Fool's Fate (Tawny Man) (Hardcover)

The goal is formal peace between Fitz's Six Duchies and the Outislander Raiders, ending a cycle of war fought with weapons that kill the soul, whose horror dominated that first trilogy. A royal marriage is arranged, with the puzzling condition that the Duchies' heir must bring a bride-price of the head of the last male dragon--who's alive but entombed in a glacier. Why?

Fitz's old friend the Fool, a once-albino who believes himself the White Prophet of this age but has mysteriously darkened into the Tawny Man, opposes this dragon-killing. It seems necessary to deceive and betray the Fool for his own good, if only to prevent his self-prophesied death.

Another betrayal: a halfwit master of the psychic "Skill" is needed for this mad quest, and must be lured by Fitz on to ship after ship despite his horror of the sea. Old deceptions return to haunt Fitz, such as the Skilled girl who doesn't know she's his daughter, and others long kept in the dark for what seemed excellent reasons.

Grim surprises, confrontations, a hidden enemy and the old horror of soul-draining ("Forging") all await on the island of the glacier and the dragon. Fitz has more than once been traumatically hauled back from death: now the risks are worse than ever, with an impasse that surely can't be resolved.

Do Fitz and his closest friends win through? That would be telling, but whatever happens, there are high prices to be paid. It's a measure of Robin Hobb's skill with characters and relationships that the final compromises and realistic settlements are so satisfying. Smoothly readable despite great length, laden with charm and terror, Fool's Fate is a fine ending to what is a family as well as a fantasy saga. --David Langford

Review
Praise for Robin Hobb: The Golden Fool 'Complexity and complex world-building are effortlessly dashed off' PUBLISHING NEWS Fool's Errand 'In today's crowded fantasy market Robin Hobb's books are like diamonds in a sea of zircons' GEORGE R R MARTIN Assassin's Apprentice: 'A wonderful book, written by a writer at the height of her abilities' J V JONES Assassin's Quest: 'An enthralling conclusion to this superb trilogy, displaying an exceptional combination of originality, magic, adventure, character, and drama' KIRKUS REVIEWS

A satisfying end to the author's Tawny Man trilogy. As before, the story is narrated by FitzChivalry Farseer, the royal bastard trained as an assassin. Prince Dutiful, heir apparent to the throne of the Six Duchies, has promised his fiancee, an Outisland princess, that he'll bring her the head of a dragon frozen on an isolated northern island. Now, Hobb (a.k.a. Megan Lindholm) explores the consequences of that promise, both for the young couple and for those required to help the prince fulfill it. Lord Golden, the former royal fool, has foreseen his own death on the island where the dragon is buried. Fitz, whose life is deeply entangled with the fool's, decides to prevent his friend from taking the journey. On the trip to the Outislands, the prince's companion Thick, a half-witted peasant gifted with extraordinary telepathic powers, becomes convinced he'll die of seasickness; the prince puts him in Fitz's care, no light burden. And upon arrival in the islands, the royal party learns that the dragon-slaying that Dutiful has promised is opposed by a significant faction among the island notables. Dutiful shows his growing maturity by negotiating the diplomatic hurdles skillfully; the compromise solution is that the prince will take only a token force with him, escorted by a wicked band of island warriors who will witness his deed and report it to the full council. And, as it turns out, the dragons have something to say about things, too. Hobb works this complex situation into an atmosphere-filled adventure on the glacial island, with a fair quota of surprises. As in the first two entries, much of the tension comes from the interaction of a large group of characters with conflicting agendas and considerable power to enforce their wills. A winning combination of strong characters and colorful societies. (Kirkus Reviews)

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