Fool's Fate, The Tawny Man series, Robin Hobbs

[agoodwinsmith]

I finished the third book of the Tawny Man series, which is actually the ninth book of the Farseer series.

Humph.

That took way too much of my free time for I'm not sure what benefit.  I won't go back to begin the series.  I might read the next one, if she writes another in the series - but not if it is 914 freakin' paperback pages long.  Actually, I probably won't.  For the type of story (high fantasy adventure), the endings were not endings, but rather just coasting to a stop.  There were interesting characters, but the one I found most interesting and appealing died in the first (seventh) book.  I was just "not that into" the rest of the characters.

The author writes well, however.  I did not feel an urge to cast the book off my balcony, but the pages of pulsing pearlescent prose rhapsodizing vast vistas of shallow palid shadow on a lonely homeless landscape really got through to me, especially since some of the action was recounted as a truncated tale told with skipped scary stanzas.

Hmm.  It was not that bad, but it was definitely too long for me.

Comments

[jessie-c.livejournal.com]

I always find her characters to be extremely whiny. Especially the dolt who is the main character of the Soldier Son trilogy. He just lets things happen to him, doesn't take any proactive actions and complains when things go badly. I end up wanting to slap him.

[agoodwinsmith.livejournal.com]

I can see that. The oh-woe-is-me was part of my impatience, and the wandering around the landscape recounting hoary deeds from previous books really got up my nose.

[cat63.livejournal.com]

The other thing that irked me deeply was Fitz' reaction to the Fool's feelings for him. I mean, if someone you're really good friends with confesses to having sexual feelings for you that you don't return, the optimum reponse is not "Blargh! No way! Not on a bet!" fercryinoutloud. Especially if that person has saved your life repeatedly. I wanted to belt Fitz round the head with a blunt instrument at that point. Insensitive git.

[agoodwinsmith.livejournal.com]

Yes, and sorta. I mean I think Hobbs has gone to great lengths to show that he had a crummy upbringing, and that many people around him only want him to use him - and dying will sort of put a crimp in your outlook - especially if you get there by torture. People these days with less excuse have the same reaction to a friend's declaration/hint, so, given Fitz's lack of flexibility, it wasn't too much of a surprise.

I just found it all took too long and could have stood some serious editing for length. However, I think, sometimes, that the length issue is less the author's issue and more the publisher's issue because, if a two book set can be eked out to three books, that's a 50% increase in sales without much effort on the publisher's part.

So, then, we get fatuous pages where Fitz, who knows the the acting skills and deterimination of The Fool, actually wonders if The Fool is drunk at Civil's parent's house. We have pages where Fitz is describing (from memory, remember - this story is told in the first person, so it is a tale) something that he and The Fool have discussed, and then he spends pages wondering about some of The Fool's statement of fact. I think first-person can't work for that sort of waffling done that way.

We finally got some place interesting in the last 20 pages of the last book where it seems that The Fool may have thought of Fitz as some sort of pet - almost a seeing-eye dog (which some of them are only valued for their tool-like operation and not because they are living beings), which is very interesting, and would have been interesting to reflect on how that changes the whole series with that revelation, but I was so bloody weary by the time I got there that I could have hardly cared less.

So, basically: humph.

[cat63.livejournal.com]

given Fitz's lack of flexibility, it wasn't too much of a surprise.

Point. But you'd think someone trained to be an assassin in a royal court might have managed to acquire at least a trace of sublety, diplomacy and ability to hide their true feelings...Bleh.

The Fool may have thought of Fitz as some sort of pet

I missed that entirely. I may have a reread some day to see if I can spot it. But probably not :-)

[agoodwinsmith.livejournal.com]

Okay, I grant you the expectation of subtlety and diplomacy. I didn't read the parts (6 previous books)where he was this suave assassin, but he did go on and on about it, so you would think he would have had some ability at discretion.

[cat63.livejournal.com]

I didn't read the parts (6 previous books)where he was this suave assassin,

Well only three of them - the three middle books are set in an entirely different country with mostly an entirely different set of characters, and the events in them are largely not important to the ones you've just read - that is, I think they get referred to, but it isn't crucial to know the details in any way.

And I'm not sure suave was ever an accurate description of Fitz, but he did manage to survive at court for a year or two at least :-)