By Title: Fool’s Assassian
Author: Robin Hobb
Publication Date: 2014
Publishing House: Del Rey
I started listening to this book for a few reason: it was currently available from the library, it was the first in a series, and it was the genre I like. Other than that I knew nothing about this book or series or all of the inter connected series by Robin Hobb. I enjoyed this one so much that I now need to read all of them.
Synopsis from Goodreads
Tom Badgerlock has been living peaceably in the manor house at Withywoods with his beloved wife Molly these many years, the estate a reward to his family for loyal service to the crown.
But behind the facade of respectable middle-age lies a turbulent and violent past. For Tom Badgerlock is actually FitzChivalry Farseer, bastard scion of the Farseer line, convicted user of Beast-magic, and assassin. A man who has risked much for his king and lost more…
On a shelf in his den sits a triptych carved in memory stone of a man, a wolf and a fool. Once, these three were inseparable friends: Fitz, Nighteyes and the Fool. But one is long dead, and one long-missing.
Then one Winterfest night a messenger arrives to seek out Fitz, but mysteriously disappears, leaving nothing but a blood-trail. What was the message? Who was the sender? And what has happened to the messenger?
Suddenly Fitz’s violent old life erupts into the peace of his new world, and nothing and no one is safe.
Most stories start with a young hero, unwise and full of a desire to make something of themself. Fitz (Tom), yes the dual name thing is kind of confusing initially but is easy to figure out, has done his duty for king and country. He is retired with his Molly. Just because he is done with duty doesn’t mean that the world has taken all that it intends to from him. I enjoyed this story because he wasn’t the young hero, he wasn’t an upstart. That is not to say that he doesn’t make mistakes but they are different from the ones that he would have made as a boy.
Much of this book is reflection but it illustrates what this assassian has been through and how the affects of his past adventures on his more “domestic” life. He is suspicious, has nightmares from past torments, he still keeps secrets as much out of habit as out of intention. Despite the limited setting this book moves well. I say “limited” because most of it occurs in and around Withywoods. From the way the book ends, it is clear that book two will in part, take places in far reaching places.
This book is the start of three part series in a long line of three part series revolving around the same group of characters. Despite that I felt that the start of this trilogy did well on its own without me having read the rest of the series that came before it. I suggest this book to those that enjoy fantasy, magic, and Robin Hobb books. Happy reading!
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