Robin Hobb's Farseer Trilogy

[Kaznen]

A friend at work, who I tried to get intrested in WoT, said he wished there was a fantasy series told from the point of view of a common soldier. I thought of Fitz. I loaned him the first bbok but he hasn't read it yet.

[Alarwyn Liande]

I've read it, but so far... I can't really say if it's excellent or not. It was a good book anyway. I think it needs the rest of the series she's writing in order to be more... perfect. :D

[Kadere]

Is it in the same world?

[Alarwyn Liande]

No it isn't. It's in a world quite like ours, but not quite. :P Actually it's about the time of colonialism... Sort of. Sorry, but it's been a while since Ir ead it, so I can really describe it accurately. RAFO! :D

[Lih-Lyh]

I've read it when it came out, so it's a while back :) but from what I recollect the tests in there was awesome, and the intrigues of the court was neat between the merchant family and the old aristocracy.

 

Maybe for the Fool, gender differences are ambiguous because his roles are changed, and I saw him as a paragon of the Goth, and a golden romantic. melt

[Taei]

Now, it's been a LONG time since I read what I have of Robin Hobb's works, (lets just say that the Tawney Man trillogy wasn't out nor was the last book of Liveship Traders) anyways, I thought I would add my two cents worth here as well...

 

As for Robin Hobb's writing style, I loved it. She put things in a different perspective than a lot of writers, like some of you have said you watched the characters grow up, change, evolve. Unlike some stories where you just have a character she shows you how and why. The details are awesome and she frames it all in a different light.

 

As for the fool character, now it has been a long time since I read it, but I don't remember their 'love' being a physical one necessarily. I remember thinking of more of a spiritual knowing, of an understanding, but then again as I have said it has been awhile since I read it.

 

I love well written works of all types, a lot of what is now called fantasy is more action than fantasy, just put into a fantasy world. Now, that's not necessarily bad, but a slower plot line doesn't make it a bad read, in my opinion, just means they want to make sure you know the characters, the point of the book isn't just the big points, it's all the little nuances that we never pay attention to that they're trying to show you.

 

That's my opinion anyways.

[Sirayn]

I love the Farseer series with a burning passion, but I wasn't very keen on Shaman's Crossing at all. It's not that it was poorly written - although the pacing was off, some sections dragged - but the whole book was suffused with this poisonously misogynistic, patronising, arrogant mindset that made it extremely difficult to sympathise with anyone. It's probably very accurate for a colonial-era world, but when the main character is rather pathetic and long sections read like a fictional textbook, the side helping of paralysingly unpleasant attitudes did not improve my reception of the book.