Fool's Errand
Ratings35
Average rating4.5
When Assassin's Quest closed, Fitz was living in self-imposed exile. Wracked with pain, he had chosen to discard the magical gifts that had seen him survive the wonders and torments of navigating the legendary city of the Elderlings, and of raising a dragon. Now, in this, the first of a new trilogy, we are returned to the world of the Six Duchies and the lives of those who managed to survive the events of the first Assassin trilogy.Fifteen years have passed and events are about to sweep Fitz out of his quiet backwater life and into the main political current again. Persecution of the Witted has become rampant throughout the Six Duchies despite Queen Kettricken's effort to dampen it. The Witted themselves have begun to strike back. So when 15 Year Old Prince Dutiful disappears, is it only because he is nervous about his betrothal ceremony to an Outislander princess, or has he been taken hostage by the Witted? Worse, is he perhaps another 'Piebald Prince', a Farseer tainted by Wit magic? As the desperate situation worsens, Kettricken has no choice but to summon Fitz to Buckkeep, for who better to track the young prince down than another gifted with the Wit, together with his bonded companion, the wolf Nighteyes?
Series
Series
3 primary books#1 in The Tawny Man
The Tawny Man is a 3-book series with 3 released primary works first released in 1985 with contributions by Robin Hobb.
Series
16 primary books19 released books#7 in The Realm of the Elderlings
The Realm of the Elderlings is a 19-book series with 16 released primary works first released in 1985 with contributions by Robin Hobb, Paolo Bacigalupi, and Aliette de Bodard.
Series
3 primary books#1 in Die zweiten Chroniken von Fitz dem Weitseher
Die zweiten Chroniken von Fitz dem Weitseher is a 3-book series with 3 released primary works first released in 1985 with contributions by Robin Hobb.
Series
3 primary books#1 in O Regresso do Assassino
O Regresso do Assassino is a 3-book series with 3 released primary works first released in 1985 with contributions by Robin Hobb.
Reviews
Popular Reviews
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3.75 out of 5 stars – see this review and others at The Speculative Shelf.
It is so good to see these characters again after three books away. When we last left FitzChivalry Farseer, his story had ended in a place that I was comfortable with and he seemed to be at peace. I was initially apprehensive about his return to action, but author Robin Hobb eventually coaxed me back – just as Chade and The Fool do for Fitz. As such, our now-unretired protagonist must use his magical Wit and Skill to track down young Dutiful Farseer from interlopers with complicated aims.
As excited as I was to see the band back together, it really took a while for this story to get rolling. Hobb's writing is top-notch, as always, so even long sequences of relative idleness are not difficult to stomach. About two-thirds of the way through, though, there was a scene that grabbed and shook me deeply. From that point forward, the action picked up and I flew through the final chapters. I've fully bought in to Fitz's new story arc and I see great potential for the next books in this series. 7 books down, 9 to go!
Very good story. I don't know why I waited so long to read it. I was very afraid I would be sad at one point, but not that one. Then I was very sad.
