Assassin's Fate by Robin Hobb Series: The Fitz and the Fool #3
Published by Harper Voyager on May 4th 2017
Genres: Fantasy, High Fantasy
Pages: 853
Source: Publisher
Assassin's Fate: Book III of the Fitz and the Fool trilogy<img src="//ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=theoakboo-20&l=am2&o=1&a=0553392956" target="_blank">Amazon • Amazon UK • Book Depository • Bookworld
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The final book in the Fitz and the Fool trilogy.
Prince FitzChivalry Farseer’s daughter Bee was violently abducted from Withywoods by Servants of the Four in their search for the Unexpected Son, foretold to wield great power. With Fitz in pursuit, the Servants fled through a Skill-pillar, leaving no trace. It seems certain that they and their young hostage have perished in the Skill-river.
Clerres, where White Prophets were trained by the Servants to set the world on a better path, has been corrupted by greed. Fitz is determined to reach the city and take vengeance on the Four, not only for the loss of Bee but also for their torture of the Fool. Accompanied by FitzVigilant, son of the assassin Chade, Chade’s protégé Spark and the stableboy Perseverance, Bee's only friend, their journey will take them from the Elderling city of Kelsingra, down the perilous Rain Wild River, and on to the Pirate Isles.
Their mission for revenge will become a voyage of discovery, as well as of reunions, transformations and heartrending shocks. Startling answers to old mysteries are revealed. What became of the liveships Paragon and Vivacia and their crews? What is the origin of the Others and their eerie beach? How are liveships and dragons connected?
But Fitz and his followers are not the only ones with a deadly grudge against the Four. An ancient wrong will bring them unlikely and dangerous allies in their quest. And if the corrupt society of Clerres is to be brought down, Fitz and the Fool will have to make a series of profound and fateful sacrifices.
How do I even begin to review an 850-page trilogy-ender with fifteen books worth of story behind it?
Robin Hobb is the master of not only building a beautiful, detailed world, but also layered and relatable characters for her readers to laugh and cry with. In the case of this particular trilogy, FitzChivalry Farseer (Fitz to his friends) is back, along with all (well, most) of our favourite characters from the previous series. All the magic, intrigue, politics and dragons have returned, making this trilogy every bit as enjoyable, heart-wrenching and brilliant as previous stories have been.
There are times in this final book where there is a lot of travelling. Two separate but concurrent journeys are described in detail, and the farewell tour drags on through the middle of the book, but the ending is as epic as I hoped it would be.
Bee was an amazing character. Faced with dreadful conditions and poor treatment, her story is heartbreaking for most of the book. She rises to every challenge, though.
If you’re a fan of the earlier Fitz books, you’ll love this trilogy. If you haven’t read any Fitz books before, I recommend you start from the beginning with Assassin’s Apprentice. The constant mentions of long-ago characters and events may confuse you, although many things are explained, such as the significance of the Liveship Trader families of Bingtown and the history of the Pirate Isles.
Assassin’s Apprentice was published in 1995, and over twenty years later, the final part of this saga is complete. Or is it? There’s every chance Hobb could return to this world, perhaps with the further adventures of Bee? I hope so!
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