Product Description

The triumphant conclusion to our three thrilling fantasy series, from the author of the bestselling Farseer and Liveship traders trilogies.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #320186 in Books
• Published on: 2004-03-01
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 816 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
Fool's Fate concludes Robin Hobb's fantasy trilogy "The Tawny Man"--in which Fitz, narrator-hero of the "Farseer" trio beginning with Assassin's Apprentice, plunges into new complexities of politics and magic 15 years later.

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

GEORGE R R MARTIN
‘Robin Hobb’s books are like diamonds in a sea of zircons’

From the Publisher
The triumphant conclusion to the tale of the Farseers, in which kingdoms must stand or fall on the beat of a dragon's wings, or a Fool's heart.

A small and sadly untried coterie – the old assassin Chade, the serving-boy Thick, Prince Dutiful, and his reluctant Skillmaster, Fitz – sail towards the distant island of Aslevjal. There they must fulfil the Narcheska’s challenge to her betrothed: to lay the head of the dragon Icefyre, whom legends tell is buried there deep beneath the ice, upon her hearth. Only with the completion of this quest can the marriage proceed, and the resulting alliance signal an end to war between the two kingdoms.

It is not a happy ship: tensions between the folk of the Six Duchies and their traditional enemies, the Outislanders, lie just beneath the surface. Thick is constantly ill, and his random but powerful Skilling has taken on a dark and menacing tone, while Chade’s fascination with the Skill is growing to the point of obsession.

Having ensured that his beloved friend the Fool is safely left behind in Buckkeep, Fitz is guilt-stricken; but he is determined to keep his fate at bay, since prophecy foretells the Fool’s death if he ever sets foot on the isle of the black dragon. But as their ship draws in towards Aslevjal a lone figure awaits them…

Customer Reviews

The end of an era
Fools Fate is the conclusion of the latest trilogy in the Farseer saga, and also the end of this particular Fantasy series. And I regret this very much.

Having read all 9 books in this series over the past 6 or 7 years it really feels a chapter has come to a close. What has struck me about this series is the incredible characters Ms Robin Hobb has created, with all of their feeling and emotions. This is not an all-action, blood and guts, swords and battles series (although all of these things feature at some point) but a very strong character based story about people.Fitz must be one of the most memorable characters ever created in the fantasy genre.

This book, as mentioned, takes the whole story to its conclusion. Although maybe not the best one out of all nine books it still pulls you back into the six Duchies (or the Outislands as that’s where most of this part is set) and it is very hard to let go. And my 5 star rating is as much for the whole series as it is for this book.

I am not going to draw any comparisons to other fantasy series but will just conclude with the fact that this series rates with me as a top fantasy series that I will whole heartily recommend to anyone interested in the genre.

Fool's Fate (Tawny Man S.)
This is the final part of the Tawny Man Trilogy about Fitz Chivalry and the Fool, and is the best yet. It is a tale with two types of magic – The Skill which is linked to the almost extinct Dragons, and The Wit which is a much more earthy type of magic that includes a person bonding with an animal or bird. The story is about the journey of Prince Chivalry and his Skill and Wit coteries to slay the dragon Icefyre. It weaves together the events from the Farseer (Assassin) Trilogy with the Liveship Trilogy, and has a wonderful end for Fitz who has been through so much hardship in the other books. I really enjoyed it and would recommend it. There are also enough young characters for another trilogy to come, and it would be great to hear what happens to the dragons!

Phew: she pulled it off!
I have to confess that I was a little concerned at the end of Golden Fool that Ms Hobb had left herself with a bit too much to do. I was also interested to see how she'd deal with the "prince cuts dragon's head off" cliche.

Extremely well, is the answer. Fool's Fate turns the trilogy from a nostalgic reacquaintance with old friends into a dramatic and satisfying tale. Although the dragon cliche is the starting premise, quickly it becomes clear that it will link back to the original and complex dragon-based story from the previous two trilogies. I stand in awe of Robin Hobb's cleverness and the way she has managed to tie together so many strands.

The book is pacy and full of emotional ups and downs. And the melodrama is healthily balanced by brilliant writing, particularly when it comes to Fitz's complex relationship with the Fool. This, in my view, sets Robin Hobb's books apart from other writers in the genre. Her prose happily straddles the boundaries of literature and speculative fiction. All those who are slightly embarrassed by the stigma of being seen with a fantasy book, or worry that they won't be able to suspend their disbelief, should put their hesitation aside now for the sake of a damned good read.

So, if you want a riproaring page turner, this is for you. If you want a complex, beautifully written tale, this is for you. You simply can't go wrong.