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4.41 AVERAGE
4.41 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
will tawny man be the first trilogy to get all >4🌟 books for me .. as usual, hobb is terribly good at second books. great set-up for book three, a lot of drama and character work. made me gasp multiple times cause whyyy was it giving high fantasy gossip girl.. starling and the fool and blair and serena if u even care. very focused on court intrigue n character dynamics. lowkey liked fool's errand more but still loved this
emotional
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Thick is such a great character. Also loving seeing the Fool storyline move forward!
adventurous
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
In some ways, this is the slowest novel in Hobb's big Elderling series. At least so far. There's less adventuring and so on. The novel--and maybe even this trilogy, in general--is really about Fitz and his relationship to the world, to people, and how the shape of those relationships have transformed since the Farseer trilogy.
While almost all of this novel is just character relations, it manages to be thrilling. It lacks the intense bizarre moments of Fool's Errand and trades them for the problems Fitz creates for himself, and how his understanding and relationship with the Fool begins to take new shape.
Some familiar faces return in this novel, and it mostly left me crying. I cried a lot during this novel. I'll just leave it at that.
In a lot of ways, this novel feels the most incomplete of any of the Elderlings novels, in that it doesn't wrap up its central problem. Or it does, but the conflict driving the trilogy is still open. I suppose the same could be said of Royal Assassin, but no one could read the end of that novel and not feel like it firmly stuck its landing.
This novel feels very much like a middle book. This is a downside in all the obvious ways, but I really just loved this book, and can't really wait to finish the trilogy.
While almost all of this novel is just character relations, it manages to be thrilling. It lacks the intense bizarre moments of Fool's Errand and trades them for the problems Fitz creates for himself, and how his understanding and relationship with the Fool begins to take new shape.
Some familiar faces return in this novel, and it mostly left me crying. I cried a lot during this novel. I'll just leave it at that.
In a lot of ways, this novel feels the most incomplete of any of the Elderlings novels, in that it doesn't wrap up its central problem. Or it does, but the conflict driving the trilogy is still open. I suppose the same could be said of Royal Assassin, but no one could read the end of that novel and not feel like it firmly stuck its landing.
This novel feels very much like a middle book. This is a downside in all the obvious ways, but I really just loved this book, and can't really wait to finish the trilogy.
Never has a final exchange in a book affected me more than "Beloved, I have missed your company" .
Golden Fool is the story of Fitz saying he'd get to something later, and then it blows up in his face before he can, and I was here for it.
Far more political and slower paced than Fool's Errand, I found Golden Fool to be a clear set up for the final book in this trilogy, but that's not to say it's boring. Robin Hobb's ability to write compelling and human characters carries this book, with standouts being the Fool, Chade, Dutiful, and of course Fitz, who is one of the best and most human fantasy protagonists ever.
Equally compelling is Hobb's commitment to queer themes and metaphors in this book, with the nature of the Witted mapping so strongly on to the real-life queer folks (though of course not one to one). The Fool, as a gender nonconforming character, is so well realized, and viewing all of this through Fitz's eyes, someone who struggles with his own inclinations towards the Wit and his strong feelings for the Fool, makes for such compelling writing. The midpoint falling out betweenFitz and the Fool absolutely destroyed me, even while I kept stopping my reading to give my wife a play by play of the verbal blows. And the ending, which is far more of a thematic resolution than a narrative one (which is fine, this is the second in a trilogy) was incredible. One of the strongest endings in the entire series, and the source of the above quote.
I still think I liked Fool's Errand a smidge more. That book was so tightly composed, excellently paced, and felt wonderfully self-contained, but I can see why Golden Fool is many people's favorite in the entire Elderlings series. The only thing holding me back from a five star is its length, which is sometimes felt while reading, and characters not putting together what seem like obvious connections to me as a reader (notablyconnecting the Pale Woman's involvement in the Narcheska's proposal . But those are mostly quibbles with an otherwise excellent book.
Golden Fool is the story of Fitz saying he'd get to something later, and then it blows up in his face before he can, and I was here for it.
Far more political and slower paced than Fool's Errand, I found Golden Fool to be a clear set up for the final book in this trilogy, but that's not to say it's boring. Robin Hobb's ability to write compelling and human characters carries this book, with standouts being the Fool, Chade, Dutiful, and of course Fitz, who is one of the best and most human fantasy protagonists ever.
Equally compelling is Hobb's commitment to queer themes and metaphors in this book, with the nature of the Witted mapping so strongly on to the real-life queer folks (though of course not one to one). The Fool, as a gender nonconforming character, is so well realized, and viewing all of this through Fitz's eyes, someone who struggles with his own inclinations towards the Wit and his strong feelings for the Fool, makes for such compelling writing. The midpoint falling out between
I still think I liked Fool's Errand a smidge more. That book was so tightly composed, excellently paced, and felt wonderfully self-contained, but I can see why Golden Fool is many people's favorite in the entire Elderlings series. The only thing holding me back from a five star is its length, which is sometimes felt while reading, and characters not putting together what seem like obvious connections to me as a reader (notably
adventurous
funny
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated