Fantasy Buddy Reads discussion

Third book in the Farseer Trilogy - let me know when you are starting this one and I will add it to the bookshelf.

Thank you Jenna.

We decided to start on the first of March with this one Jenna. Could you please add it to the shelf?

Laura wrote: "We decided to start on the first of March with this one Jenna. Could you please add it to the shelf?"

Added :)

Thank you Jenna :)!

I'm roughly a quarter of the way through on audio so I'll post some thoughts tomorrow.

I will be starting this one tonight!

Through chapter 15

(view spoiler)[
This is a lot better than book two which I thought minus the last 20% was poor. I do continue to find Fitz so frustrating. I don't like main characters with zero faults but I equally hate clueless ones. He has zero control over his own destiny and can't think his way through any solutions. He's either full attack or retreat with no subtlety.

Regal is using Will to scry. You want to hurt Regal. You've hurt will by using the wit. Why wouldn't you take the opportunity to try and kill two birds with one stone and throw everything you have at the two of them in one stroke?
(hide spoiler)]

starting tonight.

Me too :)

finished chapter 3
(view spoiler)[ and yet again i feel like boxing Fitz's ears! I mean how dumb can one really be! He failed miserably at the end of last book with his assassination attempt and now he's out to do it again. He's blaming the others for the bad things in his life but when he takes decisions of his own he totally blunders. I liked the way he helped Verity though by giving him his strength! I think it would have been better to just go straight to him.
I also liked the beginning describing the melting personalities of wolf and man and the way Burrich, Chade and Verity tried to get the man back. (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 3
I was too tired yesterdas to write a comment, but I ready enjoyed the second chapter. (view spoiler)[ I am a bit sad that Burrichs and Fitz split up, Burrich is still one of my favourits. And I also think that Fitz act very, very stupid, but nethertheless I like this emotional outburst. It's again a part that feels so real, because you sometimes act stupid when you are angry and hurt the people you love. And Fitz have a grudge before and that his death/half death / what ever turns his life upside down make perfect sense to me. I don't say that the way he behaves was right, it was not, but I still like it. Also I really like the way Chade and Burrich reacts and that we get to know Burrichs Background. I agree with you Laura, that searching Verity had been a better choice as to go and kill Regal. Especially that he intend to murder him eye-to-eye... Why must he risk his life again, when he could do something more important? As a trained Assassin he could do better... And what will happen to the Kingdom with Regal dead and Kettricken and her Child missing? He again don't think about the consequences... (hide spoiler)]

Anni wrote: "Chapter 3
I was too tired yesterdas to write a comment, but I ready enjoyed the second chapter. [spoilers removed]"

For all the reasons you have mentioned I felt like boxing Fitz's ears. But that in itself makes it a great book! Because you feel for the characters and with them, you get angry and sad and happy and sometimes you feel like chiding or boxing a set of ears or even crying for someone. This book is one of those for me and I love it! Through their faults in particular the characters feel real and that is really impressive in this series.
(view spoiler)[I loved it that the author made it a bit of a problem for Fitz to become truly human again. It would have been unrealistic otherwise I think. I found the conflict real and the actions of Burrich and Chade realistic again, though I wish they would have been different. As we normally hurt those we love in anger, I wish the 2 would have understood that and adopted a less radical behaviour toward someone who had obviously been through a lot. (hide spoiler)]

Regarding chapter 3 I agree with your impressions of Fitz. I'm commented on it in my chapter 15 update and it's the same..........through 27 chapters and it's the same.

There were some really emotional empathetic moments a few chapters ago, perhaps the best of the series. I do feel with 13 chapters left that it's the same merry go round at this point. I like this so much better than book two but it could have been half the length.

Chapter 3
(view spoiler)[ I agree on the points on Chapter 3. Fitz needs to make better decisions. It's unfortunate that Chade and Burrich left but I like the focus on Nighteyes. I thought the way Fitz slowly regained his human senses was great! (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 8
(view spoiler)[ I had my doubts about going for Regal and the Coterie first but after exposing himself to Will, Fitz has no choice.

I'm starting to enjoy Fitz even more now. he is not like the typical hero. He has very little skill, always makes mistakes and I always wonder what he will do next to make a bad situation even worse. Now that he's so close to Regal, I can't wait to see how he will mess this one up. (hide spoiler)]

Scott wrote: "Regarding chapter 3 I agree with your impressions of Fitz. I'm commented on it in my chapter 15 update and it's the same..........through 27 chapters and it's the same.

There were some really emo..."

didn't read the spoiler for chapter 15 as i didn't reach that chapter yet :). Through 27 chapters and the same? Oh man! Normally people learn from their mistakes. I was hoping it would be the same for Fitz too..

Rob wrote:

Chapter 8

I agree with you on that. But there are also other things I really enjoy by now
(view spoiler)[The bond between Fitz and Nighteyes for one: I love Nighteyes - the way he starts thinking and behaving like a human sometimes now, his simple way of seeing things. The other witted: the old blood - and the bond between them. And the fact that Verity and Fitz are skilling at night by taking over bodies of other people to fight the red ships (people still alive also). (hide spoiler)]

chapter 9

Nighteyes and the Fool are the series steelers. I will say the second half of 27 and then 28 things finally broke with some different action.

In the end I really liked this book. I still think it could have been 200 pages slimmer with a lot of the middle of the book really having no bearing on the outcome. I also still feel Fitz is a bad lead character but the other characters more than make up for it. In the end I gave books 1 and 3 both 4* and book 2 only 2*.

I'm just curious (please don't read this unless you've finished the book!):

(view spoiler)[Did anyone else think that Chade having the ferret at the end (I'm assuming the one sent to kill Regal) was meant to hint at the possibility that Chade had a measure of Old Blood? Or am I seeing too much into this? (hide spoiler)]

(view spoiler)[From what I understood the ferret belonged to another man of old blood. That man was tortured and killed by Regal and before he died he had told the ferret to kill Regal as revenge. That's what the ferret tells Fitz at least and I don't think it was meant as a lie. It was also explained previously in the book that the death of either man or animal in a bond would damage the other so I think that's why the ferret was behaving so weird - because his bonded died. I for one didn't think of Chade as being of Old Blood but it may explain why he was so good at his art. So could be, according to me. Is Chade part even of Tawny Man? (hide spoiler)]

Laura wrote: "[spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[ Yes, Chade is back in the future books. I think he's actually one of my favourite secondary characters in the book, along with Nighteyes, Burrich and of course the Fool. Actually, I think I like most of the characters in the books (apart from Regal, obviously)! If Robin Hobb ever decided to write a prequel from Chade's point of view, I would definitely be up for reading it! (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 9:

(view spoiler)[I agree with what you said on Chapter 8 Rob, Fitz got an inclination to mess things up and have unthought plans...
That he exposes himself to Will was again an example for his bad luck...
I wish he had killed Will on his way to the window, when he was knocked out by Verity. I don`t think, this would take this long and I guess it would have solved a lot of his problems. As it was, his excursion to the royal court doesn`t seem really usefull, but there is still a little bit of hope, that the poissons he has used had some effect on Regal...

Furthermore, I am convinced now, that Molly is pregnant and Burrich is taken care of her :)
(hide spoiler)]

Shaitarn wrote: "I'm just curious (please don't read this unless you've finished the book!):

[spoilers removed]"

Sorry for the lack of updates but i am finally done! What an adventure!

(view spoiler)[ I agree with Laura. I didn't see it as a hint of old blood within Chade. I also agree with Shaitarn about the characters. I really loved Nighteyes and always enjoyed the Fool.

Regal was one of the most hated characters I ever had the pleasure to hate. It was great how he always did something to top his worst acts. I was disappointed with the way he finally died. After Fitz's buildup of hatred towards Regal, he ended up being spared by him and a ferret got him in the end... I also thought, after reading in great details the descriptions and emotions in the three books, the death of Regal was short and not as epic as I thought it would be.

My favorite parts were the beginning with Fitz trying to get his senses back after sharing bodies with Nighteyes. It was great to see things from a wolf/human's point of view. Also, the rise of the dragons was very epic and unique! The carving of a dragon, the memories going into the dragon and Verity losing his mind in the process was great!

(hide spoiler)]

I know you all finished, I am just here to say that (I set it in spoilers, because its a minor one when you know who shows up... Chapter 20) (view spoiler)[ I love the fool! So good to have him back :) (hide spoiler)]

Anni wrote: "I know you all finished, I am just here to say that (I set it in spoilers, because its a minor one when you know who shows up... Chapter 20) [spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[The story wouldn't have been so good without him! (hide spoiler)]

Rob wrote: "Shaitarn wrote: "I'm just curious (please don't read this unless you've finished the book!):

[spoilers removed]"

Sorry for the lack of updates but i am finally done! What an adventure!

I agree..."

(view spoiler)[Those were some of my favourite parts also. But I also loved the reunion between Fitz and the Fool and the growing bond between them. And in a way I think that Regal's death was ok - a despicable death for a despicable character! But I agree with you on: "he was one of the most hated characters I ever had the pleasure to hate". (hide spoiler)]

Anni wrote: "I know you all finished, I am just here to say that (I set it in spoilers, because its a minor one when you know who shows up... Chapter 20) [spoilers removed]"

That was a fun part of the book :)