Rating: 
Summary: Really liked it!
Review: Okay first off I would like to state that I thought that this book was AWESOME! That being said on with the review.Well I found myself more drawn to FitzChivarlys character more than ever. I really could understand his cynical attitude throughout the series. The only problem I had with this series that it ended to FAST and made you hanging at the end. In all contrast though the next book, "Golden Fool" is going to be over 600 pgs, which seems promising to me. I gave this review four stars because I very rarely give most books a 5 unless it was out-standing and done well anymore. However it was very close to being a 5 star rating!
Rating: 
Summary: It sooo did not start off slooow
Review: I've read all robin hobb's (coooome ooon next book) and the farseer trilogy just had such (well I thought so) a sad ending and so I was oooover the mooooon (ok i'll quit with the long o's) and so cos I already knew about Fitz I found it really relaxing just to read about his current life, and god the fool is so the best he had me in hysterics at one particular point in the book!
Rating:
Summary: A great start to the series
Review: Fool's Errand is Book 1 of the Tawny Man series written by Robin Hobb. I haven't read the series that this one is a sequel to (the Farseer Trilogy), but I have read the Liveship Trader trilogy, which takes place in a different part of the same world. I thought that series was outstanding, and was determined to read this one as soon as I could get my hands on it. Was it worth it? Definitely. Hobb has a grasp of character that is simply marvelous to read, and the action usually isn't too bad either. One of the wonderful things about this book is that, while it is part of a series, the book is self-contained. There are plot threads that I'm sure will lead into the next book, but it doesn't end on a cliffhanger. It's kind of like Terry Brooks' Shannara series used to be before he decided to go down the cliffhanger route. The world as created by Hobb is well-crafted, the magic system is easy to understand. Magic is not all-powerful, and its use has consequences. Fitzchivalry Farseer has retired from his life as an assassin for the royal house. Evidently, in the first series, he was apparently killed, and he's happy to leave most people with that misconception. He's retired to the country to live with his wolf and bond-mate, Nighteyes, and with his foster son, Hap. He's adopted the name Tom Badgerlock. After fifteen years of this, he's reasonably happy with the way his life is going. After a personal shake-up in his life, and a visit from his old mentor, Chade, he finds himself lacking something, though. He's then called to the royal house for an important mission: the prince has disappeared, and Fitz must find him. Throughout the story, he must balance his desire for solitude with his loyalty to the Farseers. The characters in this book are outstanding. All of the main characters are three dimensional, they all have faults (there is no perfect hero). Fitz has his doubts about his ability, about the use of his magic, about his foster son. He's 15 years older than he was when he was an assassin, and you can tell. His wolf is also older. Age and the effects of aging actually play a significant role in the book. Chade is also getting older, and he's not quite as capable of some things as he used to be. He's still extremely crafty, though, and he uses that. The prince is also a very interesting character: he's young, impetuous, moody at times (especially with what happens to him in the book). He's not stereotypical at all. The best character in the book, though, is the Fool. I understand he plays a prominent role in the previous series as well, and his friendship with Fitz is very well-portrayed. They have a love that is beyond friendship, beyond family, a bond that ties them very closely together. He provides a lot of comic relief, but he's also very intelligent. He plays the arrogant noble very well, but it's obvious to the reader that this is a role for him. The only thing wrong with this book, and it does knock a star off of my rating, is the incredible slowness of the beginning. It starts off very leisurely, taking its time to get where it wants to go. Some events happen to Fitz in this section, but it's mostly illustrating what his life is like now, what he gave up to live like this, his conflict within himself about his magical ability. Then the Fool shows up, and Hobb spends a large number of pages detailing what Fitz did in the 15 years since they had last met. A lot of this sounds almost like a droning lecturer telling a personal history. It got a bit tedious. This section was only saved by my love for the characters and their portrayal. I wanted to know what happened next. This was my introduction to these characters, so I enjoyed that aspect of it. But by page 75, I was really wishing Hobb would get on with things. I reviewed another book that I couldn't finish, mainly because of the tediousness of the first half. This book could easily have fallen into that trap too, and very nearly did. But I carried on with it, knowing that something good would be coming. Plus, I liked these characters, while the characters in the other book did nothing for me. Thus, I had a bit of a hook left in me in this book that I didn't have in the other one. Once it got going, though, the book is outstanding. This is definitely a keeper. Just keep slogging through the beginning. It's worth it in the end.
Rating:
Summary: Not Really a Stand-Alone
Review: I really enjoyed this book, but then, I really enjoyed the Assasin trilogy as well. I suspect that readers who have previously read that trilogy will get the most out of this new series which continues the story of that same suite of characters. I love it when you get to find out the rest of the story- the "whatever happened to..." bits. I do feel that the Assasin trilogy finished things fairly neatly- you had your crisis and your climactic resolution and all that. So, in this trilogy, we get a whole new set of crises to read about. What fun! ;) So it's not that there were unresolved issues left dangling after Assasin's Quest- it's just that in my experience, you'll really care what is going on the lives of these characters if you already know the story that came before. The whys and hows and whats.
Rating:
Summary: Slow start, but a promising finish
Review: I've been reading Robin Hobb since she was Megan Lindholm (and now recognised as such); her early books were aimed at a younger audience, but had that certain appeal that set her apart from the run-of-the-mill authors.
The Six Duchy saga is on a different plane, appealing to a more mature audience who wish something to get their imaginations' teeth imto, and she has done it again with the Tawny Man - although it doesn't seem like it during the first 1/3rd of the book ...
15 years have passed since Fitz's last adventure (he is now known as Tom), so the telling of this has to be done subtly, to avoid those boring resumes that we often get; the Fool too has changed in subtle (and not-so-subtle) ways and seems intent on being as manipulative as Chade.
The threads that are brought together during the latter part of the book promise an adventure just as good as the other 2, especially as we seem to be drawing both previous series to a common point (which may have been guessed at from the previous frontispiece maps). There are many unanswered questions as well: who or what is the Fool & is it male or female? Where does Hap fit in? Starling is more than she appears; Why is the Fool's horse called Malta? Treasure Beach hints at another connection; Wit & Skill - same or different? By the end of the book, one is left wondering which will be next - a further episode of Tawny Nan, the Liveship Traders sequel, or a new series about the OutIslanders? Ms Hobb has fashioned one of the most believable worlds in modern fantasy - on a par with George RR Martin's Song of Ice & Fire - the characters are 3-dimensional, hidden traits appearing unexpectedly, and not all of them perfect, as so often happens in lesser tales. I can't say much more without 'spoilers', so I leave it to you to persevere with the first part of the book, your persistance will be rewarded!
Rating:
Summary: the best book I read after Tolkien's Rings
Review: The most interesting book i've read in years. I am looking forward for next book.
Rating:
Summary: Another excellent Farseer novel from Hobb!
Review: I was so eager to get this book that I ordered it from Amazon.co.uk, since it came out there a few months in advance of the American release (also the cover art is nicer on my edition). I have been hoping for a new FitzChivalry book, and this lives up to my hopes and more. This is a marvelous new journey with FitzChivalry Farseer and his wolf Nighteyes! The book takes place 15 years after Assassin's Quest, and begins at Fitz's (now known as Tom Badgerlock) cabin, which he shares with his adopted son, Hap. One by one, the people he loved best from his former life come to him, asking him to return to Buckkeep. First Chade, then Starling, and finally the Fool (YAY!) come to him, seeking to involve him once more in the politics of the Six Duchies. None of them are successful until Prince Dutiful disappears, and Fitz is called up to find him. Knowing he can't return as FitzChivalry (since he was executed for having the Wit), he takes service to Lord Golden, who is none other than the beloved Fool. When the hunt leads them from Buckkeep to a small holding of minor nobility, things begin to get dangerous. There are new factions rising in the Six Duchies, and whether they intend good or ill for the prince, they can certainly cause chaos with the knowledge they possess. Fitz and the Fool must rescue Dutiful, even if it means sacrificing their own lives, or the lives of those they love best. This book is a wonderful return to Fitz; Hobb has obviously kept in touch with him during the time she spent writing the Liveship Trilogy, because her characterization of him is as true as ever. He has gained a certain amount of wisdom, but he is still quite capable of foolishness and bullheaded blindness. The Fool is as mysterious as ever, though he certainly speaks with more frankness than he used to. With his new identity as Lord Golden, we (and Fitz) see a different side of him that adds even more dimensions to his character. The new characters of Lauren and Dutiful are strong additions to the cast, which is great since we'll at least be seeing more of Dutiful in the books to come. Once again Hobb has given us a magical and breathtaking story. I am VERY grateful that she returned to Fitz and the Fool (the Fool being one of my favourite characters of all fantasy!) and has given us more excitement. I have to admit, I spent the last bit of the book in tears - but Hobb has always had that effect on me!
Rating: 
Summary: Good but slow
Review: I am a fan of the Liveship and Assassin books, and I thought thie was really slow by comparison. I don't think Fitz is a particularly amazing character, and I find Hobb to be close to Bujold in her telling of the reluctant hero tales. I also think the writing is less polished than before. But it was not too bad.
Rating:
Summary: Life Companions
Review: Robin Hobb (Megan Lindholm) has attracted quite a devoted audience with her last two sets of books, the Farseer 'Assassin' trilogy and the Live Ship Trader series, and with good reason, as these are fantasies of quite a different stripe from the normal and told with power, wit, and depth. While not absolutely necessary to enjoying this book, as there are enough explanatory sections here to catch the gist of the action of the prior books, I do recommend that you read the Assassin trilogy first, as it will not only provide the reader with all the past action, it will give you a fine benchmark of the how the characters were at the time of those books, allowing you to easily see the changes that time has wrought. This book picks up 15 years after the ending of the Farseer set, with FitzChivalry Farseer and his Wit bond-mate wolf Nighteyes leading a quiet life as a farmer trying to raise his adopted son Hap, carefully avoiding any traffic with his former life of intrigue as a royal assassin. This early section of the book is remarkable for how strong the character development is, even though there is almost no action during this portion, showing a much more mature Fitz who has almost come to terms with the sacrifices he was required to make in the earlier books. Of course, this idyllic setting can't last, as first his former mentor Chade arrives for a visit to try and convince Fitz to return to service at Buckkeep Castle, followed by the very enigmatic Fool, now known as Lord Golden, and finally is convinced to return to Buckkeep by a summons from Chade to help find Prince Dutiful, Fitz's son by body, but not by himself as a person, who has either been kidnapped or run away. Thus the action is enjoined, leading Fitz not just away from his farm, but into consideration of the whys and needs of both his Wit and Skill abilities. A set of considerations that have relevance for everyone, questions on should you lead if you can, can you let a social injustice continue when you have the means and ability to do something about it, about the importance of life and the time to properly allow death to reign, the strength of personal relationships and what is owed to friends, where the responsibilities of a parent begin and end. Throughout, Fitz, Nighteyes, and the Fool continue to grow as characters, till you feel that these are people you know, have lived, ached, lost and triumphed with. Hobb's descriptive powers are well in evidence here, and her characters are neatly folded into her imagined universe, that includes not just the world of Wit and Skill of the Assassin works but also is explicitly tied to her Live Ship set, though that tie, so far, is only mentioned in passing, not fully developed. This book, unlike so many that are planned as part of a larger group of works, is very complete in itself, with an excellent resolution to all the problems and concerns it starts with. But I have a feeling the next book will make more of the tie to the Liveships and Bingtown traders, and I am looking forward to it.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent!!
Review: I recently acquired this title, and sat down to read it. I found it just as captivating as the previous "Assassin" series of which this is a follow up. It took a time for the story to get off the floor, but once everyone was established you didn't want to put it down. Our fatilistic hero is in top form as ever. With grudging and guilt ridden inevitability resuming the duties to the Farseer family and world fate. He searches for peace for himself and strives to be left alone, while saving everyone else New twists have been added to the tale, and new factions have joined in to curl the coil so to speak. I await the continuation of this series with baited breath.
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