I love the
world of the six duchies, and Fitz, the bastard of the crown prince who is
trained by Chade to become the king’s silent diplomat or even assassin if he
needs to be.
The only
friend Fitz has in the palace is The Fool and it is clear they have a shared
destiny.
Now there
finally is a new book in the series, The
Fool’s assassin/Book 1, Fitz and the Fool.
Fitz is now
middleaged and he lives with his Mollie at Withywoods. He plays the role as
manager of the estate and tries to keep out of the affairs of the king,
although sometimes he still speaks with Chade, his old mentor. Fitz has not
heard from the Fool for years, and this saddens him.
During the Midwinter
feasts a messenger is murdered, before she could deliver the message. When
nothing else happens, Fitz thinks it must have meant nothing, but then the
peaceful existence at Withywoods is threatened by new events. Fitz is dragged
against his will in Chade’s affairs and he must act, although he would rather
not.
After many
years the Fool also comes back, completely unexpectedly and it turns out he was
kept prisoner and was tortured for many years. When Fitz goes with the Fool to
the palace to make sure the Fool will be healed, a new threat reaches
Withywoods.
It is
always a gamble to read a new book in a beloved series. Will it be as good as
the other ones or must you shake your head and admit the magic is gone?
Luckily,
that is certainly not the case in The
Fool’s assassin. Robin Hobb
managed to write another magnificent story. I loved seeing Fitz being
moderately happy, since he was so unhappy as a child and young man. I miss the wolf
Nighteyes, but I hope Fitz will be able to form a bond with another animal again
in the later books. I read this book in one day and a half and I loved every
page.
When I
finished I only wanted to know: What happened to The Fool? What game does Chade
play and who threatens Withywoods? Robin
Hobb set out many questions and storylines that I hope will continue in the
next books.
In short,
for me The Fool’s assassin is a new
high in a series that is already a high, and I cannot wait for parts 2 and 3.
I do think
if you never read the other books, you should before you start with this one,
because things will be unclear (but having to read those books first is a good thing, trust me!)
Published
in 2014
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