My 2025 Robin Hobb Journey continues!
This trilogy starts after Liveship Traders ends. To really enjoy this series you should read the first two because it will pack a much bigger emotional punch; I would not recommend reading this as a standalone, just don’t do it.
To start, we hang out with Fitz in his cabin, 16ish years after the events of The Farseer Trilogy. He and Nighteyes have carved out a peaceful life together and things are just fine, although Fitz is, as always, a bit stuck in his own melancholy. Coincidentally (OR NOT!) some of his old friends and colleagues pay him sequential visits – first the minstrel Starling, then his bff the Fool, and finally he receives a summons from Chade, which he of course must follow.
Turns out, the Witted are being persecuted because of their “beast magic” and young Prince Dutiful (IYKYK from Assassin’s Quest) has gone missing just before his strategic wedding to an Outislander princess. This all has serious diplomatic and personal repercussions. Fitz and the Fool conspire together – well, Chade throws them together, rather – to save the prince and outwit (ha!) the persecutors of the Witted ones.
To be honest, this book starts off quite slow. There is a lot of reminiscing and a lot of Fitz wondering what he REALLY wants in life and why does he suffer so much due to the circumstances of his birth etc etc and like, come on Fitz you have had 16 years to pull yourself together.
But don’t worry, things pick up! Hijinks ensue! Nighteyes is there! Deceptions abound! As is typical for Hobb, the story in this book concludes in a pretty satisfying way, while also leading you directly into the next book because the greater mystery has not yet been solved.
Not my favorite Hobb due to the slow start, but an essential part of this very long trilogy and therefore I recommend it, of course.
