Fool’s Assassin by

2 April 2020


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The Fitz and the Fool ; book 1
Realm of the Elderlings #14

Okay, so years and years ago, so many years ago in fact that it was before this blog and before Goodreads and all that jazz, I read and loved Robin Hobb’s Assassin’s Apprentice. It wasn’t when it was published, maybe early 2000s. Anyway, a long time ago. And I loved it. And the whole trilogy. And the trilogy after that, and after that too!

And I did know that she had returned to Fitz’s story, but for some reason I put off reading the books. I’m not sure why. Sometimes when I’ve really loved something I avoid returning to it in case the suck fairy has visited. I don’t know if that was the case with this, its more like I hoped I’d love it and just wanted to be able to savour it. Plus there are so many books out there, how and when am I supposed to find the time.

But, in March I was browsing the library’s ebooks and there was Fool’s Assassin just sitting there, waiting for me. So of course I clicked borrow.

You guys… it is awesome.

I mean it is so Robin Hobb’s Fitz that I just… I haven’t read these books in so long. And I’m not even sure if I reread them because they are big long books and I was in that stage where I could buy new books so didn’t need to reread as often as I once did. And maybe the size of them put me off rereading them, but as soon as I started this one I was back with Fitz and I remembered how his story was just brutal and upsetting. Him and Burrich! and Nosey! and Nighteyes! Never mind the Fool and Molly.

Loved it loved it loved it.

And yes, I am aware that this is less a review and more of a nostalgia trip, but what the hell, this is my site and I’ll do what I like.

Go read these books!

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5 Responses

  1. Assassin’s Apprentice is one of many books I have on the shelf, bought because I loved the Whelan cover and eventually wanted to read it, but haven’t. I am almost finished with The Dragonbone Chair, the first of that series by Tad Williams that I’ve also longed to read for many years because of the Whelan covers, particularly the painting that makes up the covers of part 1 and part 2 of book 3, if that makes any sense, lol. I have not doubt I will enjoy Hobbs’ books when I get to them. These older fantasy series that still have such a devoted following and continually find new readers tend to, in my experience, have a reason they are standing the test of time.

    • Dearbhla says:

      Covers are hugely important, even though we all say we shouldn’t judge the book by the cover it is hard not to be a little swayed by them :) It has been an age since I read Tad Williams, it was his sci-fi series, Otherland which I really enjoyed. I’m sure I read at least one of his fantasy series as well, but for the life of me I can’t remember what it was

  2. Up until a couple of days ago I had assumed Otherland was another fantasy series, but then I noticed it was science fiction. I’ll be interested in checking it out one day.

    It may be a product of really first being turned on to reading obsessively by science fiction cover art from books on my uncle’s bookshelf, but for as long as I can remember it is covers that have largely always drawn me to books. Even now if a book isn’t illustrated but has a great graphic design, like The Ten Thousand Doors of January, I’m likely to pick it up in the bookstore and see what it is about. If I had seen the current covers of Tad Williams’ books only, I never would have even considered picking them off the shelf to look at.

    • Dearbhla says:

      Covers are so important, that’s why so much time gets spent designing them :)
      Although thinking about it I think that recently they’ve become less important to me, as I read more based on blurbs because of ebooks. But at the same time, if I see a great cover image I’m much more likely to check it out.

  1. 10 April 2020

    […] I loved The Fool’s Assassin as soon as I finished it I straight away borrowed the second book from the library. Don’t you […]