Fool's Assassin: Book I of the Fitz and the Fool Trilogy

Fool’s Assassin by Robin Hobb, was described by George R. R. Martin as “fantasy as it ought to be written.” Until I read the novel, I didn’t really know quite what Martin meant, but having devoured this next episode in The Fitz and The Fool fables, I understand. This is a simply sublime book that takes the reader on an incredible emotional and psychological journey into family, love, paternity, childhood, and the difficulties of raising a child who’s deemed “different” and the immense suffering that comes with great love and loss. This novel reintroduces Fitz, the unwilling assassin, gifted with both The Wit and The Skill, the man who’s described as The Fool’s Catalyst and a power to be reckoned with in his own right. It also plunges readers back into the hauntingly beautiful and wonderfully imagined wider world Hobb has crafted over so many books and of which Fitz is an integral part. Now a middle-aged landholder, who goes by the name of Tom Badgerlock, Fitz is living a contented existence. Hiding in the counties, happy to live out his final years with his beloved wife Molly, he resists and resents the occasional call of the Farseer rulers and his former mentor, Chade. One cold, Winterfest night, a pale messenger seeks out Fitz. With the house of full of guests and strangers and as host, Fitz is much distracted. Too busy to see her, he sends a request she waits till morning. When she vanishes in a trail of blood before she can deliver her message, it’s a decision he lives to regret. Trying to put his perturbation behind him, Fitz cannot dismiss the messenger’s presence let alone disappearance entirely. What happened to her and what did she want? More importantly, who sent her? Years pass and it’s not till a miracle happens in Fitz’s and Molly’s life and a series of events follow that do not augur well, that the night of the messenger comes back to haunt Fitz. On the footsteps of great joy, tragedy must follow but it’s not until someone from Fitz’s past reappears in dire need that the king’s former assassin knows his life and that of all those he loves will never be the same again. I really cannot say too much more without risking spoiling what is an incredible, heart-wrenching, moving, joyous, tragic and simply astonishingly beautiful tale. There is a raw honesty and truth in every page, every word that lingers long after you close the novel for the night. I found the story and those populating it were at the back of my mind most days. When I finished the book, I wanted to discuss it with my friends, not only to shed light on the characters and their choices, but so I didn’t have to leave Fitz’s world. Each and every character in this tale is so real and raw – whether it’s a servant in the house, a distant relative, an unwelcome guest or a member of the immediate family. You live and breath each moment with them as their thoughts and thus hearts, souls and minds are laid bare. I think this is what made the book so utterly special and unputdownable. I made excuses not to work but to return to the novel over and over and felt so lost when I finished it. The hardest thing of all is knowing how long I have to wait to read the next instalment in the series… This isn’t just fantasy at its best – this is writing at its very finest. A story to be treasured and savoured.

I loved Robin Hobbs’ Farseer and Tawny Man trilogies, even though I haven’t really connected with her more recent series. So when I saw that she was revisiting the lives of the characters in those earlier series in her new novel, I knew I had to read it. And I’m glad I did. In Fool’s Assassin, the action picks up about a decade after the end of the Tawny Man series. Fitz is now married to the love of his life, Molly, and as Tom Badgerlock is living with her on the Withywoods estate that belonged to his royal father. They are happy together, although saddened a bit by the fact Molly and he have been unable to have another child together. However, after all hope is gone, Molly miraculously does give birth to a daughter, Bee, although the child is odd—blond when both her parents are dark, strangely undersized and slow to grow, unable to speak clearly—so that her parents question her health and intelligence. Gradually, though, it becomes obvious that in spite of all her physical oddities, there is nothing wrong with Bee’s intellect. But even her parents’ don’t know the full extent of the strangeness of her mind . . . . Meanwhile, Fitz frets about his inability to completely escape the demands of the Farseer throne. He also is hurt by the silence of the Fool, who has not communicated with him in years. It’s not until a strange messenger shows up, injured and dying, that Fitz realizes that the Fool has been trying to communicate with him. And given the state of the messenger, he apparently has terrible enemies. First of all, this is character-driven fantasy. Do not read this book if you want fantasy with a lot of action. That’s not what this novel is about, since most of what action there is can be found in the very last chapters of the book. What Hobbs does here is create a long slow build to that action, taking the reader through years in the lives of Fitz and his family in order to establish his life as a husband and father and how that conflicts with his dangerous past. It’s not until those last chapters that the danger reaches out to engulf his present. For me, the end result was to make those final chapters even more powerful, because they sit in contrast to the general peacefulness that he has finally found in his life. The slow build also gives the reader time to get to know Fitz’s daughter, Bee. Unlike the earlier novels, where all of the action is told from Fitz’s perspective, here his first-person narration alternates with Bee’s point of view. I absolutely devoured this novel. It gripped me from the first page, and only draining the battery on my tablet got me to stop reading. The lack of action didn’t bother me at all; I was happy to immerse myself in Fitz’s life and then Bee’s. And when the action culminated in the last chapters, all I could think was, “No! Not that!” And darn you, Robin Hobb, for leaving me desperate to know what happened next. This book is required reading for fans of Fitz and the Fool. It might be advisable to re-read the earlier novels if possible; it’s been so long since I read the first two series that I was a little lost in terms of references to plot points in the earlier books. Readers who enjoy character-driven fantasy should start with the earlier Fitz books, if by some sad mischance they haven’t already encountered them. An ARC of Fool’s Assassin was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Wow. An entire book as just the set up for the actual story. I wonder if that is unique in the annals of literature? Yet it is beautifully written, eerie and unique. Of course I was utterly unprepared for the story of the birth, infancy and childhood of a magical 'pixie' with prophetic dreams. Robin Hobb never ceases to amaze me. Unique may actually be an understatement for Fool's Assassin. At times this book is so strange it is unsettling. But it pulls you in and never lets go. Putting this story down and walking away from it isn't even an option. Fitz, the hero of several earlier books by Robin Hobb, is now in his fifties but is in anguish because he has the health and body of a man of about thirty five, due to a Skill healing he once received which is still at work. This has to be another first. I've never heard of a person in fiction or the real world who would rather be old and falling apart than young and healthy. Apparently his wife Molly felt the same way. Go figure. Perhaps the author is trying to tell us that growing old and decrepit is nature's way after all and we shouldn't interfere in that process. If that's the case I don't buy it. Fritz and Molly just come off as weirdly eccentric in that regard. Fitz has become eccentric in a number of ways at this stage of his life. As with the previous Six Duchies books, Fool's Assassin takes place in a fantasy world which is roughly equivalent to our late medieval/early renaissance period of history. Fitz is the "Holder" for a large manor house and estate and has ample reason to believe that dangerous men may invade his domain and yet he is determined not to hire soldiers or security for the estate. Considering the world and history of the Six Duchies Fitz should have had at least twenty seasoned men at arms guarding the manor house and estate. That's a minimum. If Withywoods Manor is ever attacked the resulting death and chaos will be largely Fitz's fault. Exceedingly odd and irresponsible for someone who has experienced war in his own homeland! It's strange to care so much about a character, through so many books, who can never get his act together. What's really irritating about this is it's all too obvious the author is "setting up" a catastrophe. Nevertheless I'm hooked once again on a Robin Hobb story and can only continue to hope that Fitz will somehow grow up and become miraculously blessed by common sense in his older years. Perhaps he will find a new wolf Wit companion who will whisper wise advice in his ear. Bee is a fascinating, wonderful and unique character. Shun is a composite of everything that could possibly be wrong with a person. Chade is Chade and is always welcome. And then of course there is the Fool, who is another absolutely fabulous character! The Fool's story of "The Servants" and how they tortured him was one of the creepiest, strange and well written stories I've ever read. The author does not rely on the expected, classic formulas for evil people. The story the Fool tells is a totally unique and chilling. A masterful and utterly original journey into the gruesome, inhuman and macabre. It is all the more amazing coming from an author who writes so genuinely of love, beauty and tenderness. This author certainly has her moments of brilliance. Highly recommended despite (and sometimes because of) its quirks and oddities. Minus one star for a major character (Fitz) who is obsessed with protecting his daughter Bee and yet goes out of his way to do absolutely nothing to protect her. That doesn't ring true and in the end it was completely unnecessary to write it that way. Oh well, I'll just use my handy dandy suspension of disbelief and move on. I'm ready for book two!

Fool’s Assassin is the first book of The Fitz and the Fool Trilogy, which I think is at least the second trilogy concerning FitzChivalry Farseer and the Farseer family. So, as so often happens, I have started in the wrong place. However, Robin Hobb has done a good job of filling us in on enough of Fitz’s background that we are not too confused in the telling of this part of his life. It seems that FitzChivalry is the bastard son of Prince Chivalry Farseer. The Farseer family are the rulers of The Six Duchies. They have a thing about giving their children the names of various virtues in hopes that the children will grow up to display these same virtues. This seems to be rather a hit-or-miss proposition; some seem to display more virtue than others. And the prefix ‘Fitz’ attached to a man’s name indicates that he is a bastard. I do not know if this prefix has the same significance in the real world, though there is at least one country where it is occasionally used. The most outstanding thing about this book is the characters. There is FitzChivalry, who is now mostly, but not completely retired from a career as a spy and assassin for his family, a career he was not especially fond of. He spends a lot of time reminiscing about, pondering the significance of, and regretting this career. But he also appreciates the life he has come into now. Fitz has two sort-of magical abilities that helped him out in his career. He has the ‘skill,’ which is partly something like telepathy but may include healing and some other useful abilities, depending on the talents and training of the individual skill users. There are several people associated with the royal family in one capacity or another who have the skill, including the current king, Dutiful, and Fitz’s daughter Nettle. He also has something called the ‘Wit,’ which is an affinity for animals. A person with the Wit may bond with a specific animal. Fitz was once bonded with a wolf, but the wolf has since died. This ability is frowned upon and seems to have once been outlawed. Another interesting character is Fitz’s wife, Molly. They have only been married about eight years at the beginning of the book, but have a long history going back to their childhood. Nettle is their daughter, but sort of secretly, as they were unable to marry before she was born, apparently mostly due to Fitz’s obligations to his family. Instead, Molly was married to a man named Burrrich with whom she had about a half dozen sons. Burrich was a retainer of the royal family – groom or hunter or something – and a close confidant of Prince Chivalry. FitzChivalry indicates that Burrich practically raised him, but Burrich has now passed away. Fitz and Molly think they are too old to have any more children, but after a couple more years, Molly suddenly insists she is pregnant and has the staff at Withywoods (more on Withywoods in a moment) fix up a nursery for her baby. Another couple of years pass with no baby, and Fitz and the household staff fear she is beginning to suffer from dementia. But then suddenly, she gives birth to the tiniest little baby girl. Eventually, they name her Bee. Withywoods is the name of the estate where they have retired. FitzChivalry is known at Withywoods as Tom Badgerlock, the estate holder. This is apparently to disguise his connection with the royal family. Withywoods is a character in itself, and one of the more tragic characters because, in the end, it dies., along with most of the staff who have made it a well-functioning estate for so long. Many of these people are interesting characters in their own right as well, and most of them are good and loyal, although young Bee runs into difficulties with a few of their children. After FitzChivalry, Bee is the most interesting character. We come to find out that she too has the Skill and the Wit. As a newborn, she finds that Fitz’s use of his mental abilities overwhelms her, and for some time she can’t be around him without screaming. Gradually he learns to tone down his mental intrusions around her, and she builds up defenses against him. And after Molly suddenly passes away peacefully in her garden, they become very close. In his youth, Fitz was friends with another young man, known mostly as the Fool, because he worked as a juggler and entertainer at the court. But the Fool was primarily a Seer – he could foresee, not just the future, but all possible futures and could discern which would be the best outcome from a possible current situation. Later, Fitz and the Fool traveled together, subtly influencing the future in little ways until the Fool considered that he had completed his mission. Then they went their separate ways, although Fitz has been wanting to reconnect with the Fool. The Fool has been trying to send him messages as well, but the messengers have been brutally hunted down and killed before they can deliver their messages. In the end, the Fool appears in the nearby town. But he is unrecognizable at first. He is followed by the same people who have pursued the messengers, who also try to kill him, and precipitate disaster for everyone, separating Fitz and Bee and destroying Withywoods. But what we learn is that Bee is also a Seer. Not sure this is quite a cliffhanger ending, but now I can’t wait to find out what happens next.

If you've been suffering from withdrawal symptoms since the release of the last book about FitzChivalry Farseer, you may have greeted the arrival of "Fool's Assassin" with heartfelt cries of joy. And for the most part, they're well deserved. I've always found Fitz to be enthralling and enraging as a character in equal measure, and in "Fool's Assassin" he is, if anything, even more so than in previous books. His willful blindness to what's going on around him, and his refusal to heed the advice of his friends and family, is infuriating, but boy, does it carry along the plot. Some readers might argue with that, since this is hardly what you'd call a tightly plotted book. Like the other Farseer books, especially the first in each trilogy, a good portion of the book is taken up with Fitz's day-to-day life, while the events in the outside world slowly build up enough momentum to engulf him and sweep him away on some unwanted adventure. Readers wanting something quick and easy will want to steer clear, especially since this is not so much a book as the first installment in one enormous book that has been split into three parts. That all being said, the trilogy is by far the best epic fantasy I've read all year, and probably the year before that, too. Hobb's worldbuilding is excellent, as is her characterization, and in FitzChivalry Farseer she's created one of the iconic characters of epic fantasy. I don't want to say too much for fear of giving the plot away, but major changes happen in Fitz's life, some happy, some tragic, and I for one was completely swept away by the story and the world, and couldn't wait to read the next part of the story. Fans of epic fantasy will not want to miss this magnificent piece of, well, epic, epic storytelling.

It was with great trepidation that I bought Fool's Assassin. You see, Fool's Fate ended FitzChivalry Farseer's story somewhat definitively. He was retired. His story was done. There was nothing more for him to do other than live his happy life with Molly. This was obvious to me. It was not obvious to Robin Hobb, and I thank her dearly for that. From the first page we're immersed in her brilliant writing and amazing world, and we get back to her characters. The Fitz we know has grown up. He's calmed down. He's become a more balanced, happy person, one finally content. This is not meant to be. He isn't aging, a side effect of the healing granted to him in Fool's Fate. Molly, on the other hand, is. And Fitz is worried for her, because it seems both her physical and mental health are going. In addition, a messenger he ignored is found dead, her message undelivered. Strange people are arriving in his household, and strange things are happening in the Farseer dynasty. And as the world seems to be crashing down on his head, he's constantly reminded of a missing presence in his life: Where is the Fool? The story is mainly told from FitzChivalry's POV, writing, as he did before, after everything is over, examining his life retrospectively. But we get another point of view, Bee Farseer, a character unlike almost any we've seen before, shunned by the world and trying to find her place. Robin Hobb reveals a so-far-hidden mastery of suspense in this novel. Where previous Fitz & Fool books had us along for the ride, this one grabs us by the heartstrings and plays them masterfully the entire book, running the entire gamut of happiness, suspense, sadness, and finally intense dread. Like she did in the Tawny Man trilogy, Hobb brings ignored hints from previous books to light, showing a darker side to things we thought we knew. And she shows a mastery of audience expectations, hinting by the name of the book of the Fool's presence, only to reveal what has happened to him when least expected. I came to the book expecting a dull rehash, an ill-considered attempt to go back to her most successful character. I have never been so happy to be wrong.

Okay. The thing about this book is that all the stuff the negative reviews are saying about it is mostly true. The plot really is incredibly slow to pick up. The book really does introduce a bunch of slightly obnoxious new characters. The narrative really does focus on domesticity rather than the adventures so typical to most fantasy. But none of that really bothers me that much because I am too swept up in the writing and the character development to care. FOOL’S ASSASSIN is the latest in a long succession of books by Hobb that focus on Fitzchivalry Farseer, the illegitimate assassin son of the royal line of Farseers. The book starts from a rather difficult position because in the previous entry, Fitz seemingly got his happy ending and had settled down into middle-aged domesticity. This whole purpose of this book seems to be to give Fitz a reason to give up his happy ending and go on another adventure. The first books of each of Hobb’s Fitz trilogies always move quite slowly in terms of plot and FOOL’S ASSASSIN is no exception. But that slow plot development serves a purpose – it gives the author the chance to develop the characters and the setting to an extent not seen in many fantasy novels. I feel that this book served that purpose very well – we got to know Fitz again as a mature man, we got to know his daughter (a great new point of view character), we got to know complex, annoying characters like Shun. Yes, the author stretches this sort of slow story development to the breaking point here (the real storyline doesn’t kick in until about 85% through the book), but I fully expect this book to be the opening chapter in an amazing trilogy. Yeah, I was slightly annoyed that the Fool doesn’t show up until the book is almost over. Yeah, I would have liked the plot to move a bit faster. But in the end, I just don’t care that much because Hobb writes her characters with such finesse and believability, she writes about this world and setting with such detail and complexity and realism that I could sit and read this book all day. My enjoyment of the book was also boosted by an intriguing ending that looks like a great start to a new series. It’s a solid four stars.

I've been reading fantasy and sci-fi for 65 years now, lots of it. I love the creativity and imagination that goes into writing the genre. I read the Tawny Man series a while ago and loved it, loved the characters, loved the mystery, loved the love-hate thing that goes on. But it took me a while to get around to reading the Assassin's series. I am so glad I did. For me, Fitz is intriguing and almost overwhelmingly frustrating, he makes decisions out of thinking he's doing what is best for the most but is only seen as selfishness. He does try so hard. Raised to be obedient too so he's got that Pavlov's dog response too often. Yet he's a seasoned and experienced man when he grows up, which made me wonder why he doesn't do more thinking for himself. Of course, it could just be bad luck which some people have more of than others. I read all the series and all the branches too. The books don't rely totally on magic either, which I like. I like some magic as a spice but not as the main event. It's now been a few years since I finished this series and it still comes back to sit in my brain, to make me think about some of the stuff Hobb put forth. I do think, as a woman, it is a particularly good portrayal of so many men--trying to do good but mucking things up by their need to protect those they care about inevitably to make the wrong decision or to stay silent when they should have said something, not finding the guts to articulately express themselves and then running away when things get too harsh at home. I loved this story, this series. Loved the characters. I wish Hobb wrote more books because I've read all the ones out, and I wish the stories she wrote under other names would be converted to electronic format so I could read them on my Kindle since my hands are getting arthritic so holding books has become tedious and painful. I've read this series 3 times already and want to read it again just to "be there" again but think I need to wait a while longer--like a good wine, sometimes you have to step back and let it breathe for a while before you take a taste.

Anni fa, un po' per fortuna, un po' per caso, avevo scoperto i romanzi di Fitz e del Matto. Traduzione italiana, nomi diversi... ma la stessa, medesima storia. Una storia meravigliosa, originale, toccante, vasta e spaziosa nei suoi ritmi, nei suoi spazi, nei suoi personaggi. Avevo sentito una forte malinconia, al pensiero che, dopo la seconda trilogia, non avrei più incontrato FitChivalry - FitzChevalier, come lo conoscevo in italiano.oggi quel mondo mi è stato restituito, ed è grande come un tempo, è ancora più grande. Altrove ho letto eh questo sarebbe un romanzo "lento" - è vero, vi sono pochissimi colpi di scena, è la narrazione - APPARENTEMENTE - ci mette molto tempo a ingranare. Eppure non è così: nella quotidianità di un'esistenza lontana dai riflettori, nelle minute esperienze che ogni insegnante desiderate smettere ai prorpri figli, ogni istante, per quanto appaia insignificante, non lo è affatto. Nel lento procederei di grandi eventi si dipana una fitta rete di semplici eventi quotidiani. In questo romanzo Robin Robb ci ha regalato un pizzico di quotidianità

Robin Hobb is a masterful writer, able to make the mundane memorable and the amazing legendary. Much of this book deals with everyday character building that would work in a novel set in modern day, but the way it's written it becomes essential to the plot elements that make her books fantasy classics. Anything she's written is a must read for fans of fantasy and fiction in general.

Todos los trabajos de Robin Hobb son maravillas, éste no es menos. Los primeros libros de sus trilogías suelen ser algo más densos que los demás, éste no es una excepción, pero una vez que te adentras en él te absorbe totalmente. Muy recomendable.

シリーズ第1、第2作は翻訳されているが、第2作の訳者あとがきによるともう翻訳はされないようです。 Kindleだと１クリックで辞書も引けるので、わりと快適に読了することができました。 本作ではまだ出ませんが、この後Book2,3では翻訳されていない外伝的シリーズが深く関わってきます。 Liveship Traders Trilogyと、The Rain Wilds Chroniclesを先に読んでおくことをオススメします。 ロビンホブ作品は着地点が分かっていると一気に面白くなくなるので、時系列順（出版された順と同じ）で読むべきです。

Je ne suis pas une spécialiste de la critique littéraire mais je vais quand même donner mon avis. J'ai lu plusieurs autres livres de Robin Hobb (The Farseer Trilogy, The Tawny Man Trilogy, The Liveship Traders Trilogy et tous les préludes) et du coup j'avais certaines attentes. J'avais quelques appréhensions avant de démarrer la lecture car j'avais passionnément aimé les deux premières trilogie qui font toujours partie de mes livres "absolument préférés". Du coup j'étais extrêmement heureuse de retrouver Fitz et tous les autres et le début m'a comblée. L'histoire commence quasiment in medias res, on retrouve tout de suite d'anciens personnages, bref: excellent début. La suite m'a un peu surprise en revanche. Une bonne partie du livre étant consacrée au traitement des relations entre personnages, on est témoins de tâches quotidiennes... etc mais tout cela reste très intéressant et prendra tout son sens à la fin. Je ne dis pas qu'il ne se passe rien dans toute cette partie ! Loin de moi cette idée d'ailleurs mais je rester persuadée que l'auteur géniale qu'est Robin Hobb fait exprès de nous donner l'impression qu'elle pédale dans la semoule pour mieux nous secouer à la fin. (J'évite d'entrer dans les détails afin d'éviter tout spoiler.) Et cette fin....parlons en de cette fin....ou plutôt n'en parlons pas pour la laisser intacte pour ceux qui ne l'ont pas encore lue. Mais enfin vous savez, c'est comme quand un tas de choses se passent à toute vitesse et que vous hurlez dans votre tête "Ouiiii !!!! Noooon !!! Ouiiii !!!" (ou non d'ailleurs). Des milliards d'émotions, des personnages d'une richesse incroyable, un style sublime...voilà pourquoi j'ai mis cette note. Ce livre a rempli toutes mes attentes et elles étaient hautes....très hautes. D'ailleurs, c'est tellement convainquant que je suis encore sûre que FitzChivalry existe quelque part.