Robin Hobb has become very meta as a fantasy author - with this series she has created a trilogy of trilogies.
The central character of them all is FitzChivalry, who is both gifted and cursed to be the bastard son of a Prince.
He is unwanted, yet his blood is too valuable to waste. He lives in the royal castle, but is treated with contempt by those within it. He has amazing telepathic gifts, but will be killed as a witch if he reveals them.
Fitz finds a place as the apprentice to the royal assassin, who teaches him to be both a spy and a subtle killer.
The first three books, The Farseer Trilogy, are about Fitz's younger years. They are masterful fantasy works, with incredibly solid characters in a gripping tale.
The next three books, The Tawny Man Trilogy, are about Fitz in his middle age. It's quite enjoyable, if not quite as good as the first trilogy.
And now we come to the new trilogy, Fitz and the Fool, which is about Fitz's mature years.
He's in his 50's and has a new identity which allows him to leave his difficult upbringing behind. He has a place and a family. He has found contentment.
Naturally, it doesn't last.
One of the hundreds of characters from the books (that I've completely glossed over) is the Fool, who first appears as the King's jester and is later revealed to be a pale prophet.
Fitz and the Fool become closer than brothers, as the Fool uses Fitz to find a better future for their world, no matter how brutal their trials may be.
As this new series begins, they haven't seen each other for a decade, but the Fool reappears as a broken man. He has been tortured and nearly destroyed by those who would take his prophetic power for themselves.
In this horrific state, he doesn't want the new, gentler Fitz. He needs the axe-wielding assassin of old to avenge him and cleanse his homeland of evil.
This is Robin Hobb in top form. I had trouble putting these books down at night, finding myself reading until 3am.
Like the original Farseer trilogy, these have a real emotional depth. Fitz has been through so much by this time, that it's heart-warming to see him finding happiness and devastating when that begins to crash down around him. I am absolutely hanging for the final book to appear next year.
For anyone who's read the first two series, I cannot recommend these new books enough.
If you haven't read them yet, pick up Assassin's Apprentice. You will thank me for it.
The Farseer Trilogy
- Assassin's Apprentice
- Royal Assassin
- Assassin's Quest
- Fool's Errand
- The Golden Fool
- Fool's Fate
- Fool's Assassin
- Fool's Quest
- Assassin's Fate (working title, due 2016)
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