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Reactions from the Realm: Golden Fool, Chapters 16-21

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Death Becomes Him

***Spoilers for The Tawny Man Trilogy through chapter 21 of Golden Fool. References to the events of Farseer Trilogy and Liveship Traders.***

Another day, another Fitz death scene. My man can neither live in peace nor die in peace. I was incredibly moved by this version of Fitz straddling life and death. He follows after his beloved Nighteyes, ready to join the pack of wolves awaiting him in the great beyond. But alas, his work in the realm of the living isn’t finished. Apparently, there is more catalysting to be catalysted.

We are approaching the home stretch of Golden Fool, and I continue to majorly fuck with the Tawny Man Trilogy. I’m not sure if it’s because, as a semi-contemporary of Fitz at his current age, I can relate to him better, or if it’s just the ever-deepening connections to the characters and world. Either way, I am completely immersed. I’ve mentioned before that Fitz is in sandwich-generation hell (me too, just with less stabbing!), and that really seems to be the primary focus of this installment: Fitz trying to establish his authority amidst the varying generations around him.

And if simply being kindly Skillmaster/Lord Golden’s servant Tom Badgerlock doesn’t naturally inspire respect, then killing three grown men and a Wit-feral horse should do the trick!

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Reactions from the Realm: The Farseer Trilogy, Reader’s Quest

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My Brave Journey Setting Forth into The Realm of the Elderlings

***Spoilers for The Farseer Trilogy by Robin Hobb ahead***

Author’s Note: When I began my blogging journey through The Realm of the Elderlings, I happened to start at the natural spot of about 75% through the second trilogy. So, in the event that any human soul stumbles upon and happens to follow my journey, I thought it might be nice to share a few reflections on The Farseer Trilogy and The Liveship Traders up to my first post.

These early reflections only scratch the surface, but if you enjoy this glimpse into my descent into Hobb-induced madness, I hope you will check out my in-depth reaction pieces to the later series. (Where else can you go for predictions of polyamory involving boats?) Without further ado…

The Farseer Trilogy

As someone who holds every word of The Farseer Trilogy in the highest esteem, I can conceivably see how this series isn’t for everyone. (I mean, those people are of course horrifically wrong, but that’s their right.) So here’s what I’ll concede: Is it the fastest-paced story ever told? No. Does Assassin’s Quest drag a bit at times? Perhaps.

But damn it, I don’t care. This story was absolutely for me. I was right there alongside Fitz on every Eda- and El-cursed step of his quest. If anything, a bit of suffering along the way (I’m looking at you, coterie) only deepened my immersion.

A little about me to set the stage: I occasionally enjoy a bit of romance in my literary endeavors. So what a nice surprise to find out this was the greatest love story of all time- just between Fitz and me, rather than any characters on the page.

I can’t quite say what it was that drew me to this journey, but one thing’s for sure: I could never have anticipated the ride I was about to embark on. There were a few omens early on that made it clear I was going to need to buckle the fuck up.

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