My rating: 4 stars
The Realm of the Elderlings is a fantasy world full of mysteries even for the characters who are part of it. Gradually, Robin Hobb gives readers more and more answers, though. The Golden Fool, the second book in the Tawny Man Trilogy, serves as a gripping bridge between the first (about which there will be some spoilers ahead) and the third books, while also introducing new characters, presenting new challenges and delving into extremism as a possible result of discrimination via the use of magical elements.
Fitz’s problems in this book are manifold. One of them is connected with his adoptive son, Hap, who thinks Fitz’s name is Tom Badgerlock. After recovering Prince Dutiful from Piebalds’ hands, Fitz goes to Jinna’s house to tell Hap that Nighteyes has died. The young man arrives drunk, but he still shows his sadness. Hap is not only struggling at his apprenticeship, but he is also becoming reckless, acting without taking possible consequences seriously, and is not accepting advices from those concerned about him. Fitz is afraid that he is making the same mistakes that he did.
When he is returning to Buckkeep castle, Fitz realises that the Piebalds are somewhere around and haven’t given up on their scheme for getting revenge and power. He believes that they want to use him to threaten the Farseer line. Soon another reason for concern presents itself, though. While going to Chade’s room to tell him of his worries about the Piebalds, Fitz spies on the Outislander princess that is to become Dutiful’s betrothed and discovers that she is not keen on having to marry the Prince in the future. Dutiful seems to have warmed to Fitz, whom he also believes to be Badgerlock, the servant of Lord Golden that is actually the Fool in disguise, and insists that he attends the betrothal ceremony.
The Outislanders are part of a matriarchal society, so Fitz wonders why it was Elliania’s father who brokered the agreement of their engagement. It is in her mother’s brother that Elliania confides, however. They seem to be hiding something, which increases the level of intrigue of the book. Fitz spends the betrothal ceremony observing the moves of attendees to try to better understand the situation.
Beforehand, at Chade’s room, Fitz discovers that his half-wit servant is powerfully Skilled. Chade is both surprised at learning that and concerned about what to do about it, since he could turn against them. Two of the main magic abilities in this world, the Skill and the Wit, continue to be of key significance. The Skill is far more complex than Fitz thought in the first series in The Realm of the Elderlings, The Farseer Trilogy. He is not sure if it’s a power people should have. Nevertheless, he starts training Dutiful in the Skill, which is based on the metaphysical and supernatural duality between body and soul. The descriptions of it and its tempting consequences are clarifying, easy to visualise and reveal creativity. Interesting tales about Witted ones are also featured at the beginning of some chapters.
Fitz is an engrossing character and narrator. His personality, both his virtues and his faults, makes him relatable, even if at times infuriating. He realises that he made mistakes in the past, but that doesn’t prevent him from making new ones, as he possibly misjudges how to better protect the ones he loves. Him being headstrong and reacting hastily at times leads to moments he later regrets. His musings about the past can also be affecting, particularly when related to his grief. Robin Hobb doesn’t fail when the need to convey his deepest feelings arise.
“I wanted someone I could touch and be held by, someone that made everything else in the world more significant simply by her existence.”
The Golden Fool features an interesting cast of characters. Not only do readers become increasingly more familiar with characters only featured in this trilogy, like Prince Dutiful, but we also have the opportunity to learn more about Chade and the Fool. Moreover, Robin Hobb also managed to successfully introduce an interesting new character very close to the end, arousing curiosity about what is to come plot-wise and about his future connection with Fitz.
Besides, it is also established a strong crossover between this series and The Liveship Traders Trilogy, since some characters from that series play a small part that may become more significant in the next book. It’s interesting to be able to recall details of what some of the characters talk about, but it’s not necessary to have read those books in order to understand this one. Readers would just be in the same shoes as Fitz.
Robin Hobb always manages to sum up info about the previous novels at the beginning of each book. Although such recalling of events is useful for those readers who, like me, have been spacing out the books, it can also feel repetitive when the information in question is not easy to forget. On the other hand, keeping track of who all the people mentioned during the betrothal scene are is far more complicated.
Despite The Golden Fool being a long book that at some points I was impatient to finish, Robin Hobb still managed to reignite my curiosity and spark a new-found interest near the end. The last sentence only made my desire to pick the next book in the series up as soon as possible even stronger. I won’t wait long to embark on my next voyage to the Realm of the Elderlings.
“Perhaps having the courage to find a better path is having the courage to risk making new mistakes.”
A Bag Full Of Stories 