Fool's Errand

The Tawny Man Trilogy, Book 1

De: Robin Hobb

Narrado por: James Langton

For fifteen years FitzChivalry Farseer has lived in self-imposed exile, assumed to be dead by almost all who once cared about him. But now, into his isolated life, visitors begin to arrive: Fitz's mentor from his assassin days; a hedge-witch who foresees the return of a long-lost love; and the Fool, the former White Prophet, who beckons Fitz to fulfill his destiny.

Then comes the summons he cannot ignore. Prince Dutiful, the young heir to the Farseer throne, has vanished. Fitz, possessed of magical skills both royal and profane, is the only one who can retrieve him in time for his betrothal ceremony, thus sparing the Six Duchies profound political embarrassment - or worse. But even Fitz does not suspect the web of treachery that awaits him - or how his loyalties will be tested to the breaking point.

©2002 Robin Hobb (P)2014 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved.

A triumphant return the the Six Duchies.

The Wit is both a blessing and a curse. This low magic enables a human to form such a close bond of kinship with an animal that the two share thoughts and even start to take on each other's personalities. Such an enriched life does come at a price though as the lifespan of most beasts is much shorter than that of their human companion and the death of the animal is a devastating loss. This magic becomes the focus of Robin Hobb's Tawny Man series as her story telling returns to the Six Duchies where it all started. Fifteen years have passed since the end of the Farseer Trilogy and it is time to catch up with our old friends Fitz and the Fool.

Where the Farseer Trilogy dealt with The Skill magic in detail this series explores The Wit and how it affects life in the Six Duchies. The Wit has become a stigma as Prince Regal's legacy lives on in the fact that the general population has grown to fear Witted folk. The Old Blood (those who possess the Wit magic) are being killed all across the Six Duchies and many have gone in to hiding just to survive. Others, particularly those known as the Piebalds, are fighting back and looking to end the reign of the Farseers in retaliation. It is within this powder keg of an environment that it starts to be rumored that the heir to the throne, Prince Dutiful, is Witted. 

Fool's Errand starts a bit slowly with a trip down memory lane as the reader is brought up to speed on Fitz's life over the last 15 years but then it kicks into gear and keeps things interesting until the end. I enjoyed the Wit magic in the original trilogy and really liked this book's exploration into the various ways that it is both used and abused. The deep bond shared by human and animal can cause one or both of the individuals to take drastic and inappropriate actions and the consequences of those actions is at the heart of this story.  Combine the interesting magic with the great characters from the first series and Robin Hobb starts the Tawny Man trilogy off on a strong footing. 

James Langton narrates this series and does an excellent job. He is not the same narrator who read the Farseer Trilogy but he is just as good.

Wonderful Author, competent narration

Would you consider the audio edition of Fool's Errand to be better than the print version?

The narrator is good, but not outstanding, however, I would consider the audiobook as good as, but not better than the print. It's simply a different experience to listen to a good book as opposed to reading it.

Which character – as performed by James Langton – was your favorite?

He did Fitz well and I enjoyed Chade

Any additional comments?

I loved the entire trilogy both as read the old fashion way as well as a good listen.

good story, but very repetitive

I enjoyed the story very much. I tend to get lost in that world. the new narrator took some getting used to, since the people didn't sound like themselves, and several names were mispronounced, or at least pronounced differently from the original set. however, overall I love the series, and I look forward to the next book.

a better narrator!

The narrator for this Fitzchivalry trilogy is a much better fit than the first Farseer books. If you liked the first three, you will like these. I was especially excited to see how Fitz attempts to hide his identity when his past comes crashing back into his life.

Another great start to a series

I own the books in print and read them several years ago, this performance brought the story back and enhanced my enjoyment of it.