Reviews with content warning for Rape - Golden Fool

Would have given it a higher rating but it was very very slow to get going, and a lot of Fitz's behaviour was frustrating for a large portion of the book. Still, looking forward to seeing what happens in the next book.

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talonsontypewriters's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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kaziaroo's review against another edition

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emotional mysterious reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

Sadly, this was my least favourite Fitz book so far. I can forgive that not much happened even by Robin Hobb's standards, or that what did happen was punctuated by endless conversations with Chade, such that I was almost excited when another character appeared for Fitz to talk to. I can forgive that this book is mostly set-up for the next one. But the unchecked homophobia and ableism? Much, much harder to forgive. It's tricky to discuss the homophobia without spoilers, and I hold out hope that things will develop in a positive direction in later books.

So, the ableism. As a warning, this section contains ableist language that is all quoted from the book. In this book there is a prominent autistic-coded character, named Thick (yes, and this is only the beginning), who is repeatedly and matter-of-factly referred to as stupid, simpleton, halfwit, dimwit, and idiot. Fitz even considers that perhaps he shouldn't call Thick halfwit where he can hear in case it upsets him, yet continues to use ableist language throughout his internal narrative (because apparently slurs are only bad if the target can't hear you). There are glimpses of good intentions in Thick's presentation and treatment; the characters begin to think maybe he's not so "simple" after all, and his Skill is so strong that they don't care. So, the disabled character has a superpower that makes him useful – where have I heard that before? Oh yes, it's a common ableist trope used to make disability palatable. Still, the characters do eventually seem to accept Thick for who he is, so at least the author tried. A bit.

I loved the books up until this one and I want to continue the series. And I understand that when writing from the first-person perspective of a homophobic and ableist character in a homophobic and ableist world, it's difficult to show sensitivity in these areas and not appear to be endorsing that behaviour. But then why do it at all? Maybe things were worse than I thought when this was published in 2002. But as a reader in 2023, certain parts of this book made for a very uncomfortable and at times sickening read, and I'll be much more wary approaching this author's books in future. I really hope this was just a bump in the road.

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poisonenvy's review against another edition

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emotional slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Page six of this book hits you with this punch in the face: "To recognize you are the source of your own loneliness is not a cure for it. But it is a step toward seeing that it is not inevitable, and that such a choice is not irrevocable."

What follows is some of the most frustrating reading I've had in this series for some time. It picks up exactly where Fool's Errand left off, the same evening, the same setting. And what follows is Fitz making some of the most idiotic and pigheaded decisions I've ever seen, which is impressive because he's never been a very level-headed character. The amount of times I wanted to strangle him was... A lot.

But there's a lot of good, solid character work in this book too. Fitz grows *a lot,* and a lot of it is very satisfying to see.There's also a huge heaping of homophobia and ableism in this book, which is probably why I docked a star (this does not mean the AUTHOR is homophobic or ableist, but the characters are certainly). There's also not a whole lot of interaction between Fitz and the Fool, and I think this book suffers for it, but I'm hoping to see more in the next book!

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mariebrunelm's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Telling you anything about the plot would spoil you most of the first volume in the Tawny Man trilogy, so I won't. But the book is rich enough that you can still discuss quite a bit without referring to the plot. Among other topic, it discusses power - who wields it, who should it be entrusted to, who can decide where to distribute it. Of course, there is no yes/no answer, and our protagonist, Fitz, keeps making mistake over mistake because his magic is both one of his strengths and his biggest weakness. I think that is a really interesting idea to develop in a fantasy novel. In addition to that, while Fitz's entourage keeps demanding he takes action and helps those he is sworn to, he is held back by a string of prejudices that are sometimes very uncomfortable to read, especially when it feels like a step back from his attitude in previous books. But I don't see that as a flaw in the writing, simply as a proof that Fitz is very much real, his opinions aren't fixed and he keeps evolving not always in a pleasant direction because that's life. But to make up for it, Hobb gifts us with passages such as: "You seek a false comfort when you demand that I define myself for you with words. Words do not contain or define any person. A heart can, if it is willing." *swoons*
Rep : just like the author said, it's difficult to identify clearly the characters' identity. In this book, Fitz appears to lean towards polyamour. There is certainly a non-binary secondary character.

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themysteriouserk's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense 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

3.75

A wonderful and entertaining continuation of the second of Robin Hobb’s trilogies focusing on FitzChivalry Farseer and those who share his life and world (and the third of her overarching Realm of the Elderlings series). This one does a lot to grow our understanding of both Fitz and The Fool/Lord Golden/Amber and has plenty of insightful and impactful moments, but spends more time dealing with the fallout of the previous book and setting things up for the next than doing a lot of its own, despite some intriguing political machinations and new information on the books’ unique magic system.

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achingallover's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Fitz, you're an idiot. Fool, I love you.

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