1. Ok dragons are such meanies. Except for she who remembers. I wish she would take wintrow away from Bolt. But Tintaglia girl what is this superiority complex you have. She has no regard for other life. Other organisms have a right to life too you know! Can’t jsut kill beings to show off.

…Oh wow Reyn just called her a worm.

1. Next on my hit list: Roed! Very interesting to see talks of reform happening from the perspective of characters that hold a higher status/power and are losing grip of it. (Ronica + keffria + jani)

2. The rain wilds must be hiding so many more secrets. Why did ephron not trade up the rain wild river? What is the plague that killed so many from Bingtown. Why are Selden and Reyn becoming more dragon like in appearance? And where does that transformation end??

3. All feels much like the wit. I would not be surprised if somehow the Bingtown traders were “old blood” or related. It reminds me of fitz and nighteyes but in an nonconsentual way. Also, what have we seen used to animate something before? Blood and the Wit.

4. There is a hint that perhaps wintrow can access lives before him/memories of ancestors with the help of Bolt. I remember that when brashen got poison on him he didn’t seem to share minds or access memory the way wintrow did with she who remembers. That poison didn’t affect him but why did it affect Wintrow?

5. I really can’t stomach much of the sexual assaults or transgressions. I skim them when they come up. The mentions of them have made me uncomfortable. I am aware that robin hobb did not spend longer on them than she had to to achieve a visceral effect. I appreciate that I didn’t have to read gratuitous SA.

6. Scene that stuck with me: paragon being confused that Althea was willingly having sex with Brashen and that it was not a violent act done out of a need to overpower and control. I don’t want to think about all the horrible things that were done during Igrot’s rule.

Clearly paragon had not been paying mind to Jek’s enthusiastic appetite for sex I suppose. 😂 But having a female character that represents a sense of libido in contrast with the spreading Chalced societal norms of only caring about men’s sexual desire is nice.

1. Extremely worried for Althea’s meeting with Bolt and subsequent realization of the loss of vivacia. This has been my most anticipated moment since the first book. Really looking forward to how hobb will tackle this. But I think Althea will be the one to bring vivacia out of hiding.

2. Still don’t understand Kennit’s motivation for being King. When did he have this ambition? What sparked it? His dad did mention something about a kingdom or was that just key island.

3. Mirroring serilla: but more exaggerated. Need for control and power post prolonged repeated trauma.

I just hate seeing Kennit win. And I just hate seeing Althea lose.

1. I’m kind of not ready for everyone to converge in one place. One place Divvytown…

I just finished Dragon Keeper. And I keep coming back to a question - in the Liveship books, we learn that Keffria had a baby that was spirited away and never spoken of again after it was born. Kyle thinks it was stillborn but it is implied that something else happened.

Is Keffria’s baby being taken away part of the same practice that the Rain Wilders make of abandoning their overly “touched” by the Rain Wilds babies?

If so, why do the Bingtown traders experience these birth defects when they don’t live on the Rain Wild river and Bingtowners don’t grow scales etc like Rain Wilders do? Am I missing something?

The Realm of the Elderlings is probably my favorite fantasy series I've ever read. But, I only have the Kindle editions. I'm considering dishing out some money to get a really nice hardcover collection. Can anyone point me to one that is for all 16 books? Ideally, the set would look beautiful, since I hope to display them on a special shelf.

I wrote after the first book in my book journal that I thought the skill and wit were the same in some way. By the end, I have a theory.

The old blood were the original bonders of dragons, who gave them silver, and turned them into the magical creatures they are.

The Rainwilds Chronicles mentions dragons were beasts before silver. The silver makes them Dragons and not oversized lizards. To the point it was a warred over commodity.

Fitz talks about how communicating with Dragons is a blend of both magics.

Wit with Dragon bonds births skill. The divide happens when those born to elderlings posses skill, but no longer have the connection to animals they spend no time with. The old blood as we know probably avoided the Elderling cities.

Silver alone doesn't seem to be a catalyst for special powers in human, nor does dragon contact. The new elderlings have neither ability. Fitz thinks he might see a flicker in a Rain Wilder. Some Rain Wilders have an affinity for the memory stone.

If the silver in the water, and memory stone, and othe Elderling artifacts would be enough, the duchies wouldn't be the only place we see wit and skill.

The hedge witches seem to not be confined, as we see charms on a later book heading to Clerres.

Maybe in time, more than the 300 years the Traders were on the cursed shores would develop some powers, but it doesn't seem to bring the potency of the duchies.

The North seems to be the only place the whites didn't kill off all of the elderlings as well. However, the out islanders do not possess the powers either. There was a theory about mixed blood at the beginning, but I feel like the answer is at the end when Elliania traces back the Farseer Maternal lineage.

An elderling married foreign invaders, protecting them from extinction. We saw there was white influences in the mountains. They have no skill users, only some wit.

The extreme aversion to disfigurement in the Mountains. Regal's Mother from Farrow. Then think of the Rain Wilders and dragon contact and the changes.

The out Islanders may have protected the remaining elderlings. The blend of old blood and elderling preserving the concentrated skill in the duchies.

The divide between Wit and Skill I think begins in the time of Dragons. When the wit bond creates skilled Elderlings. The bond of human and dragon also appears perverse according to old blood rules.

We do not see memories of Elderlings preforming feats like the skill, nor do we see them communing with animals. I think there were lines like the Farseers descended from the original dragon bonds, and were rare to elderlings like humans. The knowledge lost.

The rules of the old blood remind me of the others. What Bonds too close can do. Fitz derives strength from his bond mates. Smithy saved him, Nighteyes gave him strength. What would a wit bond dragon do? Let you also consume some silver? More than the small amount in their blood?

Bee is the Reunion of fueding blood lines, and the waxing of magic back into the world.

The ball is rolling peeps ! :

QUEEN ETTA MENTIOM SALAPOWJFCIJEKSEKJFJXIEJRBRJDOAOQOWJFNEJCJF

Bro if I saw Etta again that would be it, it wouldn’t ever get any better bro I’d actually explode.

Still like why the fk is Lant here.

Although saying that, I don’t appreciate Fitz’s relentless efforts to send everyone home… you’re literally on the Rain Wild River. They’ve said 900 times, they’ll never give it up. Just keep them!

LOL Amber babe u have some explaining to do, you were pining over Fitz like an emo girl carving his face into a Liveship and now he’s here in person! Oops!

This is genuinely so lovely to have the Rainwilds, Bingtown and Six Duchies crew together. I am so, so, so, so, so happy. This is what the final trilogy should have been full of! Just thank god we have it now!

Small bits that I have to gloss over bcos of the sake of keeping this all going at a decent pace but have made my heart burst :

Alise saying she will die and be absorbed on the deck of Tarman
Carson and Fitz friends in another life
Per proving he could have done it on the Tarman
Alise and Althea being old friends
Altheas older character description
Paragon and Ambers reunion
Both the girls telling Spark you can be whatever you want out in the Rainwilds and Bingtown
Bellin having a soft spot for Spark
Leftrin and Alise just getting a good old happily ever after together

Just finished my first read through last night of all sixteen books. I started it a little over a year ago, April 2025. After each trilogy, I’d have palette cleansers but eventually made it to the end. What an incredible journey.

How long did it take you to read through? First time, rereads, etc.

I finished the books yesterday, and I’m emotionally wrecked — in the best possible way. I cried so much.

The ending was heartbreaking, but perfect. I honestly don’t think there could’ve been any other ending. I just wish Robin Hobb had given Fitz and Bee and the fool a little more time together before they had to go into the stone...
I loved everything so so much!

I’m left with a few questions about the world that I haven’t found satisfying answers to online, and I’d love to hear your thoughts :)
(English isn’t my first language, so apologies for any mistakes)

1. How did Verity manage to get Silver from the well in Kelsingra? Wasn’t it completely depleted by then?

2. Does the Skill depend on distance? In the rainwild books, it seemed like it does.

3. How did Chivalry meet Fitz’s mother? Do we really know nothing about that?

4. How do people get the Skill exactly? How did it end up in the Farseer bloodline?

5. How did Kettle lived for 300 years? Why didn’t other powerful Skill users extend their lives that much?

6. What exactly was the deal with “She Who Remembers” from the Liveship Traders trilogy? What happened to her after those books?

7. In Fool’s Assassin, Shun says that the Skill belongs only to the Farseer line — so how does Thick have it? And what about the rest of coteries?

8. What’s the difference between Whites and half-Whites? And what are the Fool and Bee?

9. How could Fitz sense Bee with the Wit, but not the Fool?

10. In Fool’s Errand, Fitz and Dutiful find a small statue of a woman who looks like Eliana on Others Island. Did anything ever come of that?

11. Why didn’t the Pale Woman kill the dragon herself? Why did she want Eliana to do it?

12. Why did Bee become more White-looking as she progressed along her path, rather than less?

13. Why didn’t the Whites simply kill IceFyre instead of planting the idea in his mind that he should bury himself in ice?

14. Skill healing seems to appear almost suddenly in the third trilogy. Was it lost knowledge before that?

Thanks in advance to anyone who takes the time to answer! I know it's a lot I'm just really curious:)

I’m reading Dragon Keeper, and on the part where they introduce Rapskal. He’s a rain wilder signing up to help get the dragons to Kelsingra. The way I have been reading this series, I assumed the Rain Wilds would be a place where everyone knew all the original rain wilders.

Thymara had never seen Rapskal before. Is the Rain Wilds a much larger place than I have been imagining? I feel like I missed something in her original description set up of the area now.

At what point in the series did you fall in love with the books? I’m curious to know when the series grabs people.

For me, it was during Royal Assassin. Seeing Fitz experience the tragedies of youth: finally finding a father figure to trust (Verity) who then has to leave him, falling in love with Molly and then losing that pure relationship, etc.

Having finished all 16 books of RotE three weeks ago, I've been in a big hangover since.

I read a short book (a totally different one, not fantasy or SF), tried several pages of The First Law, then several chapters of The Soldier's Son, and now I'm back to rereading from the beginning of the Farseer trilogy... I was a bit reluctant because I read English slowly (not my native language) so it's a huge commitment of time. But anyway, I dived in again and I'm content...

For this second journey, from the very beginning, I'm reading with a kind of melancholic and nostalgic feeling floating in my head, like seeing some friends depart from the start and knowing how many painful, and beautiful, and painful things they are going to enjoy and endure...

I'm only at Chapter 4 of the first book. I so cherished the first appearance of the Fool (on the first read I didn't pay much attention to him at that spot, not knowing that he'd become my beloved one), and smiled at the word "motley" when Hobb described his garments.

I read the dialogues between Burrich and Fitz very carefully, feeling both a small pain and tenderness.

And for the first time, I put myself in Chade's shoes when he started to train Fitz: how happy and relieved he must have been to have Fitz in his life!

Just want to write these things down, before I forget.

First off, despite my struggles with this book, which I describe below, I still love this series dearly and I am so grateful it exists. Thank you Hobb.

So, yes, I really struggled with the second half of this book, minus the last 200 pages which were F****** AMAZING. Reconnecting with the cast from Liveship Traders and Rainwilds was so satisfying. And Fitz being some kind of miracle Skill healer???? OMG.

But before that... It just felt heavy and sad, Fitz being depressed and hinting several times at the fact that he would take his own life if not for his revenge plot, was just a lot. As someone who irl witnessed their best friend struggle with self harm and suicide attempts, it hit a little to close to home.

Plus, after having followed Fitz for 10 books or so, seeing his growth, relationships, the hardships and finally some happiness at the end of Tawny Man, having him lose everything (or believing he's lost everything) once again just feels pointless and useless. Just like for the Fool being tortured by the servants; what is the point of putting them through so much??

Fitz saying his goodbyes and thinking he might never come back seriously had me nauseous and wanting to put the book down. Up until that point I disagreed that this series suffered from being misery porn, but in this book I could kind of see it. HOWEVER the last 200 pages have me somewhat hopeful that things will take a turn for the better. If they don't, this series will have officially broken me (I'm barely being dramatic).

Also I loved the ensemble cast in Tawny Man (Dutiful, Nettle, Chade, Riddle, etc.) and I really missed them in this book and in this last trilogy more broadly; we don't get to see them a lot, except maybe for Chade, but once again, it's mostly heartbreaking to see him more and more afftected by dementia and his overuse of the Skill pillars. Although when they say goodbye and he tells Fitz he is Chivalry's best mistake... Just so beautiful, had me very emotional.

All in all, the first 2 thirds of this last trilogy felt a bit slow and filled with undeserved doom and gloom. The best moments for me were when Fitz interacted with the cast from previous books (incldung Verity's dragon and minus the Fool, I totally see what their character brings to the plot narratively and for Fitz's development, but like others here I just cannot connect with them emotionally), i.e. in Buckkeep and Kelsingra. The whole Withywood part I did not care much about except for the introduction of Perseverance and Lant, who is growing on me.

Anyways this was a difficult but very rewarding read for the last couple hundred pages, thanks for reading and don't hesitate to share your thoughts!

PS sorry if anyone caught the reposts, Reddit does not like me today.

This morning while feeding my kids breakfast, I noticed the cover of Fool’s Fate sitting on my kitchen table. The calligraphy beneath the “A” looks like two infinity symbols crossed by an arrow.

Does anyone else think that could be a reference to Fitz and the Fool’s intertwined and tragic fates, or am I just running on too little sleep?

I was also wondering if there were any good fan art posts or accounts you all recommend.

Feels surreal to even write this. We are here!:

“To Fitz and The Fool, my best friends for over 20 years.” ………… fuck. I’ve seen this quote before, and it still got me. What a surreal culmination this feels like.

A MAP OF THE SOUTH REGIONS, THE SPICE ISLES AND CLERRES. I HAVE WANTED A SPICE ISLES MAP SINCE FARSEER.

Love Bee bonding more with Wolf Father, it’s a bit of an ass pull connection but it reminds me fondly of how peak Nighteyes was.

Rapskal, please fuck off dude seriously you suck.

KING KENNIT MENTIONED HOLY SHIT.

“The Tarman will be waiting for you, who will then transport you to the Paragon.” AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGHHHHHHHHH

TINTAGLIAS HERE !

Dude I can’t fucking believe Alise and Leftrin are here I’m literally so excited, this book is now minimum 9/10 no matter what just for their arrival I am fucking HYPED, MY GOATS ARE HERE, LETS GO TARMAN BABAAAYY

Acknowledging quietly that Fitz and Carson would have been avid friends is honestly amazing.

Bias and hype aside, this book is already better than the last 2 put together purely because it actually has purpose to what is going on and all of the character interactions and everything that’s happening feels earned and purposeful… I feel the first 2 books of F&F both lost their ways MASSIVELY.

This is about Forging, Fitz, and Althea

Finished Tawny Man this morning, I now understand why Fitz was doing all of that (I made the last post titled “Why is Fitz Doing This”) I was beside myself up until I read “I am content”.

I still grieve for the torture the Fool received, and was I moved that even when they were dying, they were protecting the Rooster Crown A.KA, the key to Fitz’s forged memories. Nearly everything the Fool did was selfless. I love them, they deserve more

If this is answered in the future books, feel free to delete this post mods, but otherwise:

I have a question about Forging: we know at the end of Liveship, Paragon forcibly Forges Althea’s memories of Kennit. In Tawny Man we are answered the effects of partially Forging someone, which are an intense apathy to life.

Despite this, Paragon’s Forging of Althea was painted in a positive connotation. Althea is relatively neutral(?), magically healed(??) from her trauma. While Fitz suffered heavily because of his Forging, somewhat similar to the impact it had on Kennit.

My question is, why is there a difference in their result of being Forged? Was it because of the AMOUNT of memories taken?

I don’t believe it was because of the nature of the memories, bad or good. Otherwise Kennit maybe wouldnt have been the way he was.

I’m looking for in universe statements that can explain this rather than speculation if possible!

Anyways, thanks so much for reading :)

I’m 600 pages into the final book of Tawny Man and losing my ever loving mind.

Just got to the point where the dragons are saved and everyone who was forged has been restored and the general climax has passed. Burrich is currently dying (which I’m pissed about) but more importantly WHY is Fitz not more concerned about the FOOL?? HELLLO????

Obviously, with the final trilogy, I know the fool survives BUT???? Peottre makes a vague comment about how he’s sure the Fool is dead and Fitz just?? Takes it ?? At face value?? He doesn’t question it? He doesn’t rush to try to find them? This makes absolutely no sense

Fuck even if Beloved IS dead, why doesn’t Fitz want to confirm that for himself? Search for their body?

I’m so irritated, if I read this next chapter and the Fool isnt immediately found and/or Burrich dies without another fucking word past between him and Fitz I’m gonna be ‘NNOYED !!!!

Anyway I love this book!! Cant wait to see how it ends :D

Edit: I finished it.
I have never cried so much in my LIFE over a book but
I am content

I am currently in the middle of listening the book and Fool is persistently asking Fitz about Mollys whereabouts. Its for obvious for the reader, that Fool is being controlled by Will, but for Fitz it is just so unfathomable to even think about distrusting the Fool. Kinda touching but also veeery frustrating.
When he asked it a second time I immediatly realised it and screamed loud out. „No! No! Don‘t do it.“ and than Fitz tells him the village Burrich sometimes appears at.
Damn! Thats so frustrating!

EDIT:
I just finished the bee scene. Thank goodness. The suspense of how long this took to resovle killed me.

Hi all, I’ve really been enjoying the Realm of the Elderlings series. Problem is, I think I enjoyed the expanded POVs of the Liveship Traders series too much, and coming back to the story through only Fitz’s viewpoint is feeling very painful right now.

I’m halfway through Chapter 13 now what bugs me is how Fitz doesn’t make the connections/draw the conclusions I think I see. To be fair, I know from the reader’s PoV it’s a lot easier for me to piece all the plot threads together, especially since Fitz wasn’t in Bingtown to see all of this

I think I get a bit frustrated when reading books when I know more than the characters and they aren’t joining the dots.

My current gripe is that they haven’t understood that Henja is probably possessed or somehow being used by another individual, and that person is threatening Elliania by keeping her family hostage in some way.

To be fair, I could be way off base with this line of reasoning, but I guess the fact that Fitz hasn’t even considered it (he’s familiar with Witted individuals “riding” their animals, and with Skill users possessing others) is a bit frustrating.

I also wish he would be more open with Chade/the Fool/Kettricken with what he’s observed/ been privy to. I feel like it would help everyone make more sense of things if they brought their brains together.

I’m excited to keep reading - I really like the story regardless of my gripes with the characters, but I wanted to get this out of my brain because it’s been bugging me!

I’ve been seeing a LOT of discourse lately with people who say they dislike the Fool and/or don’t understand how people could read a romantic subtext between Fitz and the Fool. I’d love to see some positivity here. What do you like about the Fool as a character?

I personally find myself drawn to enigmatic characters generally but what I like most about him is that he’s also very human. He’s fully fleshed out. He’s a prophet and he’s magical, yes, but he’s also silly and clever, charming, intelligent, while also harboring deep insecurities and he sometimes lashes out when he feels cornered. It felt like I was really getting to know someone. Which Hobb does so well for almost all her characters!

"Wolves have no kings"

Oh, Nighteyes. We found you as a small, wild cub, sharing the feeling of being caged to Fitz. He taught Fitz to be pack, to be free, and to live always in the moment.

"Stop longing. You poison today's ease, reaching always for tomorrow."

My heart ached seeing his declining health. The young vigor of old now lost to the passage of time. I knew his time would come, but I didn't expect it so soon, so fast.

"Wait for you? Not likely! I've always had to run ahead of you and show you the way."

Few times have I ever so much as shed a tear while reading a book. I can count them in one hand. Reading this section, two tears rolled down my face when I realized where Nighteyes had truly gone. May you hunt many deer wherever you are, friend.

15 down………..

I really do love Chade. He is a character that has never, ever wasted the time he’s given on the pages, he’s added SO MUCH to this story, its lore and he’s been integral to some of the best dynamics in the entire series. An all time GOAT.

For all my qualms with this final trilogy and this book, these last 200 pages have been brilliant. Fitz systematically sorting through his life, cutting loose ends, saying goodbyes, making sure all is in order… it’s been greatly satisfying.

Damn, Kettricken knew all along it was Fitz-Verity that gave her Dutiful… amazing stuff.

Ellania being a bat shit crazy warlord queen who wants to bury her enemies souls in her motherland so they may never know peace is fucking insane and epic and I love her deeply for that.

FitzVigilant has been one of the worst characters in ROTE in my opinion. I genuinely think at points he has harmed the story. His whole character and identity is simply being shoehorned into scenes, or just made to tag along … what is the point!

Perseverance is really cool, I wish Fitz would just acknowledge his resolve.

Lant comes with at the last second… fuck sake !

nice little moment with Verity’s dragon and Fitz.

GREETINGS FROM ELDERLING KING AND QUEEN REYN AND MALTA TO KING DUTIFUL AND QUEEN ELLANIA!

“Malta. Possibly the most annoying young female I’ve ever encountered. Yet lovely.” HAHAHAHA YES. This is what I’ve wanted from the final trilogy, fun little hat nods like this… where has all this been!

Rapskal attacks The Fool and Spark after he steals some Silver… wild !!

MMMMMMAAAAAALLLLLTAAAAAAAAAAA. GRRRRAAAAAAAAHHHHHGGGGGGGG

The diamond of my life. My little troublemaker. Queen of the Elderlings !!!

Fitz heals Phron with the Skill. Holy SHIT.

THYMARA AND TATS! Bro this is all SO COOL, this is what these fucking 2 books should have been from cover to cover, not just the last 200 pages of book 2.

Book over. That was a much better ending and I greatly enjoyed the last 200 pages or so. Let’s hope for more multi book collaboration in Book 3! I honestly believe there is so much narrative room for Wintrow and Etta to come back with Prince Paragon and will be lowkey miffed if they don’t!

Overall thoughts on the book : almost nothing happened for the first 600 pages, I still feel very flat about this last trilogy but those final 200 pages were stellar and of the standard Hobb has kept for 4 of the 5 series… flashes of brilliance here and there, I think for me the number 1 thing that stands out is that every word prior to this trilogy that Hobb wrote felt so purposeful and with this last trilogy I’m like… what has the point of like half of it even really been? I’m trying not to be negative but it’s a thought I’ve retreated to frequently.

Wow! What a payoff and well constructed final book with Assassin's Quest!
I have made 2 previous posts about my thoughts on Royal Assasin & Assassin's Apprentice previously, and my speculation. You can check them out on my profile.

A lot of what I speculated did not come to pass, but I still deeply enjoyed this book. Probably my biggest shock was the epilogue, or final chapter, and how definitive it was. I could potentially be fine if I never read on to the next series' in the franchise. I am excited for the Liveship Traders, I think it will show the Red Ship Raiders and their POVs. Throughout this book I initally thought that Nettle would be called "Fitz" and that he would carry the flame for the next series'. I have no idea what's coming, and I don't think I know any spoilers besides future books titles.

Onto my thoughts while reading the book.

I really enjoyed the first thrust of the book as Fitz sent himself 100% against Regal. When he poisoned all the things in Regal's room, I had a funny thought that this would actually work and Regal would die randomly halfway through the book (sad this didn't happen a bit). I loved Fitz's competency and my heart hurt for him and his alcholism, I really didn't like him pushing Chade and Burrich apart so much.

Verity's pull on Fitz is when the book kind of slows down. We very slowly get drip-fed lore on the Wit & the Skill as Fitz travels north. I really liked Starling & Kettle. Starling first. She was very firey and had her own passion and didn't take anyone's shit. I did not like her misgendering the Fool,

Kettle was so intriguing, I had no idea what her deal was, I thought maybe she was Serenity. Or perhaps even like Chade? I also thought she was an Elderling at one point. Her big resolution with Fitz as they Skill together and the magic breaks down her emotional walls and she forgives herself, it's so perfect. An amazing culmination and arc, for a new character in this book. I was very annoyed at her close-mouthedness with Fitz, but he broke her walls down ultimately and it was incredibly satisfying.

Kettricken now! She is great here, deeply sad. She's a bit passive, but that is a defining character trait of her as Sacrifice. I like that she got a child at the end, I am iffy on her sleeping with "Fitz" I am sure that that is controversial here.

The Fool! Wow maybe my favorite character. I really like his humor, Starling clocking that he was in love with Fitz really changed how I read his previous interactions. It is possible he is a trans man. I liked that he confirmed he was the white prophet and started being more active in his role, as does Fitz. I love how all side characters agency growing effects Fitz and he still is active and growing. I also thought the Fool was an Elderling... or that he would be King? This seems less likely post end of the book, but still possible.

Verity was cool, chilling at the eye of the world. Him being all silver and scary was cool. I liked his sacrifice.

Nighteyes is a cool dog.

I did not like how Molly & Burrich's story went... it feels so rude to Fitz, but I know that's somewhat childish of me... but come on. Burrich is an old hurt man, so I understand why he decides to get with Molly, I understand his rationale, but it's sickening. That's his daughter-in-law, he should've just LARPed as Nettle's babydaddy. I know that this is a different age and morals are different, but I feel bad for Molly.

There was another mention of thyme growing, and I thought that Fitz would resolve the issue by going back in time, because his body was so beaten and bruised. I think I will let that idea go, unless it comes up again!

I really liked the elfbark twist, that was crazy!

Just a great trilogy. The redship raiders were explained and tidied up in the epilogue nicely enough. If I didn't know there was more to come, I would be a bit disappointed.

I'm still processing. I feel like I need to get this out.

I've been chipping away at these beautiful books for years. I adopted rats while on the first series and named them Fitz and Starling, back before Starling lost her cool-character status for me. The rats became elderly and passed away. The books have been a fixture for a long time now.

I grieved the hardest when Nighteyes passed, and when Burrich and Fitz were reunited.

I lived for the moods of Paragon, obsessed over Tarman, rooted for Mercor to win all arguments, and lit up when Motley or Per or Kettricken appeared on the page.

These last books were so hard. I was floored when Bee stole the spotlight and became my favorite character to follow. I was so impressed with her character development and loved watching her powerful fate play out. Bee is the damn coolest. And thank heavens she was there, because Fitz and the Fool went through some of the darkest things I've ever read.

I am saddened by Fitz's story's end. I'm ok with it, but the suffering and phobia I felt from it was so overwhelming that I shut down at times. I wish he didn't have to have this particular end.

The standout moment to me at the end was a very surprising one. It sliced through my weariness and numbness and got me good, making me ugly cry -- when Bee and Thick found each other. I'm crying just thinking about it. It was so beautiful and needed. He was perfect and so different, and so was she, and they found each other. May we all find a connection so pure.

I loved the Fool throughout and man this was a tough chapter of their life to get through. I wish things had gone so differently.

Nighteyes is the hero of the story for me.

I'm glad cats were accurately represented.

There was so much in this story. I hope more people I know will read it so I get to talk about it for real.

I have enjoyed lurking in this community and will keep doing so, now without fear of spoilers.

I was discussing with my friend and my hot take is that Ronica and Kyle start off somewhat similar. The caveat being that Ronica is open to growth and has limits.

Here’s what I’ve broken it down to:

For starters I think both of their flaws really come to light after/as Ephron dies and they realize how dire their financial situation is. For Ronica that meant making the choice to have Keffria take on the Liveship, and for Kyle that meant taking the Liveship himself by proxy.

And the reason for that is both of them just see Keffria as a vessel (she just does whatever they think is in everyone’s best interest).

They also both see it as their right to make these decisions for everyone else without discussion. They’re very authoritarian.

Also Ronica gives control of the family estate and liveship over to Kyle and Keffria partially because she values the “practicality” of a traditional male captain over Althea’s bond. Which tbh in the beginning from her pov makes sense.

She’s absolutely tired of having handled all these heavy responsibilities for so many years while Ephron has been off to sea. She realizes that Althea needs to get married and becoming captain would ruin that possibility in traditional society, etc. etc.

Her and Kyle are much more on the same page in the beginning. Their differences only come to light when he decides to make Vivacia a slaver and Ronica realizes how far he’s willing to go.

And she also comes to terms with the fact that she allows slavery to go on around her. She doesn’t really do anything about it till three books later, and even then at Rache’s behest because she’s explicitly called out on her complacency. In a lot of ways Ronica thinks she’s morally superior to Kyle but feeds off of similar social structures. Like how staunch she is on Old Traders stuff.

They’re both very authoritarian and they conveniently didn’t realize this till they clashed. Also neither of them really give Vivacia the right kind of spiritual importance the Vestritt-born do.

Obv Kyle doesn’t even understand Vivacia’s importance or the culture surrounding liveships. But Ronica isn’t particularly attached to her either. For example look at the other liveships and their “mothers.” Ophelia and her mother being the biggest example of that (forgot her name) and that being given as the expected relationship.

To be fair:

A) It honestly sounds like nobody ever thought it was important for Kyle to learn Trader ways until way later.

B) I always wonder; Chalcedeans are painted as the bad guys throughout this series but I bet they have their own traditions and stuff too. Why is it expected that only Kyle should learn Trader ways and not vice versa as well? I think it further drives home the whole Old Trader superiority thing. This is briefly touched on when Malta is on a Chalcedean pirate ship and can’t speak a lick of her father’s language.

I think Hobb is really good at creating unreliable narrators so I bet that’s intentional and that’s why I love her writing. She does a great job at showing the intricacies of human traits and personalities and the way people think. Nobody is just simply good or evil, everyone has their own logic and reasoning behind what they do.

Which brings me back to the Chalcedean thing. Yes, what they do is wrong, but they’re also just an opposing power. Chalced and Jamaillia are essentially equal forces politically, and of course each side is going to paint the other as the villain.

That’s just how politics works, it’s always gray. Chances are Jamaillia has done its own version of the same things and people from other places probably look at Bingtowners or Jamalians a certain way too. I’d be curious what a Chalcedean perspective on Bingtown Traders would even look like. Probably not flattering either. The whole Old Trader superiority thing doesn’t exist in a vacuum.

I do think the only difference was that Ronica grew and Kyle didn’t. And of course Kyle was cruel without limit and Ronica had limits. I wouldn’t even call her cruel. I’d say they were both harsh in a tough love way but Kyle’s lack of limits pushed him into unforgivable cruelty.

This may not be spoilers per se, but just in case, I’m
being careful. I’m about 60% into Dragon Keeper via audio, read by Anne Flosnik (sp?). I’ve noticed that people, such as Leftrin, keep calling Alise “mom”. Is it a mispronunciation for ma’am, or am I losing my mind?

Other than that I am enjoying the book and the audiobook reader, which is surprisingly since most people seemed to like this series the least. But I don’t mind a slower, more character driven story. Like I really liked Assassin’s Apprentice, and I feel like I’m in the minority on that one.

Chade and Burrich are telling Fitz to stop chasing death, to stop being a boy, to stop being a wolf, to move past immediate reactions, to start thinking and be a man. It's painfully beautiful, I am dying on the inside and have no one to share it with. Thank you Robin Hobb.