Review of "Fool's Assassin (The Fitz and the Fool, #1)" on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
Holy shit.
Hardcover, 667 pages
English language
Published April 2, 2014 by Del Rey, Random House Publishing Group.
4 stars
(29 reviews)
"Nearly twenty years ago, Robin Hobb burst upon the fantasy scene with the first of her acclaimed Farseer novels, Assassin's Apprentice, which introduced the characters of FitzChivalry Farseer and his uncanny friend the Fool. A watershed moment in modern fantasy, this novel--and those that followed--broke exciting new ground in a beloved genre. Together with George R. R. Martin, Robin Hobb helped pave the way for such talented new voices as Scott Lynch, Brandon Sanderson, and Naomi Novik. Over the years, Hobb's imagination has soared throughout the mythic lands of the Six Duchies in such bestselling series as the Liveship Traders Trilogy and the Rain Wilds Chronicles. But no matter how far she roamed, her heart always remained with Fitz. And now, at last, she has come home, with an astonishing new novel that opens a dark and gripping chapter in the Farseer saga. FitzChivalry--royal bastard and former king's assassin--has left …
"Nearly twenty years ago, Robin Hobb burst upon the fantasy scene with the first of her acclaimed Farseer novels, Assassin's Apprentice, which introduced the characters of FitzChivalry Farseer and his uncanny friend the Fool. A watershed moment in modern fantasy, this novel--and those that followed--broke exciting new ground in a beloved genre. Together with George R. R. Martin, Robin Hobb helped pave the way for such talented new voices as Scott Lynch, Brandon Sanderson, and Naomi Novik. Over the years, Hobb's imagination has soared throughout the mythic lands of the Six Duchies in such bestselling series as the Liveship Traders Trilogy and the Rain Wilds Chronicles. But no matter how far she roamed, her heart always remained with Fitz. And now, at last, she has come home, with an astonishing new novel that opens a dark and gripping chapter in the Farseer saga. FitzChivalry--royal bastard and former king's assassin--has left his life of intrigue behind. As far as the rest of the world knows, FitzChivalry Farseer is dead and buried. Masquerading as Tom Badgerlock, Fitz is now married to his childhood sweetheart, Molly, and leading the quiet life of a country squire. Though Fitz is haunted by the disappearance of the Fool, who did so much to shape Fitz into the man he has become, such private hurts are put aside in the business of daily life, at least until the appearance of menacing, pale-skinned strangers casts a sinister shadow over Fitz's past. and his future. Now, to protect his new life, the former assassin must once again take up his old one. Praise for Robin Hobb and the Farseer Trilogy "Fantasy as it ought to be written. Robin Hobb's books are diamonds in a sea of zircons."--George R. R. Martin "A gleaming debut in the crowded field of epic fantasies. a delightful take on the powers and politics behind the throne."--Publishers Weekly, on Assassin's Apprentice "This is the kind of book you fall into, and start reading slower as you get to the end, because you don't want it to be over."--Steven Brust, on Assassin's Apprentice "[Robin] Hobb continues to revitalize a genre that often seems all too generic, making it new in ways that range from the subtle to the shocking."--Locus, on Royal Assassin "[Royal Assassin] reaches astonishing new heights. The Farseer saga is destined for greatness--a must-read for every devotee of epic fantasy."--Sense of Wonder "An enthralling conclusion to this superb trilogy, displaying an exceptional combination of originality, magic, adventure, character, and drama."--Kirkus Reviews (starred review), on Assassin's Quest "Superbly written, wholly satisfying, unforgettable: better than any fantasy trilogy in print--including mine!"--Melanie Rawn, on Assassin's Quest"--
"FitzChivalry--royal bastard and former king's assassin--has left his life of court intrigue at Buckkeep far behind. As far as the rest of the world knows, FitzChivalry Farseer is dead and buried. Masquerading as Tom Badgerlock, Fitz is now married and leading the quiet life of a country squire with his beloved Molly. The only fly in the ointment is the disappearance of his beloved childhood friend, the Fool, with whom he once shared so much. But for a former royal assassin, a quiet life is hard to maintain when old allegiances keep trying to pull him back, and new enemies come calling.."--
ASquareClaire@bookrastinating.com reviewed Fool's Assassin by Robin Hobb (The Fitz and the Fool, #1)
Review of "Fool's Assassin (The Fitz and the Fool, #1)" on 'Goodreads'
2 stars
The first 4/5 of this book were a bit slow to get through. I was listening to the audiobook & it was much better once I sped up the narration. I think it might have been better in print, since I would have been able to skim through much of it.
Once the plot picked up, it went super fast & got a lot better. I immediately went into the next book in the trilogy.
Steen Christiansen reviewed Fool's Assassin by Robin Hobb (The Fitz and the Fool, #1)
Review of "Fool's Assassin" on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
To suddenly hear another voice is first a shock but in the end it doesn't work.
Sean Gursky reviewed Fool's Assassin by Robin Hobb (The Fitz and the Fool, #1)
Review of "Fool's Assassin" on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
You might be surprised to find that facing life can be much harder than facing death.
We join Fitz and Molly in their twilight years decades after the events of the last trilogy. They live a quiet and modest life and are happy. The politics and intrigue of Buckkeep continue on but don't reach their peaceful home in Withywoods.
This story is like a lazy afternoon in the sun, daydreaming of times in the past and content with what life has given you now. The tale Hobb's writes floats along like a leaf on a quiet stream. It's not really going anywhere but it's a great journey. Being back in the world of Fitz is like catching up with an old friend and I was happy each time I read the book.
I have devoted many months to reading Hobb's work and know that this quiet lullaby will go somewhere …
You might be surprised to find that facing life can be much harder than facing death.
We join Fitz and Molly in their twilight years decades after the events of the last trilogy. They live a quiet and modest life and are happy. The politics and intrigue of Buckkeep continue on but don't reach their peaceful home in Withywoods.
This story is like a lazy afternoon in the sun, daydreaming of times in the past and content with what life has given you now. The tale Hobb's writes floats along like a leaf on a quiet stream. It's not really going anywhere but it's a great journey. Being back in the world of Fitz is like catching up with an old friend and I was happy each time I read the book.
I have devoted many months to reading Hobb's work and know that this quiet lullaby will go somewhere and this is a necessary step to reorientate the reader and come back in to the world. Slowly we are shaken from this reverie and have to deal with life. Tragedy happens, heart break occurs, the characters adapt and the story moves on.
It was better to leave the space empty of words than to choose the wrong ones.
I enjoyed the story before Bee was introduced, and like Fitz, it took some time to acclimatize to this new character. The alternate POV is an interesting change but the story still saunters along at the previous pace. There are some external pressures on our characters and the story continues to advance.
As the years, and pages, go by the end of the book is fast approaching and I am doubtful that anything substantial will happen. Then, in the final few chapters the story goes from calm and casual to frantic and furious and then we're hit with a cliffhanger and not sure where this burst of excitement came from.
A cliffhanger feels unnatural in the first book of a Hobb's trilogy but it acted like a hard slap across the face and got my attention. There was never a doubt I wouldn't continue with Fool's Quest but I regret that the peaceful story of Fool's Assassin has been burned to the ground and that quiet afternoon I enjoyed with Fitz and family will never come back.
