Fool's Errand - Robin Hobb. (Spoiler potentially)

[LuciferRising]

I love Robin Hobb but she is a recent discovery. Really wish I hadn't been reading the Fool's Errand on my commute home. I feel like I need tomorrow off work!

Couldn't stop thinking about it during yoga! It's been well over a decade since a book had such as impact and I've not even finished it.

An avid fan! Wish I could read them all over again :-)

Love this series.

Also Laini Taylor is great!

"time to change, Changer."

@LuciferRising I am a huge fan of all 9 books in that Robin Hobb series. I hope you have read all 3 Farseer trilogy, then the Liveship Traders and now Tawney Man of which Fool's Errand is book 1 which is the correct order of things and will make more sense if you do.

I read The Farseer Trilogy back in the late 90s when they were released, they were recommended by a friend. I return to the books often, have read them aloud to my children and find them to be as delightful as when I first read them.

I will not spoil anything as you haven't finished the book but I think I know why you are dwelling on it. I have felt the giddy highs of elation and been left bereft by Robin's books, they are truly the best books I have ever read and I have read a lot.

I love the fitz and the fool books. The liveship trilogy is one of my favourites however. Didn't like the soldier son trilogy though. My robin hobb books have been so well read they are falling to pieces! Wish there was better audible recordings though.

I second the earlier PP - if you haven't read Liveship after the first Farseer trilogy I'd recommend going back and doing it now.

I wish I could read these again for the first time!

I also had a 'need a week off to think about this' bit in one of them 😁 (Not the same bit as you though!)

They are also my favourite books. Fitz is such an amazingly complex character. You can see the effect of his childhood on how he reacts as an adult. She does put him through the ringer tho.

@TheSecretDoor there’s about 17 in the series. If you’ve only read 9 you’ve got a really good time ahead!

OP you’re making me want to start at the start again. Such good books

Yep, I've read the Liveship trilogy and it is one of my favourite trilogies ever. I have been reading each trilogy and then having time off so that I can stretch them out. I am loving the crossover.

The characters are amazingly complex and I love Fitz. I find some of the other fantasy books I've read recently a little juvenile compared to these (although I have also enjoyed them).

I'm trying to write my own. Nearly 2 years in and 100k words, but my writing is childish compared to hers!

I wont cope if there is more! I've read so many books and not really had this before. Maybe it's my age!

It's not your age, its the books! They are so good at drawing you in....

I think they have the ideal blend for me between tragedy and uplifting. Keep going!

@abyssofwoah Read and loved Rain Wild 4 but was disappointed in Fool's Assassin so left that there but I have read Wilful Princess and Piebald Prince. I think Robin's writing is just so vivid it really captures you. When Ds2 was learning to write narratives for English Lang GCSE I read him a 3 page excerpt of Chade and Fitz basically riding through countryside to show him how you can make that journey sound exciting.

@LuciferRising Well done with the writing, keep going. And yes, Robin's books make me feel teenage despite being almost 50, I feel a giddiness when I read them, there are certain scenes that I think about some of which are in the book you are reading. But we'll talk about that when you have finished it. Just tell us what page you are on now, so we know where you are.

Chapter 29!

Oh, I feel a re-read coming on, I know I’ve got the 3rd Rain Wilds book to read, but it sounds like there are more new ones to me - fingers crossed.

I have not long finished the main 16 books, they are magnificent. Willfull princess next, but I like to buy them to keep and I'm skint this month. Having previously dipped in and out at random, the full interweaving of the story lines only really comes out when read in some semblance of order.

Unlike a pp I did like soldier son, but listened to that series as audio books, maybe that makes a difference.

Robin hobb also writes as Megan lindholm, and whilst those books are maybe not as accomplished as the farseer books I still enjoyed those I have read so far.

I thought that series was outstanding. I'd been aware of them for ages but not got around to reading them until I'd exhausted Kate Elliott's fantasy books and was searching for a new fix!
So you might like, for instance, Elliott's Crown of Stars series if you are looking for something a bit similar.

@jackles excellent to have similar book recommendations. Thank you.

@LuciferRising so really close to finishing then! All my books are now on my Kindle, the physical books are in my loft. Had to charge it to look where you were at.

I really loved all the Robin Hobb books too and I was totally absorbed by them for months. I haven't experienced that for a long time and it's such a nice feeling!

I'm reading The Wheel of Time books now which I'm enjoying but they haven't captured me as much.

Thanks to every one posting recommendations I will be checking all these out too 🙌

I really liked Myrrens Gift by Fiona McIntosh but the rest of the series tailed off a bit

@LuciferRisingso really close to finishing then! All my books are now on my Kindle, the physical books are in my loft. Had to charge it to look where you were at.

I love the hardback books of the first trilogy with the beautiful artwork by Magali Villeneuve. I plan to buy them when I start re-reading!

@LuciferRising I have a mix of paper back and hardback Robin Hobbs. I also did English Lit as a degree in the early 90s so I used to have so many books. I had a massive purge and donated loads to those free lending libraries so other people could read them but I kept Robin Hobb and a few other authors who have kept me company through some very difficult times over the years. I only looked at the art work on the books after I had read them all so that I didn't get ideas into my head.

I just had a quick read of chapter 27. What a fantastic chapter that is. "Who are you?" also 28, revelling in the storm. God I envy you so much discovering these books especially knowing they are just as good as the earlier ones in the series, she does not disappoint.

Have started my re-read. Fitz is about to journey to Neatbay.

Finished it this evening. Rather a melancholic book! Think it will stay with me for a while. Starting The Golden Fool now.