Usually I would try to space out my Robin Hobb reads so as to better savour each book. But The Golden Fool was essentially just build up for the Narcheska’s challenge (a wonderful and enjoyable read of a build up!) and I really wanted to know what would happen! I was definitely too invested in Dutiful and Ellianna’s relationship…I really wanted them to be at least friends 😣 And I was certain that the Fool’s prediction would not be as cut and dry as he himself thought, but had no idea what to expect from Hobb on that front.
In the Golden Fool, I very much enjoyed how realistically Hobb portrays the life of an adult…there is never enough time! Poor Fitz means so well but he has so many commitments 😢
I also really liked all his interactions with Kettricken. They truly feel like family. I think Kettricken is my favourite character of all time. Everything about her resonates with me.
Fool’s Fate…was not what I was expecting. In the Farseer and the Live Ship trilogies, there were some pretty nasty antagonists, but they weren’t really evil for the sake of evil. They all had their own personal circumstances, that in combination with their personalities, led to them being villians/villainous. As the Pale Woman said, in another timeline, Regal would have been a good king. So yeah, the Pale Woman. She felt like evil for the sake of evil. Even if she was aiming to manipulate fate so there were no dragons or Farseers, she spent an awful lot of effort just generally being cruel to others. The other trilogies felt more nuanced in this regard.
Another thing that surprised me was how happy the ending was. I’m not against it, Fitz has been through so much. And grown-up Fitz really deserves some happiness (not that young Fitz didn’t). It was just so so neat it felt like a fairytale. I guess it just wasn’t what I expected from Hobb based on the previous books. Or rather, maybe it just feels odd because it feels like a final conclusion, but I know there are two more story arcs? It makes me even more curious about Fitz and the Fool! How old will he be this time 😯 I need to get through the Rain Wild Chronicles first though. I hear it’s the weakest arc and I can’t say I’m terribly fond of Tintaglia, but it’s still a Hobb series so I’m sure I’ll still find it enjoyable.
Categories: Book Reviews
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