Fool's Errand (Tawny Man #1) Mass Market Paperback – November 26, 2002

Years ago I read the story of the Fitz and the Fool and I fell in love with it. At the time there were no sequels and no plans for them. I am so happy to have discovered the Tawny Man trilogy that has created the beginning of the sequel I adored as a child! I 100% recommend these stories!

I am obsessed with the story of Fitz,the fool and the world of the elderlings. The world building is incredible and I can’t wait to see what becomes of everyone.

As mentioned repeatedly, Fool's Errand begins the 'Tawny Man,' a sequel trilogy to Robin Hobb's 'Farseer' series. I've just begun the new series, so I'm only going to talk about the first volume.You don't need to read the first trilogy before you start the second, but it does add enormously to the emotional resonance. You also don't need to read the Live Ship Traders trilogy, set in the same world with different characters. I gather that there's some connection, but I haven't read it and so far I don't feel like I'm missing much.The story is in first-person, with the main character (FitzChivalry Farseer) telling his own story. Robin Hobb's writing is evocative and picturesque. She seamlessly blends Fitz's perceptions of the world around him with his responses to it. Fitz is a complex character, with memories, emotions, and sensations constantly weaving through his thoughts. It's hard not to be pulled in by his tangled psyche as you sympathize and want to shake him by turns. Fitz is a really good, personable guy...but he's definitely got his issues. If you've read the first series, you know they're warranted. I find his most admirable quality is that he forges on and does what he needs to, no matter what his internal landscape looks like.In fact, all the characters are very believable. Each of them possesses a unique, realistic personality with their own merits and flaws. They're people you could meet in your own life, put in desperate situations that bring out the best and worst in them. Even the animals are shaped with their little ways and idiosyncracies. The Fool, especially, is a vibrant, living character. Out of everyone in the book, he's the one that Fitz is closest to, and their interactions sparkle like jewels scattered through the text. I found myself practically skimming some through sections of the book, just to get to the next part where the two of them talk.Which leads me to the next point. I gave the book four stars because while Robin Hobb is an excellent writer, she's not a great one. She can get repetetive about plot points. Sometimes you feel a bit like she's bashing you over the head with them lest you somehow miss one. And I think she occasionally tries *too* hard with Fitz--there are times when she pushes his emotional reactions so hard that I feel embarrassed for him, like he's making a public spectacle of himself.But on the whole, this is a wonderful book. I stayed up till 4 am two nights running, and spent Sunday trying to do housework one-handed while I read.I leave one final caution: the Farseer trilogy was spectacular up till the final book, and then everything sort of crammed together and got melodramatic. It wasn't bad, but it just wasn't as strong as the rest of the series (I would give Assassion's Fate 3 stars, while the rest of the trilogy was 4 bordering on 5). I'm not certain whether she's overcome that problem with this new effort. So if you're a reader who puts a lot of weight on endings, you may want to keep that in mind.

Well I knew it would happen but I was still not prepared for it. The depthness of Nighteyes was such that he was àn important character and grieved him endlessly.

So often when you finish a book or series that you love there is a sense of loss or mourning that your time in that world has come to an end. You wish to journey again with the characters you have invested so much of your time in and truly let into your heart. And occasionally an author will grant that wish and bring back the world you want to revisit…and it’s just not the same. It’s a tired retelling of the original story or a vanilla extension of the characters that just doesn’t feel true to the world you knew.This is not that.This was perfection. This was so amazing that despite the late hour, my drooping tired eyes and my busy day tomorrow, I am immediately starting the next book.Thank you so much Robin Hobb.

Hands down this is my very favorite RotE book in the series so far ( right now I am on Book II of Rain Wild Chronicles). The story is exactly what a lover of the series will want when returning to Fitz and Bucktown and significantly & most wonderfully The Fool. Not a spoiler but when one says there is no action in the first half of the book, I personally feel that they are looking for a different story and not the one originally based on the first trilogy, The Farseer Trilogy. The first half of this book is one of the best welcome home, welcome back and remember whens a fan of these books could ask for. It provides a deeper perspective on the relationships, the consequences and the friendships that endure from horrific past experiences. The second half of the book finds Fitz in an adventure, begins to answer some previously obscure questions, leaving possibilities for even more questions and adventures. Fitz is not exactly the same character - as it is 15 years after the end of Assassin's Quest and he has grown up, but he is still Fitz and still has hopes and dreams and feelings and makes mistakes and makes the better decisions, and is stronger in who he is and what he wants. This book really solidified my love of every character and their stories - because Hobb allows her characters to learn and to grow! Just absolutely a beautiful book, phenomenal prose, character development is outstanding - no one does it better in fact, and she writes so you can see your own image, lessons, reflections in the different characters and their story arcs. To have an author share a story that still begs critical thinking from her audience is a breath of fresh air. Excellent. Excellent. Excellent.