Monday 20 January 2014

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Review: The Tawny Man Trilogy by Robin Hobb

The Tawny Man Trilogy by Robin Hobb

Fool's Errand by Robin Hobb The Golden Fool by Robin Hobb Fool's Fate by Robin Hobb

Fool's Errand, The Golden Fool
and Fool's Fate

In this fantastic follow up to the Farseer Trilogy and the Liveship Traders Trilogy (the third series set in the Realm of the Elderlings), FitzChivalry Farseer has been away from Buckeep for 15 years, living life as he wants. But he is reunited with the Fool when events bring him back to court. Prince Dutiful, heir to the Six Duchies, is to marry a Princess of the Outislands. There has been peace between the two peoples, but it is a guarded and wary peace, and Queen Kettricken wants to make it stronger with Dutiful's marriage. However Dutiful has vanished, days before his Betrothal Ceremony. The Prince's disappearance isn't the only thing Fitz has to worry about. Narcheska Elliana of the Outislands plans to set the prince a challenge to prove he's worthy – bring her the head of a dragon.

So after I finished The Farseer Trilogy, I jumped right in to The Tawny Man Trilogy. Fitz and the Fool, back together! I have to be honest and say that there is a companion trilogy set inbetween these two, The Liveship Traders Trilogy, but... although I loved those books, I didn't enjoy them as much as Fitz and the Fool together. And as I was preparing for the new Fitz and Fool series, I didn't mind skipping the Liveship Traders, though I am sure I will re-read them at some point and review them here.

Set 15 years on, Fitz is both the same and different. He's 35 now, with an adopted son and his own little home to take care of. He's responsible and careful... and yet he itches. The quiet life isn't exactly what he wanted. But when he is practically begged to come back to Buckeep to serve the crown again when Prince Dutiful goes missing, he does so reluctantly. He misses his life at Buckeep and being involved in everything, but he really does want his own life, to have a say in what it is he does. Fitz is the same because he can still be a little hotheaded and make rash decisions; inside, emotionally, he's still that 15-year-old boy, and wants the same things. The Fool, however, is pretty much the same. He's been away and he's learnt things, seen things, been involved in things... but he's still the Fool we all love. And he's just as cryptic, and just as certain they must save the world yet again.

This is a very emotional series, probably more so than The Farseer Trilogy, but it's awesome because of it. It's very honest, people are speaking more plainly about what they feel, and the truth comes out on many things. It's a series with a bittersweet ending. An ending that, until we were told different recently, wrapped up Fitz and the Fool's whole story. The end. Finished. And it was good. Sad, in some ways, but good in others. Much like life. But there's always the future. And Fitz is the Catalyst. So I guess we'll see what he's got to change next, soon. And I really cannot wait!

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Buy from:
Foyles



Published: 2003
Publisher: Harper Voyager
Robin Hobb's Website

My other reviews for books set in The Realm of the Elderings:
The Farseer Trilogy

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