A review by mariebrunelm
The Golden Fool by Robin Hobb

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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