Author: Robin Hobb
Publisher: Bantam
Binding: Paperback
Publication Date: 2003
Fitz fixes feists fits. Fat suffices. The riddle it all began with. Lady Grace’s little mutt (Feisty) with a chicken bone caught in its throat (removed by Fitz with some butter and a hook! +10 trivia points if you already knew this!). It was the first deed of the catalyst and bound FitzChivalry Farseer to the Fool for good. Golden Fool is a continuation of the tales of Fitz and the Fool, and really steps up to the plate and delivers on plot developments and drama. Where book one of the Tawny Man, “Fool’s Errand”, is a single-threaded tale of a very specific adventure, Golden Fool opens things up and involves the many different aspects of Farseer (trilogy one) and Liveship (trilogy two).
Upon picking up the book and seeing the cover, the first thing that pops to mind is, “Damn, who’s the haw-tay chick with the phat tatts?” Only thing I’ll say is that she is not who she appears to be. Finding out is one of the many fun parts of reading this book.
We see several story lines coming together in a very direct way for the first time. If you haven’t read Farseer (this is a 100% must), or Liveship (95% must), you will miss out on some of the truly magical moments. We see Bingtown folk and Six Duchies folk in the same setting for the first time. We get a better feel for how each side sees the other. As a huge fan of Liveship, this was one of the top 3 things about the book for me.
What were one and two you ask? Well, top of the list has to just be watching the storyline of Fitz and the Fool unfold. There may be times when you feel beleagured by a plot that feels a skosh (a.k.a. a tad) too drawn out. But hang in there. The end of the book will come quickly enough and you’ll be left wishing there was more to read.
Second has to be the outcome of the Piebalds. While Fool’s Errand went way overboard on the Piebald thing, Golden Fool finds a nice balance, and the results are satisfying.
Overall, this book was better than cream cheese on a stick dipped in grape jelly (What, you’ve never done that ??) Ok, maybe I haven’t either, but it sure does sound good, and Golden Fool is just the low-carb snack your fantasy appetite has been craving.
Comments are closed, but trackbacks and pingbacks are open.