The conclusion of Robin Hobb’s Farseer trilogy left readers divided. Many felt disappointed that the only personal reward their hero receives for saving the kingdom and defeating his enemies is pain and loneliness. It is perhaps the saddest happy ending ever written. Personally, I loved it. I loved the fact that Hobb held true to her theme, that Fitz’s duty never stopped costing him his happiness. I loved the way new thorns were introduced for the characters, that they made morally difficult decisions and that their final actions complicated their relationships instead of resolving them. I loved the structure underneath it—that the story ended because the action ended, but that the characters did not end.
Things now come full circle. The conclusion to the Tawny Man trilogy is in many ways the opposite of that earlier ending, and now I’m the one disappointed.
Fool’s Fate: Book Three of the Tawny Man
Prince Dutiful’s betrothed, the Narcheska Elliania, has challenged him to prove his worthiness by laying the head of the dragon Icefyre on her mother’s hearth. But when the Prince and his entourage travel to the Outislands, will they truly find a dragon locked in the glacier, or only a legend? And why would Elliania demand the destruction of her people’s mythical protector?
FitzChivalry, the royal assassin turned Skillmaster, accompanies Dutiful. As do Chade and Thick, the rest of the Skill coterie. Their magic will prove more useful than the swords of the Prince’s guard. Representatives of the Witted also join the quest, a symbol of the Farseers’ efforts to dispel prejudice against the beast magic.
Magic is what they find under the ice, the magic of dragons and of white prophets. The Fool has prophesied his own destruction, and though Fitz abandons him in an effort to save him, the Tawny Man’s doom stretches to affect events nonetheless. For it is not Fitz’s nemesis, but the Fool’s that stands between the heroes and their quest, and Fitz must finally decide where his loyalties lie.
The world of ice where the final action occurs is starkly realized, but more effective and interesting by far are the Outislanders. We see them here in their homes, and learn much more of their culture. Despite their closeness in blood and religion to the Six Duchies, they are more foreign than any culture Hobb has yet introduced. Their customs are fascinating, and the role their culture plays in the twisting plot is intricate.
There is a lot of character growth in this final book. Thick, whose simplemindedness has always held some charm, becomes one-dimensional with his seasickness, but suddenly he and Fitz have a moment on the ice as touching as anything in the trilogy. But most importantly, Fitz is forced to resolve some relationships he has avoided. Fitz struggles to maintain his anonymity in the face of his growing exposure to Molly, Burrich, and his Skilled daughter Nettle. And the annoying division between Fitz and the Fool is ended, though the outcome is far from what could be hoped.
Indeed it is the outcome that is most problematic in Fool’s Fate. The plot is well-crafted, the characters everything we’ve come to expect from Hobb. The build-up to this awaited quest has been long, and its culmination is complex but swift and rewarding. The problem is there are two hundred pages left. The Tawny Man trilogy boasts a denouement that might make Tolkien blush. It is no doubt gratifying to many of her fans that Hobb allows herself the indulgence of resolving every aspect of Fitz’s life. No stone is left unturned in this meticulous wrap up. And while the happily-ever-after is everything that readers disappointed with the end of the Farseer trilogy could ever hope for, it left me feeling cheated.
The realness of Hobb’s characters comes largely from their propensity for hurting themselves and each other. The complexities of their relationships extend beyond the plots of these novels. But here Hobb has solved them all too neatly, and even predictably. Happiness for Fitz may be exactly what some fans wanted, but his suffering is what touched me most, and without it, his peace seems artificial.
Nevertheless, this is a great series, and I recommend it. The initial exposition and the final denouement are weaknesses, but the substance of the trilogy is strong. Certainly, the Farseer trilogy is superior and much more important to me personally. Even the Liveship Traders trilogy is better crafted. But I don’t regret Hobb’s taking up Fitz’s story one more time, and I won’t begrudge him (or Hobb) his happiness, even though I think it came at too great a price.
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