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    The Golden Fool
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    The Golden Fool
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    The Golden Fool
    Audiobook25 hours

    The Golden Fool

    Written by Robin Hobb

    Narrated by Nick Taylor

    4.5/5

    ()

    Unavailable in your country

    Unavailable in your country

    About this audiobook

    The second in the thrilling fantasy series returning readers to the Six Duchies and the magical world of the Farseers, from the author of the bestselling Assassin’s Apprentice.

    Fitz has succeeded in rescuing Prince Dutiful from the clutches of the Piebald rebels, and has returned with him to Buckkeep castle. With Dutiful safe again, Queen Kettricken can proceed with plans to marry him to the Outislander princess, Elliania, but with tensions building among the peoples of the Six Duchies over Kettricken’s tolerance of the Wittted, even Buckkeep is no longer safe. A reluctant Fitz is assigned to protect the young prince, and also train him in the Skill, and in doing so he finally makes contact not only with his estranged daughter, Nettle, but with someone in Buckkeep who may possess a greater Skill talent than Fitz. And who may represent a terrible threat to the Farseers. Meanwhile, Elliania arrives, and before she will accept Prince Dutiful’s betrothal challenges him to undertake an impossible quest. He must kill a legendary Outislander dragon.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins
    Release dateFeb 28, 2013
    ISBN9780007509058
    Unavailable
    The Golden Fool
    Author

    Robin Hobb

    Robin Hobb is one of the world’s finest writers of epic fiction. She was born in California in 1952 but raised in Alaska. She raised her family, ran a smallholding, delivered post to her remote community, all at the same time as writing stories and novels. She succeeded on all fronts, raising four children and becoming an internationally best-selling writer. She lives in Tacoma, Washington State.

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    Reviews for The Golden Fool

    4.5/5

    178 ratings26 reviews

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    • 5/5
      This is the start to the sequel trilogy of Hobb's earlier Farseer trilogy and it is just as good. As always Hobb's writing style is fantastic. And her characters... Fitz has matured immensely in these books but he is still the same Fitz from the earlier three books. You can see it in how he acts and responds. I love that it is shown and not really told. The book still ends up being depressing like most of Hobb's books are, but I still love them. Some people I saw found the beginning of the book a little slow. I found I liked the re-introduction to Fitz. Granted, the book becomes a 'can't put down!' book after around 200 pages. I found myself once again staying up late into the night and early morning reading because I simply couldn't bear to put it down and go to bed. And I've already read this book once. :) I absolutely love these books and I'm sure I will be rereading them again in another few years. I'm off to pounce on the next book in this Tawny Man trilogy. Highly recommend.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 3/5
      I brought all three books with "fool" in the title along on my vacation and finished them soon after I got back. It's a continuation of the Assassin trilogy and Fitz came back to get the crap beat out of him yet again, physically and emotionally. The emotional parts could be the most grueling. The intrigue and adventure was good. There were wolves and dragons and most ends getting tied up in a satisfying way. (November 26, 2005)
    • 3/5
      A good start to a good trilogy. Robin Hobb once again starts us on a magnificent journey across a beautiful world. Picking up from the Farseer Trilogy it continues Fitz's tale. The Fool comes back from the Liveship Traders trilogy and his catalyst is caught up in events beyond his control. It continues the character development of the previous two trilogies very well and sets the scene for quite a bit of rising action.
    • 4/5
      I might have given this book 5 stars if it didn't have such an excruciatingly slow start. It takes the main character over 200 pages to leave his house, even though we all know from page 1 (or 5, at the latest) that he will go. Once he finally gets going, it's good.
    • 5/5
      The books brings us back to Buch Duchy and Fitz and Nighteyes and it is a welcome return. Although I enjoyed the Liveship Traders trilogy the characters were not as engrossing or lovable as the characters in these books. This trilogy promises to reveal more about the Wit and the Skill, as well as focusing more on the relationship between the Fool and Fitz. Hobb's writing is on top form and this, combined with the truly interesting characters and plots, means that you quickly find you can't put it down. These series are some of the best written and engrossing novels I have read in recent years and I recommend them wholeheartedly.
    • 3/5
      Plus another half star..... I thoroughly enjoyed the first assassins trilogy years ago and I've really enjoyed being back with Fitz and Nighteyes. This series is 'The Tawny Man' so I expect the Fool's presence to build up in part 2. It's a comforting read and good for bedtime despite dealing with unsettling issues - race, class and gender. Usually I go pale at the sight of a single volume of 700 pages, much less 3 books, but while I would encourage a bit of condensing I do read it all - no skipping along as it has content, not just filler.
    • 5/5
      Fitzchivalry Farseer has successfully hidden away from all who know him with his wit-bonded wolf, Nighteyes and his adopted son, Hap, recuperating from his previous experiences in service to the kingdom and his family. However, one day a visitor arrives – Chade Fallstar, now advisor to Queen Kettricken and Prince Dutiful, wants Fitz to return to Buckkeep to tutor Dutiful in the Skill. Fitz refuses Chade and is next visited by The Fool. Near the end of The Fool’s visit, both learn that Prince Dutiful has been missing for days and they quickly return to Buckkeep to help find him.In this second trilogy to feature Fitz and The Fool, Fitz has undoubtedly matured and seems to make better decisions than he did in the first trilogy. Because of this, I liked the book a little more than the previous ones, as Fitz is much less frustrating to me. However, he is still not without his flaws, but the wisdom of both Nighteyes and The Fool mitigate the frustration for me. Hobb’s books are easy to read, and even though they are long, the narrative flows very well, and I am caught up in each terrible thing that seems to befall Fitz.
    • 4/5
      Wah, Nighteyes! *crying*

      Okay...attempting to move on from that heartbreak...

      For some odd reason, I spent most of this book thinking about the next book I was going to read. I enjoyed reading it, yes, and I'd been looking forward to reading it for a while. But I couldn't keep my mind from wandering a bit. I'm not sure why that is- around page 400 or so, it finally hooked me. Perhaps it was because Fitz kept meandering through, reluctant to start anything. The beginning of the book was very staid.

      I look forward to coming back to this series, but a while from now.
    • 5/5
      I’m still enthralled! Wonderful being able to recognise to hinge from the Live Ship trilogy. On to book 3!
    • 5/5
      Fitz's days as a royal assassin are behind him. Having saved the Six Duchies and secured the Farseer throne, Fitz is happy to let most of the world think he's dead and retire to a simple life of exile with Nighteyes. Destiny, it seems, has other ideas. Prince Dutiful, heir to the throne, has disappeared. Fitz has been called again to serve his Queen and the Six Duchies to retrieve the Prince before he misses his betrothal ceremony, a necessary political event to ensure peace between kingdoms. Soon Fitz sets out on a seemly simple errand unaware of the web of treachery he's about to stumble into. Fool's Errand is the first in Robin Hobb's Tawny Man trilogy. The story picks up 15 years after events in The Farseer Trilogy. The story is a slow build told from Fitz's first person point of view. Unlike other authors that beat readers over the head with reminders of what happened in previous books, Hobb works the high points in a way that flows naturally with the story while also filling us in on what happened to Fitz and Nighteyes in the years between stories. We are caught up on his current life and the new persona Fitz has adopted, Tom Badgerlock, and find he has been raising a boy, whom he loves like a son. Fitz has more than earned his rest and yet it is time for him to re-enter the world as it is his blend of abilities and skills that make him the one person uniquely qualified to find the prince.As always, Robin Hobb is a master storyteller. Her characters are utterly believable. They are flawed and act on motivations based on their world view. They make mistakes and suffer the consequences. Fitz is the both the same and different. He's older and a tad wiser now though elements of the lovable boy we watched grow up are still there. His bond with Nighteyes has deepened and he understands the Wit much better now. Nighteyes, too, is starting to feel his age. He's no longer the young pup he used to be and has lived much longer than the average wolf. The Fool is back and a joy to read. We gain more insight into his background and his interactions with the other characters is phenomenal. Yet that bit of mystery around the Fool remains. The plot, while initially simple, has a lot of twists and turns. Just as you think you understand where things are going, events twist and then twist again. The pacing is well done. The slow build pays off well with a climax that will keep you reading long into the night. All lose ends are nicely tied up in the end. I know this is just the first book in a trilogy but it could almost be read stand alone.I laughed. I cried. I was swept away to far lands and completely immersed in the characters, the world and their story. Highly recommended.
    • 4/5
      This book was a good start to the second trilogy. I've noticed that there is a lot of "quiet space" in the book as it leads up to the exciting bits near the end. I actually enjoy it as it lends more time to get to know the characters. The book can be pretty sad at times, b/c no one ever gets to truly do what they want or be with who they want, at least not the main character. But this book opens up the possibility of somewhat happy endings (or at least the hope for them).
    • 3/5
      Substance: Standard pseudo-medieval magic land, although the differentiation of types of magic is interesting (Skill, Wit, hedge). Takes a long time to get to the real story, but not uninteresting. Essentially retells the story from the Assassin's Trilogy in the first 90 pages, with further retrospection through-out.Style: Generally straight-forward narrative, with some irritating and unnecessary back-stitching.
    • 4/5
      This epic fantasy trilogy is actually a continuation of The Farseer Saga trilogy. I would say it is more accurately a hexalogy (a set of six related books), except that I understand the author will be going back to the same characters in a new series next year (a development about which I am more than delighted) so the story may encompass even more than six books.Background (Big Spoilers for the Farseer Series - Skip to Evaluation for NO Spoilers)Fitz was born out of wedlock to Chivalry Farseer, the King-in-Waiting of the Six Duchies. At age six, Fitz was taken away from his mother by his grandfather and handed over to Verity, Chivalry’s brother, at Buckkeep Fortress.With Fitz's existence known, Chivalry was forced as a point of honor to abdicate his right to the throne and to leave Buckkeep. Fitz’s care was given by Verity in part to Burrich, the Stablemaster of Buckkeep and Chivalry’s right-hand man. A third brother, Regal, was jealous of Chivalry and Verity, and when Fitz came, Regal began to hate Fitz the most of all of them. Regal resolved to get rid of all three of them so he could rule after the death of their father, King Shrewd.The others ignored Regal, because the Six Duchies had bigger (or so they thought) problems. They were being besieged by pirates from the Outislands, who traveled in distinctive red ships, raiding the shores and stealing the wealth of the Six Duchies. Then the Outislanders began kidnapping villagers and by some unknown process returning them as zombie-like monsters. Because this practice began with the village of Forge, such people, no matter their origin, were ever after known as “Forged.”People who were Forged could not even be detected by the Skill. This was magic common to those in the Farseer line enabling a person to reach out to another’s mind, no matter how distant, and know that person’s thoughts. If the other person were Skilled also, the two could even communicate through mind-speak, and if one had evil intent, he or she could control or even kill the other person via the Skill.Some people also had a magic called the Wit. This was the ability to form a special, and mutual, bond with an animal. Fitz was witted, and had such a bond with the wolf, Nighteyes.As The Farseer Series ends, the Outislanders have been defeated, and Chivalry, Verity, and Shrewd are gone. Verity’s Queen Kettricken now rules Buckkeep and has a son who is heir to Verity, Prince Dutiful. Chade has come out of hiding to be the Queen’s counselor. Burrich and Molly, thinking Fitz dead, have married. Fitz lives as a hermit in an isolated cottage outside Buck with his wolf Nighteyes and with the young boy Hap brought to him by the minstrel Starling. During the day, Fitz still wrestles with being drawn to the Skill, and at night, he dreams of dragons.Specifics for Fool's Errand (or skip to Non-Spoilery Overall Evaluation)This story picks up fifteen years after the end of the The Farseer Saga. Fitz, now 35, still lives in his isolated cabin with his Wit-bonded wolf, Nighteyes, and his foster boy, Hap, 15, who has been with Fitz for seven years. Hap was brought to Fitz by the minstrel Starling, who still occasionally visits with Fitz. Otherwise, Fitz has been mostly alone, and is going by the name of Tom Badgerlock. As the story begins, Fitz receives a very unexpected visit from Chade, his old mentor from his days at the royal court. Chade brings news of all the people from Fitz’s past, including Fitz’s daughter Nettle, now 15, raised by Molly and Burrich along with their five boys. Chade also tells him news of Prince Dutiful, 14, who, unbeknownst to almost everyone, is also Fitz’s child. Chade asks Fitz to return to Buckkeep and instruct both the Prince and Nettle in the Skill.Fitz refuses, but Chade’s visit awakened something in him, and Nighteyes tells Fitz he senses change in the air. “Changer” is what Nighteyes sometimes calls Fitz, similar to the name “Catalyst” given to Fitz by his old friend Fool. Hap is restless too; he is growing up, and wants to be an apprentice to a woodworker in Buckkeep Town. Fitz’s unquiet is exacerbated further by a visit from Fool. Fool too wants Fitz to come back, to be The Catalyst again. The matter is settled when Chade sends a message urgently calling Fitz back to Buckkeep. Prince Dutiful is missing. Fitz returns as “Tom Badgerlock,” servant to Lord Golden, who is actually Fool. In the years Fitz has been gone, prejudice and animosity have increased toward those who are witted. A renegade group of Witted calling themselves Piebalds have taken to exposing families “tainted” by the Wit. Some of those outted end up drawn and quartered by the fearful and superstitious masses. Prince Dutiful is witted, and Kettricken and Chade fear the Piebalds have taken him, either to disclose his nature, or use the threat of disclosure to blackmail the queen. Furthermore, in two weeks, Dutiful is scheduled to be betrothed to a princess from the Outislanders, an alliance deemed essential to maintain peace. Kettricken and Chade beg Fitz to find the prince and get him home safely before the Outislander delegation arrives. He has sixteen days. Fitz, Nighteyes, and the Fool set out to find Dutiful.Much of the plot of Book One is palpably saturated with Fitz’s anguish and loneliness. I cried myself to sleep after finishing this one.Overall Evaluaton - No Spoilers This is a wonderful series, which really should be read as part of a six-book saga rather than a trilogy, with The Farseer Series preceding this one. (In fact, one of the mysteries of The Farseer Series - about Forging - is not uncovered until the third book of this series.) The characters are unforgettable, and their lives in this story full of fantasy are nevertheless richly exemplary of "the human condition." This is a tale made up of a lot of pages, and perhaps there is a bit of repetition. But I didn’t regret reading any of it, except for the matter of all the kleenex I went through, and for the reluctant necessity of leaving the world of the Farseers when the saga was over.
    • 4/5
      Fascinating and complex, intricate and well written. A compelling story that was hard to follow and difficult to put down. Somewhat slower reading than many stories due to the complexity but quite good. I will definately read the rest of this trillogy. I wonder if I am missing much of the stories interwoven fabric by not having read the Ship trillogy that comes between the first three and this set.Again, I picked this up because of my relationship with Fitz. I still like the Fool & Nighteyes. I am compelled to see Fitz struggle with his overly complex relationships with everyone. Can't wait to see how the story unravels. I was absolutely rocked by the situation with Nighteyes at the end - I can only imagine how that twist bodes for the remainder of the story.I'm glad the Prince returned willingly to Buck and will await how that develops.
    • 4/5
      The story of Fitz continues many years later with Fitz finding solitude before being brought back into the realm of the Six Duchies. This book follows the events of the previous trilogy, that I would highly recommend reading that first. The book does a good job of reminiscing about past events to remind you. The book is great and is filled with the quality writing and interesting characters that you expect with Robin Hobb. This first book in the series is very slow and takes its time letting you get to know Fitz again. The real story doesn't start until about half way through.
    • 4/5
      I really enjoy Robin Hobb's Elderlings books, but this one is a little "small" after the epic scope of the Liveship Traders series. Partly it's the first person narration, I think. I enjoyed it, but not as much as that series. Not enough Fool, who is the best character ever.
    • 5/5
      Fitz comes to terms with the many changes in his life, and establishes himself as Tom Badgerlock in BuckKeep. The World building and character development are amazing! This may be my favourite trilogy in this Fantasy World
    • 5/5
      Possibly the most absorbing in the series yet... this is definitely a miss-your-subway-stop, sneak-it-at-your-desk-at-work, stay-up-way-too-late kinda book!
      It's been 15 years... FitzChivalry has taken on the identity of Tom Badgerlock, and has been finally living the simple life he always wanted, a near hermit in a rural cottage, alone except for his adopted son Hap, and occasional visits from the minstrel Starling. But events seem to conspire to end this quiet time... Fitz says no to Chade's request to return to Buckkeep to tutor his genetic son, Prince Dutiful, in the ways of the magic that he is born to. But when the Fool, now in the guise of the wealthy and alluring Lord Golden, reveals that Dutiful has gone missing, there seems no option but to accede to Queen Kettricken's wish that they go on a mission to find him before the Prince's impending bethrothal to an OutIsland princess... But are they merely seeking a rebellious runaway, or is a more sinister plot behind the Prince's absence? Sentiment against the Witted (those who have the ability to communicate with an animal partner) is on the rise, and many innocents have been brutally lynched. The secret political group calling themselves the Piebalds, who claim to be working for the rights of those who have the Wit, are not helping with their antics. Fitz' bond with his wolf partner, Nighteyes, is more of a liability than ever, now...
    • 5/5
      Just as good as the original trilogy! 
    • 4/5
      This is a resumption of the story started with Fitz and the Fool from many years before. Fitz is living alone, in seclusion, with his wolf and his adopted boy when he gets dragged into a search for a missing Prince.
      It was a pleasure to come back to Robin Hobb's world again and to the characters she created. Fitz has to carefully guard the secret of his bond with his wolf--the land is not kind to anyone with the "Gift". The Fool now has a new persona but is still very intriguing and still battling to keep the future from the ghastliness that could come if he doesn't intervene. 4.5 stars. Great narrator as well in James Langton.
    • 4/5
      It was good to get back to the Six Duchies, but I felt that the charactyer of Fitz was very different from the one I left at the end of Assassin's Quest, and that wasn;t a particulalry good thing IMO. Whilst being completely understandable taking into account everythig he went through in the previous trilogy, i longed for the days of the young Fitz finding his way in the Keep. Maybe I should have read the first book again..? I'm not sure there was enough of a story for a second trilogy, and maybe this would have been better as a one-off to catch up and conclude the story of Fitz.
    • 5/5
      A sequel to the Farseer Trilogy, this is set fifteen years later. Fitz has a new identity as Tom Badgerlock and has carved out a life for himself. However his retirement can't last and he's called on to help the Farseer dynasty again. This time it's the next generation and he's gone missing, if he's dead it's Fitz's daugher who's next in line.There's also people hunting the "witted" and Fitz has to try to keep from being killed.I liked to see how the characters had developed and how people who had moved along over time. How the politics had changed.
    • 4/5
      This trilogy is a return to Fitz. In my opinion, that's a very, very good thing, because my enjoyment of Hobb's writing skyrocketed back up, after Liveships which I found difficult and disappointing. It's interesting to see how Hobb builds Fitz back up into a fit and capable character after his life seemed to be over at the end of Farseers.
    • 4/5
      This was beautifully read and is a great transition to book 3
    • 5/5
      I'm re-reading this trilogy after first reading it 9 years ago, and I'm pleased that I've managed to forget enough of the plot points to almost feel as if I'm reading it for the first time. I am totally biased in favour of all the Fitz books so mine is not an impartial review, but I very much enjoyed entering Fitz's tortured (but more mature) head again for this instalment. I also liked finding out more about the Wit and the different ways that it can be used. And, of course, I enjoyed identifying the links back to the Liveship Traders books.Hobb is so good at writing deep, intense friendships that it felt like something was tugging on my heartstrings every other page! It's an emotional ride but totally worth it. I'm looking forward to continuing my re-read in a couple of reads’ time.
    • 5/5
      This is the first book by Robin Hobb that I’ve read and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It’s the first book of an anticipated trilogy and apparently this is the second trilogy involving the central character, FitzCivalry Farseer. Not having read the first trilogy (Assassin’s Apprentice, Royal Assassin, Assassin’s Quest) meant that I was behind on a lot of the background. While I could easily follow the plot of Fool’s Errand, I wouldn’t recommend that others start in the middle as I did. If nothing else, it's skipping a lot of what is almost certainly great stuff.Fool’s Errand in a very well-written fantasy. Although Hobb took her time in introducing the central conflict, I found her characters so engaging that I was very willing to stick with the story. Hobb has produced a convincing world filled with interesting, well-realized people. The story’s conflict revolves around the practice of two different types of magic, but it's the social consequences of using one of them - the Wit - that's at the core of the conflict. This is because magic in this world is a manifestation of special talent that not everyone has, and I would say that the book's theme is intolerance. Hobb makes the social conflict and its ramifications powerfully convincing.The central character, Fitz, is a complex person with a complex history. I’d like to read more about him, and my dilemma at this point is whether to backtrack and read the earlier trilogy to satisfy that desire. Inevitably, Fool’s Errand has handed me a lot of spoilers. My sense is that the quality of Robin Hobb’s writing is such that I would still find plenty to enjoy in those earlier books even if I already know the major plot twists. That’s a compliment similar to saying that a book stands up to re-reading.