Two things: 1) Sometimes I think Hobb just turns to random pages in the dictionary to name characters. 2) I abhor the way Hobb sexualizes young teen girls. She did it in Liveship Traders, and she’s doing it again with Elliania in this trilogy. The argument that this is a medieval-type world and that this is accurate for the time period doesn’t fly because this is a fantasy world, and Hobb can choose whether that’s a cultural aspect she’s going to stick with. It doesn’t change my overall reaction to the books, but I still really hate it.
Ok, but I did actually really like this book. It was nearly a 5 star read for me. I was intrigued by the plot and kept wondering what was going to happen to all of the characters, especially the Fool—the title is Fool’s Fate after all. Some secrets start coming to light, and I wanted to know how that would all play out. As always, Hobb excels with character work, developing characters who are nuanced and imperfect. I don’t think it’s that the characterization of Fitz and others has necessarily changed, but I became even more aware of it in this book.
I was a little torn about the ending, and I’m not sure I can quite pinpoint why, plus I don’t want to spoil anything. It somehow didn’t feel like it fit with the emotional trajectory of the trilogy, but you could also make the argument that it was deserved. It just wasn’t entirely satisfying somehow. And I think it kind of did one character a little dirty when Fitz didn’t give that person’s outcome the emotional weight it warranted. I’d be curious to hear what other people think about the ending.
