Customer Reviews

Fool's Fate: Book 3 of The Tawny Man

5 star:		(29)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I feel this conclusion is perfect. (Should I stop there?)
I remember reading the final book of the opening trilogy, and expecting the story to build to the fleet of dragons the Prince and his entourage would summon/raise and the description of the battle that would happen. Only the pages started to dwindle and a sudden awareness that that battle would happen offstage to the experience of the main character. And, i wondered then about the difference between how a male author and a female author would have handled that ending. (Would a male author HAD to have told about the battle and rout.)
A few reviews I scanned were upset or at least remarked how the climatic moment of the book and concluding trilogy seems to build early and happen early, and anything but the closing chapters is early. But, I see this as beautifully wrapped up. Yes, the dramatic conflict of the main plot is in the center of the novel, and is handled deftly. All the threads picked up from the opening trilogy, and the threads from the related/entwined Liveship Traders trilogy and from the opening books of the trilogy are dealt with. I won't say verything is dealt with, there are always 'What if's' and 'What about's' but it is clear that you the reader will be left to wonder at them, the storyteller has told the full story she has to tell. And the conlusion leaves you content. There are losses. And departures. And will never be the sames. BUT I can't help thinking that life is JUST like that.
The immediate impulse I had upon reading this final part of the story was to begin again at the beginning of the tale. With an overloaded shelf of books I am getting around to reading, I will only be able to put that rereading journey off for a little while longer. It was a very worthwhile read from start to finish.

This is a great series (both the Farseer Trilogy and the Tawny Man series), and well worth reading if you are in the mood for epic fantasy. Great character development and an engaging story.

After following these characters, specifically Fitz, for six books, I feel like the wrap-up at the end was a little disappointing. I became seriously invested in the characters and I wanted more of a peek into the future, and more than the year she gave us. There was 15 years between the first and second trilogy, and I wanted a chapter at the end capturing another 15 years later' Oh well.

This conclusion to a good series was a sad time. It was over. Oh well, such is the nature of the universe. You would not be disappointed to read this work, it kicks' butt over some of the others.

**A book I would also recommend is The Unsuspecting Mage by Brian S. Pratt. This, the first installment of The Morcyth Saga is a great beginning for a new author. Battles, magic, gods, secret passages and intrigue, all the elements of a classic epic fantasy! Any fantasy reader will enjoy it. Also it didn’t take 4-6 weeks to come as I had been worried about. Only about fifteen days. Still a wait but worth it!

The only thing that bothers me about this book, make that the whole series is that it has ended. That's probably a good thing since I've come up for air and my husband can find me in the house and not hiding in a corner reading this darned series! Anyhow, I agree with the premise that you must read the Farseer trilogy before you read this one, they both explain each other and you'll find yourself reading them over and over again.
In this final novel we find our hero Fitz, attempting to right all the things he thinks are wrong with the Six Duchies and his own life. Only to realize that everything is not as it seems.

I don't want to give away a spoiler, but a couple of the reviews on this book were unfair as a foreshadowing in the book Assassin's Quest gives us the reasons why Fitz is still acting like an adolescent. If you look for it, you will find it.
The ending wasn't a completely happy one as many people seem to see, but it was a rather realistic one to my eyes and bittersweet. Definitely read this book, and the previous series, I've never come across better and I've got a library of my own (400+ books and still counting!)

This is absolutely the best fantasy series out there, hands down. I have never been so emotionally wrapped up with a character in a book as I have been with Fitzchivalry. Martin and Jordan who? Give me a break. Not even close, trust me. Accolades to Robin Hobb. Excellent series as a whole, and this book was a great conclusion to it. I couldn't even pick up another book for a week after I finished this one, I knew I wouldn't find anything nearly as good to read!
Keep up the good work, Mrs. Hobb!!!

this book was my favorite of all these books (farseer, mad ship, and tawny man)! maybe because for once, good things happened to fitz. I still cried during parts, but I was very happy with how hobb tied things together that I had never even considered before. I sincerely hope that she will continue some of the characters into later novels, as the fool has always been my favorite character and I would love to know more about him.

I believe this is the best Fantasy Series I have ever read. While Fool's Fate lingered on after the end to tie up loose ends, it was an excellant book. My only regret is that the series is over(maybe it isn't) for now, and I will have to re-read the Assasin Series from the start(that is a good thing). To any extent, I wish to thank Megan/Robin for taking me on a wonderful adventure.

I thought this book was by far the best of the Tawny Man series, not that I did not love the other two. I have not read the other two series by Robin Hobb, but after reading Fool's Fate I was convinced that I wanted to read the other series also, starting at the beginning and then re-reading the Tawny Man series.
I thought that the character development was amazing and that you really know the characters... almost enough to guess their favorite color. I loved the developing relationships between the Prince and Elliania, Fitz and Nettle, even Thick and the other characters. The story was intriguing and I was always guessing the true reason for Elliania's challenge to Dutiful. Basically this book gets the position of my favorite book, at least until I stumble upon another great fantasy.

The first half of this concluding book is wonderful... it stands alone and with the entire series. That last half (after the motley crew lands at the icy kingdom of the dragon) feels perfunctory -- as if Hobb wanted to finish the story but knew she needed to put her readers through their paces to do it.

This should NOT discourage anyone from reading this book! Good heavens... if you have slogged through Fitz's suffering and triumphs the least you can do for yourself is read this book to achieve closure. And it is very much like a funeral ... at the end the reader feels like she is saying goodbye to an old friend who, in the last 30 pages of his story, achieved some sort of contentment.

Not a perfect book but a great read.
Will miss the Fool and Fitz.
The nine volumes are a great achievement from a great
Author.

Wonder what the next series will be like.