Series: Tawny Man #2, Realm of the Elderlings #8
Published by Spectra on December 21, 2003
Genres: Epic Fantasy
Pages: 709
Format: Paperback
Source: Purchased
Prince Dutiful has been rescued from his Piebald kidnappers and the court has resumed its normal rhythms. There FitzChivalry Farseer, gutted by the loss of his wolf bondmate, must take up residence at Buckkeep as a journeyman assassin.
Posing as a bodyguard, Fitz becomes the eyes and ears behind the walls, guiding a kingdom straying closer to civil strife each day. Amid a multitude of problems, Fitz must ensure that no one betrays the Prince’s secret—one that could topple the throne: that he, like Fitz, possesses the dread “beast magic.” Only Fitz’s friendship with the Fool brings him solace. But even that is shattered when devastating revelations from the Fool’s past are exposed. Bereft of support and adrift in intrigue, Fitz finds that his biggest challenge may be simply to survive.
Golden Fool picks up where Fool’s Errand left off. While the Piebalds continue to be a threat, the focus moves onto relations with the Outislanders. Following the conclusion of the Redship Wars in Assassin’s Quest (Farseer Trilogy #3, Elderling Realm #3), Queen Kettricken has been trying to forge a more lasting peace through a marriage alliance. Some of her people are interested in the trade benefits while some are against introducing more foreign blood into the royal family.
This book returns to Fitz’s roots as an assassin. With mystery and intrigue surrounding the Outislanders, Fitz supports his queen from the shadows—observing potential threats and seeking to nullify them before they become a serious threat. What’s different from the Farseer Trilogy is that Fitz has a lot more responsibilities. On top of becoming Skill Master, he is still dealing with the Pibalds, he has trouble from his children, and he has to maintain his front as Lord Golden’s bodyguard. All the while he mourns the loss of his heart brother.
Even as he tries to do right by his queen, Fitz’s life unravels. His past mistakes come back to haunt him, and he seems to keep messing things up or life messes with him. His life keeps falling in a downwards spiral. I kept wondering how Fitz would resolve everything, yet somehow things come to a close at the end, though not as cleanly as we would like. This is perfectly fine because it leaves room for further development in the final book of the trilogy.
What was most interesting to me in this book is Fitz’s relationship with the Fool. One of my favorite elements of the Elderling books has always been the relationship between Fitz and the Fool. I love their easy banter and the camaraderie that they’ve grown from their childhood years. However, new revelations come to light about the Fool and his doings over the last fifteen years, and Fitz responds before he thinks. His response reveals a deeply ingrained lack of trust that damages what trust they have built over the years. The conflict that comes between them in Golden Fool threatens one of the remaining foundations of Fitz’s world while revealing new depths to their relationship.
As usual, Robin Hobb delivers a deeply complex and realistic world with believable characters. Whether I like them or not, I can understand where the characters are coming from. I look forward to seeing how Fitz overcomes his past while once more bringing peace to the Six Duchies—and now the Out Islands—in Fool’s Fate.
Content
- Language / vulgarities
- Sex
- Violence
Chat With Me
Have you read the Farseer trilogy or any other books by Robin Hobb? What makes a world come to life for you?
Reese says
I haven’t read anything by Robin Hobb, but I intend to!
Crystal says
She’s a fantastic writer. I hope you enjoy her work, Reese!
Cee Arr says
Ha, that cover is like: ‘I am maketh-ing it rain, b***hes!’
…My brain is weird XD
Sabrina Fox says
I’m not too big on epic fantasies and I’ve enjoyed reading standalone novels as of late but this one kinda caught my attention. I’m going to go look up the first one and try to decide if I want to add it to my TBR or not. 🙂
Crystal says
This is one of my favorite series. I love how character driven it is. I hope you enjoy Assassin’s Apprentice, which I recommend reading first as it’s the start of the prequel trilogy, if you get the chance to read it!
Aleen @ Lampshade Reader says
This series sounds really interesting. I love the names of the characters, strange but fun! 🙂 Glad you’re enjoying them!
Crystal says
It’s a fantastic series, definitely one of my favorites. The characters’ names are interesting, yes! 🙂