The Farseer Trilogy (2 Viewers)

[slboy]

After reading your last reply all i can say is....

At this current moment in time, i am completely in awe of your amazingly extensive and detailed knowledge of Robin Hobbs books.

Infact, i am so in awe of your abilities, i am becoming too intimidated to respond any more to this thread

While your opinions and comments are so very interesting and insightful, i find myself in a position unable to respond effectively to your amazing replies to my oh-so-pitiful comments and hence i should just throw the towel down now and ask for a clean surrender

Im glad we could discuss as we did and i think i shall spend the rest of my days studying your responses and by doing so, better myself as a person.

 

[nufish]

Ah their still up there for me...

I still love them, more so the Liveship Traders than the Farseer Trilogy.
...but does anyone feel that Hobb is losing her touch in The Tawny Man trilogy?

Maybe it was a change in perspective, but I found it a tedious and boring read at most parts.

LOL @ slboy - but I agree and I don't think I'll be thinking the same way the next time I pick up a book.

 

[jhakka]

I found Fool's Errand a bit of a dud, but she made up for it in the other two.

 

[Kabeio]

They were Ok.

Though in many parts so FUKIN BORING - was repetitive.

 

[lala2]

I don't like the Trilogy at the beginning--rather boring. Only started to get interesting from the second book onwards, after Verity has left on his quest for the Elderlings. I've just finished Chapter 3 of the third book, so this is just before Burrich is about to leave Fitz. But the last chapters of book 2 were the most beautiful, and is what I think writing should be like. The beauty of just being a wolf, rather than having to live a burdened life as a prince's bastard, is so magical. I'm gonna finish book 3 soon, but I think that Shannara and the Trillium series were better. Just my opinion, that's all.

 

[Aznpsycho]

I'd like to get into this series, if only the first book was available at the library *fist shake*

For those who like 'heavier' fantasy series, I will definitely recommend A Song of Ice and Fire.

Spoiler

Don't get too attached to the multi-layered and interesting characters, as they're going to get killed! (or get turned into useless cripples).

 

[dandel26]

I LOVED the first book in the series, it was brillant, the second book got a bit dodgy with the whole wolf thing. The 3rd book was just shit, it was like she decided that she'd had enough of writting and that she'd describe the war in 2 pages, was a huge let down.

The new series however is brilliant, hopefully it doesn't turn shit like the other one, oh well.

 

[Trillium]

Robin Hobb. <3!
I have to say, firstly, that i never read the ned of the last Fool book. Mostly becasue i knew that the ending would be disappointing no matter what happened- the 'gay' subtext, Fitz's emotional retardedness and Fool's inability to be anything but mysterious was a setup for an ending that would leave at least half the readership emotionally broken wreaks and the otherhalf mildly ... finished... if ever i saw one.
That said, I loved how the three series linked together, and i loved finding references made in previous and later books that tied everything together.

I would agree, though, that they're not the easiest of books to read. I don't know about anyone else, but sometimes all i want is a decent sword and sorcery, journey to the heart of evil and kill the bad guys kind of story, with a satisfying and challenging love story and a bit of political intrigue going on in the wing. Like the lovely, dependable and predicatable Eddings.
Robb requires a bit more thought, but that in itself is fun.

Oh, and on a mention of Douglass, the only series of hers i liked was the Troy Game. It's pretty good.

 

[jhakka]

I LOVED the first book in the series, it was brillant, the second book got a bit dodgy with the whole wolf thing. The 3rd book was just shit, it was like she decided that she'd had enough of writting and that she'd describe the war in 2 pages, was a huge let down.

The new series however is brilliant, hopefully it doesn't turn shit like the other one, oh well.

The first book in the Soldier Son Trilogy was extremely poorly edited, and although it was entertaining, I found it a bit two dimensional, doing Hobb no justice whatsoever.

I'm about half way through the second book (Forest Mage), and I'm pretty disappointed. It took 150 pages to start getting interesting, which is disappoining when it's the second book in a trilogy. Since then it's gone up and down pretty severely. It's in a pretty engaging part now, though.

Not too impressed with this trilogy overall, so far, though.

Oh, and on a mention of Douglass, the only series of hers i liked was the Troy Game. It's pretty good.

I've yet to read the final book, but I love The Troy Game.

 

[Trillium]

I read the first in the soldier son trilogy as well and was, likewise, disappointed. It seemed like an overly long prologue, to be honest. So much time was spent on issues that, honestly, seemed trivial. It's nice to get to know the characters, but too much detail that leads nowhere gets frustrating.
That, and the main plot of that book seemed like too much of a subplot in the trilogy- as if it was just there to fill space and what not.
*sighs*
Disappointing to hear the next one is as slow.

 

[PatG]

I read them quite a while ago but I remember them being strange and as other's have said, a bit heavy.

But as far as being the best books ever, I think they aren't nearly as good as the Belgariad and Mallorean series' by David Eddings.

 

[Naylyn]

Hopefully not.

Spoiler

lol, Galen accuses Fitz of being in a sexual relationship with Burrich in the very first book[the catamite reference], and then there's the whole ambiguity thing with the Fool, the reputation of Golden later on being quite sexual and the implications of someone being a 'serving man' to someone like that e.g when Golden is gambling one of his male friends tries to subtly(or not so subtly depending on you viewpoint) come on to Fitz etc. so there is quite a bit of undertone heading in that direction

Spoiler

Well from a continuity point of view, every single White Prophet and catalyst where in opposite gender matches - incl. Pale Woman and Fitz, and there is a bit of an implication, when you consider the Pale Woman's attempted seduction of Fitz, that they are meant to reproduce with each other. Fool however was an anomaly as the Pale Woman already existed, so there was no need for there to be another 'prescient broodmare' so to speak so it would be a fare guess that his/her gender was equally anomalous.

From a more macroscopic viewpoint, it also makes sense considering everything the Fool stands for is progression, s/he cross dresses, s/he has been a 'female' carpenter in a time where women were becoming oppressed, challenges slavery, is against violence against others, s/he has effectively been the Oscar Wilde of his/her time, s/he has rebelled against the establishment[leaving his people and that whole shebang of challenging the Pale Woman's vision, and when you consider how his people revered the Pale Woman...], s/he is of a different colour - always a foreigner, different religious standpoint etc. S/he is meant to symbolise, in part, the challenging of conventions - especially gender roles, which is a pertinent issue when you consider there are biologically upwards of 20 sexes[and then when you throw in transgender and the various sexualities...] but only 2 genders, one of which has been historically submissive.

Spoiler

Firstly you have to remember how harshly Fitz reacts to the idea of having sex with the fool, who he always thought of as a man, which - to me at least- indicates that he is definately not gay.

Spoiler

Remember that for every age there are 2 white prophets, who oppose each other, one trying to make the world better, the other trying to make it end.

 

[kami]

Spoiler

Firstly you have to remember how harshly Fitz reacts to the idea of having sex with the fool, who he always thought of as a man, which - to me at least- indicates that he is definately not gay.

Spoiler

While one can argue that this happens with alot of real life people, I never said that I thought he was gay only that there was a bit of a gay subtext and one of the things Galen (and Starling) was implying at various points.

Spoiler

Remember that for every age there are 2 white prophets, who oppose each other, one trying to make the world better, the other trying to make it end.

Spoiler

When exactly does it say that? The Fool, Pale Woman and their people all believed otherwise, I don't remember any of the brief texts that preface the chapters stating that either.

 

[Naylyn]

Spoiler

While one can argue that this happens with alot of real life people, I never said that I thought he was gay only that there was a bit of a gay subtext and one of the things Galen (and Starling) was implying at various points.

Ah ok, i misunderstood that you said then.

Spoiler

When exactly does it say that? The Fool, Pale Woman and their people all believed otherwise, I don't remember any of the brief texts that preface the chapters stating that either.

I think it was in one of the prefaces in the first triology that mentioned it, and if it wasnt there i have been looking at the books in a really different way...

 

[Seryn]

I just yesterday finished book 2 of the Farseer trilogy and it is most definitly one of the finest pieces of literacy i've come across. The first person narration not only makes it unique but is pulled of in such a brilliant way that the reader is so immersed in the story you barely notice. Even without having finished the series yet, it's right up there with Otherland and Wheel of Time as my favourites.
This brings to mind a conversation we had at one of the clubs at uni about A and B-grade fantasy authors where it was decided that the only two we could agree on as 'A-grade' were Robin Hobb and Tad Williams. I now fully understand those sentiements

 

[lala2]

I've just finished reading the entire series, and it's so bittersweet! It really made me wanna cry! The most memorable bits about the series were: (most of them in the third book)

Spoiler

when Fitz got arrested and was tortured in the dungeons

Spoiler

when Fitz re-awakened again at the beginning of the third book--it really is coming back to life!

Spoiler

when Chade and Burrich left Fitz after his outburst--I was like, 'no, come back! come back!'

Spoiler

when Fitz met "Old Blood"--somehow, very comforting to see other Witted ones

Spoiler

when Fitz fainted in front of the Fool, after being shot in the back with that wicked arrow! (plus all the healing process and meeting Chade, Kettricken and the old crowd again)

Spoiler

the Skill road, and the hidden city, the garden where all the Elderlings were

Spoiler

when Kettle's Skill was revived, and when she could revive Verity sufficiently to carve the dragon

Spoiler

when Verity became the dragon, and flew away, and the ensuring melee between the Fool, Nighteyes, and Fitz, with the coteries! Also when Girl on a Dragon got revived because of this, and then all the Elderlings too!

So bittersweet though--I would liken it to LOTR in terms of having such a bittersweet ending. But overall, the book had some really moving bits, however, the only criticism I'd make is that it was just so monotonous when Fitz was journeying up to the Mountains, from Buck--it was like 'here's desert...ooo...here's a town, etc' especially before reaching Tradeford.

Spoiler

even after he escaped from his captors who captured the smugglers, that was boring

Maybe not used to Robin Hobb's style, but some good bits--I might read some of her other books to check it out.

 

[jhakka]

Read the other two trilogies in the Six Duchies world, but if you don't touch Soldier Son, you're not missing out.

 

[D4rkM3553ng3r]

For those who like 'heavier' fantasy series, I will definitely recommend A Song of Ice and Fire.

Spoiler

Don't get too attached to the multi-layered and interesting characters, as they're going to get killed! (or get turned into useless cripples).

Agree. Ice and Fire is one of the best books out there. Currently (for me) its ranking equal first with Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan.