***Spoilers for The Tawny Man Trilogy through chapter 6 of Golden Fool. References to the events of The Farseer Trilogy and The Liveship Traders. Also, warning: this post contains adult content.***
Ahoy Hobb Heads! I’m home. My time away to heal from the pain of Fool’s Errand and stretch my baby blogger wings was fun, but sinking back into the comfort of Golden Fool feels so right. And by “so right,” I of course mean Robin immediately rips open my barely-healed heart and plunges me straight back into despair and suffering. Oh, you thought we were going to leave the pain of losing Nighteyes back in Fool’s Errand? Think again.
When I started the Tawny Man Trilogy after our Robin Hobb-imposed sojourn to the Cursed Shores, I remarked that in picking Fitz’s storyline back up, we get the full Fitz experience. Likewise, in returning from my brief, self-imposed exile in Caten, here at the start of Golden Fool we surely get Fitz at his Fitziest. Which also happens to be what I love the most in the world.
He’s pouting, being the saddest of bois, getting used and abused by his loved ones, finding himself outnumbered in precarious situations, absolutely bumbling his way through romantic interactions, and – perhaps my favorite of all – leaving cryptic passive-aggressive notes in the dust on tables. Seriously, “I was here; you were not,” belongs in the Petulance Hall of Fame. I will love Fitz until the day I die. All we need is for Dutiful to leave Fitz a post-it reply:
We’ve reached the exciting conclusion to The Will of the Many! Some questions were answered, and many more were raised. Theories died, and new theories sprang to life. Loyalties have shifted yet again, and we lost a real one. Whew! What a ride!
Let’s not waste any time and get right into Synchronous.
This is it, people. Shit has officially gone off the rails heading into The Strength of the Few (releasing in November, see you back here then!). I love how James Islington handled this twist. After completing the labyrinth, Vis enters a chamber and steps into the bronze blade ring. He experiences something – it’s super painful and sucks – but when he emerges, everything seems the same. So we spend the rest of the book wondering what exactly he unleashed. I kept expecting something to show up or there to be some major shift in the world- wizardwordship was on alert! But everything continues along mostly normal (rotting arms and new powers aside), and Vis wins the Iudicium and we seem to be on our merry way. Then comes Synchronous.
Synchronous, Part 1
We are taken back to the moment Vis emerges from the bronze blade ring. It starts the exact same way… right down to the instructions getting carved into his arm. He exits the chamber and things begin to diverge. When he approaches the gate to the labyrinth, he comes to a stone that has some mumbo jumbo about needing to pay a toll for passage to Luceum, places his hands on it, and whoosh! He is transported, sans left arm(!), to a vast rotunda. There are people there who tell him to “Stay with us… the other from your world will be coming.” Fade to black on Luceum…
Synchronous, Part 2
Oh, but we’re not done here, folks! We get thrust back to the bronze blade ring emergence again. This time, there’s someone in the chamber- who introduces himself as… CAEROR!!!!
Caeror has arrived and he starts spilling the tea. This Vis is in Obiteum. They have a cute, “Oh, you know Veridious?” / “And you know Ulciscor?” small-world sort of exchange before Caeror is like, enough small talk, we’ve got to save you back in Res (apparently the name of the world we’ve been bopping in). He busts out a knife and we solve the mystery of the carved arm words!
So now we’ve got three Vis’s in three worlds. And we know that what happens to his body in one world affects his bodies in the others. (Very concerned that Caeror is just going to start writing letters to his friends back in Res on Vis’s torso.)
Synchronous rocked my world, but we have to get into the Iudicium. Shit went pretty hard.
Let’s begin by paying due respect to our big loss: Callidus. I’m going to be honest, coming into this story straight out of the emotional warzone that is Robin Hobb’s Realm of the Elderlings, this was light work for me.
I liked Callidus. He was a great pal to Vis, loyal to the end. And I am sad for Vis. First, his lady love stabs him and shoves him off a tower, then his best friend dies in his arms. It’s a rough stretch, for sure.
So how did we get here? Well, after his jaunty little Synchronism-launching side quest mid-Iudicium, Vis returns to the fray to discover that things are going a bit awry. After linking back up with Callidus and Aequa, they make a plan that involves splitting up. Callidus loses the coin flip that seals his fate, and Aequa and Vis head out on the initial mission to go for the heart of Jovan (the goal of the games).
Well, nothing fucks up your plans like stumbling upon a mass grave of all the safety teams plus a few students – YOIKS! It is gross, and I am grateful we got to gloss over Vis and Aequa retrieving Sianus’s tattooed arms as proof of what they’ve found.
Change of plans! They decide to warn the remaining competitors and GTFOH. Vis gets to Ionus, who very quickly accepts the story and peaces out. Things with Emissa don’t go as smoothly.
Before we get to the Emissa confrontation, Vis stumbles upon the bodies of three Class 4 students and has a run in with the creepy, teleporting Anguis leader we saw conversing with Relucia back at the Festival of Pletunia. He emerges as the HBIC and basically calls Relucia small potatoes. He cuts a deal: if Vis wins the Iudicium and becomes Domitor, he will let Emissa live.
Off Vis goes on a mission to save his lady by defeating his lady. (That’s going to be a fun convo, “No, honey, I swear. I only want to win over you for you. Not for me.“)
He first has to fight a Sextus guard and almost gets tossed off the tower before Emissa wields awill and saves the day. They have a sweet moment, but Vis is like, “Yeah… what was the wielding Will all about.” She brushes him off: “Shh sweetie, not now.”
And then we learn why it is always best to address things in the moment, because her eyes black over again, she stabs him in the stomach, and throws him off the tower. School romances always end poorly! (Says the woman married to her freshman dorm neighbor.)
It’s not looking great, but if we know anything about Vis- it’s that he finds a way. He pulls a magical ability (more on that in a bit) out of his ass and summons the heart to him as he falls. He’s saved (again!) by DiagoDog, makes his way back to the mortally wounded Callidus, and stumbles his way back to the Academy – dead best friend in arms – to stuff the heart back in the statue of Jovan, thus winning the Iudicium in the final moments of the test.
OH! And it’s his eighteenth birthday!
Time for my final musings on The Will of the Many:
Let’s revisit some of my predictions heading into Part III, so we can all have a good chuckle at my expense (and maybe find something to be impressed with!).
First, the bad:
My bold prediction at the end of my previous post was that Vis was going to come into contact with a family member – possibly a sister – LOL. In our catch-up with Fadrique in Suus, he makes it abundantly clear that all of Vis’s family members are dead. He saw all of their bodies. There is zero chance any of them are alive. If you even thought someone could’ve gotten away, you’re stupid and shouldn’t share your thoughts for public consumption. (I’m paraphrasing just a bit).
I was pretty gung-ho in my suspicions of Aequa. To be fair to myself, pretty early on in Part III, I started shifting those suspicions onto Emissa, but you’ll just have to take my word for it. Aequa was too obvious. And while the budding Vis-Emissa romance was sweet, we were kept at arm’s length from their dynamic in a way that screamed this was ripe for heartbreak. Emissa is very much giving “first love, not true love” energy. (Though I don’t think her betrayal is straightforward, more on that later).
Onyx did not come back to be significant (yet!). Was it even onyx that the swords were made of? The Remnants are described as obsidian. Did I just flub that whole thing?
Now, the good:
The injured Alupi returning to aid Vis! A bit of a layup, but DiagoDog (much more on double names later) did return and, though not exactly a cuddle bug, does have some sort of bond with Vis and served as his protector for much of the Iudicium.
The Vis-Emissa romance heating up on their island getaway to Suus. I mean, let’s be real, it was about as hot as a bowl of yogurt, but still.
Vis’s magical ability watch: I pointed out Vis’s ability to sense other’s presence seemed like it might hint at a magical ability, and it looks like my powers of perception were on point! He seems to get a bit of a post-portal upgrade, with his natural skills taking on a supernatural quality – fun! So far: internal people radar, some sort of semi-invincibility, and the power to summon objects.
My “Could Veridious actually be good?” theory from my Part I recap has legs, baby!! Never a doubt. (Unless you count my very explicitly stated doubt from my Part II recap, which, fortunately, I do not.)
In the main timeline (pray for me, folks), Veridious is with Vis when he wakes post-Iudicium. He tries to get Vis to declare himself to Religion, and I don’t know… I was catching a vibe of genuineness here.
Another point in Veridious’s favor: Vis’s brief interaction with Caeror in Obiteum. Caeror asks Vis if he knows Veridious and when Vis calls him Principalis Veridious, Caeror kinda gives an “Oh Veridious, you rascal” smirk. Not the reaction you’d expect to hearing about your murderer.
I’m gonna keep the Veridious train rolling here. Veridious’s possible ascent is set against Ulciscor’s hard fall in the “who-seems-cool” rankings. You know what? This seems like a perfect time to segue over to Ulciscor.
Papa Ulc: fuck you! (That felt good).
I forgot to mention this is my Part II reaction, but I started to sour hard on Ulciscor back at the Festival of Ancestors. After Vis details his harrowing, near-death escapade to the first ruins, Ulc is immediately like, “Yeah, not enough. Do better.”
And boy does he not get any better from that point on. In Suus, Vis reports that not only has he ascended to Class 4, but also his successful even more insane recon of the second ruins site. But Papa Ulc wants more. If greed is the hallmark of the Hierarchy, Ulciscor is a true company man. He insists Vis run the certain-death labyrinth or he’ll invoke his fatherly rights (you adopted an adult less than a year ago, chill out) to toss him in a sapper. Winning the Iudicium, becoming Domitor, and defying all the odds to scout two sets of should-be-unreachable ruins… still not enough for Papa Ulc.
Vek have mercy on me. I was complaining last post about the double-identity of Sedotia/Relucia. And now I have to keep track of characters copied across multiple universes 😵💫. This should be interesting for your girl.
I was already fuming that Vis named his wolf Diago (his own former name in Suus), and now I am going to be wrestling with Res-Vis, Obiteum-Vis, and Luceum-Vis.
Synchronous is death you say? Yeah… death to this blogger.
Superhero Vis! He continues to be the athlete of a generation. He is running around Solivagus, forging freezing rivers, fighting alien guards, fighting non-alien guards, carrying his dying friend, and defying the laws of sleep to an astonishing degree. Even without his new upgraded powers, he’s a beast.
Listen. The hierarchy does some pretty bad stuff, but their crimes against taste and design are right up there for me. I was horrified right along Vis at the defacing of his family’s ancestral palace. He describes:
“Gone is the character-filled hewn look of the sandstone. In its place is a monstrosity. Walls smoothed, polished, and painted garishly in the colours of Caten: orange and white and purple.”
And that’s not even the worst of it! At our first dinner, Vis observes:
“Gone is the long table in the centre, replaced by several smaller ones, each surrounded by three broad couches in the Catenan style.”
Do not serve me a formal dinner while I’m seated on an m-fing couch. This definitively proves that no amount of Will-wielding can buy taste.
Big questions heading into Book 2:
Who, pray tell, is the “person from Vis’s world” the people from Luceum say is coming? Are they referring to Caeror over in Obiteum? (I don’t think so.) Is this possibly someone who is dead?
Vis has that dream-convo with his dad, who tells him, “Death is a doorway, Son. You will see him again. No one is ever truly lost.” One of these new worlds being some sort of afterlife seems very in play.
What the hell went down during Veridious’s/Caeror’s/Lanistia’s Iudicium? Obviously, a lot more than we were led to believe. Very curious how Lanistia factors into it all.
Will Vis have to wield Will? He makes a split-second decision to request a placement with the Censor (Callidus’s father!!) post-graduation, as is his right as Domitor. This will keep him firmly in the mix of the Hierarchy governance. One of his strongest motivations through most of the story has been to avoid both ceding and wielding Will, but he ends on a note of “circumstances change.”
What role will Eidhin play going forward? He gets a default promotion to best friend via Callidus’s untimely death. And we still have the mystery of why he had to decline supporting Vis in the Iudicium. I’m excited to see how he factors in.
Will Emissa and Vis make up? I think they may work out their differences after a long period of distrust from Vis, but ultimately, I think the romance ship may have sailed for these two.
Who left the missing-from-Suus carved wooden “Diago” ship on Vis’s side table post-Iudicium? Could this be the faintest sign of life for my “family member still alive” theory?
Final remarks on my journey through The Will of the Many:
This was fun! I wasn’t sure what to expect jumping into a new story while taking a little break from the deeply parasocial relationship I find myself in with the Realm of the Elderlings. Imagine my surprise when this new story also followed a lonely boy of secret royal lineage who bonds with a wolf. Quite the niche I’ve carved out for myself!
The complexity of the world and plot pushed me at times, but I enjoyed breaking it all down and I hope you had fun following along.
Next stop: back to Six Duchies, where I pick up my main quest with book two of the Tawny Man Trilogy: Golden Fool.
***Spoilers through Part II of The Will of the Many. Includes one semi-revealing reference to Sarah J. Maas’s Throne of Glass Series***
The intrigue is ramping up! We’ve got twists and turns; fun reveals; casual conversations over decapitated heads; and our boy Vis is climbing the Academy ladder- with a grand prize of almost certain death at the end! Weee!
There is a lot happening: school rivalries, intergovernmental agency squabbling, family dynamics, a rebel faction who may be worse than the evil empire, and – I believe – a distant and/or ancient alien race emerging (???). As a reader, it’s not too difficult to get the gist and follow along. As a ✨blogger✨, though, I feel a heightened sense of duty to understand the intricacies, lest I mistakenly label a Quintus a Quartus and humiliate myself in front of my loyal wizardwordship followers.
(Honestly, dozens of faithful readers would be a dream.)
Let’s dive off the Transvect into the Sea of Quus!
Vis, who could really use fewer extracurriculars, takes on two ill-advised missions to learn more about the ruins on Solivagus. Both involve wild schemes to thwart Academy security measures, and each time he comes a hair’s breadth from expulsion or death. Vis proves that his heroics at the Festival of Jovan were no fluke – Catenicus indeed!
***Spoilers for The Tawny Man Trilogy through chapter 10 of Fool’s Errand . Heavy references to the events of Farseer Trilogy and mentions of Liveship Traders***
Friends. We are ten chapters in. Not a damned thing has happened. And I am riveted. I could hang out at The Fitz and Wolf BnB, shooting the shit with whoever wanders up the lane, indefinitely. I don’t know what sorcery Robin Hobb is working, but I am enjoying every minute of it so far. I am especially impressed by her ability to recap past events with the lightest of touches. We never feel like we are getting a clunky info-dump. The reminders of earlier events are delivered so naturally, it just feels like reminiscing.
For a moment, I was extremely concerned that the aforementioned (see previous post) Double Fooling was coming to fruition. When The Fool started talking about another self-proclaimed White Prophet – a “she” who preceded his path – I was quaking. Fortunately (I think?), it became clear that this false prophet lady was not, in fact, Amber, but rather the pale ghost-ship lady from way back in Farseer. I love the setup of a rival evil prophet and catalyst (add Kebal Rawbread to our insane names list), and I am excited to revisit this unsolved mystery. The whole forging business was super gnarly, so I am looking forward to reopening this case.
One of the things I’m loving about the start of Tawny Man is how clearly the connections between the Farseer Trilogy and Liveship Traders are emerging. At first, Liveship Traders feels like a completely separate story, divorced from the events up in the Six Duchies. Of course, there were little hints and mentions of our friends in the north that became more apparent and pronounced as the story unfolded. But now, the ties feel strong and deliberate. (Fitz even took a little “nothing-to-see-here-just-a-man-and-wolf” vacation to Bingtown while we were away!) The parallels between the Wit and the liveship/dragon-human bonds have been jumping out to me. And with a potential big bad on a ship emerging, so many great possibilities to incorporate our favorite southern seafarers into the mix. (Let it be known: if there is a future with Fitz sailing into a naval battle aboard ShipFitz, I will spontaneously combust.)
***Spoilers ahead for Liveship Traders through chapter 32 of Ship of Destiny. Mentions of Farseer Trilogy***
Well, folks. It’s happening. Our storylines and characters are colliding. I have been predicting a convergence in Divvytown, but it looks like this showdown may be destined to occur out on the high seas. (When half the main characters are boats, I probably should have seen that coming). Which is a good reminder to never leave port without your hair and makeup done. You never know when you’ll bump into multiple family members plus your crush while sailing open water.
An especially fun aspect of this Liveship Traders journey is having the awareness of all that’s going on around the Cursed Shores while the characters remain in the dark about events beyond their own little corners. Anticipating their reactions to the batshit happenings unfolding elsewhere in the story is almost as fun as the batshit happenings themselves. Which is why I loved the scene of the Vestrit-family slumber party (complete with Satrap Cosgo playing the role of the friend who is over it and just wants to go to sleep), where Wintrow, Althea, and Malta catch each other up on their increasingly wild tales. Do you think Althea felt a little one-upped when her most shocking revelation was shagging the captain, while Wintrow had turned tattooed slave and back, and Malta is now a part-dragon Satrap whisperer? Tough to compete with these two.
The Old Vivacia Can’t Come to the Phone Right Now. Why? Oh, ‘Cause She’s DEAD!
***Liveship Traders spoilers through chapter 21 of Ship of Destiny***
Hooboy. The battle of the liveships is upon us, and it emotionally devastated me as much as Kennit & co. devastated Paragon’s crew.
I have to admit, I got chills when chapter 21 opened with Althea seeing Vivacia’s mast appear in the mist. As predicted, the battle was over before it even really began. Never mind Kennit’s serpent minions having a sudden change of heart at the command to destroy Paragon- the crews were nowhere close to evenly matched. It was a sad, sad end to Paragon’s sailing.
Paragon 😩 . We knew the past was rough, but the Kennit-Paragon conversation wrecked me. I don’t know what’s to come, but we’ve got some VIPs to get out of the hull, and I’m hoping there’s an Amber (Chekhov’s woodworker?) salvage situation ahead.
We’ve got Althea fished out of the sea (side note: maybe sailors should reconsider their stance on swimming lessons), and Wintrow once again primed to do what he does best: wreak havoc on a sailing vessel. Stay tuned!
As a seasoned blogger of four days, I want to quickly share how much fun I’m having sharing my thoughts about Ship of Destiny and my broader RotE journey. What I thought would be just sending my words out into the lack has turned out to be the plenty. For those of you who have found my posts, liked, and to my very first subscriber 🥹- thank you! It delights me to think someone may have actually chuckled at something I’ve written. With that- onward!
***Liveship Traders spoilers through chapter 18 of Ship of Destiny***
There’s a lot of political maneuvering happening right now all along the cursed shores. We’ve got a Housewives-style post-battle reunion at the Traders’ Concourse. To think, just chapters ago we were having teenage dance drama here. Simpler times. Now we are in heavy negotiations with a dragon. And if you think I mean “negotiations with a dragon” metaphorically, rest assured: they had a detailed discussion about whether the dragon would need to sign a written agreement.
wizardwordship 