Robin Hobb - New Fitz/Fool Trilogy

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Mystina_sl

shitlord
7
0
I love this book series, and author. I didnt get the book plate from preordering BLood of Dragons, so she sent me an autographed copy of FOols's Fate. Just finished reading THe Willful Princess and the Piebald, which is sort of different than her usual style, but still very cool back story. I agree that even though I loved Fitz, his story is about over.
 

Antarius

Lord Nagafen Raider
1,828
15
Next book releases in August, I have high hopes. The last 4 books were "ok" but the last 2 books definitely could have been merged into one and condensed down.
 

Ranak

Molten Core Raider
214
382
Has anyone had trouble getting into these due to the first-person perspective? I got about 1/3 of the way through the Assassin's Apprentice and just kind of lost interest, which is very unusual for me. It feels like it's due to being first-person, but I'm just not sure. Is it worth powering through or will this continue to bother me through the whole series if I keep going?
 

Azrayne

Irenicus did nothing wrong
2,161
786
It depends on what you're after, the first person works because the story is really a character driven one, not just a typical high fantasy style swords and sorcery piece. Her non-Fitz/Fool books are written in third person, and it doesn't work very well imo.

But yeah, if you can get behind character driven low fantasy, it's absolutely worth the effort. If you're after epic battles and clashes between godlike heroes and demonic villains, you won't find it here - at least not in great quantities, and not as the focus.

The first 1/3 of book 1 is all setup anyway, so yeah, it can be slow and boring, but it builds up to bigger things later on. I'd say it's absolutely worth at least finishing book 1 and getting a bit of the way into book 2 to give you an idea of what the series is about, if by then you don't find it palatable, you probably won't like the rest.

For what it's worth, I've been reading fantasy voraciously since as long as I can remember, and The Fitz & Fool books are probably in my top 3 all time favorites.
 

Antarius

Lord Nagafen Raider
1,828
15
Went back and re-read the entire 14 books of the elderling world. Only one I didn't really care for is rain wild chronicles, since book 3 just drags on and on. Tawny Man is my favorite trilogy though. She writes good tragedy, that's for sure. You just know the entire time reading the Piebald Prince that shit isn't going to go good... and it doesn't... and it keeps getting worse and worse (in a good way).
 

Azrayne

Irenicus did nothing wrong
2,161
786
Yeah, I think I already mentioned this in this thread, or somewhere else on RR, but Tawny Man made me cry, twice, the first time I read it
frown.png
I'm not usually one to get emotionally attached to characters, but she spends the whole first trilogy getting you really invested in the characters and the world, and then in the second trilogy she runs them through this emotional meatgrinder. But that's what I love about her books, she doesn't give her characters an easy way out and a perfect happily ever after, she shows the toll that kind of lifestyle and life experience would take on a person. I think that's why the first person works so perfectly for these trilogies, it gives you a glimpse into their thoughts and emotions and you can really feel for Fitz and everything he goes through and the damage it leaves him with, the injuries, the Skill addiction, etc.
 

Antarius

Lord Nagafen Raider
1,828
15
She writes men really well... she must think what she would do in that situation, and then add in reason and accountability.

P.S. the new book was just delivered to my kindle.
 

Azrayne

Irenicus did nothing wrong
2,161
786
She writes men really well... she must think what she would do in that situation, and then add in reason and accountability.
The jab at women aside, you're right, she does, I remember when I first read them being surprised that she managed to portray some aspects of the male psyche, or just of being a guy, so well.

I'm also 99.9% sure she was a groovy chick who partied way hard back in the 60's and 70's (she was 18 in 1969, according to wiki). Her descriptions of all the drugs her characters take and the druglike experiences they undergo (skilling and skill addiction, going through one of the portal stones) are way too accurate for someone with no first hand experience.
 

Nebuchadnezzar

Golden Squire
458
50
Yeah, kind of dreading reading this one. Fitz is in a decent place at the end of the last trilogy and I fully know what Robin Hobb is capable of doing to the poor bastard.
 

Azrayne

Irenicus did nothing wrong
2,161
786
Yeah, kind of dreading reading this one. Fitz is in a decent place at the end of the last trilogy and I fully know what Robin Hobb is capable of doing to the poor bastard.
I'm pretty sure I'm not going to read it on release. Will wait till she releases the entire trilogy, and if it gets reviews saying it's at least on par with the last 2, I'll pick it up. Otherwise I want Fitz and Fool to stay right where they are in my mind.
 

Man0warr

Molten Core Raider
2,265
171
I couldn't put it down once I started it, and it's doing pretty well on Amazon and Goodreads.
 

Rime

<Donor>
2,638
1,613
I'm pretty sure I'm not going to read it on release. Will wait till she releases the entire trilogy, and if it gets reviews saying it's at least on par with the last 2, I'll pick it up. Otherwise I want Fitz and Fool to stay right where they are in my mind.
This right here. I have been avoiding everything I can that spoils it.

She loves to end on cliffhangers and I will be darned if I am going to wait years for resolution.
 

Man0warr

Molten Core Raider
2,265
171
The ending builds up so quickly and then boom, cliffhanger. I hope she is able to release a book a year like she did her other trilogies - she seems to plan her books out ahead of time.
 

Antarius

Lord Nagafen Raider
1,828
15
The ending builds up so quickly and then boom, cliffhanger. I hope she is able to release a book a year like she did her other trilogies - she seems to plan her books out ahead of time.
Right, except her last "trilogy", which would have been a little cumbersome and book 3 would have been kinda thick compared to books 1 and 2, so she split it into 4 books, but then it felt like nothing happened at all in most of book 3 or 4, because half of book 3 was rehashing what had already happened in book 2 and half of book four was just rehashing what had already happened in book 3.
 

Malkav

French Madman
2,686
1,583
Just finished it...

Oh my god, that cliffhanger.

Oh my god, the feels.

Spoilers, you have been warned :

Molly's death halfway through the book punched me right in the gut.