pennym_ 's review for:

Fool's Fate by Robin Hobb

3.5

adventurous emotional slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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i dont know how i feel about this book. for one thing, i always know when the final book in a series is over 200 pages longer than its predecessors that im going to have problems with it (i just think it makes the series as a whole feel unbalanced or poorly planned). i was engaged in the story throughout, and i would say i was having a good time for about 60-70% of it. however, the final 200 or 300 pages or so felt very drawn out. it was a very slow and extended falling action, and although i was glad to see many of the loose threads from the farseer trilogy tied up, i was ultimately disappointed by how this book/series concluded. it was all a bit too neat for me.

there are more books after this, but is this the end of fitz and the fool's story? it feels like a very conclusive end to their arc. and although i realize that in a series this old i was never going to see my queerplatonic relationship dreams realized, i had hoped to see them together and thriving at least in some manner. and i am trying not to let that influence my opinion of the book as a whole, but it is difficult to say that the 900-page investment here, as well as the absolute slog that the second book was for me, was worthwhile. moreover, i enjoy seeing messy and unconventional found family–type dynamics, so the very neat removal of burrich from the scene and having fitz back with molly was not my favorite thing to see. theres nothing wrong with it, and i can see why people would find this ending satisfying, but it was not to my tastes.

 

in conclusion, i will continue reading the books in this realm, though my love for them has definitely lessened with this arc.