My final 6 reviews on CBR17 were Robin Hobb’s The Farseer Trilogy and The Liveship Traders Trilogy and I LOVED THEM. I am fully invested in reading all of her Realm of the Elderlings novels and I am back on track with Book one of The Tawny Man Trilogy — Fool’s Errand. I knew I was going to love it because it features two of my favorite characters: Fitz and the Fool. We first met them in The Farseer Trilogy where their unusual circumstances threw them together and they forged a friendship that helped them save the realm of the Six Duchies, though at great cost. Fifteen years have passed, during which time each of them has grown up and had very different life experiences, but The Farseer dynasty is under threat and Lord Chade — former King’s assassin and now counselor to the Queen — has called on them once again for help. Magic, intrigue and past trauma, plus a LOT of danger, are guaranteed. Hobb tells a thrilling story full of imagination and, yes, violence, but one of the themes of this story is difference and the danger of one’s difference being perceived as abhorrent and dangerous. Throughout history we have seen terrible examples of those who are “different” — in religion, skin color, race, sexual identity —being labeled as dangerous perversions meant to be eliminated. In Hobb’s world, those who possess a form of magic known as The Wit are being persecuted and a secret rebel group of the Witted aim to do something about it, something that threatens Prince Dutiful and the stability of the Six Duchies.
The Wit is an ancient form of magic that a person is born with; it allows that person to form a bond with an animal (the animal must be a willing partner in the relationship), and thanks to that bond, they can know each other’s minds, communicate and support one another. The Witted human might also have a sense of what other animals are feeling, but the true Witted bond is only between one person and one animal. Other animals may or may not consent to communicating with the human. There was a time when having the Wit was acceptable, but in recent years especially the fear and hatred of the Witted has grown. Fitz’s uncle Regal, who briefly illegitimately ruled the Six Duchies, encouraged the persecution of the Witted and held coliseum-like events in which they would be tortured and killed as a public spectacle. Fitz possesses both the Wit and the magic known as The Skill (a kind of telepathy), and Regal loathed Fitz for this and for being the bastard son of the rightful Farseer heir Chivalry. The horrible things that happened to Fitz as a teen are the subject of The Farseer Trilolgy and his past absolutely informs who he is now as a man in his 30s. Everyone knows that Fitz was Witted to a wolf, but they also think that he is dead at the hands of Regal. That fact that Fitz lives is known to only a handful of people. When Fool’s Errand opens, Fitz and the wolf Nighteyes have been living the life of a hermit in a cabin in the woods. An orphan named Hap lives with them but he is ready to start an adult life and it just so happens that at the same time, Fitz is visited by his old master Chade and his good friend the Fool. They need Fitz, who has been living under the pseudonym Tom Badgerlock, to help find Prince Dutiful. It seems Dutiful has both the Wit and the Skill, and it is feared that someone amongst the nobility has figured this out and is going to try to use it to destabilize the regime. Has Dutiful been abducted or gone willingly? Where has he gone and who is he with?
The persecution of the Witted, and the trauma of Fitz’s past, are deeply disturbing. It is understandable that those with the Wit would feel that they have to hide who they are if they want to live. It is also understandable that others would be angry and want to fight back for their rights. It is troubling though when certain members of the Witted decide that they will “out” those who have been in hiding because they believe they are serving the greater good. I really liked how Hobb showed the complexity of feelings within the Witted community and between the Witted and their animals.
Some of the highlights of this novel:
- The relationship between Fitz and the Fool. The Fool, whose physical appearance has changed a bit, is masquerading as wealthy, foppish Lord Golden. Fitz is going to have to act as his personal servant Tom in order to get back into Buckkeep castle. It’s sort of an “odd couple” situation and gets amusing often.
- The cats. Any scene with a house cat and Fitz is going to be funny. We learn that cats can pretty much communicate with any Witted human but mostly choose not to. When they talk to Fitz, it’s just comedy gold.
- Jinna the hedge witch. Jinna has a small but important role in this story and I hope she will be back in future novels.
- Fitz and teenaged boys. Okay, so this one is sometimes troubling. Fitz looks upon Hap like a son and agonizes over not preparing him properly for being a man or saving enough money to get him a good apprenticeship, something I think any parent can relate to. In addition to Dutiful, there is another teenaged boy that Fitz has to deal with and with these two, Fitz’s behavior is alarming. His anger and fear often get the better of him, and it’s not cool, but he does seem to realize this and struggle with his feelings.
The end of this novel has some sad stuff, but I’m excited to get to the next book and see what is going to happen with Dutiful, Fitz and the Fool.
