Fitz & the Fool Book 1 - Fools Assassin

[Margo]

I was just thinking the same thing Janice. (view spoiler)[ at that meeting she came across as surly and overconfident but not notself entitled and whiney (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 27 (view spoiler)[ What a horrible death for the bulldog 😢 It was no scene for a child to witness

(hide spoiler)]

Now I'm off to topple 😁

[Peggy]

I finished chapter 5.

(view spoiler)[ I'm also not sure why Nettle can't marry. Maybe Dutiful needs her for the coterie, and if she marries she is supposed to go live with Riddle somewhere?

At first I thought Molly really was pregnant, however unlikely. Then when it lasted 2 years I was sure she suffered from dementia (by the way, the cursive text about women getting older at the beginning of that chapter was horrible! As if men she well!), but now there's a baby. Could Fitz' healing which did weird things to his body have something to do with the pregnancy lasting so long? I'm sure it will be a very special girl. (hide spoiler)]

[Margo]

Peggy wrote: "I finished chapter 5.

..."

(view spoiler)[ That's a good point! It never occurred to me that the long pregnancy could be as a result of the way Fitz was healed.

The text about aging women was horrible.

(hide spoiler)]

[Peggy]

Chapter 7

Haha, just read earlier spoilers for chapter 6 and (view spoiler)[ I see we all feel the same about the scroll and the progress of Molly's pregnancy.

I guess it's a blessing that Kettricken did not 'claim' Bee. Maybe she'll start growing now. I'm not sure what to think of this baby. (hide spoiler)]

[Peggy]

Esther wrote: "chapter 7
[spoilers removed]

chapter 9 [spoilers removed]"

Not just (view spoiler)[ the wit. She avoids Nettle too, so perhaps it's more skill related.

I'm so happy to see Bee develop! She seems to have a talent for drawing. (hide spoiler)]

[Janice, Moderator]

Peggy wrote: "Esther wrote: "chapter 7
[spoilers removed]

chapter 9 [spoilers removed]"

Not just ..."

I think (view spoiler)[she's stronger in the skill than the wit, but she is her father's daughter and she has them both. (hide spoiler)]

[Peggy]

Esther wrote: "chapter 10
This is a surprise..."

(view spoiler)[ Noooo, molly!! :(

I've been wondering for a couple of chapters whether Bee is a white prophet, because she's so pale and strange. She also developed slowly and I thought perhaps that could be due to the prophets living much longer than usual, so perhaps they also age slower. I didn't think she could be though, as the fool has mentioned several times that white prophets come from 'his' people. But now with the bullies and Bee seeing the different paths, it does seem likely.

Margo's thoughts about fitz being influenced by the fool is interesting. I wonder if the fool knew this would happen? Is that why he stayed away for so long or sent the messenger? (hide spoiler)]

[Peggy]

Chapter 13

(view spoiler)[ A new farseer! Indeed, who is she? Could she be Chade's daughter? Seems unlikely though that he would have a fling. Dutiful seems unlikely too, he must have been way too young.

I was surprised she could have so easily killed Fitz. I'm curious to see how life at Withywoods will change. (hide spoiler)]

[Janice, Moderator]

Peggy wrote: "Chapter 13..."

(view spoiler)[ Those Farseers just keep cropping up. (hide spoiler)]

[Peggy]

Lol yes! Who knows how many more are in hiding, or even unaware of who they are ;-)

[Peggy]

Margo wrote: "Janice wrote: "Chapter 12-15
T....."

Chapter 16
(view spoiler)[ I thought Dutiful would be a bit young. Fitz dismissed the idea too, that it couldn't have been him. And he never seemed the type to just have a one night stand. But, I'm also not quite sure about the timeframe. If it was 20 years ago and Dutiful was around 15, it's possible.

I also think Wolf-Father is Nighteyes.

I wonder if the 'boy' from the fool's message is actually Bee? Shun also thought she was a boy, and Bee herself thought the butterfly-man was a man, not a girl. A lot of gender mix-ups going on. (hide spoiler)]

[Peggy]

or could it be (view spoiler)[ shun? she's definitely being hunted and in one of the messages there was something about 'sun' which I thought could refer to her. She's not a boy though, and not pale or white either. (hide spoiler)]

[Janice, Moderator]

Peggy wrote: "or could it be [spoilers removed]"

That's a possibility! I never thought of that. (view spoiler)[ I wonder why she's being hunted. (hide spoiler)]

[Peggy]

Definitely more questions than answers at this point!

[Peggy]

Janice wrote: "Chapter 16 - 20

..."

Not sure if my comments are before chapter 20:

(view spoiler)[ I wonder if it will actually be the fool's biological child. Somewhere it was hinted it might not be. When Fitz reread the scroll it also said he and Chade were never able to read the text themselves, but they had a 'good translation'. I still wonder if perhaps 'son' was wrongly translated and Bee is the child they're looking for.

And now another stranger has entered the household, FitzVigilance. Yet another person in danger! (hide spoiler)]

[Janice, Moderator]

I hadn't thought of that, Peggy. It's yet another possibility.

[Janice, Moderator]

I finished to the end of Chapter 26.

(view spoiler)[ FitzVigilant has arrived and is beaten badly. Life isn't easy for a bastard in those times apparently. It was his father's family who attempted to kill him.

He's quite impressionable. Totally smitten by Shun, he he's swayed by her viewpoint of Bee, resulting in him dressing Bee down for being dishonest in hiding her intelligence. He keeps rubbing Fitz up the wrong way. Fitz let him know in no uncertain circumstances his position on the way FV treated Bee in the classroom. Too bad he can't seem to apply that attitude towards Shun.

Shun is a piece of work. How dare she state that Fitz isn't Bee's father and that she was a bastard? How he didn't smack her is beyond me. Why didn't he at a minimum state, "How dare you?" She really needs to come down off her high horse.

I wonder if Bee will bond with that cat. She seems to understand that the cat isn't all that trustworthy. (hide spoiler)]

[Janice, Moderator]

Chapter 27 to the end.

(view spoiler)[ OMG! So much happened in the last few chapters! The Fool returns but Fitz doesn't recognize him and stabs him because he thinks he's harming Bee. He flees to Buckkeep with him through the memory stones to try to save his life.

While he's away, Withywood is attached by the people who tortured the Fool and have left devastation behind. And stolen Bee, thinking she is the son they've been looking for.

A cliffhanger! ACK! I'm kind of in shock.

(view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)] (hide spoiler)]

[Peggy]

Margo wrote: "I was just thinking the same thing Janice. [spoilers removed]

Chapter 27

Now I'm off to topple 😁"

That was so horrible! I almost skipped a few pages. (view spoiler)[ I'm glad Fitz ended it. He really is a good man. Bee didn't seem to dusturbed by it. She is a bit strange in this chapter, like out of reality. (hide spoiler)]

[Peggy]

Chapter 28

(view spoiler)[ Argh!!! How annoying is Shun? What a self-entitled arrogant brat. Lant is not much better. I'm glad Fitz finally took some action. He's on a roll!

But where is Bee? (hide spoiler)]

[Peggy]

Chapter 29

(view spoiler)[ Could the beggar be the fool?! (hide spoiler)]

[Peggy]

I can't quote you Esther, but yes, stupid stupid stupid! (view spoiler)[ It also did not make sense. He could so easily take on a blind beggar in so many other ways than killing. I thought he was smarter than that.

But it is the fool!! Poor Fool, what has been done to him? :( to be honest, I hope we never find out. (hide spoiler)]

[Janice, Moderator]

Peggy wrote: "Chapter 28

Argh!!! ?"

I agree about Lant. (view spoiler)[Everyone back at Buckkeep seems to think so highly of him, but he hasn't demonstrated that he's anything but judgemental towards Bee and Fitz, and enthralled with Shun. Has she that much influence over him? (hide spoiler)]

[Janice, Moderator]

Peggy wrote: "I can't quote you Esther, but yes, stupid stupid stupid! .."

It's not like (view spoiler)[ Fitz to be so hasty. I think Molly's death has really impacted him. He's not functioning well at all.

Poor Fool! I hope he survives this. (hide spoiler)]

[Peggy]

I also can't match (view spoiler)[ the descriptions of Lant by others and his behaviour at Withywoods. It would be interesting to know how he had behaved if there was no Shun. He does seem a bit naive and easily influenced by others, and Shun is quite overpowering.

Not like Fitz at all! And I was so impressed with him lately, with the dog, and how he addressed Lant and Shun. And then he does something so completely out of character! Even given the circumstances. (hide spoiler)]

[Peggy]

Esther wrote: "Chapter 28
[spoilers removed]

Chapter 29
[spoilers removed]

Chapter 30
stupid!!! stupid!!! stupid!
[spoilers removed]

Chapter 31
[spoilers removed]"

Chapter 31: that's what I've been thinking all along. (view spoiler)[ and even more now that the fool says he met his son when he was actually holding bee.

I don't understand why fitz feels so weird about the fool asking him to assassinate the servants. He had no issues stabbing the beggar to death who didn't deserve it, yet about these horrible people he is reluctant? (hide spoiler)]

[Peggy]

Janice wrote: "Chapter 27 to the end.

..."

I'm so surprised to see you give (view spoiler)[ 5 stars to a book with a cliffhanger ;-)

That was a lot in the last chapters. It was hard to put down. So much death. Poor Revel :( I really liked him a lot. I hope Perseverance survives, I really like him too.

And Bee, taken! My only comfort is that they seem to genuinely care about her so hopefully they'll treat her well. She seems to be in their power already. (hide spoiler)]

[Peggy]

When shall we read the next one? Early April?

[Esther]

good for me

[Janice, Moderator]

LOL! You know me, Peggy. (view spoiler)[I'll forgive Robin Hobbs this cliffhangar. (hide spoiler)]

Early April is good for me.

[Margo]

I got back into this last night. Chapter 30 (view spoiler)[ it is heartbreaking to see the Fool so ruined. I don't understand why Fitz stabbed him, surely he could have disabled him without a weapon? I get that he was scared for Bee but he should have realised that the unknown man with her was very weak and could easily be brought down.

I'm concerned about Riddle. How much of his life force has he lost?

(hide spoiler)]

[Margo]

I agree with all your spoilers so far

(view spoiler)[ Shun is the kind of character you just want to snack. I can't wait till she discovers Fitz true identity!

Yes, Fitz is STUPID, STUPID, STUPID!!!

I forgot to comment on the Fool's saying he saw his son. Was it in the vision he shared with Bee or is his son actually there? I'm starting to suspect it could be Riddle or the servant who manages Fitz household (begins with R but escapes me at the moment) . Don't know if the ages would fit but we know little of either mans background.

(hide spoiler)]

[Margo]

Finished

(view spoiler)[ That ending was not what I expected! Have they put some kind of spelp on Bee to make her feel so safe? Based on what the Fool said, I can't believe she is safe with them.

They seem to believe she's a boy. Is this based on her clothing or is she intersex? We only have Mollys word that Bee is female, her mother did everything for her up to the time she died.

Did the Fool have sex with Molly? If so Hobb kept very quite about it. Could the link between the Fool and Fitz caused the killers to be confused into believing Bee was actually fathered by the Fool?

I can't wait for the next book, that was brilliant!

(hide spoiler)]

[Peggy]

I think she will be (view spoiler)[ safe. Those people really wanted her and seem to almost worship her, she's very important to them. And with Bee being under their spell (for whatever reason), she'll be happy to oblige them in what they want, so there would be no reason to harm her. I hope. I do think they might use her to achieve bad things.

I don't think the fool had sex with Molly. Unless it was decades ago but that makes it weird that Bee was only born at least 10 years later. I don't think the fool visited withywoods and slept with Molly. My guess is that it happened somehow because of the link between fitz and the fool. In a way they're both her father. Perhaps a bit similar to verity/fitz with kettricken, which led to Dutiful? (hide spoiler)]

[Margo]

That's probably it Peggy. It was a great plot twist.

[Janice, Moderator]

I agree with Peggy. I think it has something to do (view spoiler)[with the connection between Fitz and the Fool (hide spoiler)]

[Margo]

Yes, that was my most likely conclusion too. Like Peggy said (view spoiler)[ similar to the Fitz/Kettricken/Verity situation
(hide spoiler)]