Fool's Errand (Tawny Man, Book 1)

Rating:
Summary: Skip the beginning...
Review: I literally recommend that the reader skip to page 200 (chapter ten)to begin reading this book! If you have already read the Farseer trilogy, this is all review for you and it is told in a rather dry format. It is just him sitting around remembering things, so you get the details without any emotions or real action... Stuff like, "Then so-and-so did such-and-such and I was sad."

If you have NOT read the Farseer books, this is a real spoiler. I'd recommend reading those books first and then these. I have not yet read the Farseer books and I know how they end, who lives, who dies and how a lot of events unfold. Plus I will know a lot about characters that I'm probably not supposed to know.

Without the long intro this would be five stars.

Rating:
Summary: Good to see an old friend again
Review: As mentioned repeatedly, Fool's Errand begins the 'Tawny Man,' a sequel trilogy to Robin Hobb's 'Farseer' series. I've just begun the new series, so I'm only going to talk about the first volume.

You don't need to read the first trilogy before you start the second, but it does add enormously to the emotional resonance. You also don't need to read the Live Ship Traders trilogy, set in the same world with different characters. I gather that there's some connection, but I haven't read it and so far I don't feel like I'm missing much.

The story is in first-person, with the main character (FitzChivalry Farseer) telling his own story. Robin Hobb's writing is evocative and picturesque. She seamlessly blends Fitz's perceptions of the world around him with his responses to it. Fitz is a complex character, with memories, emotions, and sensations constantly weaving through his thoughts. It's hard not to be pulled in by his tangled psyche as you sympathize and want to shake him by turns. Fitz is a really good, personable guy...but he's definitely got his issues. If you've read the first series, you know they're warranted. I find his most admirable quality is that he forges on and does what he needs to, no matter what his internal landscape looks like.

In fact, all the characters are very believable. Each of them possesses a unique, realistic personality with their own merits and flaws. They're people you could meet in your own life, put in desperate situations that bring out the best and worst in them. Even the animals are shaped with their little ways and idiosyncracies. The Fool, especially, is a vibrant, living character. Out of everyone in the book, he's the one that Fitz is closest to, and their interactions sparkle like jewels scattered through the text. I found myself practically skimming some through sections of the book, just to get to the next part where the two of them talk.

Which leads me to the next point. I gave the book four stars because while Robin Hobb is an excellent writer, she's not a great one. She can get repetetive about plot points. Sometimes you feel a bit like she's bashing you over the head with them lest you somehow miss one. And I think she occasionally tries *too* hard with Fitz--there are times when she pushes his emotional reactions so hard that I feel embarrassed for him, like he's making a public spectacle of himself.

But on the whole, this is a wonderful book. I stayed up till 4 am two nights running, and spent Sunday trying to do housework one-handed while I read.

I leave one final caution: the Farseer trilogy was spectacular up till the final book, and then everything sort of crammed together and got melodramatic. It wasn't bad, but it just wasn't as strong as the rest of the series (I would give Assassion's Fate 3 stars, while the rest of the trilogy was 4 bordering on 5). I'm not certain whether she's overcome that problem with this new effort. So if you're a reader who puts a lot of weight on endings, you may want to keep that in mind.

Rating:
Summary: What a MAJOR disappointment!
Review: Guaranteed that the Tawny Man series is much better than the Farseer Trilogy, still there are too many flaws for me to simply ignore and enjoy the story.

1) How can a nation comprised of six dutchies have a ruler, but no administration under the ruler? There are no ministers, no councils, no army command line, nothing. There's just a useless old man called Chade, who has assumed the title of Councilor in this series, and who spends more time training assasins and spies than governing the realm of the Six Dutchies. And every character in the book then complaints that he / she has no time for anything else and is torn between family and duty! Can a story get more absurd and ridiculous than this?

2) Even though Fitz is thirty five years of age, he is still treated by a boy of 15 by everyone around him, including himself. Every other paragraph, you can see these words "I observed the room as Chade taught me (25 years back)". I mean, who the hell remembers what someone taught 25 years back, and makes a pointed reference to it everytime? These little things make it seem as if Fitz never really grew up. And the continued practice of Chade calling Fitz "boy" adds weightage to that feeling.

3) The author forces too many emotions into the characters. For example, everytime Fitz sees the queen, he would feel "proud" and have "tears in his eyes", or "feel grateful" or "become overwhelmed with sympathy". Which is strange, because no one else seems to reciprocate his intensity of feelings, and he never recognizes this. Despite all that he has gone through and he has shared with the others, he refuses to give himself the rightful respect that he deserves. And which is why everyone else treats him the same way too. The same conflicting emotions - duty vs family, or peace and solitude vs intrigue and excitement - continue to be a major part of Fitz's character. One would imagine that a man of 35, who has gone through hell and been back, would have mastered these once and far all and resolved himself to his fate.

*SPOILER AHEAD*

4) The most important of Fitz's companions - Nighteyes - has been awarded very little importance in book 2 and book 3. There's hardly any mention of the wolf, and it's as he never existed! I can't believe that Fitz, who continous to mourn for Verity and Molly and all those people who never really shared his soul, would hardly even mourn for Nighteyes!

*END OF SPOILER*

5) Just like the hero of Terry Goodkind's fantasy series, Fitz never gets around to mastering his magic even in Book 5! I know that this is a strategic decision by the author and central to the story plot, but it really becomes irritating to be constantly reminded of Galen's mistreatment of Fitz and how Fitz suffered during his treatment. We all know that Fitz cannot skill as well as others. So just get on with it, for God's sake! So why does Fitz need to get it reviewed every time with Chade in his chambers? And keep comparing himself to Dutiful? Will there be no end to this torture?

I can continue with the list of flaws, but I think readers would have got the idea by now. This was have been a good story with lots of potential, but the author has killed it with her immature writing and complete lack of character development. What a pity!

Rating:
Summary: Return of the Farseer
Review: I wasn't partial to the "Mad Ships" series, but I did like the "Farseer" trilogy, so I thought that this was a nice return for Hobb. I'm always partial to the 1st-person narrative, and this is the trademark for the FitzChivalry character. Personally, I think the magical elements of the story tend to prop up the plot and drown out the characters, but I think that's just a personal bias. The underlying story of a man ostracized and outcast for differences imposed at birth is a nice parable for modern discrimination.

Rating:
Summary: Fantastic
Review: this is by far the best book i have ever read, and i read quite a fair amount... the characters in this book and the scenery are so well described, you'd swear you were right there with them watchin everything go on... as you read more in the book, the more you learn about and grow to love that character.robin hobb is the best writer i have seen in my life, yes even betta than the wonderful dr suess.... if you want a really good read then i recommend you read all the trilogies by robin hobb, 1st and 3rd trilogies are the best and this is my fave book out of all of them, so emotional, so adventrous, i loved every minute i took of reading this book, and found it impossible to put it down, so i usually stayed up reading for hours on end till my eyes went all blurry from being open so long.... my advice is buy the book, if u want a good fantasy read, it rulez

Rating:
Summary: Absolutely blown away
Review: I bought this book on a recommendation from a friend from here on Amazon. I am extremely grateful for that recommendation, for the following reasons:


1. This is a very, very well-written fantasy novel that hooked me on the series and, probably, the author. Finding a new author of this level is a rare treasure indeed.


2. The characters are deep, complex, and believable.


3. In Orson Scott Card's book on how to write science fiction and fantasy, he addresses how to believably portray magic, including that it must have limits (or else, you have a god), and it must come with a cost (same reason). Magic must be beyond ordinary abilities, but not represent omniscience or omnipotence. Hobb follows these rules beautifully, describing two different forms of magic, both of which adhere to Card's "rules".


4. This is fantasy, but is not a child's book. It is not as dark and convoluted as George R.R. Martin's Song of Ice and Fire series, but it comes close, with treachery, intrigue, illegitimate children, violence, and death.


5. I will not spoil the story by revealing of whom I speak, but one of the characters dies toward the end of the story (certainly not a surprise in a story this involved). The reason I mention this death in my review is that it is absolutely the most beautifully-written death I have ever read, and I've read about many. Even saying that, I am understating it. It is a bittersweet moment of transcendent grace. It was startlingly wondrous. This is still an understatement.


The only warning I give regarding this book is that, while it is the first book of this trilogy, the trilogy was preceded by the Farseer/Assassin trilogy. While the second trilogy can stand alone, I believe that it would be better to read the other trilogy first, before this second trilogy.