Helpful Score: 2
Robin Hobb continues with her "Farseer" characters and they are just as wonderful, exciting, loveable and colorful as in her first trilogy. A must read for Robin Hobb fans.
Helpful Score: 2
Robin Hobb weaves complex, mesmerizing tales with astonishing plot twists that make her one of my very most favorite writers. This book is no exception. Definitely a must-read.
Beginning immediately after the events of 'Fool's Errand,' 'Golden Fool' sees Fitz finally return to Buckkeep - but still under the identity of Tom Badgerlock, servant to Lord Golden. He's supposed to be secretly teaching Prince Dutiful the Skill - but his own command of that magic is unreliable. Meanwhile, personal issues beset him at every turn - Fitz must manage his own personal grief and loss while simultaneously trying to balance his responsibilities to the Prince with those he has to his adopted son, Hap (who is doing none too well at his apprenticeship since he fell for a girl whose parents hate him). He's also having trouble with his own relationships with both the minstrel Starling and the hedge-witch Jinna. He's still trying to protect the daughter he's never met from her Farseer heritage - but is this really the wisest move? The Witted Piebalds are still threatening all those who bear the beast magic with exposure - and Fitz suspects that even the Prince's friend, Civil, may be false... Not only that, but Fitz' spying reveals that there is more of a mystery concerning the OutIsland clans and their reasons for betrothing their Narcheska to the Prince than was guessed... what are their real motivations?
Meanwhile, even as Queen Kettricken seeks to attain peace and stability for the Six Duchies, the Bingtown Traders seek to lure her into their war against Chalced with rich gifts and bizarre tales of dragons.
Hobb, in this book, does an excellent job of portraying a sympathetic character who yet has flaws, through that character's own perspective.
(I would highly recommend reading the Liveship Traders trilogy before this book - it's not 100% necessary - but there are some bits that gain much more significance if you've read those first....)
Meanwhile, even as Queen Kettricken seeks to attain peace and stability for the Six Duchies, the Bingtown Traders seek to lure her into their war against Chalced with rich gifts and bizarre tales of dragons.
Hobb, in this book, does an excellent job of portraying a sympathetic character who yet has flaws, through that character's own perspective.
(I would highly recommend reading the Liveship Traders trilogy before this book - it's not 100% necessary - but there are some bits that gain much more significance if you've read those first....)
The second book in a second trilogy -- we return here to the life of FitzChivalry Farseer as he makes a new secret life for himself in the background of his old one. If you've read this far in the series, you're going to finish no matter what, but this installment is a dissapointment. Self-indulgent and rambling, Hobb is crippled here by her choice of first person narrative -- a choice that works well in the first three books here become hobbling as most of the interesting action takes place outside of her narrators awareness. Moments in this book that should have been dramatic and climatic are relegated to banal narrations as her characters distrust of others gets in the way of our understanding and appreciating their character arcs. In general, as with the other two books of the Fool trilogy, I always felt as though I missing the real action, unlike in the first books, where Hobb more deftly wove the point of view of her first person narrator, who was essentially a backstage character, throughout the exciting events that were taking place. Still, you have to read it to get any closure on the whole series.
good follow up series
An excellent read! I love Robin Hobb's books. I didn't want to put this one down. If you're reading the Tawny Man series, make sure to read the Farseer Trilogy first. The Tawny Man series takes place 15 years later. You will understand much more if you read the Farseer Trilogy first. All excellent books. They will keep you rivited!
This is a review for the entire Tawny Man Trilogy (Fool's Errand, Golden Fool, Fool's Fate) because I find it almost impossible to rate them as individual books.
This series takes place 15 years after The Farseer Trilogy ends. Robin Hobb's Liveship Traders Trilogy occrs in the time between the two series. It is not necessary to read the Liveship Trilogy first (I would know because I skipped it, then came back to it after finishing Fool's Fate). However, reading 'Liveship' first would make the reading experience of 'Tawny Man' that much richer.
I cannot remember the last time I was so emotionally invested in a series, when a group of characters affected me as deeply as these. Fitz might be the narrator and hero of the story, but somehow The Fool manages to be the star. Watching them go through this series together was an amazing experience. I cannot think of another pair of characters I have enjoyed reading about more. The character of The Fool himself ranks as one of my all-time favorites from any genre.
If you cared about these characters at all in The Farseer Trilogy, you will consider them part of your family by the end of The Tawny Man Trilogy. Watching Fitz and The Fool go through this series togeher was both heart warming and heart breaking. The final chapters of the book haunt me still, and I'm not entirely sure if that is because of hope or disappointment.
The series itself ends just as Hobb has always ended her books... with a painfully real-life conclusion that is fitting as well as bittersweet. This series stayed with me for days after I finished it. I was truly sad to see it end. I was exhausted emotionally (Fitz never really does get a break) and exhausted physically (who needs sleep when you have another chapter to read?) but I wouldn't trade the experience for anything.
Treasure these books as you read them. Mourn the end. Then read them again.
This series takes place 15 years after The Farseer Trilogy ends. Robin Hobb's Liveship Traders Trilogy occrs in the time between the two series. It is not necessary to read the Liveship Trilogy first (I would know because I skipped it, then came back to it after finishing Fool's Fate). However, reading 'Liveship' first would make the reading experience of 'Tawny Man' that much richer.
I cannot remember the last time I was so emotionally invested in a series, when a group of characters affected me as deeply as these. Fitz might be the narrator and hero of the story, but somehow The Fool manages to be the star. Watching them go through this series together was an amazing experience. I cannot think of another pair of characters I have enjoyed reading about more. The character of The Fool himself ranks as one of my all-time favorites from any genre.
If you cared about these characters at all in The Farseer Trilogy, you will consider them part of your family by the end of The Tawny Man Trilogy. Watching Fitz and The Fool go through this series togeher was both heart warming and heart breaking. The final chapters of the book haunt me still, and I'm not entirely sure if that is because of hope or disappointment.
The series itself ends just as Hobb has always ended her books... with a painfully real-life conclusion that is fitting as well as bittersweet. This series stayed with me for days after I finished it. I was truly sad to see it end. I was exhausted emotionally (Fitz never really does get a break) and exhausted physically (who needs sleep when you have another chapter to read?) but I wouldn't trade the experience for anything.
Treasure these books as you read them. Mourn the end. Then read them again.
all 9 books of this tale should be read in sequence to really enjoy them. Start with the Assasin series, then the Liveship series and ending with the Fools series.
