Hobb-A-Long Read-A-Long discussion

The end was great. I am more excited to see what will happen with Bee next.

Elliania cut her 3 month goodbye stint at her mother's short, and came to Buckkeep just in time for the Harvest Fest; and the Prince wisely sets up a quickie wedding for them while all the dukes are in town ( who can then use the occasion of the Prince's marriage to name him King-in-Waiting), and also head off any further meddling by the Narcheska's mother.

The course of true love never did run so smooth for poor Fitz ( I worked in a little Shakespeare there!). It was pretty apparent when you read between the lines of what he told the Fool (that he promised Burrich that he would see to take care of Burrich's young sons), that what he was really thinking was this was his chance to get back together with Molly ( It was never all that clear to me that he had been particularly strongly pining away for Molly during the period that they had been apart, with her having five sons with Burrich, and the considerable passage of time. Also, I thought that both Jinna and Laurel had been at one time fairly strong candidates for Fitz to eventually become permanent romantic partners with ( and then perhaps Molly's character might be killed off, and Burrich could reenter the picture as a recurring character again), but I was perfectly satisfied with the way things turned out).

But in his eagerness, Fitz gets a little presumptuous about how well and how quickly he can put their relationship back on track. Burrich's toes are barely wet in his watery grave before he tells Kettricken that " I will take Molly for my own" before Molly even learns that he's still alive, or if she would be remotely receptive even if she were made aware of his living. This is over-the-top audaciousness for Fitz, and it doesn't stop there! When he goes to see her and her collective children for the first time, he blurts out that he loves their mother, but won't try to take Burrich's place ( although that is pretty much what he would be doing). Blundering and trying to insinuate himself like this in front of her shocked children doesn't sit well with Molly( who is still furious with him for not coming to her all those years ago and letting her know he was alive), and Nettle, who knows only what Molly knows and opines about Fitz, is similarly put off.

It takes him nearly a year (by my reckoning) to undo the damage, softening Molly up by gifts to her and her children ( mainly candy, but odd things like horse remedies and toys as well); eventually thawing his relationship by daily contact with Nettle, who begins to relent her objections to him; finally procuring permission from Molly to personally visit them. Eventually, Fitz and Molly re-consummate their love affair; but it takes another three years of clandestine encounters before they get to the altar.

I'm fairly prone to cry at the slightest provocation of sentiment, and I've been especially on my guard about this book given it's tearjerking reputation; and did pretty well until I got to the next to the last page, when Hobb, out of the blue, dropped in the sentence:"We wed quietly"; and I started to choke up, and just about lost it!

I think the Tawny Man trilogy is easily the best series that Robin Hobb has done. It's consistently good throughout, with it's only chronic weakness being that early portions of the three books tend to need to be condensed, as they spend too much time on setting up plotlines further on in the narrative.

But what sets this series apart is the superior second half of Fool's Fate! The third books of her previous two trilogies are hampered by meandering plotlines or a pat happy ending that didn't seem earned. Beginning with Fitz and the Fool's abrupt descent into the underground chamber, there is never any let up in the story; through to a great battle climax; finally culminating in an ending that was more than worth the wait and which gives Fitz a satisfying send-off that feels appropriate and well deserved.

Loved it! The ending was so sweet I cried! Fitz and Molly got married! Patience moved in with them and Dutiful visits with his new wife and baby. I'm sad to leave this part of the story behind!! I need more Fitz!

Sarah wrote: "Loved it! The ending was so sweet I cried! Fitz and Molly got married! Patience moved in with them and Dutiful visits with his new wife and baby. I'm sad to leave this part of the story behind!! I ..."

Me too, Sarah, but I feel guilty about wanting to put Fitz through yet another round of angst and mortal jeopardy, when he's been through so much already! LOL!

It strikes me that the finish of this book, with it's sense of finality, is crafted so it could stand as the last in the series, if it so happened that Hobb never returned to the Fitz saga again. Assassin's Quest, as the last of the Farseer's trilogy, ended similarly.

John wrote: "Sarah wrote: "Loved it! The ending was so sweet I cried! Fitz and Molly got married! Patience moved in with them and Dutiful visits with his new wife and baby. I'm sad to leave this part of the sto..."

I like the way you're thinking about Fitz! I want him to live his life of peace now too, don't get me wrong... but selfishly I never want his story to end!!! Just like with the Liveship trilogy, I'm sad to leave Fitz behind. I want to skip right to the Fitz and the Fool storyline! Eek! But I won't... lol