tawnyman

Reactions from the Realm: Assassin’s Fate, Chapters 35 – 50

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Goodbye My Friend

***Spoilers for the 🚨entirity🚨 of the Realm of the Elderlings. Particularly the end of Assassin’s Fate. ***

At times, it felt like this day would never come. When I started blogging my way through the Realm of the Elderlings a little over a year ago, I didn’t have a clear vision. Just a woman so enraptured by a series that her mind could no longer contain all of her thoughts without an outlet.

And now that I’ve seen it through to the end… what a journey it has been. At times, it became my own personal Fool’s Quest, leaving me wondering what I’d gotten myself into. But ultimately, I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished. Through the highs (an afternoon romp with a hedge witch) and the lows (deformed dragons wallowing in the mud). Through joy, sorrow, and every emotion in between, it has been an absolute privilege to experience the world Robin Hobb created and the stories she crafted within it.

I can delay no longer. There is nowhere else to start but with the man of the hour: FitzChivalry Farseer.

After many false deaths – including one more fake-out down the stretch for good measure – our tale ends with his leaving the mortal plane for good. It felt inevitable, but that doesn’t make it any easier to digest.

And Robin didn’t take it easy on us. She manages to make it both beautiful and devastating.

He is surrounded by his loved ones in his final moments. Proof of a life that touched so many others. A man worthy of love and respect, even if he could never see it himself.

But before we get to this triumphant exit, we are treated to some good ol’ fashioned Fitz suffering in the highest degree.

After the escape from Clerres, Fitz is left for dead pinned by a fallen beam in the escape tunnel. We spend a good amount of time thinking that was his true end, which was tough to swallow.

But alas, we rejoin a conscious Fitz – with Nighteyes’ consciousness for company – alive but unable to move. The tube of silver we’ve been waiting on finally comes into play. Fitz knocks his pack out of reach, triggering the upturned firebrick and Chade’s remaining explosive, which bathes him in raw silver. Yikes!

And thus begins a truly awful journey home. It really encapsulates all the suffering we have seen Fitz face, but also all of his resolute determination and ability to find a way.

And for the observant, there is this building horror as Robin drops little mentions of the itch on the back of Fitz’s neck.

FUCK.

It was a small moment in the chaos, but I certainly took note of the dart that pricked Fitz’s neck in his fight with Servants. And truthfully, it was that small moment when I knew for certain we were at the beginning of the end for Fitz. This particular groundwork was laid way back when the parasite-infested white showed up at Withywoods teaching us two very important things: the parasites are slow moving and incurable.

There is so much happening, it’s easy to sort of put the dart out of our minds. But every so often, Robin slips in a tiny reminder – like Fitz absently scratching at the back of his neck while still trapped under the beam – to make sure we don’t get too comfortable. He may escape the beam and the tunnel, but there is no outrunning what is happening in his body. By the time we get to Nighteyes elegantly stating: “My brother, you have worms.” the writing is on the wall.

This was the hardest part for me. Did he really have to be suffering so intensely at the end? I mean, how can I even ask that at this point, of course he does. Robin stays the course and pulls no punches.

Within the abject misery of his quest home, we did get one more humorous (in a dark sense) moment. One last classic Fitz-being-a-ding-dong for old time’s sake.

After the brutal journey to the standing stones of Furnich – complete with fighting off a gang of young miscreants and learning his new silver infusion gives him the power to Skill-will death 😬 – he finally makes it to the stones with the intention of traveling to Kelsingra. But – oh shucks – he absentmindedly braces himself on the wrong side of the pillar and gets pulled through to an unintended destination. Hate when that happens!

But fate intervenes and he’s deposited at the old memory stone quarry where Verity carved his dragon. Which, it turns out, is exactly where he’s destined to be.

It takes him awhile to accept that there is no leaving this place, no returning home for Fitz. And that his only remaining task in this life is to carve his own “dragon.”

I knew that dragon was going to take the shape of a wolf from the very first moment the idea of carving one was introduced. What else could encapsulate his soul for all eternity?

It wasn’t an easy end for Fitz. His body is deteriorating, as is his mind, as he pours himself into the task at hand. It was both fascinating and heartbreaking to watch him step into the very ending he once witnessed for Verity. We’ve been here before. We know what this looks like. And it’s only more wrenching with Fitz on the other side of the carving.

Though his ending is anything but peaceful, Robin gives Fitz – and us – the gift of goodbye. Rather than leaving him to die alone in a tunnel on Clerres, she allows him time to reunite with Bee, Nettle, the Fool, and those he loves before the very end.

Perhaps most importantly, she gives him something Fitz has rarely had: a choice. So much of his life has been shaped by duty, prophecy, and the decisions of others. So it felt deeply meaningful that his final act belonged wholly to him.

“…And this is the ending I choose for myself. My decision, for me.”

It feels like one final act of grace.

And speaking of those loved ones: this is as much the Fool’s conclusion as it is Fitz’s.

The Fool likewise has a difficult path in the aftermath of Fitz death number one. (Ok, maybe not number one, but the first one in this section 🥴).

He never quite manages to connect with Bee in the way he longs to. I can see how for some this may feel frustrating, but I actually appreciated this choice. Bee isn’t looking for another father. She already had one, as she reminds Fitz in the quarry:

“And I have had a father. You were my father, and I will go on without one now.”

It’s heartbreaking that they never truly find one another. But Robin has always been willing to let relationships remain imperfect when that’s where the truth of the characters lies.

Their tension culminates with a blowout fight, Bee projecting her hurt and anger onto the Fool. She makes him believe that Fitz wrote him off during their time apart and that their relationship was never repaired.

So when the end finally comes, he’s broken, unable to bridge the gap between them, until Bee sees what’s needed for Fitz to finally let go.

“You are so stupid.”
Astonishment broke through his pain.
…
“He loved you more than he ever loved any of the rest of us!”

And with this final nudge, he goes to Fitz as Fitz silently calls for him.

“He put his arm across my father’s bony back. He drew him close and then set his silver fingers to the wolf.”

And together – with Nighteyes – they pass into the wolf.

So what is there to say about Fitz? Did I sob through his final moments? Of course. (Like legit loud gasping sobs. It was wild.) But despite how emotional it was, I also found it satisfying and was left with a sense of peace. Mostly because Fitz was finally at peace. It has been a bumpy ride; my guy has earned this rest.

We’ve been with him since he was a young boy. Watched him experience unfathomable horrors and hardships. Some of us have maybe even named a whole ass cat after him. He is a beautifully cultivated character, flaws and all. And I will cherish the time we had together.

It is hard to say goodbye. But I’m comforted that he found closure with those he loved. That, at long last, his spirit is whole. At rest. Complete with Nighteyes and the Fool.

And with that, one more time for the road, it’s time for…

MUSINGS!

Fitz’s conclusion is, understandably, the main attraction as we wrap up the series. But I want to give space to what feels like the emotional culmination of the Rain Wilds side of the story: the liveships becoming dragons.

Paragon’s transformation mid-battle into two dragons is, of course, the most dramatic – as is fitting for Paragon.

Vivacia transforms as well, along with another ship from Bingtown harbor. I also love that Robin leaves us with some ambiguity surrounding the others. Especially Tarman, who hasn’t yet decided whether to embrace that destiny.

When I step back and consider the full journey we’ve been on with the dragons, it’s remarkable.

We survived the serpent struggle bus through Liveship Traders. We endured the bleak hatching of the malformed dragons in Rain Wild Chronicles. We were in awe as Tintaglia took flight and Icefyre was freed. We celebrated the return of silver and dragons once again filling the skies.

Then there’s the unreal revelation that liveships themselves contain dragon spirits. A truly fantastic fantasy element.

The dragon mythology is so thoroughly fleshed-out (pardon the pun) that watching Paragon and Vivacia shed their hulls and take to the skies in their intended forms feels like one last magnificent payoff.

I loved it and I love them.

Long live the dragons!

I was genuinely distraught when Althea and Lant were missing after the Clerres harbor battle. I was hopeful we would get at least one back. So when Althea was fished from the sea after having drifted away, I started getting a little nervous for our dear old Lant.*

Thankfully, Robin showed us a rare bit of mercy. I was so relieved when Lant finally reunited with the gang back in Bingtown. And honestly, after everything she’d already survived over the course of the series, I’m so glad Althea made it home too.

*I was admittedly pretty harsh on Lant in my last post, but I have to give credit where it’s due. He climbed a few notches in my estimation during the rescue and escape from Clerres. Amid all the horror and chaos, he was a remarkably steady presence. Calm. Courageous. Dependable. When it mattered most, he showed up.

The entire time Bee is back at Buckkeep, things feel a bit off.

Sure, she’s going through the motions. Attending lessons. Being polite(-ish) to nobles. But between the lack of a bond with the Fool, Perseverance being treated poorly in the stables (unforgivable!!), and Fitz still out there somewhere, alive but slowly dying, it all carries this strange liminal feeling.

There is a constant sense that this isn’t where anyone’s story is meant to settle.

But amid the strangeness, there is one truly bright spot: Bee’s friendship with Thick.

And this is why Robin Hobb is the best.

Of course these two would find each other at the eleventh hour. Bee is drawn to him at night by his Skill music.

“Then he said, ‘I was dreaming a song for Fitz’s little girl. If I ever got to meet her.’
‘That would be me,’ I said, and ventured closer.
He pointed to a cushion on the floor near his chair. ‘You can sit on that, if you want. It’s Smokey’s cushion, but he’s sitting with me right now. He won’t mind.’
Yes, I will.“

And with a bonus sassy cat moment?? What a gift.

Bee keeps returning, and together they build this incredibly gentle friendship. Thick even teaches her how to make his music. It’s almost unbearably tender.

“He had saved some gingerbread from earlier in his day, for all his meals were brought to him now. We shared that, and shared our cat-purr music, adding more things to it. I felt honored when he put in me laughing at the cat as he danced after a dropped spool. It was more fun than I’d ever had with anyone in my whole life.”

It’s impossible not to think of the bond Fitz built with Thick over the course of the series. It didn’t come easy, but Fitz earned his trust through patience, care, and quiet persistence. Their friendship became one of the most quietly beautiful relationships in the entire series.

Thick was one of the most unexpected sources of heart in the entire series. (We’ve come a long way from Dogstink!) I’m so grateful we got this beautiful farewell with him.

There are never enough flowers that Fitz could receive to satisfy me. But I’ll happily take this particularly satisfying acknowledgment:

“The dragons told me that my father would be remembered as a friend to dragons and a vengeance-taker.”

You know what? Hell yes!

What greater honor could there be than earning the respect of dragons, who notoriously think very little of humans.

I love that we didn’t wrap things up without a few oddly charged Kettricken exchanges for the road.

First, as Nighteyes shifts back into Bee’s mind, he makes an arguably in-poor-taste observation:

“Your mother was a good mate for Fitz. She gave him what he needed. But this is the woman I would have chosen for us.“

Nighteyes!

Some decorum, please.

Still, it’s a fascinating admission. And I always love these moments, where Nighteyes’ animal practicality cuts straight through the messy complexity of human relationships.

Then, as Kettricken arrives at the quarry while Fitz carves his wolf, we get this exchange:

“Kettricken. I did not see you there.”
“You never did,” she said and smiled sadly.

Oof.

Is the implication here that Kettricken might have been open to something more with Fitz at some point after Verity’s death?

We’ve always experienced their relationship from Fitz’s perspective. And if there’s one thing we know about Fitz, it’s that he could miss someone being romantically interested in him even if they hit him over the head with it. He’s always assumed Kettricken could never truly move on from Verity. But perhaps he simply couldn’t see that, if there was anyone she might have moved on with, it was him.

Looking back across the series, these two have shared some deeply intimate moments. Whether this was Robin confirming romantic feelings or simply one final beat in their beautifully charged dynamic, it’s hard not to wonder what might have been.

I can’t possibly go deep into every character, but I want to at least acknowledge a few old friends.

  • Ronica: A brief cameo, but it was nice to see her again. (Look, I didn’t call her boring. Growth. 😊)
  • Wintrow: He doesn’t have a huge role to play here (which is fair, he’s earned some time in the backseat after his Liveship Traders ordeal), but we leave him on an interesting note. He’s forced to confront that returning to Divvytown also means returning to Etta, and perhaps that’s not the best direction for either of them. It’s a bittersweet glimpse at how their relationship has weathered the years. Not every ending is tidy.
  • Paragon Kennitson: Wow. He never quite becomes a central character in the story, but he certainly gets a heroic exit, going out in a literal blaze of glory. As Paragon burns in the Clerres harbor, Kennitson charges through the flames to deliver the tube of silver that allows him to transform, sacrificing his own life in the process. It was sad, but there was something sort of poetic about it. After everything Paragon sacrificed because of Kennit, Kennit’s son ultimately sacrifices himself to save Paragon.
  • Motley: I’ve been pretty high on Motley throughout, and she quietly proves herself to be a crucial figure in the end. She keeps Fitz company on his grueling trek home and then later arrives at Buckkeep to confirm he’s still alive. I love that she never tries to replace Nighteyes as Fitz’s true bond, but she fills a void nonetheless. She brings some needed humor, companionship, and one last reminder that animal relationships have always been a core part of the heart of Realm of the Elderlings.
  • Hap: I was so glad to have Hap folded into the ending. It meant a lot that Robin never discarded him, but always treated him as family. He’ll always be Fitz’s first boy, and I love that Bee has him as one more piece of her father to carry into the future.
  • Prillkop: He may take the prize for being one of the strangest figures in the entire series, and his ending is perfectly in keeping with that. Which is saying something considering the sheer number of weirdos we’ve encountered. (Cough. Others. Cough.)

I can’t resist a final classic Nighteyes zinger. What a gift to have a brief return of their banter:

“‘What would you have me do? Chew off my legs?’
A brief silence. Then, Could you do that?“

Also… Porcupine!

I’m winding down here, folks. But I would feel remiss if I didn’t mention Bee’s Skill-healing. It’s a huge part of how her magic manifests down the stretch, and I think it’s an important counterbalance to everything that came before.

Robin doesn’t leave Bee defined solely as the Destroyer. She reminds us that, at her core, Bee isn’t a force of destruction. She is also an instrument of healing.

Her healing of Boy-on in particular felt like a lovely full-circle moment. After everything Althea and Brashen sacrificed to help Fitz and Bee, it felt fitting that Bee’s gift would be used to help save their son.

I loved this little exchange between Brashen and Per:

‘His father abruptly leaned closer. ‘Butter does that?’ he demanded in a stunned voice.
‘No. Farseers do that,’ Per choked,”

And with that, it’s just one more connection between Bee and Fitz.

A true Farseer, right down to the magic flowing through her veins.

We leave Bee under Kettricken’s care, with Perseverance at her side (and a few other friends), heading toward the Mountain Kingdom.

It’s a lovely parting group. Melancholy, but hopeful.

But it really makes me wonder: Is Bee’s story actually over?

I think… perhaps not.

And if Robin has more she wants to share…

I’ll be ready to go wherever she wants to take us.

(Maybe a trilogy of Bee having fun and finding happiness with absolutely no life-altering trauma whatsoever? Apparently sixteen books couldn’t cure my delusion optimism.)

And hopefully, if that day ever comes, we’ll meet back here to break it all down together.

How do I even end?

Perhaps this blog became a little like my own memory stone. A place where I’ve poured my thoughts and emotions to preserve a piece of this journey. I can truly say it has been a delight.

And to anyone who has enjoyed even a single musing or insight along the way, thank you.

This is pack. 🐺

Reactions from the Realm: Assassin’s Fate, Chapters 23 – 34

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Burn Baby Burn

***Spoilers for The Fitz and the Fool Trilogy through chapter 34 of Assassin’s Fate. Mentions of the events of The Farseer Trilogy, The Liveship Traders Trilogy, The Tawny Man Trilogy, and The Rain Wilds Chronicles are fair game, too.***

One quarter of Assassin’s Fate remains. Just one quarter of one sixteenth left in our entire journey.

And shit is going down.

The good news: Bee has set fire to Clerres and reunited with Fitz and company.

The bad news: It seems Vindeliar has knocked back a heavy dose of serpent spit and is exerting his control in the chaos to escape the inferno and reclaim Bee.

So we leave off with Fitz and Lant being Skillmatized to deliver Bee to Vindeliar and the Servants. Only Bee and Perseverance – Chekhov’s “impervious to Skill and dragons” – see through the ruse. And folks, this is Robin Hobb, so when we end on this dazed utterance from Fitz…

“All is well. We are safe now,”

…you know we are in danger.

It’s a dramatic place to pause, but it also feels like the right moment to take a breath, reflect on the setup, and then power through to the end 🥺.

Let’s get into it.

This entire trilogy, it has felt like all roads were leading to one place, and we have finally arrived: Clerres.

That’s really what this section is about: everyone finally converging on Clerres and setting the stage for whatever destiny awaits them there.

And Clerres is quite the final setpiece. It’s a bad time dressed up as a good time. A shiny house of cards hiding horrors beyond its gleaming halls.

Bee arrives first, and we get acquainted with the Four: Clerres’ creepy ass rulers.

Robin wastes no time bringing us up to speed on their brutality, as they sentence Dwalia to a horrifying forty lashes for her failures and losses on the quest for the unexpected son.

It’s an interesting scene, because we – like Bee – have been waiting to see Dwalia get her comeuppance. But even directed at Dwalia, that level of savagery is difficult to stomach. And we aren’t spared the gory details.

It’s gruesome, but it effectively clues us all in on what they are capable of. No one should feel safe or comfortable.

I’ve talked before about Robin Hobb’s gift for revisiting themes without ever feeling repetitive. And here once again I can’t help but think of the Ilistore and the eeriness of her ice palace on Aslevjal. Which makes sense. Illistore is of this ilk, from Clerres. The connective tissue helps make this new location feel instantly part of our established world.

So, we’re here. Clerres is queer. (It’s ok to use “queer” in the non-identity sense of the word, right?) And all that’s left is for Robin to do what Robin does best: unleash Fitz on a mission and let all hell break loose.

First up…

A New Assassin’s Apprentice? Aka Bee Stings…

Step aside, Fitz. There’s a new killer in the lineage. Bee steps into her role as the Destroyer – catchy! – not once, here, but twice.

First, she gets her revenge in a harrowing sequence in which Symphe smuggles her out of her cell, taking her to the dungeon where Dwalia and Vindeliar reside. Some spilled serpent spit elevates Bee’s capital s Skills, and allows her to mind command Dwalia to die:

“I spoke my word softly. ‘Die.’
And she did.”

Gnarly!

She also manages to take out Symphe, but makes a critical error leaving Vindeliar clinging to life.

So close. Again.

But Bee’s not done yet. As Vindeliar works to convince the remaining three head honchos that Bee is the killer, and needs to be killed, she realizes it’s now or never to make her move.

And her move is to burn Clerres to the ground.

This of course occurs at the exact time that Fitz is penetrating the stronghold. Vindeliar has received even more serpent spit and we seem to be headed for a battle of mind magic might.

Per, of course, saves the fucking day, first by pulling Bee from the smoky havoc, and now it appears his complete imperviousness to the dragon magic/Skill is going to be critical.

We finally have our Bee and Fitz reunion, but it’s amid so much burning chaos there is no time for any emotional relief or enjoyment.

And that’s where we leave off. The world is burning. The chapters are dwindling. The end is upon us.

Musings!

An Old Friend Returns

Prillkop’s back!

Bee conveniently gets tossed in a cell (and frankly, of all the imprisonment options Clerres has to offer, this one seems… not the worst) right next to our old friend Prillkop.

I really enjoyed Bee’s mystery cell neighbor talking to her, and the slow realization that it’s Prillkop on the other side of the wall.

I’m honestly not especially invested in his fate – he’s had a good run – and if anything, him slowing the gang down because they now feel compelled to rescue him too is kind of annoying.

But it was nice to have a familiar friend there for Bee in her moment of need. She might not have been able to fully trust him, but at least we knew he was on the good guys’ side.

It’s a small comfort. And at this point, we will take whatever comfort we can get.

Fool Goes Rogue

The plan to rescue Bee from Clerres is already about as shit as can be. And then the Fool drugs Fitz and Spark and sneaks off in the night on his own.

This was a great little subversion as, let’s be honest, this is exactly the sort of thing you’d expect Fitz to pull. (In fact, the whole Bee rescue mission began with Fitz drugging everyone and slipping away under the cover of night.).

In that sense, it only reinforces how they are one and the same. How mad can Fitz be when, given the chance, he would have done the same thing?

That said, it also feels especially foolhardy given, well… everything.

So the Fool reaches the cell block where Bee and Prillkop are imprisoned… and is immediately beaten and captured.

Round and round we go.

I love the Fool. I do. But tending him can be rather exhausting at times. Particularly this trilogy. 🫠

I’m going to need him to stay out of the way for approximately five minutes and let Fitz handle this one.

Motley!

I knew this bird was important.

And she shows up huge here. When all hope feels lost after Symphe’s death bars the entrance to Clerres, Per has the bright idea to send Motley on a Bee scouting mission.

Motley, of course, delivers. Not only does she confirm Bee is alive inside Clerres, she returns with the message that becomes the foundation for Plan B:

“A way out is a way in.”

But even before that critical bit of intel, Motley’s return becomes the tiny beacon of hope that pulls Fitz back from the edge of despair:

“I’d lost. I’d lost everything. I tried to think where it had all gone so wrong, and the answer was that it had begun with every decision I’d ever made, from the time I first said yes to Chade.
And then Per said, ‘Here she comes!’”

She might not be a Wit partner, but I am so glad we have an animal companion playing a meaningful role down the stretch.

It just wouldn’t feel like Fitz – or RotE- without one.

I love that, for essentially the entirety of our RotE experience, Fitz has been wading through metaphorical shit.

And now Robin brings his suffering full circle by making him wade through literal shit in order to reach Clerres. I suppose the only consolation is that he wasn’t alone on this particularly foul journey.

So yes, in order to infiltrate Clerres, the gang is forced to enter through the refuse outlet at low tide. It’s every bit as disgusting as it sounds. But this is Fitz on a mission, so there is nothing that will stop him.

I also love what this sequence says about Fitz as a leader.

His companions all have their own reasons for joining this quest, but at the end of the day, they are following him. Fitz has never thought of himself as a leader, yet he can’t avoid becoming head of the pack. He doesn’t need to command people, his quiet determination to get shit done sets the example.

He would never ask someone to do something he wouldn’t do himself. In fact, he’d prefer never to ask anything of anyone.

So despite his desire to lone wolf it at times, the pack follows.

Even if that means wading through shit and dead bodies.

One really beautiful, quiet moment.

As Bee uses her last remaining mementos of Molly – the beeswax candles she’s managed to carry with her all this way – to set fire to the Clerres records:

“’Goodbye, Mother,’ I said softly and set her last candle down on an oily scroll.”

Robin never moves on too quickly. She always finds ways to honor those who are gone while reminding us how deeply they continue to shape the story.

It’s such a moving line. In the middle of all the chaos and destruction, it tethers us to the little girl Bee was, carrying a piece of her beloved mother to the very end.

It’s been so lovely having the shadow of Nighteyes with Bee throughout her ordeal.

Really, any additional time with Nighteyes, even in spirit form, is a gift.

So I especially loved this mental reunion:

My brother. Where are we going?
More welcome than cool air or fresh water was the touch of Nighteyes on my mind. I felt my spirits lift and suddenly I knew now that everything would be fine.
Where have you been? I cried out to him. Why did you abandon me?
I was with the cub.

Nighteyes hasn’t abandoned Fitz. He’s simply gone where he was most needed within the pack. And exactly where Fitz would have wanted him.

And once again, we find ourselves back to one of the central ideas of this series: pack.

Who belongs to your pack? What do you owe them? What will you sacrifice for them?

It feels like those questions are becoming more and more central as we race toward the end. Not just for Fitz and the people he loves, but for the liveships, the Trader families, and really everyone converging on Clerres.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: Perseverance is such a real one.

And it’s not just me who feels that way. I loved this observation from Fitz as Perseverance continues to prove himself the ultimate ride-or-die:

“I had never done anything to deserve such a lad.”

🥹

Chekhov’s silver tube?

Ok, I know I’m leaning pretty hard on the whole “Chekhov’s ___” bit. But that’s only because we’ve finally reached the point where all the hints Robin has been laying along the way are ready to come into play.

We’ve got the fire brick. Chade’s explosives. Per’s Skill resistance. And on and on.

But perhaps the most intriguing setup of all is the pair of silver tubes Rapskal gifted Fitz back in Kelsingra.

At the moment, the Fool is in possession of one and Fitz has the other.

And they are about to square off against a serpent spit-enhanced mind controller.

I have a feeling we are going to see Fitz pull a Verity and become one with the silver.

The idea that I may never get to see Fitz hold his granddaughter on the page makes me want to cry.

But we do get this incredibly touching moment as Fitz learns through the Skill that Nettle has given birth to a baby girl, Hope.

“Hello, Grandfather!
For a moment Dutiful’s greeting made no sense. Then it did. The child is born?
Nettle’s Skilling was steady but her exhaustion leaked through. A girl. Queen Elliania is delighted. She has asked for the privilege of naming her. Riddle and I agreed. Hope. Her name is Hope.“

I want to have hope. But I’d like to think that, by this point in the series, I’ve gained at least a little wisdom.

The brief interaction with everyone back at Buckkeep – especially Thick – is just devastatingly sweet.

“I cannot be there, Thick, old friend, so perhaps you will set the menu to celebrate my grandchild! And eat my share of it for me?
I can do that. More cautiously, Can I try holding her?
I held my breath. With Nettle’s ears, I heard Riddle’s reply. ‘Of course you can! Two hands, Thick, just like for a puppy. No, hold her close to your body. So she feels safe in your strong arms.’
She is warm, like a puppy! And she smells like a new puppy! You are safe with me, baby. She’s looking at me. Look at her looking at me!
Elliania’s voice, fainter to my senses. She will grow up trusting you.
I wish I could be there. My heart rode with the thought.
Do not worry, Fitz. I will be her grandfather until you get home.
Thick’s offer was so sincere that all I could do was let him feel my gratitude. It came to me that perhaps my odd old friend would be a better grandfather than I could be.”

😭

I don’t think my heart can actually handle analyzing this passage any further. So… yeah.

I want to briefly call out a small line that perfectly captures Fitz’s trajectory, and his reluctant main character energy.

As his fate continues colliding with characters from across the realm, he reflects:

“My fate was a runaway horse, dragging destruction like a broken cart through so many lives.”

He didn’t choose this destiny, but he’s powerless to stop the ripples it leaves behind.

And it’s so extremely Fitz to focus on the wreckage rather than the lives he’s changed for the better.

Obviously this whole post has been about taking stock of the setup and looking ahead to the endgame.

And in that vein, I gotta be honest, I did not love this exchange between Fitz and Paragon:

“How do I die?
In water and fire, in wind and darkness. Not swiftly.“

Changer. Time to change.

We’ve been through Fitz deaths before, but we’ve always had more story waiting on the other side. Not this time.

The finality hanging over all of this is intimidating.

Whether the prophecy proves literal or something more metaphorical, it certainly feels like a death is approaching. An ending of some kind.

I shall be brave in the face of it.

Friends, what a journey it’s been! At times, it seemed like this moment would never get here, but it does appear that it’s time to land this plane. My fortieth birthday is just under two weeks away 😱, and I intend on entering this new decade having completed what I set out to do a little over a year ago. I’m excited to turn the literal and proverbial page.

See you at the end. 🫡

Reactions from the Realm: Fool’s Assassin, Prologue – Chapter 5

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Return of the King

Alternate title: Good Golly Ms. Molly

***Spoilers for Fool’s Assassin through chapter 5. Mentions of the events of The Farseer Trilogy, The Liveship Traders Trilogy, The Tawny Man Trilogy, and The Rain Wilds Chronicles are fair game, too.***

Oh, hello there, friends. Not expecting to see me so soon? Well, we are back! And I can barely contain myself.

Quick peek behind the curtain: I had intended to read longer chunks of the story before pausing to react – maybe breaking the book into thirds. But here I am, a mere five chapters in, and I had to heed the call to write.

Sometimes I just know I’ve hit a turning point, a fulcrum in the story, and I strongly feel that now. We’ve had five chapters of catching up, visiting old characters, getting the lay of the land – both physically and politically. And after two years of Molly claiming pregnancy – and, by all rational interpretations, losing her mind rather than bearing a babe – she has given birth to her and Fitz’s tiny baby.

Holy shit. What did I just read?

So this felt like the moment to pause – process everything that’s happened as we step back into this world and Fitz’s mind – and gear up for wherever we are going from here.

Returning to a Fitz-focused trilogy feels a bit like reading in a different language. Or perhaps more accurately, returning to one’s mother tongue. A flood of familiarity- terms and characters I didn’t even realize I missed: “Forged”, Lady Patience being eccentric, Thick, Fitz being so fucking Fitzy…

The tone is so distinct. Both Hobb modes are good, but nothing quite hitz like Fitz.

I’m actually a little sad that this is the last time I will make this transition and have the experience of sinking back into the intimacy of Fitz’s POV. It’s a direct contrast to starting our southern sojourns, which feel novel and take time to settle into. This is a coming home.

So as we once joined Fitz in a façade of peace in his cabin with Hap, so too we find our boy (and yes, no matter how much he reminds us of his age, he will always be our boy) comfortable at Withywoods, living the seemingly content life he’s always sought.

And though that contentment isn’t false – his love of life with Molly is very real – the cracks in the façade start to show almost immediately.

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Reactions from the Realm: City of Dragons, Chapter 9 – Epilogue

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Paging Dr. Frankenstein

***Spoilers for The Rain Wilds Chronicles through City of Dragons. Mentions of the events of The Farseer Trilogy, The Liveship Traders Trilogy, and The Tawny Man Trilogy are fair game, too.***

City of Dragons – ✅ One more book to go in our Rain Wilds Chronicles adventure, and then it’s time to buckle the fuck up and dive into the final trilogy of this RotE experience.

So with that, I’m going to jump right in with a character who proves likability has nothing to do with being compelling.

Hest

If Hest is a monster (and he is), here we finally meet his maker. And of course, it’s the final boss of boy moms: Hest’s mother. She enters the story as coddling and enabling as you might expect.

Robin Hobb isn’t called the queen of character (not sure anyone calls her that specifically, but still) for nothing. Hest is already one of the richest characters in the story, even without much direct page time. But the chapter we get to spend with him and his parents, especially his dynamic with his mother, adds even more depth to an already vivid portrait.

And he makes such a great villain. For me, he’s right up there with Kyle (and maybe Chade?) in the RotE loathsome-men rankings.

What makes him so terrifying is how real he is. He’s not a pale, ethereal magical woman in an ice palace. He doesn’t steal souls or chop up his foes. He’s just an asshole. A charismatic, entitled, deeply spoiled man taken to the extreme.

We see him encouraged to reclaim Alise and Sedric as if they’re property – and to secure any claim they might have to Kelsingra (good luck with that). But we also get to watch him taken down a massive peg when the Chalcedean mercenary he tried to have killed shows back up.

And listen, I don’t think of myself as sadistic, but I can’t lie, watching Hest get literally walked like a dog while writhing in poisoned-induced agony? Worked for me.

“He had licked the man’s boot. Not once or twice, but like a dog, lapping at it over and over until the Chalcedean had stepped away.”

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Reactions from the Realm: City of Dragons, Prologue – Chapter 8

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Ooh I’ve been waiting for this…

***Spoilers for The Rain Wilds Chronicles through chapter 8 of City of Dragons. Mentions of the events of The Farseer Trilogy, The Liveship Traders Trilogy, and The Tawny Man Trilogy are fair game, too.***

I never rarely nail a prediction (see: Chade, still kickin’). But the predictions and wish list I left off with at the end of Dragon Haven, in relation to where we pick things up in City of Dragons, were pretty spot on.

Let’s check in:

The fallout: Hest.  ✅

He hasn’t discovered the full story yet, but we do get a visit with the rage monster.

More ties to the broader RotE: Malta and Reyn. Selden. Amber/the Fool. Tintaglia. What is Wintrow doing? Let’s get some old friends back in the mix. ✅

No Wintrow or Amber/the Fool yet, but we do get significant time with Malta and Reyn 😍 , Selden 😬, and Tintaglia as we open the story.

Chalced? ✅

We got our first POV from Chalced proper. And boy, that Duke is a real dickhead!

Re: Kelsingra, I asked: will we discover remnants of Fitz’s time there? ✅

Yuppers! Just as I was seriously starting to doubt that this was even the same place, Alise finds Verity’s city model and evidence that “Fitz wuz here.”

All in all, a very satisfying start to the back half of our penultimate RotE series.

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Reactions from the Realm: Dragon Keeper, Chapters 10-13

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Like A River

***Spoilers for The Rain Wild Chronicles through chapter 13 of Dragon Keeper. Mentions of the events of The Farseer Trilogy, The Liveship Traders Trilogy, and The Tawny Man Trilogy are fair game, too.***

It might just be that I am writing this on December 26th, but the Island of Misfit Toys vibes have never been stronger.

There are two elements really jumping out to me so far:

  1. how rapidly my feelings keep shifting, and
  2. the amount of mirroring happening, on both a micro level within the story and a macro level across Hobb’s entire body of work.

Let’s start with my emotional whiplash.

Shifting Feelings:

In my last post, I had a lot of pep in my typing fingers. After Dragon Keeper’s bleak opening, the story started gaining momentum. Then I dove directly back into a Sintara POV and realized it was the lack of dragon experience that lightened things up. I mean, with lines like:

“And now they were masters of nothing, doomed to mud and carrion and, Sintara did not doubt, a slow death by slog up the river.”

… it’s hard to be buoyed by optimism.

As counterbalance to the dreary dragons, we have Captain Leftrin floating in the clouds with his crush on Alise. Sir- you are a grizzled, murdering (only once, but that counts), ruthless river man. Get ahold of yourself! As hard as I rode for their meet-cute, I have to admit I developed a smidge of an ick this time around. Leftrin is fucking gone for our girl, and Alise is relishing the attention, but it doesn’t feel like they’re on equal footing. Alise seems more lost on the sauce of someone being into her (rightfully!) than genuinely attracted to Leftrin, so surprisingly, I’m finding myself a bit worried for the captain’s heart.

It’s not just them- my feelings across the board have been shifting as rapidly as the Rain Wild River itself. Part of Liveship Traders’ brilliance is how Robin Hobb not only develops characters, but actively reshapes our perceptions over time. Most notably, of course, with Malta- going from the absolute worst to the Elderling queen we worship. In Malta’s case, it’s a long arc, but here in Dragon Keeper, I’m finding my opinions shift chapter to chapter.

Take Sedric. Sympathetic one moment, near-villainous the next. We learn he doesn’t care for animals (red flag), so Alise’s hackles are raised at his interest in assisting the dragons. She doesn’t know his actual motivations like we do, but she’s right to sense something is off:

“Oh, he shared some of her scholastic interest in dragons, but she had never seen him pet a dog or talk to his horse. And now he was going to assist this girl in doctoring a dragon? There was something here, and she felt she stood at the edge of a strange and perhaps dark current. Could he possibly be interested in the girl? She was so young and so peculiar looking. It would be very inappropriate.”

Alise’s ability to read a situation, as ever, remains unmatched.

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Reactions from the Realm: Fool’s Fate, Chapters 34-Epilogue

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I’m in a Glass Case of Emotion

***Spoilers for The Tawny Man Trilogy through the end of Fool’s Fate.*** 

Well, friends – I have concluded my read-through of the Tawny Man trilogy. What a beautiful culmination to an incredible series. I was struck by how complete this story felt when combined with the Farseer Trilogy. They may stand as separate series, but they truly feel like necessary companions. While both are remarkable on their own, it’s the arc of all six books that I find almost unbelievably stunning. This ending leaves me with a strong sense of closure, and a deep curiosity about how the Fitz and the Fool trilogy will complement, expand upon, and ultimately conclude Fitz’s story.

Before diving into the emotional conclusion of our tale, I have to address my personal state as I write this post. I debated whether to include this, but what’s the point of blogging if not to show up authentically and share a piece of oneself? This endeavor has always been about connecting across the human experience, and what I’m going through now is something almost everyone can relate to. It also ties closely to the themes of the text, so I’d feel remiss not to include it.

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Reactions from the Realm: Fool’s Fate, Chapters 30-33

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How Fitz Got His Groove Back

***Spoilers for the Tawny Man Trilogy through chapter 33 of Fool’s Fate.***

If the revelation of how Fitz was previously able to return to his deceased body thrilled me last post, then that was just the appetizer for this section’s full buffet of answers. There’s a lot to cover, so allow me to get right to the goods.

Fitz and the Fool are lingering in their market-square campsite, recovering and wrestling with where things go from here. Once again, we get that wonderful parallel between the Fool’s sense of lostness and desire to retreat from life, and Fitz’s past experience:

“…you cannot hide forever from your life and friends. Eventually, you must face it again.”
He almost smiled. “This, from the man who spent over a decade being dead.

They almost feel outside of time in this suspended healing sojourn, but eventually the Fool declares himself recovered enough, and it’s time to rejoin the story. Not before a detour to the stone dragon garden for a visit to Girl-on-a Dragon.

Turns out the Fool has promised the rooster crown to the sort-of-lead minstrel of Girl-on-a-Dragon’s entombed coterie, Realder- a former wearer of the crown. (The crown/Skill-dragon/coterie lore goes pretty dense here, so let’s just stick with that and keep it moving).

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Reactions from the Realm: Fool’s Fate, Chapters 27-29

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Everything Everywhere All at Once

***Spoilers for the Tawny Man Trilogy through chapter 29 of Fool’s Fate.***

I fear it’s not the most compelling analysis for me to come to the keyboard each week just to say that was the most incredible thing I’ve ever read. But what the fuck else am I supposed to say? The way this story continues to weave and build is truly unreal.

These chapters had me… affected. In every way possible. From an emotional parting and death that somehow gets relegated to a footnote, because everything else that happens overshadows it, to what I would argue is the most erotic scene I have ever read.

It feels like we’ve reached the crescendo of Fool’s Fate, so I’m curious what’s left for us in the remaining eight chapters or so. The way this volume culminates so many storylines begun all the way back in Farseer also makes me wonder what’s in store for the Fitz and the Fool trilogy. I know we still have some story left to tell, so I’ll save my reflection for the end. But are we going to get Molly before we close out Tawny Man? Or is Robin going to dangle her on the other side of an entire quartet? (I’m assuming Rain Wild Chronicles, like Liveship Traders, will be a separate storyline from the Fitz trilogies, with a little world-building overlap.)

Ok, enough filibustering. I need to get into what actually happened so I can get back to reading posthaste! It’s going to be hard for me to not just copy in 50% of Robin’s words, insert bow-down GIFs, and hit publish. The writing is that incredible. But I shall do my best to share actual thoughts.

Good news: The Pale Woman did not cut off the Fool’s head.
Bad news: She did mercilessly torture him and deliver him to an undignified death.
Great news: Fitz, with the wisdom of Yoda, realizes that death is life, and, possessing the magic of life, he can work with this.

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Reactions from the Realm: Fool’s Fate, Chapters 22-26

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Me Want Dragons, Me Get Dragons

***Spoilers for the Tawny Man Trilogy through chapter 26 of Fool’s Fate.***

So let me get this straight: I am supposed to just go about my regular life – work my full-time job (sadly, blogging for an audience of none doesn’t pay the bills), make dinners, drive my kids places, etc. – while Burrich is reuniting with Fitz on Aslevjal?

Oh, Robin, you sneaky little Hobb, you. When I saw the chapter title “Reunion,” I assumed it would be Fitz reuniting with Dutiful, Chade, and the rest of the dragon expedition gang. Never in a million years did I expect him to hobble back into camp and straight into Burrich’s strong embrace.

Did I have some questions about how Burrich – mostly blind and crippled – managed to make the harrowing journey across sea and glacier on his own? I did. But Burrich is the embodiment of “where there’s a will, there’s a way,” so I’m willing to go along with the “yada yada, he bumped into Longwick and made it to base camp” explanation and keep it moving. (I did at least appreciate Fitz questioning this seemingly impossible feat as well).

Their reunion is incredible, but there’s not much time to sit down and catch up, because, partially thanks to Web using his bird to tattle the slaying plans to Tintaglia, the situation with Icefyre has turned into a full-on pressure cooker. And when that cooker’s lid blasts off (barely a metaphor), it is on.

After attempting a controlled demolition of the ice encasing Icefyre, Fitz’s forgotten cask of explosive powder goes off unexpectedly, getting the job done (and taking out a few of those extraneous characters I’ve previously mentioned- RIP Eagle). Suddenly, we go from zero dragons to three in a matter of moments. First, Icefyre emerges in rough shape. Second, Tintaglia, punctual queen, arrives on the scene to collect her man. And third, because things can never go smoothly, the Pale Woman’s animated stone dragon, embodying the unhinged soul of Kebal Rawbread, awakens and clunkily hauls itself from the excavation pit.

Dragon Rawbread is given a clear missive from the Pale Woman: defeat at least one of the “real” dragons to prevent their procreation. (Gotta say, it’s handy having Fitz tuned into all the Skilling and dragon communicating throughout the battle. He’s basically our personal CB radio, picking up all the signals and keeping us in the know.) And so, a dragon battle ensues.

It was impossible not to think of Drogon and Rhaegar vs. the Night King’s undead Viserion during the Battle of Winterfell while reading this scene. (A rare Game of Thrones Season 8 bright spot. Well… not literally bright, but you know what I mean. I digress.) Icefyre is depleted but enormous; Tintaglia is comparatively tiny but fierce; and Dragon Rawbread is malformed but vicious. It’s quite the battle.

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