Customer Reviews

Fool's Errand Bookmark

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Although this is a return to the magical Kingdom of the Six Duchies, magic is really a secondary element of this story, even though it figures prominently in the plot.

FitzChivalry Farseer, the hero of Robin Hobb's previous trilogy, is fifteen years older than when we last saw him. He and Nighteyes, the wolf whom he has Wit-bonded with, are now living far from the court where Fitz grew up, and raising the orphan boy Hap. But it seems that court intrigue will just not leave them alone. One day Fitz's mentor, the assassin Chade, pays him a visit seemingly out of the blue. A few days later the Fool, the mysterious former jester of the court, drops by and stays for several days.

This is only the beginning of a story that does contain magic, but it is really more about a man who has never truly been able to live on his own, without having to answer to anyone; and about a boy who has much in common with the young FitzChivalry Farseer and who needs to learn about growing up in a hurry. In that, it is truly a story of a major aspect of the human condition.

As I said, there are also many magical aspects of this story. The telepathic ability known as the Skill is explored in some detail, and the mystical man-to-animal bonding called the Wit in even more. And the book also delves into some mysteries that are left unanswered - hopefully they'll be answered in the other two installments of this trilogy. The most prominent of these is, who exactly is the Fool? He is a being of many talents and many faces, none of which appear to be his true one. We want to know more about him, but every statement he makes about himself, though apparently true, poses more questions than answers.

This book is a complete story in and of itself, but I definitely want to read the other two installments, if only to (hopefully) discover the secret of the Fool.