FOOL'S ASSASSIN by Robin Hobb - No Spoiler Review (Fitz and the Fool Book 1)
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- Опубліковано 1 жов 2024
- FOOL'S ASSASSIN by Robin Hobb - No Spoiler Review (Fitz and the Fool Book 1)
Fool's Assassin by Robin Hobb is the first entry in the Fitz and the Fool trilogy that marks the final entry within Realm of the Elderlings. Fitz and the Fool has a very large task ahead of it to close out Realm of the Elderlings in a proper manner, and truly I think Fool's Assassin deliver on that beginning to an end so perfectly. Fool's Assassin by Robin Hobb has one of my favorite endings and overall was just such a comfort read for me. Fool's Assassin will definitely be in my top 5 favorite Realm of the Elderlings books!
#booktube #ftizandthefool #realmoftheelderlings #robinhobb
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I love Bee.
me too
@@derrisreaditbefore she's so sweet, like honey some would say
the existence of people who don't love Bee makes me sad
@@jakebishop7822 those people would be wrong 😂
@@jakebishop7822 there is a surprising number of them - and yes Jimmy, they ARE wrong.
Fool's Assassin is such a unique book imo. Most of it is simply about Fitz's daily life in Withywoods, yet its so darn beautiful.
It's a great read for winter I bet!
@@thefantasynuttwork for sure!
I loved this one so much. Adding Bee to the narrative was a genious move from Hobb.
Such a big risk but she nailed it!
Just finished this one and was so happy to find this awesome review! What an incredible book 1 and reset, and you nailed it with the intimate and quiet gothic horror feel of this thing while still feeling fast paced and full of complex character work. AND THE NEW MAIN CHARACTER!!! What an incredible surprise that was, and she immediately became a new favorite. The climax and ending was harrowing indeed, just a killer ending and cliffhanger
Strong argument this is her best book imo
@@thefantasynuttwork won’t argue with that!
"this trilogy is probably the best" couldnt agree more. "this entry is a contender for the best entry in the series" yas. "i loved it" *slams like button half a million times*
I'm glad we agree hahah this entry just had so much charm to it
I wanted the first half of the book to never end. You nailed it when you said it has some horror elements to it. I knew something was gonna happen and was just waiting for it. The tension was slowly building. Despite anticipating something happening, when that moment in the middle of the book played out, I was devastated. The small slice of life moments in the first book were some of my favorites in the while trilogy.
Can't wait for the spoiler discussion because there is so much that happens.
Yes, I think I could read that first half over and over again and be content. Spoiler talk is gonna be wild 😜
I agree with the tension slowly building, that sense of something awful creeping toward them, SO well done, and hanging out with Fitz for the beginning of the trilogy, feels as welcome and comfortable as making yourself at home in your best friend's house.
Fool’s assassin being better than fools errand and ship of magic is a big statement. Cant wait to finish rain wild and get back into fitz journey
I think it stands out because it's so different than all the other entries, though there's big AA vibes
@@thefantasynuttwork I absolutely agree. Fool's Assassin is the best 'first book of a subseries' in the RotE. It just has such an incredible emotional depth. Absolutely amazing book.
Read it in 4 days and it immediately cracked into my Top 3 of the series so far! Gonna take a wee break (read 3/4s of Rain Wild Chronicles and this back to back with only a Dunk & Egg story inbetween) and finally reading Stone of Farewell (it slaps)
Great review! I agree 100 percent that this is in the running for best Elderlings book. Like most people, I think Rain Wilds is the worst Elderlings series (I still like it but as we know the other Hobb books are on a different level). After just reading the prologue and first chapter of Fool's Assassin I knew I was back to the Hobb I love. Her prose has always been great but I thought this was her best written yet. As you said, it was like every sentence is packed full of so much emotion. It was almost hard to read at times because of the constant emotional intensity.
I think I really like the slower Fitz books because this and Fool's Errand are my two favorites so far.
I just started Assassin's Fate and I already know I'm not ready!
Thank you! I agree on all fronts with what you said here. I also really really loved Fool's Errand. The slow moments with Fitz are the ones I cherish the most.
AF is perfect IMO.
No surprise, I loved this as well! Jimmy, you've made me need to go and read them all again! Your insights are just brilliant. Looking forward to your review for Fool's Quest, which made me cry like nothing else.
Will
advice for re-readers - you'll need MORE tissues than first time around. Catching the additional meaning to events Fitz didn't fully understand, adds so much poignancy.
I think all three made me cry 😅 thank you Will !
Fool's Assassin is my second favourite book after Assassin's Fate. Bee was such a fantastic addition to this book, love the slow build of Fitz and Bee's relationship, so good.
Structurally this series, on the whole feels like a callback to Farseer. The first book being coming of age (this time of Bee), the third book being a voyage etc. Very cyclical.
I only noticed the cyclical nature of the story recently, only noting that Fitz recalling events of that time through an adult, more complex lens, generates the first flickerings in the reader of wanting to re-read from the beginning.
Bee is a fascinating character, and even from her earliest memories, we know she is capable of profound insight, and that she watches the world with an unusual maturity. That she has - through her utterly unique parentage - her own connection to Nighteyes, gave me emotions I haven't been able to unravel, despite many re-reads. Her discomfort at the magics Fitz unknowingly emanates was very intriguing to me, and I hold a heart wish that we might one day read more from her pov.
Yeah agreed, felt like Farseer 2.0 and I loved that about it haha
I was so nervous when I heard Hobb would be returning to Fitz's story after so many years. How do you follow up Tawny Man? It was the ultimate trust fall and she caught me. I never should have doubted her. Glad you enjoyed it as well!
SPOILERS BELOW
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The scene that sold me on Bee is where she's helping Fitz burn the messenger's body. Fitz is stressed about exposing his daughter to such a thing and then we get Bee's perspective and she's just excited her father trusts her with this grown up task and isn't scared at all. A great moment for her character and it adds depth to see Fitz from someone else's eyes.
YES! I felt exactly the same when the final trilogy started being released, the uncertainty, the trust fall, and the euphoria at being caught in such reliable excellence.
The scene you talk about is also one of the 'key' moments for me, that simple view of different perspectives, adds an emotionally satisfying layer - we love Fitz of course, so for him to be seen as a strong, capable, and heroic figure, by this little one he fears disappointing, is magical.
That scene is probably the best for me as well
Thanks for the exhilarating video. I just finished Fool's Assasin. Strangely enough it was my first Hobb book. I'm making a habit of long walks with audiobooks, and i just run into my native Finnish language translation and audio reading of the novel. Translation is solid and the narrators for Fitz and Bee are really good. Having re-read Gene Wolfe's Severian books just a month ago I felt like comparing these two great fantasy weavers. Wolfe is genius, but Hobb is in a league of her own in her handling of the reader's emotions. I literally wept many times when the story spilled out slowly. A middle-aged heavyset man hiking around a small Finnish town in tears of love for literal skill and cunning yarn. Started the second part today. And to know there are a dozen more books still to be explored in the series. Being a writer myself the only regret is that this stuff halts my own work. Too good, too damn interesting to learn from. Bruised but happy.
Bruised but happy is a fantastic way of explaining this series. Funny enough I’m uploading my first Gene Wolfe video soon haha
This book was imbued throughout with 'dread' and made me extremely uncomfortable right up to the final scenes.
Yes!
jimmy you convinced me to give realm of the elderlings a go; reading after The 2nd Apocalypse i was sceptical after the first book but with how you talked about the series I carried on through. If I read this Story a few years ago i would've DNF the series but Fitzs character made me want to continue; rain wilds really made me consider a DNF but slogged through and go to say just finished bees first chapter and so glad I continued with the story. Nothing ive ever read has hit me as hard as ' And then she died '. Im not an emotional person but man that chapter hits hard. glad I kept faith with your recommendation. hoping fitz gets the ending he deserves.
Oh wow! I’m so glad you stuck it out and kept going. This final trilogy impacted me so much, I think you’ll find the trilogy fitting
I loved all the quiet time at Withywoods. (Mild spoilers for very beginning!) It was so amazing to see Fitz living his best life with Molly like how he always wanted. I already loved Molly since her wit-bees incident, so I was so glad to see her happy with Fitz.
One line, no context: "Chivalry! There you are!" And cue the waterworks. 😭
😭
Yes they line got me! Seeing Fitz happy was such a treat
As long as the background stays purple you're good, friend.
Hahaha noted! And thanks 🤘
Yay, the reviews!
You do look far more comfortable in this set up.
Yes, a great deal of Fool's Assassin is a 'slice of life', and I love it every time. Very much like the beginning of Fool's Errand, I think it's a perfect way to 'catch up' with what Fitz has been doing in the years since our last view of him.
**mildest of spoilers - avoided where possible**
To find him living the life he never dreamed he could have, to keep him company as he went about his days, to watch as he took part in his own life, was a wonderful balm to the soul - which, let's face it, is just getting us lined up for the next Robin Hobb sucker punch.
The off-screen event, yes, aggravates me to this day, I feel outraged that I could miss such a vital event - and I do mean *I* feel, because it's absolutely a personal attack, aimed directly at me, how could I not have been there?! - that's how much I feel I deserved to 'know' about it.
The on-screen event, clarified where I stood about that character, because my main emotion was tied to how Fitz was reacting, rather than to the event itself.
I WANTED TO SHAKE FITZ SO OFTEN - I mean, I'm used to him needing a hint to get him thinking in the right direction, but JEEZ! How oblivious was he?! About ALL THE THINGS! My first read through had me shouting out loud at him "OMG FITZ YOU'RE A F*%KING MORON"
And you now see why I have re-read so often - the first RE-read, is almost as good as reading it the first time - you get so many more layers the next go 'round.
Looking forward to the next two reviews, and VERY excited for the spoiler chat.
Thanks Derri! I think this trilogy as a whole is very much about Fitz figuring out that other people don't see him as the screw up he thinks he is
Omggg i was so scared to start this book this morning. I felt as if i read i would mess up the happiness at the end of tawny men for fitz...does that make me his changer😅🤗😜😜
I think so hahab
Bee
The best!
I dig the setup! Feels like a cozy book club chat. Kind of funny for a booktube video to have no book shelves in the background though. One might say it... subverts the genre?
man Fools Assassin is so good. So many great new characters, the setting of Withywoods, all of it.
Chade is major sus and I am definitely down with subversion of booktube tropes 👀
also 100% Shady Chade.
Yes to everything! Think this is my favorite entry in the whole series. The only way it could've been better is if THAT thing you mentioned happened on-screen and was as beautifully done as that OTHER thing, but alas. I hadn't made that connection to the gothic horror elements before but it's spot on! Sure it's slow, but I flew through it. To me SO MUCH was happening in regards to Fitz reevaluating his relationships both past and present, and you could feel it building and building to a very satisfying climax. I mean come on, it's Fitz! As long we're in his dumb unreliable head I'm content.
hahaha yes, Fitz' dumb unreliable head is one of my favourite places to be too. I treasure his derpness.
It broke my heart to miss *that event* and still feel personally victimized that it was omitted from the narrative. Like you, I think this is the only thing that could have made the book better - although I'm not sure my heart would have survived intact.
Give me Fitz shoveling dirt and I'll probably still read it 🤷♂️🤣
Jimmy is an old men 82 yrs , 6 months and 3 days, he just figured out how to use the old skill scrolls
Hahahah truuuuuu
I saw another booktubber who was complimenting Hobb's world-building I think, then a few days later saw a signed copy of "Forest Mage" at the bookstore. Not a fan of fantasy, but a huge sucker for autographs, and got it and the first book in the series. Look forward to giving her books a try.
Hope you like it!
On the Couch, starring Jimmy Nutts
Hahahah, welcome to the show 😜
Great review! I like the new setup, a casual communion with the Nuttgod, ;-) I love the feeling of this book, it's like the calm before the storm and it's great to see Fitz in a relatively peaceful time for a change. The way everything starts to go downhill for Fitz after a certain event was heart-breaking. And yeah the new POV is just stellar. It's amazing how fast you get attached to the character.
Thank you! Adding a new perspective was a big decision and it paid off ten fold
Omg i was literally ugly crying out loud last night at the end of tawny men, it totally makes sense how you wanna go back and re read i miss burrich so much i want to even hear him scolding fitz about small things 😭.
They're my family 😭
@@thefantasynuttwork 100% , we are pack 🥰🥰🥰😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭
@@mrsduncanthetall Wolves have no Kings
@@thefantasynuttwork Jimmy you just keep digging into my feels with those awesome quotes 😭.
Cici: sees random large dog
Omg night eyes where are you😭😭😭
@@thefantasynuttwork you know i loved night eyes soooo much its rivaling for my future puppy name in the future( once i get one) and thats a big deal the other name is Sandor clegaine
Late to the party! Oh god, I just finished Tawney Man, to hear your take that Futz and the Fool is even better has me stoked! Will try to not read Rain Wilds just to get through it and actually enjoy the journey
RWC has some good stuff in there!
@@thefantasynuttwork great thing about RWC is that it'll put me at ideal Autumn reading weather for Fitz and the Fool!
I can’t wait for your live stream!!!
Me either 😎
So glad you enjoyed it :) always love your reviews. Can't wait for the spoiler one!
Thanks so much 😁
I like the new setup, more casual and laid back feel.
I get what people mean by not much happening in terms of the overarching lore, but I agree with everything you said in this review (as usual!) - I still found the story super compelling and could not put the book down. (I may have finished it faster than any other book in RotE). I wasn't sure how I could both understand it as 'slow' and yet also be constantly hungry to keep reading, but I think you explained why well. There IS a lot happening when it comes to the character development, the relationship development, the reflection on past events within the series, and how all three of those things are intertwined.
Something interesting I've been thinking about (which y'all have sorta touched on in the live discussions) is how different people can (paradoxically) see the same book as slow or fast, and I feel it has to do with their expectations going in. In particular, my theory is that based on the titles and 'blurbs' at the back of the book, people set certain expectations and feel the book as slow when that does not happen. I felt this when I read the blurb at the back of Fool's Errand which said something about the Fool sending Fitz on some mission (which the title also implies), and because of that, I felt the beginning of the book was quite slow. In hindsight, if I had not read the blurb on the back and didn't think about the title too much, I prolly woulda felt better. In Rain Wilds, a lot of reviews mention the first book as being slow. I remember reading one which explicitly mentioned that what's written on the back of the book (about characters becoming dragon keepers or something like that) only happens at the end of the book, and thus they disliked the story for being slow. I purposefully didn't read the back of Dragon Keeper initially and I did not feel it was slow at all, just the usual Hobb taking time to build up characters, and enjoyed it quite a lot. However if I HAD read that blurb, I probably woulda felt that pacing a lot more.
I definitely learned this lesson with Fool's Assassin. I didn't read the blurb at all, and I also realized that the TITLE set certain expectations and I had to try to push back those expectations. Basically (sorta spoilery), I think people feel it is slow if they are waiting for the Fool himself to show up, and this is how the title of both this book and this subseries is... misleading. (Though arguments could be that the title 'Fool's Assassin' has quite a few interpretations in the context of the entire story... It only seems more and more clever the more I think about it, would love to hear y'all talking about it more in the live discussion!)
PS I'm halfway through Assassin's Fate right now, and I just don't want the series to be over :'( I'm planning on lining up the time that I finish Assassin's Fate to come out right around the time your review of the final book comes out (or the live discussion happens). I'm reading all the short stories first to delay the ending as much as I can, and the Willful Princess / Piebald Prince ones are really good! Definitely recommend reading those (though I know you'll prolly read em all anyway). Will you do a 'whole series' review afterwards to wrap up everything?
Thanks for the comment, was very well written! I enjoyed reading all your thoughts and very much agree on what you said of pacing and back of book blurbs. AF is so great but there's a huge void once those last pages are turned.
I will do a wrap up video on the entire series where I explain why I think people should read it, probably a month or so down the road!
Excellent points! Experienced Hobb readers know how utterly rubbish the book titles are, and how they attract (or not) readers whose expectations are almost guaranteed to be disappointed. We also know how difficult these books are to 'sell' to other readers we *know* will enjoy them. As for the blurbs, I completely agree that they are, undeniably, harmful to the overall enjoyment of the books.
My favourite scene of maybe the whole series was SPOILERS FOR FA ||fitz tearing that vile dog breeder to shreds. You could really feel the impact when fitz jumps in 'ruins the mans face in one punch' and fucking chucks him. Yes! yes! yes! I would do something similar if in the situation, but you can really feel the wolf in fitz showing in this scene. 15/10||
That's the scene I was just blown away by. Very morbid and impactful
@@thefantasynuttwork haven't watched the video fully yet, only the first 3 or so minutes! I already figured that it would be a favourite of yours too!
I had a visceral reaction to this scene. My own savagery was in full support of Fitz' reaction. I was in complete harmony with Fitz and the part of Nighteyes that remains in that moment.
Seemingly unconnected - but not - I have PTSD, and have become super aware of my own reactions to situations. This? I had, not a flashback, but an absolute PTSD driven physical reaction. Adrenalin, noradrenaline, cortisol, raised blood pressure.... A flash of anger so real I was shaking.
Incredible writing.
Like the back ground 😁
Thanks mom lol
Setup is a nice change, bruh.
Thanks dude !
This was without question my favorite book in the whole series!
Nice! It's up there for me 🙂
So I am mainly a audiobook “reader” and this has killed me since the book was released. The choice that they made to use Elliot Hill as the narrator what the worst choice by far out of any of the other narrators. I find that I can not enjoy this trilogy at all and I know this is not just my opinion either. He takes me completely out of the story. It’s just sad because I love the others and I just feel like I am forcing myself through with him. The ending of this trilogy in particular I know should have gutted me but I didn’t even shed a tear because I was so far removed from the story because of the narration. Ugh
Also, love the new more laid back set for sure!
That the final trilogy was so tainted for you, is horribly sad. I know that the choice of narrator is vital to get right, and have only added audible versions because there is the odd insight offered by hearing instead of reading. I haven't particularly enjoyed *any* of the different voices used to read Hobbs' works, so I'm wondering how you've taken in the earlier books. Have you been able to read any with just your own interpretations?
Damn that's such a shame. I felt as if they made a huge mistake having each sub series narrated by a different person.
Thanks for the feedback 😊
@@derrisreaditbefore I really liked Paul Boehmer and James Langton, But the live ship narrators I didn't like at all and had to just stop listening to them. I'm in the process of going through the Fitz books again and am on the Tawney man series right now. I'm going to give The Fitz and the Fool trilogy one more go to see if I can get into that headspace because I really need that full closure on these characters.
@@thefantasynuttwork I couldn't agree more. But I know there's contracts and whatnot, its just sad they couldn't do that.
Don't want to spoil anything. Loved the books, all of them. My number 1 story and number 1 author.
The video setup is much better than before ;)
Just wanted to say, for the later spoiler discussion, please don't hold back. I feel like you all sometimes still try to avoid spoilers there but it just makes it harder to follow for people who read the books a while back. Please talk freely, spoilers and all :)
Hey thanks!! Yes this final spoiler discussion the gloves are coming off and we are talking through ALLLLLL of it!
This book is my favourite in this trilogy, but Tawny Man is still my fav overall🙂
Yes, the dog scene was brutal but it really shows just how amazing Fitz is 😎 Can't wait for the spoiler discussion!
Thanks Crystal, it's gonna be epic!!!
I really like this video set up a lot, it seems more personable. How you can lean back and rest your arm out feels like just chilling with a friend and brings a more relaxed aesthetic and conveys body language and your emotions more than the floating head set up. Not that that was bad either, just saying this way is nicer in my opinion. :)
I really appreciate the feedback, it helps a lot! Thanks 😊
Im still in the first trilogy but cannot wait to reach your level . set is cool very casual i like it.however i miss my Twoiaf but im biased😁🤓
Maybe we need some floating shelves 🤠
@@thefantasynuttwork yehaaaa senor nueces!!! Give me some Dunk proximity and im good 🤓.its like hes watching over you you know😁. I have Dunk vs lionel in a 24×36 in my home
@@mrsduncanthetall omg I need some Ser Dunk art!
@@mrsduncanthetall simmering with envy....
I gotta come back.... still making my way through Liveships.
It'll be here for you when you're read ☺️
This is one of my favorite fantasy books of all time. What is really unique about this is that almost 90% of the story takes place inside a single manor and its grounds. I have a fascination for old houses and mysterious passages within them, so I really enjoyed this book. Also the story was just beautiful, lot of love but also heartache and suffering and twists all rolled into one.
I'm with you!
I can totally see where people who say nothing happens in this book are coming from but even tho it is a slow start i just could not put it down. I completely agree with you about Chade.
I mean I love Chade, but the dude is definitely shady 👀
hmm, I like the lighting and the map, but it's hard to fuck with the bookshelves
the bookshelves are just so pretty.
Haha I knowwwww I need to figure out how to make it all work 😭
@@thefantasynuttwork ooo - maybe a single 'smallish' shelf below the map, with the book you're currently reading face forward in the middle, and favs either side!
This setup provides a better look at beefcake Jimmy and I’m all for it 👍
Hahahaha thanks man!
Framing the map in those cool l.e.d. lights everyone has would be cool.
That is good advice, I'll look into those. Thank you 😊
Nice set up, pretty cool map. Love your channel, keep it coming.
Thank you Barril 😎
Tons of emotional scenes.
It hurts haha
@@thefantasynuttwork Yeah I finished it last night and I needed a hug. I'm just glad he was ok. Those emotions were very rough and then the ending happened -_-
@@joshbolen2796 :(
Nice review! I also loved this book, although probably not as much as the three Tawny Man books. I really enjoyed seeing how the psychological effects of what Fitz went through in the earlier series continue to impact him even when he's living the life he supposedly always dreamed of. Now I'm really curious about what the 'off-screen' event is because I honestly can't think of what it is
SPOILERS AHEAD
Lady Patience passing away. Felt like she wasn't given her due, but I will say Fitz reflects on her later down the line and it makes up for it a bit.
@@thefantasynuttwork ooh yep of course! I completely agree that as a character she deserved more. But in the context of the story that the book was telling I think the choice kinda makes sense
@@Amy2977 yeah it's definitely a personal nitpicky thing for me hahah
Love the new filming setup!
Thanks my dude!!!
I've been a huge Hobb fan since my mid-teens (I'm in my thirties now), but for some reason I never started reading this last Elderlings trilogy until only this summer (maybe I kept putting it off for so long because the idea of finally reading the ending of Fitz's and Fool's story was too painful? idk) ANYWAY. I pretty much agree with you on all your points here, definitely enjoyed the "slower" slice-of-life elements of this book, teared up/bawled my eyes out every twenty pages or so, just from all the emotional pay-off, and the ending hit me like punch to the gut in the best way possible. I just started reading the final third book yesterday, and I'm equal parts terrified and excited to see this story to the end.
I'm so glad to hear you're diving into the final book. Hope you join me in the final two reviews and compare notes! Haha