Customer Reviews

Golden Fool (The Tawny Man, Book 2)

5 star:		(61)
4 star:		(19)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

What to say of FitzChivalry Farseer? An epic character, who's, thanks to Robin Hobb, life unfolds before us. So many different things happen within "Golden Fool" that it feels like real life. You know you had something for dinner a couple nights before but you just can't remember what.

This is fantasy at its best. It doesn't get bogged down with side plots but revels in them, the characters don't develop but live as we do, and most of all you really care what happens to any single person, whether it be Queen or cook. One of the most amazing parts is Hobb's ability to make you recall a character, even if they seem so small in the plot you still know them as a close cousin. They may pop up for but a page but you remember and enjoy every part of their character and the life they share with our hero.

You live the life of FitzChivalry as you read the Tawny Man Trilogy. You don't see the history of the Six Duchies, but embrace it through his eyes. In the first novel, "Fool's Errand" you felt just like Fitz. Reading the first half you felt like you were always catching up, as if time was flying by, trying to remember everything of old. You always were playing catch up through out the whole novel. But "Golden Fool" is different. In this novel you feel the weight of duty, each day in Fitz's life seems like a month as he dives back into the court of Buckkeep. And just so every page seems like a chapter to you, the book expands beyond its page numbers. You will sit down for hours unmoving only to stop and realize you've only read through a chapter or two in awe. You'll wonder if you will ever get through this novel just as Fitz wonders if he will ever go back to his quiet life in the country.

It is amazing work, beyond words, though I have tried. The only problem is that you must wait another year for the last piece of the trilogy. That you begin this story in the middle and you end it there too. Until a novel is written in which Fitz's soul crosses over to join those that have left before him it will never end for you, you'll always want more of him, and perhaps even after that you will cry for more of the Farseers from this extraordinary author.

Final Thought: Robin Hobb's Farseer novels are not read, they are experienced.

First off: if you're a fantasy lover who's never read Robin Hobb before - or even if you're a non-fantasy reader who thinks fantasy books are too unrealistic for your taste -- do yourself a favor and go read "Assassin's Apprentice" right now. Right. Now.

For those who have read Hobb before:

This book is her best since "Royal Assassin." It's a splendid follow-up to her earlier series and easily surpasses the last Fitz book (which, though it was a pleasant return to the character, lacked a sweeping plot). Be warned, this is more of a "nefarious plot and royal intrigue" book than a slam-bang action riot - although there's one excellent action scene that shows us the deadly Fitz of old is back in business.

"Golden Fool" begins a few days after the end of "Fool's Errand." Grieving from the loss of Nighteyes, Fitz has to reintegrate into Buckkeep as "Tom Badgerlock" while avoiding the threat of assassination by the Witted Piebalds who survived the last book. There's more to Prince Dutiful's betrothed than meets the eye, and plots are afoot that even a cunning ex-assassin and the increasingly erratic Chade can't protect the Farseers from.

I liked the way the previous books haunt the background of this one. Old characters return, often with emotionally-devastating consequences as Fitz sees the effect his death has had on those he loves. The legend of the Wit-Bastard also dogs his steps as he sees himself proclaimed as a Witted hero by enemies and allies alike, at the same time that rumors of his survival come back into circulation. Meanwhile, Fitz's determination not to repeat mistakes made in his royal assassin days sometimes helps avert a crisis, and sometimes leads him to make new mistakes.

I'd recommend buying this book, even in hardcover, and I'm not much of a book buyer. What pushes it over the top for me is that there's a lot of emotional payoff from storylines left hanging from the last book and the original assassin series. Fitz's character has matured a lot, and though he is still capable of making disastrous mistakes, he's getting better at handling the routine demands placed on him by the Six Duchies and the Farseer family. Dutiful is also maturing into a very likable youth, and his growing relationship with Fitz makes for an enjoyable read.

The characterizations are as powerful as ever; be warned, however, that the cameos from The Liveship Trader books are quite substantial here. You can read the book without having read Hobb's other trilogy, but it's better if you have.

I give this one 5 stars.

I enjoyed this book more than its predecessor, and if truth be told, better than the Farseer series. It's true that this volume consists mostly of character development, with little action (except for an incident involving Fitz). I found the description of the aftermath of that incident, that is Chade's, the Queen's, and Dutiful's individual reactions to it, to be very moving. And some family secrets are gradually coming out, too.

I can't agree with an earlier review that compared this to Robert Jordan's latest book. Jordan's is the 10th volume in a series in which lately everything happens at a glacial pace. Hobb's book is the second volume of a trilogy, and if it isn't full of action, it certainly sets the stage for the next book. If Hobb were Jordan, this book would be followed by another character development book...and another...and so on. This book does introduce several new characters, but they are vital to the plot, not tangential (like Jordan's).

Middle books of planned trilogies are difficult, as they must necessarily not be complete in themselves, but can only build the setting for the last book. The middle book of the last of three related trilogies must be even more difficult. Haven gotten through the Assassin and Liveship Trader sets (and if you haven't, you need to before tackling this set - you won't regret it), and Fool's Errand as a the first book of this set, this becomes an obvious bridge work between all that has gone before and (presumably) the tie-up of all the various plot threads in the last volume.

FitzChivalry Farseer is once more the star, opening this volume as a very much-wounded man, having lost his bond mate, and forced to once more try to fit in to the court intrigues by playing the servant to Lord Golden as Tom Badgerlock. New problems almost at once descend upon him, from his adopted son Hap's wayward ways to complications in his own love life, while the pressures of the Piebald group mount upon both Fitz and the kingdom, and Prince Dutiful's training in the Skill becomes an imperative, regardless of Fitz's own feelings of inadequacy in matters of the Skill. Add in problems with the Outisland delegation and Dutiful's promised bride, and the Bingtown traders requesting help in their war against Chalced, and there are more than enough plot threads for several novels. But the focus of this book is not so much in unraveling all these threads, but rather in Fitz's development as a person, along with all the people around him. Throughout this book, we see Fitz make errors in judgement, fail as a parent, as a spy, a lover, a teacher, as a friend. Each error leads to further growth of the man as he tries desperately to fix all his self-imposed problems while also working to aid the kingdom in what he sees as the best way possible. Lord Golden is exposed as having even more personas than previously known, each equally as enigmatic. Lord Chade comes into his own as a real human, with understandable desires and forgivable failings, and even Hap becomes a very recognizable young man with a very normal set of young man's problems.

This is therefore a quiet book, without a great deal of surface action, but with a great deal of character development, and the setting in place of all the things and characters needed for a final denouement. As the characters make up so much of the charm of this entire set of interrelated stories, it is a fully satisfying book, even though it has no real ending, and with possibly even more questions raised than answered within its various disclosures of tie-ins between the various plot threads. The only real problem with this book, like almost every other middle book of a series, is the agonizing wait for the final volume.

--- Reviewed by Patrick Shepherd (hyperpat)

After reading Fool's Errand, I was burning to read Golden Fool. So I bought the UK version which was released in October. Which, BTW, has me amused at the differences in spelling and grammer :)

Golden Fool picks up immediately where Fool's Errand ends. Of course, the Piebald threat continues, and there is Prince Dutiful's betrothal to Narcheska and all the problems with that. Added to, though, are the conflicts Fitz has with viturally every friend he has. There are a few surprises :) and Hobb is nicely intregating her Liveships trilogy and the first Assasins trilogy.

The book ends much like the first, with loose ends but a resolution of a problem. I have no idea how she'll tie up all the loose ends in just one more book--there seems to be so much going on or could go on. But I have faith :) Hobb is such a great writer. Again, I'm amazed at how she can pull bits from the previous books and give them more importance in her following books adding a different flavor to the story.

For those who haven't read her previously works, I highly recommend that you start with the Assasion then the Liveship trilogy before and Fool's Errand before starting this book. WOuld you be able to understand the book and follow the plot? Yes. However, by reading this book first, you'll spoiler yourself to many of the mysteries and plot twists of the previous books--especially Fool's Errand. And you will want to go back and read those.

Overall, a great second book in a trilogy. Can't wait for the third :)

Fitz and his allies must contend with increasing political complexities, as well as challenges to their loyalty to one another.

I was disappointed with this book in comparison to the one before it, which I really loved. It felt as if there wasn't really enough plot here for a whole novel (at least at this wordcount) and a lot of padding in the form of expository introspection had been added in.

Something was strange about the way characters interacted: a tense, emotional scene would be followed by a mutual backing off, especially toward the end of the book where Lord Golden nearly vanishes from the scene. There's a realistic quality to that, but the characters never seemed to really resolve anything between themselves in any of these scenes, and I became frustrated with the "one step forward, two steps back" effect.

While in the first volume I loved the mystery about the Fool/Golden's gender and the romantic tension between him and Fitz, by the end of this volume I was ready to have the truth already. I'm going to be disappointed if he turns out to be a woman (it would be too obvious; I'm rooting for androgynous) but either way, I'm ready to know. The repeated almost-but-not-quite scenes have given the mystery almost a boy who cried wolf feeling for me.

Despite all this, I did enjoy the book. The events that did take place were exciting, Hobb maintains her good grasp of personality, and I like the emotional, character-driven nature of the story. I think the transitional plot here, since it's the second in a trilogy, created some difficulties for the author, but we do get important information. I'm looking forward to the third installment, and I optimistically expect it will be tighter and faster-moving.

In order to appreciate this book, one needs to start at the beginning of this series--not Tawny Man 1: Fool's Errand, but Farseer 1: Assassin's Apprentice. SO MUCH is lost if a reader neglects the previous trilogy or even skips books.

Hobb's great prose brings the reader back. There is more revealed about the Skill and Out Islands, and characters such as Kettricken and Dutiful, but less emphasis on the White Prophet/Catalyst roles in history. This book, like Royal Assassin, feels more like a transition than a stand alone book since its beginning and conclusion are found in the other books, but it cannot be left out.

This isn't as great an emotional roller coaster or action thriller as the two or three preceeding it, but it definitely sets up a good third book. As usual, Hobb leaves a cliffhanger ending, so you'll want Tawny Man 3 NOW as soon as you've finished it.

I don't think I've read a character as frustrating and endearing as Fitz. Robin Hobb does an excellent job developing interesting,and human (if not always completely realistic) characters. Usually with a main character who makes decisions as poorly as Fitz, I can't enjoy the book, and in fact, that tainted my enjoyment of the Farseer trilogy. It seems that either I've gotten used to it, or Ms. Hobb has done a better job walking that tightrope, because I've greatly enjoyed the Tawny Man series thus far.

Book 2 of the Tawny Man series is everything that book 2s from Robin Hobb should be and generally are. What does that mean? She makes, it seems, book 2's her epicenter. A lot happens. Little gets resolved.

However, where she excels-- where she *exceeds*-- is drawing the vivid portrayal of characters. In this case, as with Fool's Errand and the Farseer Trilogy before it, in the first person perspective of protagonist FitzChivalry Farseer aka Tom Badgerlock.

I won't give away a thing of the plot, suffice it to say that the book jacket's contents, provided by Amazon here, are all you need to know. That and, if you haven't done so already, pick up Fool's Errand and read it first (if not the Farseer and Liveship series).

This is a wonderful book. I absorbed it and loved it. I await eagerly book 3.

If you are reading this review, you are probably thinking of buying this book. If you have enjoyed Hobb's previous work, you will love this one. If you have not read the first three books in the Farseer Trilogy, do so before you read the Tawny Man Series. I am not saying you can not appreciate this book without having read the earlier ones, but reading in order will give you a special appreciation.

What makes this book so great is that while it has magic and sword play and horses and castles, it is also one of the few fantasy books to have more than one psychologically real character. All the main characters are "realistic" in the sense that they are motivated by a variety of impulses and desires. No character is flat or stereotypical. There are also multiple plots that relfect on one another, and yet the characters are so distinctive there is no chance any reader will get lost. The first person narrative is also well done. There is enough dramatic irony that we see Tom's strengths and weaknesses and can judge his judegments from our own perspective.

This is a great book and very well written. If you like George R R Martin, I think you will especially appreciate this book. This books is better written than the Jordan material, which I much enjoy, and way way above the average fantasy trash.

Thank you, Robin Hobb! And get to work on number 3, please!!