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Fool’s Fate

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What to expect

The triumphant conclusion to the Tawny Man trilogy, from the author of the bestselling Farseer and Liveship Traders trilogies.

The moving end to the tale of the Farseers, in which kingdoms must stand or fall on the beat of a dragon's wings, or a Fool's heart.

A small and sadly untried coterie – the old assassin Chade, the serving-boy Thick, Prince Dutiful, and his reluctant Skillmaster, Fitz – sail towards the distant island of Aslevjal. There they must fulfil the Narcheska’s challenge to her betrothed: to lay the head of the dragon Icefyre, whom legends tell is buried there deep beneath the ice, upon her hearth. Only with the completion of this quest can the marriage proceed, and the resulting alliance signal an end to war between the two kingdoms.

It is not a happy ship: tensions between the folk of the Six Duchies and their traditional enemies, the Outislanders, lie just beneath the surface. Thick is constantly ill, and his random but powerful Skilling has taken on a dark and menacing tone, while Chade’s fascination with the Skill is growing to the point of obsession.

Having ensured that his beloved friend the Fool is safely left behind in Buckkeep, Fitz is guilt-stricken; but he is determined to keep his fate at bay, since prophecy foretells the Fool’s death if he ever sets foot on the isle of the black dragon. But as their ship draws in towards Aslevjal a lone figure awaits them…

Critics Review

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'Hobb is one of the great modern fantasy writers… what makes her novels as addictive as morphine is not just their imaginative brilliance but the way her characters are compromised and manipulated by politics.'
The Times

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Assassin's Apprentice:
'A gleaming debut'
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY

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Assassin's Quest:
'Assassin's Quest achieves a bittersweet, powerful complexity rare in fantasy' LOCUS

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'Robin Hobb writes achingly well'
SFX

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Praise for The Liveship Traders series:
'Even better than the Assassin books. I didn't think that was possible'
George R R Martin

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'Hobb is a remarkable storyteller.'
Guardian

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User Reviews

Book 5.0
Narration 5.0
5.0
5.0
robbenn 13/10/2025
5.0
5.0
I think the last set of Robyn Hobb books for me to read. What a lot of tales all interconnected and well worth reading, even if at times a little long!. It is well worth investigating the order before starting on the enjoyment but even if you don't the trilogies are tales on their own. I just am sad that they are now over. We'll worth the time - I have listened to most when driving after reading the first couple and that I found the best way to progress through.
If you decide to try persevere through the first couple of chapters, it is, I think, well worth it
alanald 06/07/2024
5.0
5.0
Great story
Narrated with real intensity.and a thoughtful
Multitude of voices for every character

Superb listen and great ending
Game of thrones could learn a lot from this
BbcoachT 29/04/2023
5.0
5.0
hitresa@hotmail.com 14/09/2022

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