Fantasy Buddy Reads discussion

May 1st. Starting tomorrow!

Thanks Jenna!

Awesome! Definitely going to try and fit this one in!

You'd be most welcome!

I'm going to be a day or two late for this, but will certainly be reading it!

Shaitarn wrote: "I'm going to be a day or two late for this, but will certainly be reading it!"

Same here. :)

Damn you, Robin Hobb; I'm not ever halfway through the first book of this trilogy and already you have reduced me to tears! You are a bad, bad woman and a bloody brilliant author!(Apologies for the profanity, but it had to be used!)

oh! you started! i was waiting for you to say start! (*running to take the book from the shelf*)
Are you halfway through already? Cause I have a lot of catching up to do then.

Sorry Laura, I thought I'd posted a message on here when I started. I distinctly remember writing it, but now I can't find it so I either posted it elsewhere (and now look like an idiot) or hit 'return' rather than send (that happens sometimes if I come here after checking Facebook).

I'm currently about to start chapter 14 (I tried starting a chapter by chapter analysis last night, but I took too long and my laptop crashed) but I can take a break and read a couple of short stories from a Sookie Stackhouse collection I got from the library the other day; just let me know when you've caught up.

And you might want to have some tissues handy!

That bad?! I'll keep the tissues ready.

I may need until tomorrow afternoon to get to chapter 14 as today is Sunday (morning over here now) and I normally get less time to read on Sundays. If you don't mind waiting till then, that would be great. If you want to keep reading however I wouldn't take it in a wrong way as I know this series is too good to put down. :)

I'll post my comments as I go.

Just post your thoughts in a bundle up to 14 and I'll open the spoiler when I get there.

It's okay, I actually have a Sookie Stackhouse BR I'd forgotten about, so I can read that. I usually finish them in 2 days because they're so light, which also means it won't distract me from Fitz's story too much - how you're balancing this and the Mistwraith books I can't imagine! I'll start posting my thoughts in a bit.

I finished the Mistwraith book I had open. The next one only starts on the 15th. By then we can be done with 2 books of this series, if not the whole 3 of them because they seem so good!
I'll reach chapter 14 in a few hour's time.

Up to chapter 14
There is so much to tell about this one that I don't even know where to start.
So I'll just jumble everything together and make it little short.
(view spoiler)[I felt so sorry for Molly when everyone thought she was crazy. And I admit I had started to believe that also when more than a year passed and she kept telling she was pregnant.
When little Bee came, I suspected the first moment she was described that she was like the Fool and then I started wondering if prophets were actually made. Those people came that evening and Molly fainted. Could they have done something to her so she gives birth to a prophet with both skill and witt from Fitz?

It was not nice of the Fool to write to that woman but not to Fitz. I wonder why he did it. And I also suspect that woman's son was the child of the Fool, as the grandson was similarly pale.

Bee - I love her and I love the way her relationship with Fitz is growing. From mistrust to tolerance and then love.
And I also suspect Father Wolf is Nighteyes. If he is so present in Fitz's mind it should be only natural for him to be a part of Bee's also. But I have been wrong before so...... (hide spoiler)]

I wrote this earlier, so I'll stick it up here so as not to waste it! I'll write up everything from chapter 8 onwards in a bundle later!

Chapter 1& 2 (view spoiler)[ The prologue seems to set an ominous tone with ‘lessons learned too late’. I’m worrying about Fitz from the start!
Fitz seems to have forgotten his assassin training – leaving messengers waiting and letting strangers into the hall without question. Patience’s ‘reason’ for not letting any bard with pale hair entertain them on winterfest made me smile – I love her eccentricities!
Web annoyed me with his insistence that Fitz should think about taking a new wit-partner. We saw how much he missed (still misses) Nighteyes; it’s up to Fitz to take another partner or not as he chooses.
Molly’s fainting spell was worrying. I hope this isn’t the start of anything bad for her.
So the messenger is (presumably) dead; that moment when Fitz touched the memorystone carving – I really hope that was a vision conjured up by the blood on the stone, not anything that’s happening to the poor Fool!
So the messenger came from the Fool? Oh, Fitz! And already, Robin Hobb, you’re teasing me with information to come! (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 3 & 4 (view spoiler)[ So Patience has died ‘offscreen’. After reading that it occurred we’re probably likely to lose a few of the older ‘cast’ not because of any war or battles, but simply because they’re old.
What we learnt from Fitz’s visit to Buckkeep: Chade is still messing with the Skill. Possibly there’s a traitor who caused his fall. Dutiful had two sons, but his wife is off home more than the people like – I hope there won’t be any future problems there. Is it wrong that I still don’t like or trust Rosemary? I remember her treachery against Kettricken in the first trilogy too well (admittedly, the fact that it’s my mother-in-law’s name and we don’t get on doesn’t help).
There’s still an ominous air with hanging over things with the murders of the unusually pale folk. I wonder if they’re from the same people as the Fool was originally?
And Molly thinks she’s pregnant. At fifty, after the menopause? How?! I don’t blame Fitz for thinking she’s mad. (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 5 & 6: (view spoiler)[ So Fitz learned that the Fool was at least alive three years ago (the date of his last message to Jofron); I loved that little burst of wolf-wisdom from Nighteyes.
Good to see Fitz and Nettle bonding, at least a little.
So Molly was pregnant after all! If any other author but Robin Hobb had tried to get away with a two year pregnancy I wouldn’t be buying it, but I let her do it because I’m fairly sure it will be explained in the future rather than just being brushed aside.
That nightmare about the Fool as a child was horrific. Again, this shows Fitz’s fears for his own daughter owing to her differences (fair colouring and small size) and helps highten our concern over the Fool. I’m already worried about how dark this tale is going to be. Robin Hobb, please don’t break my heart again! (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 7: (view spoiler)[ I like the name Bee. I was sort of angry that Kettricken didn’t acknowledge her, but it would probably be best for her if she was passed over in the list of succession. And Chade’s ‘gift’ (the silver buck necklace); he doesn’t give up, does he?! (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 8 - 13(view spoiler)[ After reading your comments, I wonder as well if Bee is sort of part 'White Prophet'. Didn't the Fool say his kind lived many years? if so then it would make sense that a pregnancy/childhood would take longer - Bee isn't slow (we can see she isn't stupid) or freakish, she's just taking longer to grow is my guess.

I hated those bullying kids, particularly that boy Taffy - what a nasty piece of work! I was glad Lin caught them, although I confess I was hoping they'd face some more serious punishment. Although the beating that poor Bee received was unpleasant, I'm intrigued by the idea that she actually had something that physically kept her tongue from moving properly - I wonder if this is actually a thing in reality?

I wonder if Fitz is so against the idea of getting a dog because he fears that he'll bond with it instinctively, like he did with his previous wit-partners?

Poor Molly, and poor Fitz; I suppose we should have expected it, but still; as if Fitz hasn't lost enough with the Fool and Nighteyes both gone! I hope this will bring him and Bee closer together.

I hated that Nettle was trying to take Bee to Buckkeep. I understand her reasons but still disagree with her - if she was taking her to take care of her herself, I might have been more tolerant, but the idea that she'd take Bee and leave her all day with a nursemaid, staring into the fire - no!

I'm guessing Bee is sensitive to the Skill, possibly the Wit as well and is picking up on the 'overspill' of Fitz's emotions. I really hope that now Fitz has learnt to keep his Skill-walls up around her they'll be able to develop a closer relationship.

Poor Bee, getting lost in the dark in the secret passages (Didn't you just know she was going to explore them the first chance she got?). I'm hoping that Fitz will be able to locate her (perhaps with his Wit-sense) and get her out without too much trouble.

Shun - not sure what I think of her just yet. I'll see how she develops over the next few chapters. (hide spoiler)]

I just checked and the only buddy read I have before 20th is The Dark Defiles but I think Mayim has already read that, so it won't matter if I push it back and we go through all of these books.

Tongue (view spoiler)[ It is there in reality also and is called tongue-tie as far as I remember. My husband had that when he was small. There is a small piece of extra flesh tying the tongue down and restricting it's movements. It is also of different degrees, so the thicker that extra piece of skin is the harder it makes it for the tongue to move and for the child to speak. Nowadays it is normally cut by the doctors as soon as it's discovered. (hide spoiler)]

Wit (view spoiler)[I am almost sure Bee has it because she dreams so often of the wolf. And when Molly died she saw Fitz howling his pain. So because Nighteyes seems to be still speaking into Fitz's mind I suspected that he may be the one Bee sees in her dreams also. But it's all so vague that I'm really not sure.
I wonder why Nighteyes is still there though. It's like he is part of Fitz, warning him when not to try to meet the eyes of Bee or when danger is coming. Do you think it is because Fitz had spent so much of time inside the wolf's mind when he supposedly died? Could it be that their bond developed so much that they are actually combined and even though the wolf's body is dead a part of him still lives in Fitz? Now I'm just supposing again. :) (hide spoiler)]

Bee (view spoiler)[ reminds me of the Fool a lot. And it does make sense that even the birth should have taken longer as their kind live so long. I also hated the way Nettle supposed she is entitled to take her sister away and lock her in a room with her simple toys. It made me very angry. And the way little Bee reacted to that small room inside the hidden passages just about broke my heart. She wanted some place to be safe. I wonder what all bad things are waiting for her just for being different.
I'm sure Fitz is scared to let her have an animal for fear she will bond but I wish he would explain it to her. He seems to heve become real sloppy in guarding his family as well as retained all those bad qualities like lying and keeping secrets.
I felt so sorry for Bee when she got lost there in the dark. I hope Fitz will come and get her out soon. (hide spoiler)]

Shun - I'm not yet sure about her either. But at first look she seems so ... prissy and not nice! I wonder if she's (view spoiler)[Chade's daughter. He does seem to care a lot about her. (hide spoiler)]

I'm starting with the rest of the chapters today. For me the next big BR is on the 15th but we're going slow on that so it will be ok to go on with this series. I like it too much to set it down in favour of anything else right now. Do you feel the same about it?

Oh yes; I generally don't like reading Robin Hobb's trilogies until all three books are out because I know I'm going to want to tear through them all, one after the other!

I might not be able to post again today - it's my husband's birthday so we're going out for a meal later - but I'll be posting my thoughts soon!

A very Happy Birthday to your husband!!! 🎂🍾🎉
And have a lovely time! 😊

There was no time for me to get online today either. However, I'm 3 quarters through our book by now and will probably finish it by tomorrow. I'm barely waiting to hear your thoughts on it as I absolutely adore it. :)

Finally got the time to settle down at the comp and write down those thoughts. Here we go

Chapter 14
(view spoiler)[I JUST KNEW IT that Wolf Father was Nighteyes! But how is it that he speaks to Bee in her mind? His presence in Fitz's mind somehow makes sense because of that time they spent as one being when Fitz was buried. But why Bee? Is a part of Nighteyes gone to her too because she is her father's daughter? I really don't get it.

And that dream/prophecy was horrible. I wonder if it was about the Fool. And Fitz did deserve the way Bee told it to him. He's still not paying enough attention to her. (hide spoiler)]

Chapters 15-17
(view spoiler)[The way Bee glided into the room and told her message reminded me so much of the Fool. And now both Riddle and Shun will believe her crazy!

And still Fitz didn't remember his lessons and hear the message! I felt like shaking him. To leave Bee alone and go easily to his room. NO! He shouldn't have done that. And then that whole scene with burning the body after Bee saw her dead? She is just a child for crying out loud and Fitz is making her way older than she should be. And he is loosing her so many times!!!

I also wonder if the message is about Jofron's son. And I'm really really starting to resent Shun! She behaves like a spoiled brat and thinks she's better than anyone else! (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 18
(view spoiler)[So Bee is witted after all. I feel so sorry for the little girl left so often to fend for herself. Her loneliness is heartbreaking! At least Fitz found her and came to his senses - he isn't letting her sleep alone anymore. And I love the way they speak using wolfish terms like cub and den. (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 19-20
(view spoiler)[I wonder why FitzVigilant is so important?!

Shun is a bitch! Sorry for the vocabulary! How can she purposefully hurt a little girl so much! And why didn't Fitz think to ask Bee if she didn't like the yellow rooms better? After all, she is his daughter not Shun! This is all going so bad...

Fitz is hurting Bee by not paying attention to her. Can't he see that!!! And then Bee is hurting him back by asking Riddle to teach her how to ride. (*sigh*- so much hurt all around!) (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 21
(view spoiler)[Chade seems to know something about Fool's son? He seemed to be making some connections in his mind. Perhaps he isn't that of Jofron?
(hide spoiler)]

Chapters 22-23
(view spoiler)[I'm so happy Bee found Perseverance. At least someone her age she can call friend. (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 24
(view spoiler)[FITZ SHOULDN'T HAVE DONE THAT!!! I was so very angry at him! How could he!!! To take all Bee's things and keep only those he thought were important! That is just not done!!! It was very nice of him to make the yellow rooms ready for her but he shouldn't have touched her old things! He should have let her choose what to keep and what to discard. That was heartless! No sorry will ever make up for that!

The same way he spoke to other people arranging for their kids to study with Bee, he should have also told her before. Not let her find out that way from Perseverance. At times he is so bad as a father. And he still didn't get time to get his girl new clothes. Hope the planned shopping trip won't be cancelled. (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 25
(view spoiler)[It's good that Fitz is giving Bee those lessons in self defence and I love it that they finally sat down to talk properly together.

Shun thinks so much of herself! And that accusation that Bee is a bastard child of Molly with someone else?! I wanted to slap her! (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 26
(view spoiler)[I HATE LANT!!! Why did he have to humiliate Bee like that in front of all the other children?! Just because Shun said she needs a lesson?! He came to protect and teach Bee and instead he is hurting her from the very first day! I just hate him.

And it felt so good when Fitz came and hugged Bee and took her side! The way they spoke to each other bought tears to my eyes. Then later at the table, the way father and daughter are becoming so tight like a team - we against the rest of the world! It's wonderful! (hide spoiler)]

Just finished chapter 27, and I will almost certainly be finishing this tomorrow. I'm really loving this so far, although I sometimes want to howl at Fitz when he does something stupid and I want to slap Shun! (Don't apologise for your language, she is being a total bitch!)

Edit: just finished chapter 28, and now I’ll have to finish this tonight!

Chapter 14 (view spoiler)[ I'm inclined to agree about Wolf Father (I keep remembering that dream Bee had of two wolves running over the snow, which makes me think it's the 'memory' of Fitz and Nighteyes when they were both sharing the wolf's body). Bee's dreams (the flying buck, The 'fish-white' boy selling himself into slavery) are, I think, things that happened in Buck before she was born (wasn't one of Verity's dragons shaped like a flying buck? I'm guessing the white boy was the Fool, selling himself to Kind Shrewd). (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 15 – 16 (view spoiler)[ Poor Bee; she’s dealing with things that a child her age shouldn’t have to, from terrible (prophetic?) dreams to the awful things that happened to that poor messenger (the eggs inside her; no!). I do think she’s going to grow up inheriting Fitz’s talent as an assassin as well as his Wit/Skill (I think she has both magics).

And my hand is itching to slap Shun! What a horrible, horrible woman! So catty and selfish, and drawing that pin to threaten Bee – once you do that to a child you’ve just crossed a line where I want to physically hurt you! (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 18 – 20 (view spoiler)[ I wonder if Bee will end up with a cat as a Witted companion; I don’t think either of the cats she’s met so far have any interest in it; and I’m sure Father Wolf wouldn’t approve! (Does ‘Father Wolf’ remind you of how Nettle used to see Fitz in her dream-skillings? It does me.)

I feel rather sorry for Fitz and Bee, the way Chade keeps dropping his ‘strays’ on them; first the repulsive Shun (yes, I wondered if she was Chade’s daughter as well as his apprentice) and now FitzVigilant. I do wonder if he’s doing this for a scheme of his own (spies in the house, maybe?) I also wonder if Shun is more than she seems and her whole demeanour of a spoilt brat is an act, but that could be me trying to find a reason not to write her off as the nasty piece of work she seems to be! (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 21: (view spoiler)[ I hope Chade’s investigation will turn up some information for Fitz. That moment when he almost abandoned himself to the Skill was another insight into how alone he is without Molly. I’m glad Nettle pulled him up sharp; I love her brusqueness; she won’t let him feel sorry for himself – he has to put his daughter first now! (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 22: (view spoiler)[ Thank goodness for Perseverance; he’s the sort of solid friend Bee needs, surrounded by spiteful females! (hide spoiler)].

Chapter 23 – 24: (view spoiler)[ The way these chapter reads are painful, but I’m in awe at Robin Hobb’s skill – reading her words, I remember how it felt as a child, the frustration when adults couldn’t understand why certain things were important to me, and would do things that seemed unfair or unreasonable. How she manages to tap into that and make it so believable – I feel sorry for Bee, but the fact that Robin Hobb can do that has left me amazed!

Fitz screwed up in arranging the new room for her, but I understand why he did it; he thought he was doing the right thing, but should have spoken to Bee and asked her opinion, rather than just springing it on her. I wonder if some of this is down to Fitz having so little choice over his own childhood – no one asked him, so he didn’t think to ask his daughter? I hope from now on he thinks to do so. (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 25 - 26: (view spoiler)[ I honestly wanted Fitz to strike Shun! What an utter bitch! And as for Lant – he assumed that Bee was slow and stupid: that is his fault, not hers! He could have found out beforehand what she knew, but no – talk to that evil little harpy Shun and then blame Bee for being clever! Ugh!

On the plus side, I like Careful – I think she could be another friend for Bee, and I was silently applauding Perseverance – my suspicion is that Taffy was saying some pretty horrible things about Bee and Pers decided to defend her. I hope Taffy doesn’t show his face again. (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 27 - 28: (view spoiler)[ That note at the start from Lady Patience was so sad – if only somehow she and Chivalry could’ve ‘adopted’ Fitz!

So a possibly pleasant day out for Bee with her father and Riddle has been spoilt from the start by everyone’s favourite nuisance, Shun! I liked the fun they had shopping, even though Bee appears to be sick or ill with her vision or something? I thought her reaction to that saddle was adorable!

Oh, that scene with the dog was terrible! Just awful! I totally understand Fitz’s reaction – that dog owner should be thankful he only got a punch in the face. It was bad enough when he cut the dog’s ear, but when he gutted her… I’m guessing that one of those pups might be a new wit-friend for one of them?

The scene in the end in the tavern when Fitz just suddenly has enough of Shun and Lant and verbally slaps both of them down, I almost felt like cheering! I think Lant might be salvageable, but Shun is repulsive! Bur what’s happened to Bee? Must read on! (hide spoiler)]

I haven't caught the part about the dragon. And you are right. It may be true. I had also connected the Fool to the dreams but nothing else.

It was the same for me once reaching chapter 28. I couldn't stop reading till the end. And now I'm itching to dive into the next book to see what happens next. It's so good we decided to read them one after another. I don't think I could have left them for later. :)

Here is a beautiful photo I found online:



Fool’s Assassin by Dominik Broniek

Well, I wasn't expecting that ending! (view spoiler)[I sort of suspected that Bee was the one they were looking for, although I didn't work that out until she restored the Fool's eyesight. I thought that scene when she could see all the potential futures from every event was brilliant, very well done. (hide spoiler)]

Fitz: (view spoiler)[I'm glad Fitz got the Fool to Buckkeep, and was relieved that Riddle was okay. I hope that the Fool will recover - I guess we'll find out next book! (hide spoiler)]

Bee: (view spoiler)[Meanwhile Bee has been kidnapped by the enemy! I hope she is strong enough to stand against them - I mean, she was so grateful to find someone who understood and wanted her I hope she doesn't end up siding with them against her father. Maybe Wolf Father will be able to help her? (hide spoiler)]

And that is a gorgeous picture!

5 stars, and Robin Hobb deserved every one of them!

Eager to plunge straight into the next book!

it was the same with me. I did get it by then and I was even expecting the Fool. And that scene of Bee meeting the dirty beggar and then seeing was so heartbreakingly beautiful! I loved it.

I'm left with a few questions after this book and I suspect they'll be clarified in book 2.

(view spoiler)[Why is it that Bee can hear and talk to Nighteyes? The only explanation I can find for now is that Nighteyes didn't fully die. A part of him is still living in Fitz and Bee inherited him because she is Fitz's daughter.

Why is Bee the Fool's son? The only reasons I see here would be:
1st - the Fool is actually a woman and they call all white prophets boys - hence SON

2nd - when the Fool was dead in Tawny Man and Fitz brought him back from the dead they sort of merged and one became the other. It could be that they didn't separate completely. That would also explain why Bee is a prophet as well as her looks, which may not be those of Fitz's mother after all. (hide spoiler)]

Were you thinking along the same lines?

Sorry - I didn't have time to log on and reply yesterday!

(view spoiler)[ Wasn't there a reference to 'the part of the wolf that didn't die?' I'm guessing that perhaps part of Nighteyes' wolfishness stayed with Fitz after he seperated from Nighteyes, and that part is still with him. I'm guessing Bee can sense it because she has the Wit and is Fitz's child - the Wolf Father protecting his cub

I wonder if the Fool was supposed to have a son but for whatever reason was unable to do so (I think working out the timeline, when Bee was born he was already captured (remember that vision Fitz had when he touched the carving)), so the prophecy somehow twisted to use the part of the Fool in Fitz and he fathered a child instead. I wonder if the prophecy specifies a boy or if all the other White Prophets have been male, so they simply assume this one will be? (hide spoiler)]

🤔 could be. Let's see what book 2 explains. :)