by Robin Hobb
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY BUZZFEED AND THE INDEPENDENT • Ranking alongside George R. R. Martin as a groundbreaking master of fantasy, Robin Hobb delivers the second book in her long-awaited Fitz and the Fool trilogy.
The harrowing adventures of FitzChivalry Farseer and his enigmatic friend the Fool continue in Robin Hobb’s triumphant follow-up to Fool’s Assassin. But Fool’s Quest is more than just a sequel. With the artistry and imagination her fans have come to expect, Hobb builds masterfully on all that has gone before, revealing devastating secrets and shocking conspiracies that cast a dark shadow over the history of Fitz and his world—a shadow that now stretches to darken all future hope.
Long ago, Fitz and the Fool changed the world, bringing back the magic of dragons and securing both the Farseer succession and the stability of the kingdom. Or so they thought. But now the Fool is near death, maimed by mysterious pale-skinned figures whose plans for world domination hinge upon the powers the Fool may share with Fitz’s own daughter.
Distracted by the Fool’s perilous health, and swept up against his will in the intrigues of the royal court, Fitz lets down his guard . . . and in a horrible instant, his world is undone and his beloved daughter stolen away by those who would use her as they had once sought to use the Fool—as a weapon.
But FitzChivalry Farseer is not without weapons of his own. An ancient magic still lives in his veins. And though he may have let his skills as royal assassin diminish over the years, such things, once learned, are not so easily forgotten.
Now enemies and friends alike are about to learn that nothing is more dangerous than a man who has nothing left to lose.
Praise for Fool’s Quest
“A complex tapestry of adventure, betrayal, destiny, and unrelenting peril . . . Hobb’s expertise is evident as always.”—Publishers Weekly
“Glorious and beautiful storytelling . . . Hobb lets rip with revelations, treachery, vengeance, sword fights and full on magical mayhem.”—SciFiNow
“If readers have any doubt that Robin Hobb is one of the finest writers in the fantasy genre, then they haven’t read any of her work.”—SFFWorld
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY BUZZFEED AND THE INDEPENDENT • Ranking alongside George R. R. Martin as a groundbreaking master of fantasy, Robin Hobb delivers the second book in her long-awaited Fitz and the Fool trilogy.
The harrowing adventures of FitzChivalry Farseer and his enigmatic friend the Fool continue in Robin Hobb’s triumphant follow-up to Fool’s Assassin. But Fool’s Quest is more than just a sequel. With the artistry and imagination her fans have come to expect, Hobb builds masterfully on all that has gone before, revealing devastating secrets and shocking conspiracies that cast a dark shadow over the history of Fitz and his world—a shadow that now stretches to darken all future hope.
Long ago, Fitz and the Fool changed the world, bringing back the magic of dragons and securing both the Farseer succession and the stability of the kingdom. Or so they thought. But now the Fool is near death, maimed by mysterious pale-skinned figures whose plans for world domination hinge upon the powers the Fool may share with Fitz’s own daughter.
Distracted by the Fool’s perilous health, and swept up against his will in the intrigues of the royal court, Fitz lets down his guard . . . and in a horrible instant, his world is undone and his beloved daughter stolen away by those who would use her as they had once sought to use the Fool—as a weapon.
But FitzChivalry Farseer is not without weapons of his own. An ancient magic still lives in his veins. And though he may have let his skills as royal assassin diminish over the years, such things, once learned, are not so easily forgotten.
Now enemies and friends alike are about to learn that nothing is more dangerous than a man who has nothing left to lose.
Praise for Fool’s Quest
“A complex tapestry of adventure, betrayal, destiny, and unrelenting peril . . . Hobb’s expertise is evident as always.”—Publishers Weekly
“Glorious and beautiful storytelling . . . Hobb lets rip with revelations, treachery, vengeance, sword fights and full on magical mayhem.”—SciFiNow
“If readers have any doubt that Robin Hobb is one of the finest writers in the fantasy genre, then they haven’t read any of her work.”—SFFWorld
Reviews-
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July 13, 2015
Hobb’s second Fitz & the Fool fantasy novel (following Fool’s Assassin) untangles numerous story lines and weaves them into a complex tapestry of adventure, betrayal, destiny, and unrelenting peril. FitzChivalry Farseer has reunited with the Fool after years of isolation. Fitz is ecstatic at finding his friend, but a horrible misunderstanding—related to the Fool’s drastically changed looks, his blindness, and his torture-scarred body—leaves Fitz feeling off-balance and as unhappy as ever. Worse, even as Fitz has found his long-lost friend, he has had to abandon his own fragile but strong-willed daughter to the untrustworthy care of servants at his holding, Withywoods. The Fool is eager for a quest of revenge, which soon meshes with Fitz’s own needs when he finds his daughter has been kidnapped. Though there is some sluggishness in places, and a bit of reliance on magic to move the plot forward, Hobb’s expertise is evident as always. Agent: Chris Lotts, Lotts Agency. -
Starred review from July 1, 2015
Fitz has rushed his old friend, the Fool, back to Buckkeep for healing (immediately following the events of Fool's Assassin), leaving his home at Withywoods undefended. The unthinkable happens, with Servants of the White Prophet attacking Withywoods and kidnapping Fitz's small daughter, Bee. The Servants believe Bee is capable of prophecy, just like the Fool, and are determined to keep her under control at their distant school in Clerres. Fitz gets the news of the attack on the eve of what should have been his greatest happiness--he's been acknowledged by the court and can finally step out of the shadows he's dwelt in so long. Now all Fitz can think about is getting Bee back and helping the Fool get revenge on the White Servants. VERDICT Hobb finds a way to always show us more details of the universe she's been building over the course of the four previous series set in the same world, going all the way back to the first book, Assassin's Apprentice. The friendship of Fitz and the Fool brings danger to them both, but it's one of the most touching in fantasy fiction. [See Prepub Alert, 2/9/15.]--MM
Copyright 2015 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
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March 1, 2015
Bad news for FitzChivarly Farseer in this second in the "Fitz and the Fool" trilogy, following the "Farseer" and "Tawny Man" trilogies, also featuring Fitz and the Fool, and the "Liveship Traders" trilogy, in which the Fool plays a tangential role. Here, Fitz has narrowly avoided killing his oldest friend, the Fool, whose enemies have managed to make off with Fitz's daughter. As a former royal assassin, though, Fitz can certainly deal with it. Hobb's entire backlist, numbering more than two million copies in print, is getting a repackaging. Over-the-top demand.
Copyright 2015 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
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July 1, 2015
Fitz has rushed his old friend, the Fool, back to Buckkeep for healing (immediately following the events of Fool's Assassin), leaving his home at Withywoods undefended. The unthinkable happens, with Servants of the White Prophet attacking Withywoods and kidnapping Fitz's small daughter, Bee. The Servants believe Bee is capable of prophecy, just like the Fool, and are determined to keep her under control at their distant school in Clerres. Fitz gets the news of the attack on the eve of what should have been his greatest happiness--he's been acknowledged by the court and can finally step out of the shadows he's dwelt in so long. Now all Fitz can think about is getting Bee back and helping the Fool get revenge on the White Servants. VERDICT Hobb finds a way to always show us more details of the universe she's been building over the course of the four previous series set in the same world, going all the way back to the first book, Assassin's Apprentice. The friendship of Fitz and the Fool brings danger to them both, but it's one of the most touching in fantasy fiction. [See Prepub Alert, 2/9/15.]--MM
Copyright 2015 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
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SFFWorld
Praise for Fool's Quest "A complex tapestry of adventure, betrayal, destiny, and unrelenting peril . . . [Robin] Hobb's expertise is evident as always."--Publishers Weekly "Glorious and beautiful storytelling . . . Hobb lets rip with revelations, treachery, vengeance, sword fights and full on magical mayhem."--SciFiNow "If readers have any doubt that Robin Hobb is one of the finest writers in the fantasy genre, then they haven't read any of her work."
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Library Journal (starred review)
"Hobb finds a way to always show us more details of the universe she's been building over the course of the four previous series. . . . The friendship of Fitz and the Fool brings danger to them both, but it's one of the most touching in fantasy fiction."--Library Journal (starred review)Praise for Robin Hobb and Fool's Assassin
"Fantasy as it ought to be written."--George R. R. Martin
"Hobb knows the complicated workings of the wayward human heart, and she takes time to depict them in her tale, to tell her story sweetly, insistently, compellingly. . . . A book meant to be inhabited rather than run through."--The Seattle Times
"[FitzChivalry Farseer is] one of the best characters in fantasy literature."--Fantasy Book Review
"[Hobb's] prose sparkles, her characters leap off the page."--Tor.com
"Modern fantasy at its irresistible best."--The Guardian
"Fantastic . . . emotionally rich storytelling."
