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A review by andrew_f
Fool's Assassin by Robin Hobb
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
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
While most of Hobb's books is heavily character driven, Fool's Assassin is almost exclusively character driven with very little plot. Nearly all conflicts in the book are driven by character relationships, and purposely written to be a set-up book for the final two books in the trilogy.
Unlike the previous Fitz trilogies, this book is told in two perspectives. We still have Fitz as a main character, but a new character is introduced to the series. I have mixed feelings about this character. I'd go back and forth finding them annoying, but ultimately I found the character growth to be quite gratifying. While not exactly the same, it reminded me a bit of Malta's character arc in Liveship Trader's.
Another interesting aspect of this book is the rapid progression of time at the beginning of the book. I believe we skip about 10 years from the beginning of the book, but after a certain point, time progression slows down as we build up to the main conflict of the novel. If you hate cliffhangers, you probably won't like the ending of this book.
I'm being very vague with the plot for spoiler reasons. I was a little disappointed in the direction of the plot at the beginning. It's not what I was expecting for the start of the final three books in this long running series. But eventually Hobb won me over with the excellent character writing. Even though it was a lot of scenes of domesticity, character relationships in this book are just incredibly interesting to read. But the book mostly takes place at Fitz's estate in Withywoods, and managing the household. There is interpersonal conflict, and there are hints of looming threat, but it's all in the background for nearly the entire book.
If you are longing to see a return of favorite characters, you'll likely be a bit disappointed as well. While we do get reacquainted with characters from previous series, they aren't nearly as present as you might hope. The book is mainly centered around Fitz and new characters. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but wanted to set the right expectations. The advantage of this is that you are left wanting for the promised reunion to happen. But don't get too excited because Hobb will throw you a twist.
Speaking of twists, I wasn't surprised by many of them. I pretty much predicted the main plot twist from very early on the book. Maybe it wasn't meant to be a secret because so many obvious hints are dropped. But even though I knew the twist, there is still a mystery around that leaves me with a lot of questions that I need answers for. So even if you can guess what will happen, it's still intriguing to read.
Overall, this is an excellent start to the series that could probably have used a bit more plot. Nonetheless, Hobb's signature writing is still present promising a harrowing journey for Fitz's final adventure.
Unlike the previous Fitz trilogies, this book is told in two perspectives. We still have Fitz as a main character, but a new character is introduced to the series. I have mixed feelings about this character. I'd go back and forth finding them annoying, but ultimately I found the character growth to be quite gratifying. While not exactly the same, it reminded me a bit of Malta's character arc in Liveship Trader's.
Another interesting aspect of this book is the rapid progression of time at the beginning of the book. I believe we skip about 10 years from the beginning of the book, but after a certain point, time progression slows down as we build up to the main conflict of the novel. If you hate cliffhangers, you probably won't like the ending of this book.
I'm being very vague with the plot for spoiler reasons. I was a little disappointed in the direction of the plot at the beginning. It's not what I was expecting for the start of the final three books in this long running series. But eventually Hobb won me over with the excellent character writing. Even though it was a lot of scenes of domesticity, character relationships in this book are just incredibly interesting to read. But the book mostly takes place at Fitz's estate in Withywoods, and managing the household. There is interpersonal conflict, and there are hints of looming threat, but it's all in the background for nearly the entire book.
If you are longing to see a return of favorite characters, you'll likely be a bit disappointed as well. While we do get reacquainted with characters from previous series, they aren't nearly as present as you might hope. The book is mainly centered around Fitz and new characters. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but wanted to set the right expectations. The advantage of this is that you are left wanting for the promised reunion to happen. But don't get too excited because Hobb will throw you a twist.
Speaking of twists, I wasn't surprised by many of them. I pretty much predicted the main plot twist from very early on the book. Maybe it wasn't meant to be a secret because so many obvious hints are dropped. But even though I knew the twist, there is still a mystery around that leaves me with a lot of questions that I need answers for. So even if you can guess what will happen, it's still intriguing to read.
Overall, this is an excellent start to the series that could probably have used a bit more plot. Nonetheless, Hobb's signature writing is still present promising a harrowing journey for Fitz's final adventure.