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Fool's Errand

(The Tawny Man #1)

Robin Hobb (Goodreads Author)

4.29 · Rating details · 80,849 ratings · 2,145 reviews

‘Fantasy as it ought to be written’ George R.R. Martin

Return to the world of Fitz, the Fool and Nighteyes in the first book of The Tawny Man Trilogy by international bestselling author, Robin Hobb.

Years have passed since Fitz was tortured by Prince Regal. Now he lives in self-imposed exile far from the court. Even his beloved Molly believes him dead. It is safer that way.

...more

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Kindle Edition, 593 pages

Published September 1st 2011 by HarperVoyager (first published October 15th 2001)

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· 80,849 ratings · 2,145 reviews

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Feb 22, 2018 Petrik rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

A tale of a bond between humans and animals at its finest level.

Fool’s Errand is the first book in the Tawny Man trilogy—the third out of five subseries within Hobb’s The Realm of the Elderlings gigantic series—and it is my favorite installment within the entire RotE so far. This is seriously a lovely, memorable, and poignant return to the world of Fitz, Nighteyes, and the Fool’s journey. Honestly, after the disappointment I had with the last installment of the Farseer trilogy, and after the gre ...more

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Jun 30, 2020 Muhtasin Oyshik rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 5-star, read-in-2020, fantasy, 501-600-pp

Fool's Errand (Realm of Elderlings #7,The Tawny Man #1)
description

Fool's Errand is an incredibly well-written book that demonstrates just how much of a genius Hobb is. It is a slow book, at least to start with. But I enjoyed it. The mature topic covered-death and parenting-provide a lot to think about.

Stop longing. You poison today’s ease, reaching always for tomorrow.

Brilliant ...more

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Nov 09, 2014 Sean Barrs rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 5-star-reads, fantasy

The characterisation of Fitschivalry through the series is brilliant. The books are told from the first person entirely; thus the reader witnesses the change in his thoughts as he grows into a man. In this book, he has developed a new persona: Tom Badgerlock. This is set fifteen years after the Red Ship wars and King Verity’s reawakening of the Dragons.

description

Tom Badgerlock is the person Fitschivalry has evolved into: the one he always wanted to be; he is the man with a simple life, a small farm, a f The characterisation of Fitschivalry through the series is brilliant. The books are told from the first person entirely; thus the reader witnesses the change in his thoughts as he grows into a man. In this book, he has developed a new persona: Tom Badgerlock. This is set fifteen years after the Red Ship wars and King Verity’s reawakening of the Dragons.

description

Tom Badgerlock is the person Fitschivalry has evolved into: the one he always wanted to be; he is the man with a simple life, a small farm, a few friends and the close companionship of his loyal wolf. His reaction is unsurprising when his former mentor and friend comes seeking his help: reluctance. Prince Dutiful, heir to the Farseer throne, has gone missing. Nobody seems to know why. He is suspected of having the Wit and is known to have an undeveloped grasp of the Skill. Tom Badgerlock doesn't want to go back to being the tool of the Farseer throne, their Assassin. Who can blaim him? He wants to be free.

Slow, but excellent

Few authors of the fantasy genre, if any, could write a book in which the first third of it is essentially the protagonist living in a hut looking back on his youth as he weighs up the decisions of the future. In this Robin Hobb’s style is remarkable. The internal conflict of Fitz really spoke to me. Fitz has earned his rest but at the same time he is the only person who can bring stability to the realm: he must go back to Buckeep and the role of his youth.

The novel is very well paced and probably the most apprehension evoking I've read in fantasy; the author knows how to draw the plot out, revealing more information at exactly the right time. The plot could have been over and done with, in three hundred pages or so, but that would not have achieved the same effect. The emotions of Fitz, his fears and worries, all play a pivotal role in establishing the suspense of the plot and only through his vivid characterisation do we, as the reader, understand the meaning behind his decisions.

Wonderful Magic

A theme has been established through the book, through the use of animals, almost defining the author’s style. The thoughts of animals have been brought to life; their personalities exhibit their animalistic traits. For example, the cat’s snobbish nature and vainglorious attitude to itself is captured in the thoughts it sends to Tom Badgerlock. This is my favourite aspect of the series: the Wit magic. It is a wonderful idea. The relationship between Fitz and Nighteyes is very touching. Their bond, along with the Fool’s closeness to them, is very deep. They are almost one person as their wit bond has rubbed off characteristics onto each other. The Wolf thinks like a human and the Man acts like a wolf. I liked this development and how it becomes tested as Nighteyes ages quicker than Fitz.

Robin Hobb is one of my favourite fantasy novelists, third only to Tolkien and Susanna Clarke, her books define the modern fantasy genre, thus they're a must read for any fantasy enthusiast.
...more

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Jun 12, 2018 Em Lost In Books rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2000-09, 4-star, 2018

I went into this story with zero expectation. My poor heart was still very tender after the beating it got in Assassin’s Quest. But then I saw everyone reading one or the other Fitz book and going ga ga over. I kept thinking, “did we read the same Fitz stories?” to find the answer I thought why not give another chance to Fitz, perhaps he did better in this. And oh boy, this book simply blew me away. All my complaints of Fitz being whinny and doing nothing went out of the wind. Ms. Hobb what did ...more

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Feb 19, 2020 Melissa ♥ Dog/Wolf Lover ♥ Martin rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: own, paperback-own, fantasy-all

I loved the beginning but then bullshit and don’t talk to me about it. Things and people could have died in peace in their shack.

Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾 ...more

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Jun 12, 2019 J.L. Sutton rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Robin Hobb’s Fool’s Errand is an engaging and immersive read in an expansive world that Hobbs has already created. The novel is the first book in the Tawny Man Series which picks up 15 years after the Liveship Traders and Farseer Trilogy. Some readers didn’t need the background information about Fitz or the political intrigue that was woven into his story. Since this is my first book with Fitz in it (and my first Robin Hobb book), I appreciated the background. It was a slow immersion but by the ...more

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May 20, 2020 Deborah Obida rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, favorite-books, adult

Fool's Errand is the first book in The Tawny Man Trilogy. Though it's book one it's actually a spin-off of Farseer Trilogy. The Tawny Man is the third book series in The Book of the Elderlings series. So no you cannot start from here, you have to start from Farseer Trilogy.

Addictive and captivating. Grown-up Fitz is awesome. After reading the disappointment called Assassin's Quest I couldn't bring myself to continue this series, but the awesomeness of Liveship Traders changed that.

‘When you ...more

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Sep 06, 2019 James Tivendale rated it really liked it · review of another edition

"History is no more fixed and dead than the future. The past is no further away than the last breath you took." - Spoilers from the first series will follow.

Fool's Errand is set 15-years after the finale of Assassin's Quest. Once again we follow FitzChivalry Farseer - the assumed dead royal bastard. In song, he is acknowledged by many as being the Witted Bastard ghost that rose from the dead to aid his uncle Verity who was the rightful heir to the throne and he helped him raise the Elderlings a "History is no more fixed and dead than the future. The past is no further away than the last breath you took." - Spoilers from the first series will follow.

Fool's Errand is set 15-years after the finale of Assassin's Quest. Once again we follow FitzChivalry Farseer - the assumed dead royal bastard. In song, he is acknowledged by many as being the Witted Bastard ghost that rose from the dead to aid his uncle Verity who was the rightful heir to the throne and he helped him raise the Elderlings and save the Six Duchees.

In the years since the Farseer trilogy, Fitz, or Tom Badgelock as he is now currently known has been living in isolation. Well, not exactly. He is accompanied by his adopted son Hap and his wolf companion, Nighteyes. They look after chickens, tend to a handful of horses, and produce herbs they can sell at the local markets.

One evening Chade, the former assassin for the King and Fitz's former mentor arrives at his abode. They discuss past times and also current dramas. Chade presents Fitz with a proposition which he politely refuses. A day or so afterwards, his other best friend, known as the Fool arrives also and after reminiscing, he refers to the dire times and grave tidings that Chade had already mentioned. The future king-in-waiting, Fitz's Skill-formed/created son who he has never known has been kidnapped. It takes a while to convince him but after consideration, Fitz decides to assist, although the consequences when he has aided the Farseer line before have not always been the most sought after. Losing your one love, torture, death, children you can never know... etc. Approximately 4-people know his true identity so he takes on the guise as acting as the manservant of the Fool's new character, Lord Golden. The Fool is a frivolous and excentric noble that all wish to impress, flirt with or have the attention of.

I am aware that this series should really be read after the Liveship Traders. I jumped straight back into the story of Fitz as I love him as a character. He's a hero, honourable, has the worst luck and does all for the monarchy and what is true even if he loses because of his choices. He is the Changer after all. In this novel, I can't say 100%, but I don't think you are missing much from not reading the other trilogy. The next book, when the entourage from Bingtown arrive and we are told about another of the Fool's characters, Amber, is when I believe prior knowledge of their related pasts would be beneficial but it isn't absolutely necessary as I loved this trilogy, but I can't deny my enjoyment may have been heightened if I had read the Liveship Traders first.

I've had no internet for 2-weeks and have read all 3 of the tales from this trilogy so unfortunately they all blur into one which isn't great for reviewing purposes. Dutiful is a great new character. As are Nettle and Thick. This is more of the same, a continuation of the same first-person vibe presented in the first trilogy and I love it for that. At this rate, the Realm of the Elderlings may become one of my top 3 ever fantasy series. Harper Voyager have been nice enough to send me the rest of the books and there is very little I'd wish to read right now that isn't Robin Hobb. She's brilliant. I adore the story, the characters, even tiny things like grammatical choices. She's an expert and I can't wait to read what comes next. ...more

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Aug 22, 2013 Kaora rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Do not you sense it? A crossroads, a vertex, a vortex. All paths change from here.

This book made my cry. Multiple times.

I don't often cry while reading books. I takes a lot. And I might blame it on pregnancy hormones except Hobb made me cry in her last two series Liveship Traders and Farseer Trilogy and when I read those I wasn't pregnant.

But this book again has ruined me. In a good way.

Robin Hobb is the type of author that slowly builds her story. She introduces her character and you live their ...more

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Jan 01, 2019 ❄️BooksofRadiance❄️ rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: adult-fantasy-sci-fi

No.
DAMMIT. 😰
Starting the year with a heartbreak. Stellar start.

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Jul 21, 2013 David Sven rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favourites, fantasy

Again, Robin Hobb demonstrates that you don’t need to write grimdark to generate realism, high drama, or sinister undertones. Now I love my grimdark as much as Hannibal loves liver *phphpht*, but Hobb’s realism is expressed in believable characters, complex relationships, detailed worldbuilding...wait wait wait a minute now...what about blood and guts? Yes, there will be blood too, but the joojoo is not in the gore - the joojoo is in the sustained threat of violence - the joojoo is in the way th Again, Robin Hobb demonstrates that you don’t need to write grimdark to generate realism, high drama, or sinister undertones. Now I love my grimdark as much as Hannibal loves liver *phphpht*, but Hobb’s realism is expressed in believable characters, complex relationships, detailed worldbuilding...wait wait wait a minute now...what about blood and guts? Yes, there will be blood too, but the joojoo is not in the gore - the joojoo is in the sustained threat of violence - the joojoo is in the way the sense of danger and foreboding creeps up on you and builds and seduces you until you can’t help but keep turning pages. You just have to know what is going to happen next. That was my experience anyway.

The story begins at a leisurely pace as we catch up to Fitz in his self-imposed exile some 15 years after the events of the Farseer Trilogy. We get a taste of what a life of peace with his wolf Nighteyes is like. I make it sound boring but it’s not. Fitz has been to some interesting places and done some interesting things in those 15 years – including a visit to Bingtown and the Rainwilds which those fans who have read The Liveship Traders series will appreciate. If you’ve skipped that Trilogy to come straight over to Tawny Man then I think you are missing out. Most people do it because they want more of the Fool – more Fool you I say – because there is more Fool in Liveships – so technically that would be more Fool to those who read Liveships first? Damn Fool bastard has me talking in circles.

But back to the Bastard – Robin Hobb(no I’m not calling her a bastard) still manages to reintroduce us to an older Fitz and catch us up in a way that is interesting despite being slow. Even when Fitz is doing nothing, I still wanted to know what he was going to do next as his old life calls out to him. And the pace and tension keep increasing from there as Chade’s old apprentice Asssassin is called on to do his duty for his Queen and the Farseer throne. And in Robin Hobb’s world, duty is spelled “P-A-I-N.” So though we know Fitz can’t die, seeing the story is told from his POV in the first person, we should know by now that he is never safe. We should know by now that there are worse things that can happen to Fitz than dying and we should know that Robin Hobb does not hold back from inflicting them on our protagonist. Did I just say Robin Hobb isn’t a bastard?

5 stars

And now a quick word from out sponsor Lord Golden

Fitz is Dutiful to Fitz’ Dutiful
...but what is Dutiful’s Duty?
Should Dutiful be Dutiful to Dutiful
...or should Dutiful be Dutiful to Duty?
What so Beautiful seduces Dutiful
...is Duty not Beautiful enough?
Will Fitz's Duty bring Beauty
...or will Fitz' duty be rough

Psst - Fool says Robin Hobb really is a ~~bastard~~...~~bitch~~... ~~sadist~~...~~get off me, I'm the White Prophet and I will be heard~~. Fool says you should read her next book as soon as possible. ...more

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Oct 31, 2015 Stefan Bach rated it really liked it · review of another edition

„Fool?“
„What?“
„You are not Fool anymore. What do they call you these days?“
„What does who call me when?“
„I should not call you Fool anymore. What do you want me to call you?“
„Ah, what do I want you to call me now? I see. An entirely different question. And if I tell you, you would call me by that name?“
„In private only. And only if you wished me to.“
„Ah... Oh, but I would.“
„Then?“
„The name my mother gave me, I give now to you, to call me by in private. Beloved.“
„Fool! I’m serious!“
„And you think ...more

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Oct 28, 2012 Hanne rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

This is more or less what I look like whenever FitzChivalry Farseer is involved:

So many books later, and I’m still feeling überprotective of Fitz. I got furious with his neighbour when he attacked Fitz in the market place, I wanted to kick Starling out of the door (and none too gently), and I was even too angry to cry when the inevitable happened (view spoiler).

What Robin Hobb manages to do is quite amazi ...more

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Nov 11, 2015 Emma rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fantasy, magic, fantasy, favorites, re-read

Much preferred to the first Fitz trilogy but maybe because the Fitz books are so well integrated into this. It also worked really well for me because I read the first trilogy nearly 20 years ago and so I have been away from the world of Buck keep as long as Fitz himself had!
My only minor niggle is that the first third of the book was very slow and by the end of that section I was on the verge of getting restless for some action.
Loved this book :)

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Feb 19, 2012 Hanna rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: reviewed

3.75

GAAH! These books frustrate the hell out of me! Absolutely and wholly.
But I love them. The plot. The characters.

I think I hate them like I do because they are so damn realistic. Never the happy ending to anything. Only the harsh and brutal reality.

The main character is brave. And good. Lovable. He is also a fool. A wimp. That makes mistakes. That you yell "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING!?" at.
Same for other characters. One moment you scream your head of at them. The next you sit there grinn ...more

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Jun 30, 2017 Phee rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2017

I am broken.
My love for Fitz and the Fool is strong as ever, but my heart is broken from the events of this book.
I didn't cry, but I screamed.
Also, Fitz and the Fool... I ship it. So damn hard! ...more

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Jul 06, 2015 Kaitlin rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This is book #1 in the Tawny Man series, which follows on from the events of the Farseer books and the Liveship books. This series relates a lot more to the characters from the initial Farseer books such as Fitz, the Fool and various other characters, both old and new, who are local to Bukkeep. We are told that the main character (first-person again) of Fitz is now 35, so it's about 15 years after the Farsser series.

As we follow Fitz we don't actually know an awful lot about the life he's been l This is book #1 in the Tawny Man series, which follows on from the events of the Farseer books and the Liveship books. This series relates a lot more to the characters from the initial Farseer books such as Fitz, the Fool and various other characters, both old and new, who are local to Bukkeep. We are told that the main character (first-person again) of Fitz is now 35, so it's about 15 years after the Farsser series.

As we follow Fitz we don't actually know an awful lot about the life he's been leading for the last 15 years. We haven't seen or heard of him since the ending of Farseer, and so a large amount of the beginning sections relate Fitz's tale and what he's doing now. We see he's living with a young boy who he cares for greatly, and we learn some of the daily life chores for his new persona, Tom Badgerlock.

After the initial re-immersion period the actual story kicks in introducing us once more to characters we knew from long ago and many new characters who will also begin to play a new role in the Elderling Realm. Fitz's story starts off slow, but quickly he's drawn to change his pace and take on new challenges and meet new people. The story flies away with itself from that point on.

I was wary of returning to Fitz after severely disliking his character and the way he made so many mistakes and blunders in Assassin's Quest (Farseer #3). I found that even though I had really enjoyed Fitz's struggles and character up to that point, he bored me and annoyed me so much in Assassin's Quest I wasn't sure if he was going to be a character I would enjoy reading about anew, luckily my fears were quickly put to rest. As Fitz is so much older and wiser by this book - he has matured and had a life - he makes for a much more likeable character, less inclined to childish mistakes and folly. In the Farseer books we follow a young boy with many secrets, harsh alliances, and different strings attached to him, whilst in Tawny Man, Fitz has had time to reflect on that period of his life and decide that he knows better now.

As for the story itself I felt that this one was much better paced and far more fun than the final Farseer one. Clearly the different approach to writing which Hobb adopted for the Liveship books allowed her to hone her skill and master the pacing and structure of her Fitz storyline too. I felt compelled to read this fast, and see where it was heading. I wanted to immerse myself back into the world, and find out the consequences of the events of the Liveship books and the Farseer books.

Overall my only slight criticism of this book was that, although we learn a lot throughout this book about new and old characters and the magic of this world, I didn't feel that there was as much mystery or anticipation surrounding certain elements of the plot. In the Liveship books we can see hints and ideas which link into Farseer, and whilst that's still sewn throughout this book, I felt that this was more of a set up for the next book of the series than a fully fledged book of its own. I think that the next two books will more than likely incorporate more of the elements of mystery and wonder I am seeking, and hopefully as a whole the trilogy will make its mark next to the Liveship books.

I enjoyed reading this immensely, and I look forward to continuing and finding out more about the state of the Elderling Realm, the opinions of the public on the ending of this book, and finally the new characters who we've been introduced to more in this book. 4*s overall. ...more

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Jun 07, 2018 Diana Stormblessed rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: series, 2018-read, fantasy

When I say I couldn't put it down, I mean I couldn't put it down. This 661 page book took me about 24 hours to finish. I listened to it on audio and I couldn't disconnect myself. I listened during my commute, during work, during cooking, during putting my kids to bed. It was so great to reconnect with old characters and watch how they have matured. This book is set almost 15 years after Assassin's Quest. Fitz is no longer whiny and misguided. The Fool is no longer mean spirited. Additionally, I ...more

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Jan 16, 2021 Tami rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

wow wow wow wow wow wow WOW.

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Dec 24, 2017 Jennifer (Insert Lit Pun) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

It was a strange transition from the pace of the Liveship Traders to the pace of this trilogy, told (like the Farseer trilogy) entirely in first person from Fitz’s perspective. Fitz is a thorough scribe, to say the least, and this is definitely a set-up book (the main plot doesn’t begin until 200 pages in). But I appreciated this for its quiet steadiness, and found myself getting surprisingly emotional over passing moments of dialogue and introspection. I absolutely can’t wait to read the next t ...more

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May 06, 2020 Zitong Ren rated it really liked it

Shelves: adventure, 2020, epics, action, adult, fantasy

I really want to give this five stars, but I feel like it’s not, despite how much I loved the second half and the characters, which, my god, were phenomenal. I first read the Farseer Trilogy about two years ago with probably more than 300 books in between then and now. I did really love the Farseer Trilogy, but I never managed to get a copy of this as it wasn’t at my local library. However, now that I have read it, I found myself to be so fully immersed in this world once again and was pleasantl I really want to give this five stars, but I feel like it’s not, despite how much I loved the second half and the characters, which, my god, were phenomenal. I first read the Farseer Trilogy about two years ago with probably more than 300 books in between then and now. I did really love the Farseer Trilogy, but I never managed to get a copy of this as it wasn’t at my local library. However, now that I have read it, I found myself to be so fully immersed in this world once again and was pleasantly surprised, with a fair bit of recapping on the author’s behalf, that I ended up remembering a fair chunk of events even if the individual Farseer books are a bit(or a lot) jumbled up in my head.

What I find Robin Hobb really does excels in, is definitely her characterisation and character arcs, which where all just superb in this book. I do feel that this is a book that is sort of on the transitionary phase between traditional fantasy and modern fantasy, where lots of the worldbuilding and such is fairly standard and is set in this Medieval European styled world, yet the character work equals, if not being better than lots of the most popular modern fantasy writers today. It’s like The Wheel of Time in a way, where the writing style and worldbuilding remains fairly traditional, yet the character work is quite groundbreaking and refreshing.

I loved reading about FitzChivalry again and seeing at how he has changed over the time between this book and the last book of Farseer. The Fool remains as interesting as ever, if not still being a bit of a troll. I also really enjoyed these knew characters, especially Prince Dutiful, who I have all the feels for. Even Jinna and Starling were able to hold me attention, while Laurel managed to stay as someone who was unique throughout.

Now, while I loved the characters, which is what I want to give this book five stars but can’t quiet, is that the plot and overall pacing did lack for a good chunk of the book. Frankly, nothing important happens during the entire first third of the novel, which is largely spent bridging the gap between the time that has passed between the two trilogies. While I enjoyed the character work and catching up with what has been going on, I wasn’t particularly engaged about the whole thing. Even then, the plot was slow to pick up and it probably wasn’t until about sixty percent of the way through that the book become that engaging. After that however, I loved every single moment of it. That isn’t to say I didn’t like the first chunk, in fact, I really loved catching with all of these characters again, yet at the same time, I wished that a bit more could have been going on.

The worldbuilding, while decent it not overly deep or very expansive and is kept fairly contained. There are some background and histories, but only a few major events are really mentioned. There is some travel where we explore the landscape of the world a bit more, but not really its history or lore. I did like the little introductory parts to the start of each chapter that provided a bit of contextual information of the world, which was something I could appreciate. In terms of actual scope, it is fairly small, and this is certainly a world that focusses more of the people that inhabit it rather than vast sweeping histories and ballads detailing the glorious of conquest of x or y. It does manage to blend its magic systems(if you can call it that) really well. Both the Wit and Skilling are quite interesting aspects explored here, even if they don’t really feel entirely original. However, the way that the author does manage to present it is done in a well-balanced and interesting way.

I am conflicted here as on one hand, I loved the character work and the second half of the book, whilst on the other, I must acknowledge that nothing exciting happened in the first third of the book and it was a bit mundane. Overall, though, I really loved this, even though it was just short of a 5 for me. 8.5/10 ...more

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Jun 25, 2014 Em rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: angst, favorites, paranormal, slave-kidnapped-hostage, fantasy, magic, dtr, abuse-torture-rape, mating-bonding, seriel

This is my third time of reading this series and it still remains my absolute favourite! Fitz, Fool and of course Nighteyes are absolute heroes and can do no wrong in my eyes.

Wishful thinking below, but who cares and I may get my wish come true in the new series, you never know!

...more

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Oct 26, 2014 Bradley rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, worldbuilding-sf

I really enjoyed getting back into the bastard's world, although honestly, most of the novel was pastoral and catching up with the main character after almost two decades of living without adventure. When the story picked up, the intrigue was decent and the developments hinted at greater things for the future. It was almost like enjoying his comfortable life was a well earned and just reward for what happened to him as a child. Being drawn back into the world of royalty seemed inevitable because ...more

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Sep 22, 2015 Helene Jeppesen rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Another great book about our hero Fitz. I especially love reading about him for some reason, and this book was no exception. I can't go too much into the story since it's a continuation of the long series Robin Hobb has created, but I can say that I liked how we get to follow Fitz at an older age - and I LOVED that this novel contains cats :D I'm definitely going to continue on with this series once Autumn really sets in. ...more

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May 29, 2014 Kat rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, animals-talk, assassins, favorite-author, orphans, buddy-read, friend-recs, part-of-a-series, 2014, animalia

I woke up this morning and thought to myself... "hey, I really feel like having my heart ripped out and dashed upon the stones."
Yes, it is definitely time to reconnect with Fitz. ...more

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Jan 23, 2010 Mili rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: own-the-book, personal-favs

So good to be back in the world of the Six Duchies. Fitz is a grown man now and was living a rather relaxed life for a change. That couldn't last forever. Robin Hobb sucks me right in and makes me feel one with Fitz. I love his character, what a softy sometimes haha. Rather sad twist at the end, but she was building towards it. Meh. ...more

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May 14, 2020 Gabi rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: series_to_abandon

Okay, I guess I end my attempt to fit in with everybody else here. I'm just no fan of the writing style. ...more

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Mar 02, 2020 David S Meanderings) rated it really liked it

4.5 stars. I loved it. RTC very soon.

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Feb 25, 2015 Dara rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, reviewed, read-2015, series, lady-author, favorites

Fool's Errand picks up 15 years after the events of Assassin's Quest. Fitz is living a quite life in a cottage with a boy he adopted and his loyal wolf Nighteyes. Naturally, things can't stay quiet for poor Fitzy Fitz. Adventure comes to his door in the shape of Chade, followed by the Fool.

The first 5 chapters or so deal primarily with catching up with Fitz and finding out what's been going on in his life. In any other writer's hands this would be tedious but Hobb slowly reveals his past in a ta ...more

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Aug 29, 2012 Penny rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: to-reread, favourites, fantasy, adventure

This was one of the sadder books in the series but I have to admit, I could not put it down. There's nothing quite like reading a book that really grabs you.

I really enjoyed re-reading the first trilogy, seeing Fitz and his friends so young, but I particularly enjoy older Fitz. Lots of great new characters, grand adventure, loss, love, and all things that make a great book. Another beautiful book in a long series of beautiful books. On to the next one! ...more

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topics	posts	views	last activity
Play Book Tag: Fool's Errand 5 Stars	2	11	Jan 24, 2021 12:16PM
Fantasy Buddy Reads: Fool's Errand [Sept 25, 2019]	54	31	Oct 23, 2019 10:47AM
Beyond Reality: Realm of the Elderlings--Fool's Errand: finished reading (spoilers!)	4	24	Feb 26, 2019 01:35PM
Beyond Reality: Realm of the Elderlings--Fool's Errand: roll call and first impressions (no spoilers)	3	10	Feb 15, 2019 09:53AM
Fantasy Buddy Reads: Fool's Errand [June 3, 2018]	46	32	Jun 15, 2018 08:01AM
The Robin Hobb Co...: fool's errand part 2 > chapters 6 to 10	17	58	Jan 09, 2018 10:30PM
The Robin Hobb Co...: fool's errand part 1 > chapter 1 to 5	27	79	Jan 06, 2018 08:46PM

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About Robin Hobb

Robin Hobb

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** I am shocked to find that some people think a 2 star 'I liked it' rating is a bad rating. What? I liked it. I LIKED it! That means I read the whole thing, to the last page, in spite of my life raining comets on me. It's a good book that survives the reading process with me. If a book is so-so, it ends up under the bed somewhere, or maybe under a stinky judo bag in the back of the van. So a 2 st ...more