Robin Hobb – Anna Bushi

Book Review – Fool’s Fate

Fool’s Fate concludes the Tawny Man series, drawing in threads from the Farseer and Liveship Traders trilogy. I loved the book for the emotional roller coaster and the very satisfying end to Fitz’s story.

The best character out of this series is the Fool. From his riddles to his love for Fitz, the author draws him in such bright colors. He jumped out of the pages into my heart. I loved the poem he penned.

In that last dance of chances I shall partner you no more.
Fool

Chade, another character from the Farseer Trilogy, plays a prominent role in this series. The ease with which Fitz fits into his life at Buckkeep after a decade of absence is mainly due to his old mentor. I loved all the scenes between the master and the student, though their roles were reversed at times.

To quote Fitz: It pleased me that the author accorded Lady Patience the storytime she deserved.

The magic, while well thought out, does allow the author to get her characters out of tough situations without paying for their foolishness. In that one way, this series differs from the Farseer Trilogy. In that earlier series, folks paid a steep price for their mistakes. This series is all about second chances.

I loved the Keppet easter egg.

Robin Hobb is a master storyteller, and she did not disappoint me.

Book Review – Golden Fool

Golden Fool is better than Book 1 of the Tawny Man trilogy. I felt like a skill user drawn into the skill current, forgetting food and sleep. Only in my case, Robin Hobb’s magical storytelling pulled me into the book, and I could not rest till I finished it.

So far, Nettle has only appeared in Fitz’s dreams, and yet, the author paints her in beautiful colors in each scene.

Fitz and the Fool – their relationship is portrayed beautifully. The author squeezed my heart with this line:

I set no boundaries on my love.
Fool

And this line at the end broke me:

Beloved, I have missed your company.
Fitz

Dutiful and Fitz – The boy’s longing for a father and Fitz’s yearning to tell him the truth is sheer poetry. This line is a perfect illustration of that:

he spoke as a prince speaks to a servant, not as a boy would address his father.
Fitz

Robin Hobb is a master in character-driven fantasy. I cannot wait to read the conclusion to this trilogy.

Book Review: Fool’s Errand

After two years, I returned to the magic world crafted by Robin Hobb. You can read my reviews of the Liveships Traders here. She is one of my favorite fantasy authors, and I read Fool’s Errand, no I gobbled this book in less than a week. Once I started reading, I could not stop wanting to know what happened to Fitz, Fool, and other beloved characters.

The story starts a decade or so after the Farseer Trilogy. Fitz leads a life of isolation, but not for long. Beloved characters from that trilogy, Chade, Starling, and Fool, appear in consecutive chapters to help us readers reorient with the story and offer a glimpse of what is to come.

Before long, Fitz is back in the action, looking for Prince Dutiful, and what an adventure it is. I loved how real all the magic feels. Best of all is the characters and how they leaped out of the pages into my heart.

Robin is a master at her craft. And I could happily live in the world of her imagination. I am off to read book two.

Book Review – Ship of Destiny

Robin Hobb’s writing is marvelous. This third book of the Liveship traders trilogy concludes satisfactorily while leaving enough threads for us to meet these characters in a future book.

You can read my review of book one and two in my blog.

I read all three books in the last few months while editing and revising my book. That should tell you how this series captured my imagination. I am inspired to write a fantasy series after I complete the Land of Magadha series.

The author has written many books. What order to read the books is a question I asked myself. My answer is in the order she wrote them. I have read Farseer Trilogy and Liveship Traders Trilogy. I will be reading the Tawny Man trilogy next.

Highly recommend these books to any fantasy lover.

Book Review – The Mad Ship

This is book two in the Liveship Traders fantasy series. You can read my review of book one here.

I hope to one day write like Robin Hobb.

The world-building is mind-blowing.

Set in this world is a rich set of characters, each with their unique voice and arc. From Althea to Wintrow to Malta to Vivacia, this author has masterfully crafted an imaginative and emotionally satisfying story.

Middle books in a trilogy sometimes suffer from a meandering plot. Not the case in this book.

What am I looking forward to in book 3?
Malta’s arc: That child is full of surprises;
Althea and Brashen: Is there a happy ending here?
Wintrow: I want the boy to have peace. Is that too much to ask?
Vivacia: Will I see the ship fly?

Recommend this book to epic fantasy lovers.

Book Review – Ship of Magic

I recently read Ship of Magic by Robin Hobb. This is book one in the fantasy series Liveship Traders.

I have read Robin’s Farseer trilogy before and loved it. You can read my review here.

This story is set in the same world as the Farseer Trilogy, but the magic is very different. Inate objects exhibit these astonishing magical powers, and there are unusual magical beasts.

The characters are rich and varied and written so well. This is Robin’s specialty. She narrates these intricate tales with many characters, each with well-defined traits and motives. I also love how she gives each character the room to breathe in their own bubble. The reader has time to get to know them, and understand them, and fall in love. As a writer, there are many things for me to learn from her.

I was able to easily keep track of each individual tale, and this novel did a fantastic job of keeping me hooked till the end.

Althea has a stunning arc in this book, and so do Kennit and Wintrow. Vivacia is going to be a handful in the next book, and so is Malta. Brashen, Etta, and Kyle, Ronica, and Keffria add depth to the layered book.

I cannot wait to find out more about the Rain Wild Traders, the serpents, Paragon, and the other who showed up in chapter one. There are some nice easter eggs for folks who have read the Farseer Trilogy.

Robin Hobb crafts these complex worlds with astounding characters that tug the reader’s heart. I highly recommend this book to my fellow fantasy lovers.

Book Review – Farseer Trilogy

I read all three books in the Farseer Trilogy by Robin Hobb this year. Highly recommend this series for all fantasy lovers.

The author builds a vibrant world and populates them with empathetic characters. Apart from Prince Chivalry, who is revered by all, the other characters are flawed, and that makes for a wonderful read.

As Fitz learns about his magical abilities, so do we. The ending of book two was brilliant. If you have read A Dance with Dragons by GRRM and wonder how Jon Snow is going to come back to life, Fitz’s story provides several clues. The two books have several parallels, two bastards with combined magical abilities from their parents that allow them to save the world. Recommend this series to Game of Thrones fans.

With an epic fantasy, landing the plane at the end is hard, and Robin pulls it off. The ending ties most threads and brings the arcs to a satisfactory conclusion.

Nitpicks: magic has a plot device to save Fitz’s life happens too many times in the last book. Some meandering storylines could have been trimmed in book three.