitz has to make to decide who he is, where his loyalties truly lie, and what he believes to be right. This is so epic. The stakes are so high. The stress I felt reading this was insane.
I cried at what this all had to cost, and I was well and truly scared and then devastated for long stretches, but this journey was so worth it. I've scarcely read a more satisfying conclusion.
At the beginning of this trilogy, I needed Fitz to face some demons. I needed him to discover his own heart's longings and loyalties. I needed him to break free of the insecurities that made him a tool for other men, and gosh dangit, I needed him to find a home with people who love him and know him fully.
I wasn't disappointed. This was so beautiful, and it feels well and truly earned. Hobb pulled no punches. She went all the way to the heart of the soul's wounds and the cost and time for healing; the real loss that comes with any journey toward wholeness. And the implications for the wider series are huge.
I cannot wait to read the Rain Wild Chronicles.
Characters: 5猸愶笍
Setting: 5猸愶笍
Plot: 5猸愶笍
Themes: 5猸愶笍
Emotional Impact: 5猸愶笍
Personal Enjoyment: 5猸愶笍
Total Rounded Average: 5猸愶笍
Wow. This is brilliant.
Tawny Man concludes with this epic quest to Ice Fire, and along the way there are betrayals, surprises, suspense, action, devastation, sacrifice, and ultimately the final choice Fitz has to make to decide who he is, where his loyalties truly lie, and what he believes to be right. This is so epic. The stakes are so high. The stress I felt reading this was insane.
I cried at what this all had to cost, and I was well and truly scared and then devastated for long stretches, but this journey was so worth it. I've scarcely read a more satisfying conclusion.
At the beginning of this trilogy, I needed Fitz to face some demons. I needed him to discover his own heart's longings and loyalties. I needed him to break free of the insecurities that made him a tool for other men, and gosh dangit, I needed him to find a home with people who love him and know him fully.
I wasn't disappointed. This was so beautiful, and it feels well and truly earned. Hobb pulled no punches. She went all the way to the heart of the soul's wounds and the cost and time for healing; the real loss that comes with any journey toward wholeness. And the implications for the wider series are huge.
I cannot wait to read the Rain Wild Chronicles.
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May 28, 2024
Finally! An ending that leaves me happy with Fitz鈥檚 fate. And yet, as much as I cherished the lengthy (and long overdue) denouement that this book provides, this is the first Hobb book that was not a 5-star read for me. Yes, four stars tell you I still enjoyed this book very much overall, but I鈥檝e become used to solid 5-star ratings.
These past eight books, I鈥檝e loved her character-driven storytelling and never had any issues with what some feel is slow pacing. Here, I did for the first time. My heart just wasn鈥檛 in the whole quest to find the dragon Icefyre and as a result I had to occasionally push myself to keep reading. That was a novel Hobb experience for me which left me disappointed at myself for not loving it more. To be honest, if not for some major payoff regarding truths/identities discovered and characters reunited, the rating would probably have been lower.
________________
!!!SPOILES BELOW!!!
Speaking of reunions and revelations, my favorite reunion was Patience and Fitz鈥檚; it both made me laugh at her old woman鈥檚 cranky attitude and tear up at her genuine joy. Seeing Burrich鈥檚 reaction at finding out Fitz is alive through Nettle鈥檚 eyes worked really well for me and I was not upset it happened off-page because of it 鈥� much unlike Mollie鈥檚 off-page reaction, which left me feeling unsatisfied. Still, I liked how their second courtship played out, even if I鈥檇 have welcomed even more page time for them. And it did help that all the actual reunions (as in seeing each other again for the first time) all happened on-page, though Burrich and Fitz's was more moving to me than Molly and Fitz's.
What I鈥檓 still not sure about is the Fool鈥檚 death, followed by yet another resurrection. Sure, his death and the gruesome manner of it made for some awful reading, but since death here is not as final as in other books, I didn鈥檛 really buy into the Fool remaining dead. I think that lessened my emotional investment. I don鈥檛 know, couldn鈥檛 Fitz have found the Fool close to death and saved him much the same way he did? I鈥檓 aware that this precipitates other changes in the narrative, but I can鈥檛 help wondering if that hadn鈥檛 worked better for me.
!!!END OF SPOILERS!!!
__________________
All in all, this was still a great book, mostly because it has Fitz in it and I love that man with all my heart 鈥� so much so that I wish I could continue with his next trilogy instead of the Rain Wild Chronicles tetralogy that is bound to involve more insufferable dragons. And yet, I'm just generally excited that there are more Robin Hobb books to love ahead of me.
Onward!
These past eight books, I鈥檝e loved her character-driven storytelling and never had any issues with what some feel is slow pacing. Here, I did for the first time. My heart just wasn鈥檛 in the whole quest to find the dragon Icefyre and as a result I had to occasionally push myself to keep reading. That was a novel Hobb experience for me which left me disappointed at myself for not loving it more. To be honest, if not for some major payoff regarding truths/identities discovered and characters reunited, the rating would probably have been lower.
________________
!!!SPOILES BELOW!!!
Speaking of reunions and revelations, my favorite reunion was Patience and Fitz鈥檚; it both made me laugh at her old woman鈥檚 cranky attitude and tear up at her genuine joy. Seeing Burrich鈥檚 reaction at finding out Fitz is alive through Nettle鈥檚 eyes worked really well for me and I was not upset it happened off-page because of it 鈥� much unlike Mollie鈥檚 off-page reaction, which left me feeling unsatisfied. Still, I liked how their second courtship played out, even if I鈥檇 have welcomed even more page time for them. And it did help that all the actual reunions (as in seeing each other again for the first time) all happened on-page, though Burrich and Fitz's was more moving to me than Molly and Fitz's.
What I鈥檓 still not sure about is the Fool鈥檚 death, followed by yet another resurrection. Sure, his death and the gruesome manner of it made for some awful reading, but since death here is not as final as in other books, I didn鈥檛 really buy into the Fool remaining dead. I think that lessened my emotional investment. I don鈥檛 know, couldn鈥檛 Fitz have found the Fool close to death and saved him much the same way he did? I鈥檓 aware that this precipitates other changes in the narrative, but I can鈥檛 help wondering if that hadn鈥檛 worked better for me.
!!!END OF SPOILERS!!!
__________________
All in all, this was still a great book, mostly because it has Fitz in it and I love that man with all my heart 鈥� so much so that I wish I could continue with his next trilogy instead of the Rain Wild Chronicles tetralogy that is bound to involve more insufferable dragons. And yet, I'm just generally excited that there are more Robin Hobb books to love ahead of me.
Onward!
September 5, 2020
We are the sum of all we have done added to the sum of all that has been done to us.
Fool's Fate is a great conclusion to The Tawny Man Trilogy, after the disappointment that was I was scared this will be another even though Liveship Traders was amazing. This is one of those instances that I'm glad I was proven wrong.
This book started just where Golden Fool ended, the journey that they spent a whole book preparing for has finally arrived. It was quite slow at the beginning but picked up 20% in. There was friendship, love, loyalty, amazing plots and wonderful characters. There are also dragons in this, how cool is that, not to mention the revelations 馃く
All of life, is in our minds. Where else does it take place, where else do we add up what it means to us and subtract what we have lost? An event is just an event until some person attaches meaning to it.
The world building and writing is one of Hobb's strong point and she didn't disappoint, I thought the previous book was good, this is way better. 80% of the book took place on an ice filled island and this was well depicted. Just like it's predecessors, this is written solely in first person perspective of Fitz.
The skill and the wit the magic system of this series was finally explained here, they found lots of skill scroll that told them how to better use the magic, so now it's not only telepathy but healing and teleporting. I feel like the author is just adding that now, I still prefer the wit to skill, I wish Fitz used the both not just one at a time.
My favourite character still remain FitzChivalry Farseer, his character growth is tremendous. I remember how he was in Assassin's Quest and this grown up him. Not only is he no more whinny and pitiful he now stands up for himself, he's still loyal to the Farseers but there is a line now. I hope that doesn't change.
The Fool is also here, his friendship with Fitz is one of the highlights of this book for me. He loves Fitz more than everyone. I know more about him than I did before but not enough.
Dutiful is growing up to be a good king, he's so different from the other Farseers like Chade who is manipulative and old school.
Nettle and Elliania also played prominent roles in this. Thick is the character that surprised me the most. Despite being a simpleton he is smart.
Patience was just at the ending but her parts was wonderful as usual.
鈥楳uch too soft. I鈥檒l never be able to sleep on this. Do they think I鈥檓 a hen, setting in a nest?鈥� Then, as she lay back and I helped her lift her feet onto the bed she said, 鈥榊ou鈥檝e quite ruined my surprise, you know. Here, I was all set to summon a grandchild to me and reveal to her that she was well born of noble blood, and pass on to her keepsakes of her father鈥檚. Oh, help me take my shoes off. When did my feet get so far away from my hands?鈥�
Burrrich and Molly with their brood of children were also here.
The plot follows Dutiful, Fitz, Chade and the rest of them to the Outislands to kill the dragon buried in ice. As usual things didn't go according to plans, not only was the dragon buried hundreds of feet in the ice that also have oppositions.
Spoilers Ahead
Molly Chandler, here's a character that I never got around to liking, I didn't like her in Farseer Trilogy and nothing have changed.
Like she married Burrich who is Fitz's adopted father few months after giving birth to Fitz's child, yes I know she thought he was dead but still couldn't she pick someone else? She did the same thing again when Burrich died she moved on with Fitz, does that mean she never loved Burrich or loved them both.
Burrrich is as guilty as her, he never gave any of them a choice. When Fitz was in a bad place after almost dying in Assassin's Quest, he needed a lifeline, Burrich should have told him then that Molly was pregnant with his child but he never did and vice versa he never told Molly that Fitz survived the dungeons so to her he died then, he is even more guilty than Molly. Hr had the guts to say he was the better man for her, no one is denying that if only he gave any of them a choice.
Fool's Fate is a great conclusion to The Tawny Man Trilogy, after the disappointment that was I was scared this will be another even though Liveship Traders was amazing. This is one of those instances that I'm glad I was proven wrong.
This book started just where Golden Fool ended, the journey that they spent a whole book preparing for has finally arrived. It was quite slow at the beginning but picked up 20% in. There was friendship, love, loyalty, amazing plots and wonderful characters. There are also dragons in this, how cool is that, not to mention the revelations 馃く
All of life, is in our minds. Where else does it take place, where else do we add up what it means to us and subtract what we have lost? An event is just an event until some person attaches meaning to it.
The world building and writing is one of Hobb's strong point and she didn't disappoint, I thought the previous book was good, this is way better. 80% of the book took place on an ice filled island and this was well depicted. Just like it's predecessors, this is written solely in first person perspective of Fitz.
The skill and the wit the magic system of this series was finally explained here, they found lots of skill scroll that told them how to better use the magic, so now it's not only telepathy but healing and teleporting. I feel like the author is just adding that now, I still prefer the wit to skill, I wish Fitz used the both not just one at a time.
My favourite character still remain FitzChivalry Farseer, his character growth is tremendous. I remember how he was in Assassin's Quest and this grown up him. Not only is he no more whinny and pitiful he now stands up for himself, he's still loyal to the Farseers but there is a line now. I hope that doesn't change.
The Fool is also here, his friendship with Fitz is one of the highlights of this book for me. He loves Fitz more than everyone. I know more about him than I did before but not enough.
Dutiful is growing up to be a good king, he's so different from the other Farseers like Chade who is manipulative and old school.
Nettle and Elliania also played prominent roles in this. Thick is the character that surprised me the most. Despite being a simpleton he is smart.
Patience was just at the ending but her parts was wonderful as usual.
鈥楳uch too soft. I鈥檒l never be able to sleep on this. Do they think I鈥檓 a hen, setting in a nest?鈥� Then, as she lay back and I helped her lift her feet onto the bed she said, 鈥榊ou鈥檝e quite ruined my surprise, you know. Here, I was all set to summon a grandchild to me and reveal to her that she was well born of noble blood, and pass on to her keepsakes of her father鈥檚. Oh, help me take my shoes off. When did my feet get so far away from my hands?鈥�
Burrrich and Molly with their brood of children were also here.
The plot follows Dutiful, Fitz, Chade and the rest of them to the Outislands to kill the dragon buried in ice. As usual things didn't go according to plans, not only was the dragon buried hundreds of feet in the ice that also have oppositions.
Spoilers Ahead
Molly Chandler, here's a character that I never got around to liking, I didn't like her in Farseer Trilogy and nothing have changed.
Like she married Burrich who is Fitz's adopted father few months after giving birth to Fitz's child, yes I know she thought he was dead but still couldn't she pick someone else? She did the same thing again when Burrich died she moved on with Fitz, does that mean she never loved Burrich or loved them both.
Burrrich is as guilty as her, he never gave any of them a choice. When Fitz was in a bad place after almost dying in Assassin's Quest, he needed a lifeline, Burrich should have told him then that Molly was pregnant with his child but he never did and vice versa he never told Molly that Fitz survived the dungeons so to her he died then, he is even more guilty than Molly. Hr had the guts to say he was the better man for her, no one is denying that if only he gave any of them a choice.
January 6, 2016
This series was all set to be my Robin Hobb all time favorite surpassing even Liveship Traders.
The writing is absolutely superb and the world Hobb has created continues to wow me in its complexity. It is a world I wouldn't mind spending forever in. And she has frequently brought me to tears with the beautiful moments she captures between her amazing characters.
All that night, I cradled him in my arms, as closely as if he were my child or my lover. As closely as if he were my self, wounded and alone. I held him while he wept, and I held him after his weeping was done. I let him take whatever comfort he could in the warmth and strength of my body. I have never felt less of a man that I did so.
If you had asked me at about 80% through I would have said there weren't enough stars on this site for this book.
But the ending ruined it for me.
Unfortunately the why is a bit of a spoiler, so read under the tag at your own risk.
The writing is absolutely superb and the world Hobb has created continues to wow me in its complexity. It is a world I wouldn't mind spending forever in. And she has frequently brought me to tears with the beautiful moments she captures between her amazing characters.
All that night, I cradled him in my arms, as closely as if he were my child or my lover. As closely as if he were my self, wounded and alone. I held him while he wept, and I held him after his weeping was done. I let him take whatever comfort he could in the warmth and strength of my body. I have never felt less of a man that I did so.
If you had asked me at about 80% through I would have said there weren't enough stars on this site for this book.
But the ending ruined it for me.
Unfortunately the why is a bit of a spoiler, so read under the tag at your own risk.
June 3, 2018
The emotional intelligence of this trilogy is staggering. My heart feels swollen looking back on the trajectories of these characters, and Hobb subtly weaves in so many broader ethical questions about the decisions that individual people make, and that humanity makes as a whole. She also plays with the advantages and limits of first-person narration in a way that鈥檚 so much fun for anyone who enjoys thinking about how stories are constructed. If you need more convincing I鈥檒l be doing a spoiler-free video overview soon on three of Hobb鈥檚 trilogies, but for now I鈥檒l say that Fitz鈥檚 story is phenomenal and I鈥檝e loved every hour I鈥檝e spent in his world.
May 29, 2021
God damn it.
March 18, 2008
For me, the love of a book comes from the sum of it's parts. Had it not been for the ending in this final chapter of the Farseer world...I would have given Fool's Fate five stars. However, I was sorely disappointed (possibly depressed) with how the story closed between Fitz and Beloved.
R. Hobb has an extraordinary gift for emotionally engaging readers into this beautiful, complicated world she has envisioned. This, perhaps...is why I find the ending so unforgivable. Had she not made the relationship between Fitz and the Fool so powerful and moving - I might have been less horrified to see him cast aside so frivolously. The final chapters with Molly felt empty and dull in comparison. Her character seemed petty.
Ironically, this has still been one of my favorite fantasy adventures....though I sincerely hope she changes her mind about not continuing the story. I would normally cringe at a series that lasts beyond 3-4 books...but this would be the rare exception. Too much was left incomplete.
R. Hobb has an extraordinary gift for emotionally engaging readers into this beautiful, complicated world she has envisioned. This, perhaps...is why I find the ending so unforgivable. Had she not made the relationship between Fitz and the Fool so powerful and moving - I might have been less horrified to see him cast aside so frivolously. The final chapters with Molly felt empty and dull in comparison. Her character seemed petty.
Ironically, this has still been one of my favorite fantasy adventures....though I sincerely hope she changes her mind about not continuing the story. I would normally cringe at a series that lasts beyond 3-4 books...but this would be the rare exception. Too much was left incomplete.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 21, 2018
"In that last dance of chances
When I know you'll not be mine
I will let you go with longing
And the hope that you'll be fine"
WHAT TO SAY WHAT TO FEEL WHAT THE EFF DID THIS STUPID BOOK DO TO ME?!
Started out great! actually started out not-so-great with sailing on ships and Thick getting seasick for like 400 pages, but I was still living for it because it's Robin Hobb and I'm a dedicated fan and it's Fitz and it's the Fool and it's going to chatter my brain completely and it did and my feels were all over the place... aaaaaand suddenly the train took a sudden swivel into NOPEville.
One week since I finished this and I'm still not over it
Well my style is to never write any spoilers (hidden or otherwise) in my review, and thank God for that otherwise I would be ranting for pages and pages. Let's get it out of the way why I'm so bitter about this effing book. Because its ending made me freaking uneasy and I felt it was completely wrong and completely untrue to the series' temperament. Not to mention that I hate it, HATE IT, when authors use death as a way out of having to solve problems like an adult, and the way everything else was handled in the aftermath was just a trainwreck and made me not like some of my babies as I used to.
What else grated on my nerves? The Skill and the Wit aka Dumb and Dumber (ok I'll tone down the salt, they are decent, just NOT IN THE SECOND HALF OF THE BOOK), when they are used in a pish-posh way that would just to serve the plot I call bullshit, some events (well mainly one event in particular) could have been handled in a totally different if the old rules or at least the way they've been handled in the past were to be used, but OH NO, that would not serve the stupid plot so let's change it! *sigh*
Ok I'm done with the rant, moving on to the positives... I haven't had such an emotional feelstrip (from a non-Hobb book) since I read The Nightingale one year ago... I swear there was this chapter near the end where I was despairingly sobbing my heart out one page and then I was smiling like crazy and joyously sobbing my heart out the next, TRUE STORY.
The interaction between Fitz and the Fool was always a delight to read, ALWAYS *full force shipping*.
Not to mention that no one can beat Robin Hobb when it comes to prose, the lady is boss and no one can change my mind -not even the drunken verbal diarrhea I had in the first half of this review-, I probably highlighted half the book.
"All of life, I wanted to tell him, is in our minds. Where else does it take place, where else do we add up what it means to us and subtract what we have lost? An event is just an event until some person attaches meaning to it."
Here is an example of the emotional disorder that Hobb infected me with... I would be reading peacefully and something humorous would pop it and make me laugh and think that life is all rosey...
"Dragons at a distance are amazing and noble creatures of legend. My closer experience of them makes me suspect they'd burp nobly after consuming me."
And then a sentence that is so meaningfully poignant (maybe not to all but it was to me as someone who had left their war-ravaged country) would come up that would resonate me with so hard, I probably was tearing up here at some point.
"Fitz, home is people. Not a place. If you go back there after the people are gone, then all you can see is what is not there anymore"
OK this is getting overly long, I'll wrap it up by saying, this wasn't the god-sent book that everyone on Booktube made it out to be, it definitely is not my favorite in the series, but the series is definitely still up there with my absolute favorites of all time.
When I know you'll not be mine
I will let you go with longing
And the hope that you'll be fine"
WHAT TO SAY WHAT TO FEEL WHAT THE EFF DID THIS STUPID BOOK DO TO ME?!
Started out great! actually started out not-so-great with sailing on ships and Thick getting seasick for like 400 pages, but I was still living for it because it's Robin Hobb and I'm a dedicated fan and it's Fitz and it's the Fool and it's going to chatter my brain completely and it did and my feels were all over the place... aaaaaand suddenly the train took a sudden swivel into NOPEville.
One week since I finished this and I'm still not over it
Well my style is to never write any spoilers (hidden or otherwise) in my review, and thank God for that otherwise I would be ranting for pages and pages. Let's get it out of the way why I'm so bitter about this effing book. Because its ending made me freaking uneasy and I felt it was completely wrong and completely untrue to the series' temperament. Not to mention that I hate it, HATE IT, when authors use death as a way out of having to solve problems like an adult, and the way everything else was handled in the aftermath was just a trainwreck and made me not like some of my babies as I used to.
What else grated on my nerves? The Skill and the Wit aka Dumb and Dumber (ok I'll tone down the salt, they are decent, just NOT IN THE SECOND HALF OF THE BOOK), when they are used in a pish-posh way that would just to serve the plot I call bullshit, some events (well mainly one event in particular) could have been handled in a totally different if the old rules or at least the way they've been handled in the past were to be used, but OH NO, that would not serve the stupid plot so let's change it! *sigh*
Ok I'm done with the rant, moving on to the positives... I haven't had such an emotional feelstrip (from a non-Hobb book) since I read The Nightingale one year ago... I swear there was this chapter near the end where I was despairingly sobbing my heart out one page and then I was smiling like crazy and joyously sobbing my heart out the next, TRUE STORY.
The interaction between Fitz and the Fool was always a delight to read, ALWAYS *full force shipping*.
Not to mention that no one can beat Robin Hobb when it comes to prose, the lady is boss and no one can change my mind -not even the drunken verbal diarrhea I had in the first half of this review-, I probably highlighted half the book.
"All of life, I wanted to tell him, is in our minds. Where else does it take place, where else do we add up what it means to us and subtract what we have lost? An event is just an event until some person attaches meaning to it."
Here is an example of the emotional disorder that Hobb infected me with... I would be reading peacefully and something humorous would pop it and make me laugh and think that life is all rosey...
"Dragons at a distance are amazing and noble creatures of legend. My closer experience of them makes me suspect they'd burp nobly after consuming me."
And then a sentence that is so meaningfully poignant (maybe not to all but it was to me as someone who had left their war-ravaged country) would come up that would resonate me with so hard, I probably was tearing up here at some point.
"Fitz, home is people. Not a place. If you go back there after the people are gone, then all you can see is what is not there anymore"
OK this is getting overly long, I'll wrap it up by saying, this wasn't the god-sent book that everyone on Booktube made it out to be, it definitely is not my favorite in the series, but the series is definitely still up there with my absolute favorites of all time.
November 18, 2023
Wow -- bravo! What a unique and impactful trilogy this was from start to finish. The first two books had me so invested in this story that I just ate this one up since it's paying off all of that deliberate set-up with a classic quest. I was enjoying the quiet first half with Hobb's brilliant slice-of-life style that still always manages to feel tense and interesting and that also allowed for some fascinating new worldbuilding for the series. But when the major inciting incident happens out of nowhere to kick off the climactic sequence, it was just a mind-blowing Hobb-alanche from there on out.
I truly love reading long series because they build to moments of unmatched intensity and emotional involvement, and I got to experience so many of those in the latter half of Fool's Fate. This book had some of those transcendently awesome and tragic and cathartic moments that are the reason I read. This also had some of my favorite falling action sections I can ever remember, and I can see how it would have been suitable as a place to end the series -- but I'm supremely glad she decided to continue the tale!
I truly love reading long series because they build to moments of unmatched intensity and emotional involvement, and I got to experience so many of those in the latter half of Fool's Fate. This book had some of those transcendently awesome and tragic and cathartic moments that are the reason I read. This also had some of my favorite falling action sections I can ever remember, and I can see how it would have been suitable as a place to end the series -- but I'm supremely glad she decided to continue the tale!
June 23, 2024
So many emotions. I loved this book and the Tawnyman trilogy as a whole.
Robin Hobb鈥檚 finales are always a little off to me and there are some plot threads that I just didn鈥檛 care about at this point in the Realm of the Elderlings. I get the impression that this was intended to be the finale to Fitz鈥檚 story so I see why we revisited that relationship. But I was rolling my eyes through most of those last pages.
Despite my lack of interest in some elements of the story, I can鈥檛 imagine giving this less than five stars. The way it builds on Fitz鈥檚 character, his relationships, and the future of the Six Duchies was incredible. Very few books have made me feel as much as this book did.
Robin Hobb鈥檚 finales are always a little off to me and there are some plot threads that I just didn鈥檛 care about at this point in the Realm of the Elderlings. I get the impression that this was intended to be the finale to Fitz鈥檚 story so I see why we revisited that relationship. But I was rolling my eyes through most of those last pages.
Despite my lack of interest in some elements of the story, I can鈥檛 imagine giving this less than five stars. The way it builds on Fitz鈥檚 character, his relationships, and the future of the Six Duchies was incredible. Very few books have made me feel as much as this book did.
June 25, 2021
//slight spoilers//
fitzy you cannot say things like "my dream lay dead in my arms" and then still have the audacity to claim you are straight
fitzy you cannot say things like "my dream lay dead in my arms" and then still have the audacity to claim you are straight
November 17, 2022
芦Home is people. Not a place. If you go back there after the people are gone, then all you can see is what is not there any more.禄Puedo decir con total seguridad que este libro es el mejor de Robin Hobb que he le铆do. Pocas veces una novela supera mis expectativas cuando s茅 que esta va a ser excelente, sin embargo, desafiando las probabilidades, Fool's fate me demostr贸 que siempre se puede dar un poco m谩s.
Aqu铆 no terminan las aventuras de Fitz, todav铆a queda una serie m谩s. Pero por ahora voy a saborear la vida que me fue devuelta con este cierre de The Tawny Man.
March 22, 2025
I love that we get to see Burrich again and that finally Fitz gets the life he deserves. The Fool sees his vision fulfilled, Dutiful becomes a man, the mystery of the Narcheska, solved. Robin Hobb really leaves no stone unturned in her writing, so much detail and connection, all minutely threaded between her books. Magnificent!
January 6, 2025
If you are not afraid of books with a volume of more than one and a half hundred pages, go here. "The Fate of the Fool" is the culmination of the "Saga of the Fool and the Murderer". Let me remind you that the condition of Prince Dutiful's engagement to the heir to the crown of the Outer Islands, designed to consolidate peace and promote mutually beneficial trade, is the head of the frozen dragon Icefyre, which must be delivered by the groom to the bride's maternal hearth. Would you agree to such an adventure? No? Me too. That's why we're not heroes of epic fantasy. The hero is fifteen-year-old Dutiful, who is annoyed rather than attracted by the arrogant, and moreover imposed, bride - he agrees.
That's what Robin Hobb is all about, with the delightful vagueness of her world, where there are no black and white, purely positive and downright negative characters. Well, that is, there are notorious villains, but "ours" are never unconditionally good, and the suffering endured, coupled with previous achievements, does not give a lifetime of indulgence, each time facing a new difficult choice.
The endless swings between desire and duty, love and hate, life and death, beauty and ugliness will stop in the finale (for a while, because there will be more) at the most favorable point for the beloved characters, giving them some time off, and strengthening us in the (very relative) belief in the victory of goodness. Well, good people should be lucky at least in books!
袘褍写懈褌褜 写褉邪泻芯薪邪
校蟹薪邪褌褜 写褉褍谐 写褉褍谐邪 鈥� 懈 胁褋械 锌芯褌械褉褟褌褜,
袠 卸懈褌褜鈥� 懈 薪械 卸懈褌褜鈥� 薪械 卸懈褌褜.
袙褋褟泻懈泄 褉邪蟹, 胁芯蟹胁褉邪褖邪褟褋褜 泻 袪芯斜懈薪 啸芯斜斜 懈 褔褍胁褋褌胁褍褟 泻芯蟹褜屑邪锌褉褍褌泻芯胁褋泻芯械 "褋谢芯胁薪芯 褉邪蟹谐芯胁邪褉懈胁邪褌褜 褋 写褉褍谐芯屑 锌芯褋谢械 写芯谢谐芯泄 褉邪蟹谢褍泻懈", 褟 褍写懈胁谢褟褞褋褜, 锌芯褔械屑褍 薪械 褔懈褌邪褞 械械 泻薪懈谐, 褋 泻芯褌芯褉褘屑懈 褌邪泻 褏芯褉芯褕芯, 锌芯写褉褟写. 袣邪卸写褘泄 褉邪蟹, 蟹邪泻邪薪褔懈胁邪褟 芯褔械褉械写薪芯泄 褑懈泻谢 - 邪 锌懈褕械褌 芯薪邪, 锌芯 斜芯谢褜褕械泄 褔邪褋褌懈, 褌褉懈谢芯谐懈褟屑懈 - 锌芯薪懈屑邪褞, 褔褌芯 屑邪褋褋懈胁 锌褉懈屑械褉薪芯 薪邪 写胁械 褌褘褋褟褔懈 褋褌褉邪薪懈褑, 懈 械褋褌褜 褌邪 褋邪屑邪褟 锌褉懈褔懈薪邪. 袩芯谐褉褍卸械薪懈械 胁 屑懈褉褘 啸芯斜斜, 褋芯 褋褌邪薪写邪褉褌薪褘屑 写谢褟 薪械械: 锌械褉胁褘泄 褉芯屑邪薪 褌褉懈谢芯谐懈懈 褋褌褉邪薪懈褑 薪邪 650, 胁褌芯褉芯泄 薪邪 820, 褌褉械褌懈泄 薪邪 890 - 斜械褉械褌 屑薪芯谐芯 胁褉械屑械薪懈, 褋懈谢, 胁薪懈屑邪薪懈褟. 袟邪屑械褌褜褌械 薪懈泻褌芯 懈蟹 褔懈褌邪褌械谢械泄 薪械 锌械薪褟械褌 薪邪 褔褉械蟹屑械褉薪褍褞 蟹邪褌褟薪褍褌芯褋褌褜 懈 薪械 褋芯芯斜褖邪械褌, 褔褌芯 械褋谢懈 斜褘 褋芯泻褉邪褌懈褌褜 胁写胁芯械 (胁褌褉芯械. 胁褔械褌胁械褉芯) 胁褘褕谢邪 斜褘 芯褌谢懈褔薪邪褟 胁械褖褜, 邪 褌邪泻... 小芯斜褘褌懈泄薪邪褟 锌谢芯褌薪芯褋褌褜, 胁薪械蟹邪锌薪褘械 锌芯胁芯褉芯褌褘 褋褞卸械褌邪, 斜械蟹褍锌褉械褔薪邪褟 锌芯胁械褋褌胁芯胁邪褌械谢褜薪邪褟 谢芯谐懈泻邪 懈 屑芯褌懈胁懈褉芯胁邪薪薪芯褋褌褜 锌械褉褋芯薪邪卸械泄, 泻邪卸写芯谐芯 懈蟹 泻芯褌芯褉褘褏 胁懈写懈褕褜 卸懈胁褘屑 - 蟹写械褋褜 泻邪卸写芯械 褋谢芯胁芯 薪邪 屑械褋褌械. 袧芯 褝褌芯 懈屑械薪薪芯 褋褌褉邪薪褋褌胁懈械 锌芯 屑懈褉褍 锌懈褋邪褌械谢褜薪懈褑褘, 薪械 褌褍褉懈褋褌懈褔械褋泻懈泄 褝泻褋泻褍褉褋懈芯薪薪褘泄 薪邪斜械谐, 懈 胁 薪邪褕械 褌芯褉芯锌谢懈胁芯械 胁褉械屑褟 薪褍卸薪芯 芯褔械薪褜 褋芯褋泻褍褔懈褌褜褋褟 锌芯 褏芯褉芯褕械屑褍, 褔褌芯斜褘 锌褉械薪械斜褉械褔褜 褌褟谐芯褌邪屑懈 锌褍褌械褕械褋褌胁懈褟 褉邪写懈 写邪褉褍械屑褘褏 懈屑 褉邪写芯褋褌械泄.
袨写薪邪泻芯 泻谢褞褔械胁芯械 蟹写械褋褜 "褋芯褋泻褍褔懈褌褜褋褟 锌芯 褏芯褉芯褕械屑褍", 懈 械褋谢懈 胁邪褋 薪械 锌褍谐邪褞褌 泻薪懈谐懈 芯斜褗械屑芯屑 斜芯谢褜褕械 锌芯谢褍褌芯褉邪 褋芯褌械薪 褋褌褉邪薪懈褑 - 胁邪屑 褋褞写邪. "小褍写褜斜邪 褕褍褌邪" 泻褍谢褜屑懈薪邪褑懈褟 "小邪谐懈 芯 楔褍褌械 懈 校斜懈泄褑械". 薪邪锌芯屑薪褞, 褍褋谢芯胁懈械 锌芯屑芯谢胁泻懈 锌褉懈薪褑邪 袛褜褞褌懈褎褍谢邪 褋 薪邪褋谢械写薪懈褑械泄 泻芯褉芯薪褘 袙薪械褕薪懈褏 芯褋褌褉芯胁芯胁, 锌褉懈蟹胁邪薪薪芯泄 蟹邪泻褉械锌懈褌褜 屑懈褉 懈 褋芯写械泄褋褌胁芯胁邪褌褜 胁蟹邪懈屑芯胁褘谐芯写薪芯泄 褌芯褉谐芯胁谢械 - 谐芯谢芯胁邪 胁屑械褉蟹褕械谐芯 胁 谢械写 写褉邪泻芯薪邪 袗泄褋褎懈褉邪, 泻芯褌芯褉邪褟 写芯谢卸薪邪 斜褘褌褜 写芯褋褌邪胁谢械薪邪 卸械薪懈褏芯屑 泻 屑邪褌械褉懈薪褋泻芯屑褍 芯褔邪谐褍 薪械胁械褋褌褘. 袙褘 斜褘 褋芯谐谢邪褋懈谢懈褋褜 薪邪 褌邪泻褍褞 邪胁邪薪褌褞褉褍? 袧械褌? 携 褌芯卸械. 袙芯褌 锌芯褌芯屑褍 屑褘 褋 胁邪屑懈 薪械 谐械褉芯懈 褝锌懈褔械褋泻芯谐芯 褎褝薪褌械蟹懈. 袚械褉芯泄 锌褟褌薪邪写褑邪褌懈谢械褌薪懈泄 袛褜褞褌懈褎褍谢, 泻芯褌芯褉芯谐芯 蟹邪薪芯褋褔懈胁邪褟, 写邪 泻 褌芯屑褍 卸械 薪邪胁褟蟹邪薪薪邪褟, 薪械胁械褋褌邪 褋泻芯褉械械 胁褘斜械褕懈胁邪械褌, 褔械屑 锌褉懈胁谢械泻邪械褌 - 芯薪 褋芯谐谢邪褕邪械褌褋褟.
袙 褏芯写械 锌谢邪胁邪薪懈褟 泻 袙薪械褕薪懈屑 芯褋褌褉芯胁邪屑, 谐谢邪胁薪褘泄 蟹芯谢芯褌芯胁邪谢褞褌薪褘泄 褉械蟹械褉胁 褋泻懈谢谢邪 楔械褋褌懈 袚械褉褑芯谐褋褌胁, 芯谢懈谐芯褎褉械薪 袨谢褍褏, 褋芯蟹写邪械褌 锌褉懈褋褌邪胁谢械薪薪芯屑褍 泻 薪械屑褍 肖懈褌褑褍 屑薪芯卸械褋褌胁芯 锌褉芯斜谢械屑, 褋褌邪胁褟 锌芯写 褍谐褉芯蟹褍 屑懈褋褋懈褞 胁 褑械谢芯屑. 袙薪械蟹邪锌薪芯 锌芯屑芯褖褜 锌褉懈褏芯写懈褌 芯褌 袧械褌褌谢, 褉芯写薪芯泄 写芯褔械褉懈 谐械褉芯褟, 薪邪写械谢械薪薪芯泄 褋褌懈褏懈泄薪褘屑 褋泻懈谢谢芯屑, 泻芯褌芯褉褘屑 芯胁谢邪写械谢邪 褋邪屑芯褋褌芯褟褌械谢褜薪芯. 袛械胁褍褕泻邪 写邪胁薪芯 锌褉懈褏芯写懈褌 胁 褋薪褘 肖懈褌褑邪, 写械屑芯薪褋褌褉懈褉褍褟 褍写懈胁懈褌械谢褜薪褍褞 褋锌芯褋芯斜薪芯褋褌褜 懈蟹屑械薪褟褌褜 褉械邪谢褜薪芯褋褌褜 胁 褏芯写械 褋薪芯褌胁芯褉褔械褋褌胁邪, 屑芯卸械褌 写邪卸械 懈蟹谐芯薪褟褌褜 写褉邪泻芯薪懈褑褍 孝懈薪褌邪谢褜褞, 泻芯褌芯褉邪褟 胁褋械 薪邪褋褌芯泄褔懈胁械械 胁褌芯褉谐邪械褌褋褟 胁 薪懈褏 蟹邪 褋胁械写械薪懈褟屑懈 芯斜 懈褋褌懈薪薪芯屑 写褉邪泻芯薪械. 啸芯褌褟 褝褌芯 写芯 锌芯褉褘. 袣芯谐写邪 谐械褉芯泄 锌芯薪懈屑邪械褌, 泻邪泻褍褞 芯锌邪褋薪芯褋褌褜 锌褉械写褋褌邪胁谢褟械褌 谢械写懈-写褉邪泻芯薪 写谢褟 械谐芯 写芯褔械褉懈 胁 褉械邪谢褜薪芯褋褌懈, 芯薪 锌褉芯褋懈褌 泻芯褉芯谢械胁褍 蟹邪斜褉邪褌褜 写械胁褍褕泻褍 胁 蟹邪屑芯泻. 袦懈褉 袧械褌褌谢 斜械蟹 褌芯谐芯 锌芯褕械谢 褌褉械褖懈薪邪屑懈: 斜褉邪褌懈褕泻邪 小胁懈褎褌 褋斜械卸邪谢, 芯褌械褑 锌褍褋褌懈谢褋褟 薪邪 锌芯懈褋泻懈 懈 斜褘谢 芯谐褉邪斜谢械薪-懈蟹斜懈褌; 锌芯褋谢械 褌芯褌, 泻褌芯 褟胁谢褟谢褋褟 械泄 胁 褋薪芯胁懈写械薪懈褟褏 胁 芯斜褉邪蟹械 胁芯谢泻邪 懈 泻芯谐芯 芯薪邪 褋褔懈褌邪谢邪 写褉褍谐芯屑, 芯斜械褖邪谢 胁芯蟹胁褉邪褖械薪懈械 斜褉邪褌邪, 薪芯 褌芯褌 褌邪泻 懈 薪械 锌芯褟胁懈谢褋褟 (薪邪 褋邪屑芯屑 写械谢械, 肖懈褌褑 芯褌芯褋谢邪谢 屑邪谢褜褔懈褕泻褍 写芯屑芯泄, 褍蟹薪邪胁, 褔褌芯 褋械屑褜褟 薪械 芯褌锌褉邪胁谢褟谢邪 械谐芯 胁 袟邪屑芯泻 写谢褟 芯斜褍褔械薪懈褟 褍懈褌褍, 薪芯 褌芯褌 薪邪褕械谢 褋锌芯褋芯斜 锌褉芯斜褉邪褌褜褋褟 薪邪 泻芯褉邪斜谢褜 锌芯褋芯谢褜褋褌胁邪, 薪邪薪褟胁褕懈褋褜 锌邪卸芯屑). 袗 褌褍褌 械褖械 懈 芯褌褉褘胁邪褞褌 芯褌 褋械屑褜懈, 胁械蟹褍褌 胁 屑械褋褌芯, 谐写械 蟹邪薪芯褋褔懈胁褘械 锌褉懈写胁芯褉薪褘械 斜褍写褍褌 锌芯褌械褕邪褌褜褋褟 薪邪写 薪械泄, 褎械褉屑械褉褋泻芯泄 写芯褔泻芯泄. 袠 芯薪邪 褉邪蟹褉褘胁邪械褌 褋胁褟蟹褜 褋 肖懈褌褑械屑.
袙 褝褌芯屑 胁褋褟 袪芯斜懈薪 啸芯斜斜, 褋 褍锌芯懈褌械谢褜薪芯泄 薪械锌褉芯褋褌芯褌芯泄 械械 屑懈褉邪, 谐写械 薪械 斜褘胁邪械褌 褔械褉薪芯谐芯 懈 斜械谢芯谐芯, 褋褍谐褍斜芯 锌芯谢芯卸懈褌械谢褜薪褘褏 懈 锌褉褟屑芯 芯褌褉懈褑邪褌械谢褜薪褘褏 谐械褉芯械胁. 袧褍, 褌芯 械褋褌褜, 芯褌褗褟胁谢械薪薪褘械 蟹谢芯写械懈 褌邪泻懈 械褋褌褜, 薪芯 "薪邪褕懈" 薪懈泻芯谐写邪 薪械 斜械蟹芯谐芯胁芯褉芯褔薪芯 褏芯褉芯褕懈,懈 锌械褉械薪械褋械薪薪褘械 褋褌褉邪写邪薪懈褟 胁泻褍锌械 褋 锌褉械卸薪懈屑懈 蟹邪褋谢褍谐邪屑懈, 薪械 写邪褞褌 锌芯卸懈蟹薪械薪薪芯泄 懈薪写褍谢褜谐械薪褑懈懈, 胁褋褟泻懈泄 褉邪蟹 蟹邪薪芯胁芯 褋褌邪胁褟 锌械褉械写 薪芯胁褘屑 薪械锌褉芯褋褌褘屑 胁褘斜芯褉芯屑. 袙芯褌 懈 褌械锌械褉褜, 楔褍褌 锌褉懈蟹薪邪械褌褋褟 谐械褉芯褞, 褔褌芯 薪邪屑械褉械薪 锌芯屑械褕邪褌褜 褍斜懈泄褋褌胁褍 袗泄褋褎懈褉邪, 褔褌芯 胁芯蟹褉芯卸写械薪懈械 协褉褘 袛褉邪泻芯薪芯胁, 泻芯褌芯褉芯械 褋褌邪薪械褌 褉械蟹褍谢褜褌邪褌芯屑 胁褋褌褉械褔懈 芯卸懈胁谢械薪薪芯谐芯 效械褉薪芯谐芯 懈 孝懈薪褌邪谢褜懈 薪械 褋褍谢懈褌 褔械谢芯胁械褔械褋褌胁褍 谢械谐泻芯泄 卸懈蟹薪懈, 薪芯 芯薪芯 薪械芯斜褏芯写懈屑芯, 褔褌芯斜褘 屑懈褉 薪械 褉褍褏薪褍谢. 协褌芯 薪械 褌芯谢褜泻芯 褋褌邪胁懈褌 锌芯写 褍谐褉芯蟹褍 屑懈褋褋懈褞, 薪芯 谐褉芯蟹懈褌 褋屑械褉褌褜褞 褋邪屑芯屑褍 楔褍褌褍, 褋 褔械屑 肖懈褌褑 褋屑懈褉懈褌褜褋褟 薪械 屑芯卸械褌. 小锌邪褋邪褟 写褉褍谐邪, 芯薪 写芯谢卸械薪 薪械 写芯锌褍褋褌懈褌褜 械谐芯 褍褔邪褋褌懈褟 胁 褝泻褋锌械写懈褑懈懈, 褌械屑 锌褉械写邪胁邪褟 械谐芯.
袘械褋泻芯薪械褔薪褘械 泻邪褔械谢懈 屑械卸写褍 卸械谢邪薪懈械屑 懈 写芯谢谐芯屑, 谢褞斜芯胁褜褞 懈 薪械薪邪胁懈褋褌褜褞, 卸懈蟹薪褜褞 懈 褋屑械褉褌褜褞, 泻褉邪褋芯褌芯泄 懈 褍褉芯写褋褌胁芯屑 芯褋褌邪薪芯胁褟褌褋褟 胁 褎懈薪邪谢械 (薪邪 胁褉械屑褟, 锌芯褌芯屑褍 褔褌芯 斜褍写械褌 械褖械 锌褉芯写芯谢卸械薪懈械) 胁 薪邪懈斜芯谢械械 斜谢邪谐芯锌褉懈褟褌薪芯泄 写谢褟 谢褞斜懈屑褘褏 谐械褉芯械胁 褌芯褔泻械, 锌芯写邪褉懈胁 懈屑 薪械泻芯褌芯褉芯械 胁褉械屑褟 锌械褉械写褘褕泻懈, 邪 薪邪褋 褍泻褉械锌懈胁 胁 (胁械褋褜屑邪 芯褌薪芯褋懈褌械谢褜薪芯泄) 胁械褉械 胁 锌芯斜械写褍 写芯斜褉邪. 袧褍 写芯谢卸薪芯 卸械 褏芯褉芯褕懈屑 谢褞写褟屑 锌芯胁械蟹褌懈 褏芯褌褜 胁 泻薪懈谐邪褏!
That's what Robin Hobb is all about, with the delightful vagueness of her world, where there are no black and white, purely positive and downright negative characters. Well, that is, there are notorious villains, but "ours" are never unconditionally good, and the suffering endured, coupled with previous achievements, does not give a lifetime of indulgence, each time facing a new difficult choice.
The endless swings between desire and duty, love and hate, life and death, beauty and ugliness will stop in the finale (for a while, because there will be more) at the most favorable point for the beloved characters, giving them some time off, and strengthening us in the (very relative) belief in the victory of goodness. Well, good people should be lucky at least in books!
袘褍写懈褌褜 写褉邪泻芯薪邪
校蟹薪邪褌褜 写褉褍谐 写褉褍谐邪 鈥� 懈 胁褋械 锌芯褌械褉褟褌褜,
袠 卸懈褌褜鈥� 懈 薪械 卸懈褌褜鈥� 薪械 卸懈褌褜.
袙褋褟泻懈泄 褉邪蟹, 胁芯蟹胁褉邪褖邪褟褋褜 泻 袪芯斜懈薪 啸芯斜斜 懈 褔褍胁褋褌胁褍褟 泻芯蟹褜屑邪锌褉褍褌泻芯胁褋泻芯械 "褋谢芯胁薪芯 褉邪蟹谐芯胁邪褉懈胁邪褌褜 褋 写褉褍谐芯屑 锌芯褋谢械 写芯谢谐芯泄 褉邪蟹谢褍泻懈", 褟 褍写懈胁谢褟褞褋褜, 锌芯褔械屑褍 薪械 褔懈褌邪褞 械械 泻薪懈谐, 褋 泻芯褌芯褉褘屑懈 褌邪泻 褏芯褉芯褕芯, 锌芯写褉褟写. 袣邪卸写褘泄 褉邪蟹, 蟹邪泻邪薪褔懈胁邪褟 芯褔械褉械写薪芯泄 褑懈泻谢 - 邪 锌懈褕械褌 芯薪邪, 锌芯 斜芯谢褜褕械泄 褔邪褋褌懈, 褌褉懈谢芯谐懈褟屑懈 - 锌芯薪懈屑邪褞, 褔褌芯 屑邪褋褋懈胁 锌褉懈屑械褉薪芯 薪邪 写胁械 褌褘褋褟褔懈 褋褌褉邪薪懈褑, 懈 械褋褌褜 褌邪 褋邪屑邪褟 锌褉懈褔懈薪邪. 袩芯谐褉褍卸械薪懈械 胁 屑懈褉褘 啸芯斜斜, 褋芯 褋褌邪薪写邪褉褌薪褘屑 写谢褟 薪械械: 锌械褉胁褘泄 褉芯屑邪薪 褌褉懈谢芯谐懈懈 褋褌褉邪薪懈褑 薪邪 650, 胁褌芯褉芯泄 薪邪 820, 褌褉械褌懈泄 薪邪 890 - 斜械褉械褌 屑薪芯谐芯 胁褉械屑械薪懈, 褋懈谢, 胁薪懈屑邪薪懈褟. 袟邪屑械褌褜褌械 薪懈泻褌芯 懈蟹 褔懈褌邪褌械谢械泄 薪械 锌械薪褟械褌 薪邪 褔褉械蟹屑械褉薪褍褞 蟹邪褌褟薪褍褌芯褋褌褜 懈 薪械 褋芯芯斜褖邪械褌, 褔褌芯 械褋谢懈 斜褘 褋芯泻褉邪褌懈褌褜 胁写胁芯械 (胁褌褉芯械. 胁褔械褌胁械褉芯) 胁褘褕谢邪 斜褘 芯褌谢懈褔薪邪褟 胁械褖褜, 邪 褌邪泻... 小芯斜褘褌懈泄薪邪褟 锌谢芯褌薪芯褋褌褜, 胁薪械蟹邪锌薪褘械 锌芯胁芯褉芯褌褘 褋褞卸械褌邪, 斜械蟹褍锌褉械褔薪邪褟 锌芯胁械褋褌胁芯胁邪褌械谢褜薪邪褟 谢芯谐懈泻邪 懈 屑芯褌懈胁懈褉芯胁邪薪薪芯褋褌褜 锌械褉褋芯薪邪卸械泄, 泻邪卸写芯谐芯 懈蟹 泻芯褌芯褉褘褏 胁懈写懈褕褜 卸懈胁褘屑 - 蟹写械褋褜 泻邪卸写芯械 褋谢芯胁芯 薪邪 屑械褋褌械. 袧芯 褝褌芯 懈屑械薪薪芯 褋褌褉邪薪褋褌胁懈械 锌芯 屑懈褉褍 锌懈褋邪褌械谢褜薪懈褑褘, 薪械 褌褍褉懈褋褌懈褔械褋泻懈泄 褝泻褋泻褍褉褋懈芯薪薪褘泄 薪邪斜械谐, 懈 胁 薪邪褕械 褌芯褉芯锌谢懈胁芯械 胁褉械屑褟 薪褍卸薪芯 芯褔械薪褜 褋芯褋泻褍褔懈褌褜褋褟 锌芯 褏芯褉芯褕械屑褍, 褔褌芯斜褘 锌褉械薪械斜褉械褔褜 褌褟谐芯褌邪屑懈 锌褍褌械褕械褋褌胁懈褟 褉邪写懈 写邪褉褍械屑褘褏 懈屑 褉邪写芯褋褌械泄.
袨写薪邪泻芯 泻谢褞褔械胁芯械 蟹写械褋褜 "褋芯褋泻褍褔懈褌褜褋褟 锌芯 褏芯褉芯褕械屑褍", 懈 械褋谢懈 胁邪褋 薪械 锌褍谐邪褞褌 泻薪懈谐懈 芯斜褗械屑芯屑 斜芯谢褜褕械 锌芯谢褍褌芯褉邪 褋芯褌械薪 褋褌褉邪薪懈褑 - 胁邪屑 褋褞写邪. "小褍写褜斜邪 褕褍褌邪" 泻褍谢褜屑懈薪邪褑懈褟 "小邪谐懈 芯 楔褍褌械 懈 校斜懈泄褑械". 薪邪锌芯屑薪褞, 褍褋谢芯胁懈械 锌芯屑芯谢胁泻懈 锌褉懈薪褑邪 袛褜褞褌懈褎褍谢邪 褋 薪邪褋谢械写薪懈褑械泄 泻芯褉芯薪褘 袙薪械褕薪懈褏 芯褋褌褉芯胁芯胁, 锌褉懈蟹胁邪薪薪芯泄 蟹邪泻褉械锌懈褌褜 屑懈褉 懈 褋芯写械泄褋褌胁芯胁邪褌褜 胁蟹邪懈屑芯胁褘谐芯写薪芯泄 褌芯褉谐芯胁谢械 - 谐芯谢芯胁邪 胁屑械褉蟹褕械谐芯 胁 谢械写 写褉邪泻芯薪邪 袗泄褋褎懈褉邪, 泻芯褌芯褉邪褟 写芯谢卸薪邪 斜褘褌褜 写芯褋褌邪胁谢械薪邪 卸械薪懈褏芯屑 泻 屑邪褌械褉懈薪褋泻芯屑褍 芯褔邪谐褍 薪械胁械褋褌褘. 袙褘 斜褘 褋芯谐谢邪褋懈谢懈褋褜 薪邪 褌邪泻褍褞 邪胁邪薪褌褞褉褍? 袧械褌? 携 褌芯卸械. 袙芯褌 锌芯褌芯屑褍 屑褘 褋 胁邪屑懈 薪械 谐械褉芯懈 褝锌懈褔械褋泻芯谐芯 褎褝薪褌械蟹懈. 袚械褉芯泄 锌褟褌薪邪写褑邪褌懈谢械褌薪懈泄 袛褜褞褌懈褎褍谢, 泻芯褌芯褉芯谐芯 蟹邪薪芯褋褔懈胁邪褟, 写邪 泻 褌芯屑褍 卸械 薪邪胁褟蟹邪薪薪邪褟, 薪械胁械褋褌邪 褋泻芯褉械械 胁褘斜械褕懈胁邪械褌, 褔械屑 锌褉懈胁谢械泻邪械褌 - 芯薪 褋芯谐谢邪褕邪械褌褋褟.
袙 褏芯写械 锌谢邪胁邪薪懈褟 泻 袙薪械褕薪懈屑 芯褋褌褉芯胁邪屑, 谐谢邪胁薪褘泄 蟹芯谢芯褌芯胁邪谢褞褌薪褘泄 褉械蟹械褉胁 褋泻懈谢谢邪 楔械褋褌懈 袚械褉褑芯谐褋褌胁, 芯谢懈谐芯褎褉械薪 袨谢褍褏, 褋芯蟹写邪械褌 锌褉懈褋褌邪胁谢械薪薪芯屑褍 泻 薪械屑褍 肖懈褌褑褍 屑薪芯卸械褋褌胁芯 锌褉芯斜谢械屑, 褋褌邪胁褟 锌芯写 褍谐褉芯蟹褍 屑懈褋褋懈褞 胁 褑械谢芯屑. 袙薪械蟹邪锌薪芯 锌芯屑芯褖褜 锌褉懈褏芯写懈褌 芯褌 袧械褌褌谢, 褉芯写薪芯泄 写芯褔械褉懈 谐械褉芯褟, 薪邪写械谢械薪薪芯泄 褋褌懈褏懈泄薪褘屑 褋泻懈谢谢芯屑, 泻芯褌芯褉褘屑 芯胁谢邪写械谢邪 褋邪屑芯褋褌芯褟褌械谢褜薪芯. 袛械胁褍褕泻邪 写邪胁薪芯 锌褉懈褏芯写懈褌 胁 褋薪褘 肖懈褌褑邪, 写械屑芯薪褋褌褉懈褉褍褟 褍写懈胁懈褌械谢褜薪褍褞 褋锌芯褋芯斜薪芯褋褌褜 懈蟹屑械薪褟褌褜 褉械邪谢褜薪芯褋褌褜 胁 褏芯写械 褋薪芯褌胁芯褉褔械褋褌胁邪, 屑芯卸械褌 写邪卸械 懈蟹谐芯薪褟褌褜 写褉邪泻芯薪懈褑褍 孝懈薪褌邪谢褜褞, 泻芯褌芯褉邪褟 胁褋械 薪邪褋褌芯泄褔懈胁械械 胁褌芯褉谐邪械褌褋褟 胁 薪懈褏 蟹邪 褋胁械写械薪懈褟屑懈 芯斜 懈褋褌懈薪薪芯屑 写褉邪泻芯薪械. 啸芯褌褟 褝褌芯 写芯 锌芯褉褘. 袣芯谐写邪 谐械褉芯泄 锌芯薪懈屑邪械褌, 泻邪泻褍褞 芯锌邪褋薪芯褋褌褜 锌褉械写褋褌邪胁谢褟械褌 谢械写懈-写褉邪泻芯薪 写谢褟 械谐芯 写芯褔械褉懈 胁 褉械邪谢褜薪芯褋褌懈, 芯薪 锌褉芯褋懈褌 泻芯褉芯谢械胁褍 蟹邪斜褉邪褌褜 写械胁褍褕泻褍 胁 蟹邪屑芯泻. 袦懈褉 袧械褌褌谢 斜械蟹 褌芯谐芯 锌芯褕械谢 褌褉械褖懈薪邪屑懈: 斜褉邪褌懈褕泻邪 小胁懈褎褌 褋斜械卸邪谢, 芯褌械褑 锌褍褋褌懈谢褋褟 薪邪 锌芯懈褋泻懈 懈 斜褘谢 芯谐褉邪斜谢械薪-懈蟹斜懈褌; 锌芯褋谢械 褌芯褌, 泻褌芯 褟胁谢褟谢褋褟 械泄 胁 褋薪芯胁懈写械薪懈褟褏 胁 芯斜褉邪蟹械 胁芯谢泻邪 懈 泻芯谐芯 芯薪邪 褋褔懈褌邪谢邪 写褉褍谐芯屑, 芯斜械褖邪谢 胁芯蟹胁褉邪褖械薪懈械 斜褉邪褌邪, 薪芯 褌芯褌 褌邪泻 懈 薪械 锌芯褟胁懈谢褋褟 (薪邪 褋邪屑芯屑 写械谢械, 肖懈褌褑 芯褌芯褋谢邪谢 屑邪谢褜褔懈褕泻褍 写芯屑芯泄, 褍蟹薪邪胁, 褔褌芯 褋械屑褜褟 薪械 芯褌锌褉邪胁谢褟谢邪 械谐芯 胁 袟邪屑芯泻 写谢褟 芯斜褍褔械薪懈褟 褍懈褌褍, 薪芯 褌芯褌 薪邪褕械谢 褋锌芯褋芯斜 锌褉芯斜褉邪褌褜褋褟 薪邪 泻芯褉邪斜谢褜 锌芯褋芯谢褜褋褌胁邪, 薪邪薪褟胁褕懈褋褜 锌邪卸芯屑). 袗 褌褍褌 械褖械 懈 芯褌褉褘胁邪褞褌 芯褌 褋械屑褜懈, 胁械蟹褍褌 胁 屑械褋褌芯, 谐写械 蟹邪薪芯褋褔懈胁褘械 锌褉懈写胁芯褉薪褘械 斜褍写褍褌 锌芯褌械褕邪褌褜褋褟 薪邪写 薪械泄, 褎械褉屑械褉褋泻芯泄 写芯褔泻芯泄. 袠 芯薪邪 褉邪蟹褉褘胁邪械褌 褋胁褟蟹褜 褋 肖懈褌褑械屑.
袙 褝褌芯屑 胁褋褟 袪芯斜懈薪 啸芯斜斜, 褋 褍锌芯懈褌械谢褜薪芯泄 薪械锌褉芯褋褌芯褌芯泄 械械 屑懈褉邪, 谐写械 薪械 斜褘胁邪械褌 褔械褉薪芯谐芯 懈 斜械谢芯谐芯, 褋褍谐褍斜芯 锌芯谢芯卸懈褌械谢褜薪褘褏 懈 锌褉褟屑芯 芯褌褉懈褑邪褌械谢褜薪褘褏 谐械褉芯械胁. 袧褍, 褌芯 械褋褌褜, 芯褌褗褟胁谢械薪薪褘械 蟹谢芯写械懈 褌邪泻懈 械褋褌褜, 薪芯 "薪邪褕懈" 薪懈泻芯谐写邪 薪械 斜械蟹芯谐芯胁芯褉芯褔薪芯 褏芯褉芯褕懈,懈 锌械褉械薪械褋械薪薪褘械 褋褌褉邪写邪薪懈褟 胁泻褍锌械 褋 锌褉械卸薪懈屑懈 蟹邪褋谢褍谐邪屑懈, 薪械 写邪褞褌 锌芯卸懈蟹薪械薪薪芯泄 懈薪写褍谢褜谐械薪褑懈懈, 胁褋褟泻懈泄 褉邪蟹 蟹邪薪芯胁芯 褋褌邪胁褟 锌械褉械写 薪芯胁褘屑 薪械锌褉芯褋褌褘屑 胁褘斜芯褉芯屑. 袙芯褌 懈 褌械锌械褉褜, 楔褍褌 锌褉懈蟹薪邪械褌褋褟 谐械褉芯褞, 褔褌芯 薪邪屑械褉械薪 锌芯屑械褕邪褌褜 褍斜懈泄褋褌胁褍 袗泄褋褎懈褉邪, 褔褌芯 胁芯蟹褉芯卸写械薪懈械 协褉褘 袛褉邪泻芯薪芯胁, 泻芯褌芯褉芯械 褋褌邪薪械褌 褉械蟹褍谢褜褌邪褌芯屑 胁褋褌褉械褔懈 芯卸懈胁谢械薪薪芯谐芯 效械褉薪芯谐芯 懈 孝懈薪褌邪谢褜懈 薪械 褋褍谢懈褌 褔械谢芯胁械褔械褋褌胁褍 谢械谐泻芯泄 卸懈蟹薪懈, 薪芯 芯薪芯 薪械芯斜褏芯写懈屑芯, 褔褌芯斜褘 屑懈褉 薪械 褉褍褏薪褍谢. 协褌芯 薪械 褌芯谢褜泻芯 褋褌邪胁懈褌 锌芯写 褍谐褉芯蟹褍 屑懈褋褋懈褞, 薪芯 谐褉芯蟹懈褌 褋屑械褉褌褜褞 褋邪屑芯屑褍 楔褍褌褍, 褋 褔械屑 肖懈褌褑 褋屑懈褉懈褌褜褋褟 薪械 屑芯卸械褌. 小锌邪褋邪褟 写褉褍谐邪, 芯薪 写芯谢卸械薪 薪械 写芯锌褍褋褌懈褌褜 械谐芯 褍褔邪褋褌懈褟 胁 褝泻褋锌械写懈褑懈懈, 褌械屑 锌褉械写邪胁邪褟 械谐芯.
袘械褋泻芯薪械褔薪褘械 泻邪褔械谢懈 屑械卸写褍 卸械谢邪薪懈械屑 懈 写芯谢谐芯屑, 谢褞斜芯胁褜褞 懈 薪械薪邪胁懈褋褌褜褞, 卸懈蟹薪褜褞 懈 褋屑械褉褌褜褞, 泻褉邪褋芯褌芯泄 懈 褍褉芯写褋褌胁芯屑 芯褋褌邪薪芯胁褟褌褋褟 胁 褎懈薪邪谢械 (薪邪 胁褉械屑褟, 锌芯褌芯屑褍 褔褌芯 斜褍写械褌 械褖械 锌褉芯写芯谢卸械薪懈械) 胁 薪邪懈斜芯谢械械 斜谢邪谐芯锌褉懈褟褌薪芯泄 写谢褟 谢褞斜懈屑褘褏 谐械褉芯械胁 褌芯褔泻械, 锌芯写邪褉懈胁 懈屑 薪械泻芯褌芯褉芯械 胁褉械屑褟 锌械褉械写褘褕泻懈, 邪 薪邪褋 褍泻褉械锌懈胁 胁 (胁械褋褜屑邪 芯褌薪芯褋懈褌械谢褜薪芯泄) 胁械褉械 胁 锌芯斜械写褍 写芯斜褉邪. 袧褍 写芯谢卸薪芯 卸械 褏芯褉芯褕懈屑 谢褞写褟屑 锌芯胁械蟹褌懈 褏芯褌褜 胁 泻薪懈谐邪褏!
Read
February 6, 2012I was very happy with this series (though I wouldn't recommend anyone read it without reading the Farseer trilogy first). I must have been happy because I read all three books within a week at the cost of many hours of sleep.
However, can I just say to those of you who have read these books that I couldn't really buy the Molly thing? Is anyone with me on this? I understand she represents home and hearth for him (or cave and cubs!) and perhaps his lost youth. But she just wasn't a compelling character for me. More like a port in which to dock a ship.
However, can I just say to those of you who have read these books that I couldn't really buy the Molly thing? Is anyone with me on this? I understand she represents home and hearth for him (or cave and cubs!) and perhaps his lost youth. But she just wasn't a compelling character for me. More like a port in which to dock a ship.
March 26, 2017
Things picked up a lot from the second book in this trilogy, and this conclusion to the Tawny Man series became highly entertaining and compelling. I loved how things developed for Fitz and obviously, I loved the conclusion as well. Right now, I'm actually tempted to continue reading about him in Hobb's 5th series that takes place in this world, but for now I will just enjoy what I've already read of him because it was really good :)
August 16, 2021
So viel Liebe!!馃ぇ馃ぇ鉂わ笍鉂わ笍鉂わ笍鉂わ笍鉂わ笍
February 21, 2024
鈥淓very small, unselfish action nudges the world into a better path. An accumulation of small acts can change the world.鈥�
鈥淔ool鈥檚 Fate鈥� is the third book in the Tawny Man trilogy of Robin Hobb鈥檚 Realm of the Elderlings series. And what an ending.
Fitz, now Tom Badgerlock, must now accompany Prince Dutiful on his quest to kill the dragon Icefyre as tasked by Ellania, to prove his worthiness. Icefyre has passed into legend and not many believe in his existence but the Fool knows that he exists and informs Fitz that for the world to shift to a better place, Icefyre must live. Fitz is torn between his duty to the Farseer throne and his friendship, though strained, with his Fool. But when the Fool speaks of visions of his death, Fitz is determined to keep him at Buckkeep Castle, safe. For it is at Icefyre鈥檚 legendary home鈥擜slevjal, that the fool鈥檚 fate would come to pass.
鈥楧on't be stupid! I'm not going to let you die, Fool!' My throat suddenly closed. I picked up my cooling cup of tea and gulped from it hastily.
He caught his breath and then laughed, a sound like glass breaking. Tears stood in his eyes. 'You believe that so thoroughly, don't you? Ah, Beloved. Of all the things I must bid farewell to, you are the one most difficult to lose. Forgive me that I have avoided you. Better, perhaps, that we make a space between us and become accustomed to it before fate forces that upon us.'
That鈥檚 all I鈥檓 going to say about the book because from here on, it鈥檚 just spoilers. I鈥檝e marked them but I know some phones don鈥檛 block them out.
July 13, 2021
The Beautiful, and heart wrenching finale to Tawny Man trilogy is another masterpiece from Robin Hobb
Updating to say that 9.6/10 was too harsh, and that is basically the rating of a hater, so bumping it up to
It just got better with age, and time to sit on it
9.8/10
Updating to say that 9.6/10 was too harsh, and that is basically the rating of a hater, so bumping it up to
It just got better with age, and time to sit on it
9.8/10
July 11, 2017
This one was so difficult for me. It was so emotional and so wonderful, yet at the same time devastated me beyond belief.
I'm so happy with how this ended and a small part of me wants to leave it there. Fitz is happy. He is in his children's life, he has Molly again and a life he is happy to live. The Fool is no longer a part of his life for he has gone on his own path.
I shall continue with the series however. The Rain Wild Chronicles awaits me next and then The Fitz and The Fool trilogy. The title of the latter makes me hopeful I will see my Beloved's meet again.
I doubt fate really has had enough with the Catalyst.
This trilogy is my favourite so far. If I had to rate them in order it would go:
1) Tawny Man
2) Farseer
3) Liveship Traders
Not that I don't like the Liveship trilogy. I love it but it's my least favourite of the three I've read.
So much character development in this story. I've loved every minute of seeing Fitz grow into the man he is. He grew the most in this trilogy in so many ways. He has always been loyal to the Farseer's, but in this trilogy I think he realised that he is a Farseer too. He can be loyal to himself and seek the life that he wants and deserves. He is the Changer, the Catalyst. He realises now what the Fool has told him since they were both boys.
He has become the man Burrich and Verity wanted him to be. A good father to all his children biological or not. He is ever faithful to those he loves, his pack.
I am still mourning Nighteyes. I don't think I'll ever get over that.
The Fool. My God he broke me. The character of The Fool takes Sacrifice to whole new level. He sacrificed everything in this trilogy. His life, his love, his best friend, and his death. He suffered so damn much. It physically hurts my heart to think of what he endured. He has gone through Fitz's multiple deaths, bringing him back to life to use him as Catalyst. Something that I'm sure he hated himself for. I think In the end he just wanted peace for Fitz, even in death.
Fitz and the Fool's argument in the second book of the trilogy cost him dearly. A love so pure tarnished by ugly words said in anger.
He prophesied his own death and went to it knowingly. He knew he would be tortured and torn apart but he knew he had to die for the future he had seen for Fitz to come true. He died a horrible, painful death for his Beloved to get a chance of the life he should of had anyway. For this he truly was braver than he let on.
He also had to come alive again. Once Fitz brings him back to life he is living past his time line. He no longer sees the path before him and can no longer set his catalyst on the needed path. So, not only does he need to live with the memories of his torture but he has to leave his best friend. For he knows that if he stays with him, he would alter the future of happiness that he foresaw for Fitz. A future in which The Fool is not alive nor part of. Man, even though it will never happen I will always ship Fitz and the Fool. Always!
This series keeps getting better. I'm worried that I won't enjoy the Rain Wild books and I hope to make my way through them quickly as they are considerably shorter. But then I'll be on the last trilogy and that makes me very sad indeed. A least I can look forward to dragons.
I have many thoughts. I don't think I'll ever get them all down.
I will say that I'm not a crier when it comes to books. I'm not an emotional person by any means. I've never full on sobbed with tears at any book but man. So many times this series has had tears welling in my eyes, maybe one rolled down my cheek every now and then. Perhaps I'm overly attached to these characters now, it shows that Hobb's writing is phenomenal when it can make this cold heart, warm.
I'm so happy with how this ended and a small part of me wants to leave it there. Fitz is happy. He is in his children's life, he has Molly again and a life he is happy to live. The Fool is no longer a part of his life for he has gone on his own path.
I shall continue with the series however. The Rain Wild Chronicles awaits me next and then The Fitz and The Fool trilogy. The title of the latter makes me hopeful I will see my Beloved's meet again.
I doubt fate really has had enough with the Catalyst.
This trilogy is my favourite so far. If I had to rate them in order it would go:
1) Tawny Man
2) Farseer
3) Liveship Traders
Not that I don't like the Liveship trilogy. I love it but it's my least favourite of the three I've read.
So much character development in this story. I've loved every minute of seeing Fitz grow into the man he is. He grew the most in this trilogy in so many ways. He has always been loyal to the Farseer's, but in this trilogy I think he realised that he is a Farseer too. He can be loyal to himself and seek the life that he wants and deserves. He is the Changer, the Catalyst. He realises now what the Fool has told him since they were both boys.
He has become the man Burrich and Verity wanted him to be. A good father to all his children biological or not. He is ever faithful to those he loves, his pack.
I am still mourning Nighteyes. I don't think I'll ever get over that.
The Fool. My God he broke me. The character of The Fool takes Sacrifice to whole new level. He sacrificed everything in this trilogy. His life, his love, his best friend, and his death. He suffered so damn much. It physically hurts my heart to think of what he endured. He has gone through Fitz's multiple deaths, bringing him back to life to use him as Catalyst. Something that I'm sure he hated himself for. I think In the end he just wanted peace for Fitz, even in death.
Fitz and the Fool's argument in the second book of the trilogy cost him dearly. A love so pure tarnished by ugly words said in anger.
He prophesied his own death and went to it knowingly. He knew he would be tortured and torn apart but he knew he had to die for the future he had seen for Fitz to come true. He died a horrible, painful death for his Beloved to get a chance of the life he should of had anyway. For this he truly was braver than he let on.
He also had to come alive again. Once Fitz brings him back to life he is living past his time line. He no longer sees the path before him and can no longer set his catalyst on the needed path. So, not only does he need to live with the memories of his torture but he has to leave his best friend. For he knows that if he stays with him, he would alter the future of happiness that he foresaw for Fitz. A future in which The Fool is not alive nor part of. Man, even though it will never happen I will always ship Fitz and the Fool. Always!
This series keeps getting better. I'm worried that I won't enjoy the Rain Wild books and I hope to make my way through them quickly as they are considerably shorter. But then I'll be on the last trilogy and that makes me very sad indeed. A least I can look forward to dragons.
I have many thoughts. I don't think I'll ever get them all down.
I will say that I'm not a crier when it comes to books. I'm not an emotional person by any means. I've never full on sobbed with tears at any book but man. So many times this series has had tears welling in my eyes, maybe one rolled down my cheek every now and then. Perhaps I'm overly attached to these characters now, it shows that Hobb's writing is phenomenal when it can make this cold heart, warm.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 16, 2024
5 stars
the emotions I felt while reading this could not be found in a psychology textbook and probably should be studied
the emotions I felt while reading this could not be found in a psychology textbook and probably should be studied
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