It has been a couple of weeks since I finished Assassin's Fate and it has taken me that long to let it settle. In fantasy, several factors play into the execution; world building, coherent social/magic systems and characterization being just some of them. World building and systems are important, but above all (at least for me) are characters I can invest in. I have been fully invested in FitzChivalry Farseer through three trilogies now; The Farseer Trilogy, The Tawny Man Trilogy, and now The Fitz and the Fool Trilogy. There are many memorable characters in the Six Duchies, but Fitz is indelible in his messy, chaotic, maddening humanity. His small, mysterious daughter, Bee, is another unforgettable piece of the tapestry. Following Fitz's life from bastard child to middle-aged man has been frustrating, rewarding, horrifying and often heart-breaking.

I'm not going to try to synopsize Assassin's Fate other than to say that after several years of relative peace living as Tom Badgerlock with his beloved Molly, Fitz's life falls apart with the seemingly impossible pregnancy of Molly. After a very long gestation, Molly brings forth Bee, a tiny girl who takes an inordinate amount of time to grow and develop. Molly dies when Bee is still a tiny child. Bee seems backward and odd in the extreme, but Molly gives her all the love and attention a child could need. When Molly dies, Fitz is overcome by grief and at a loss about how to raise Bee. The Fool's sudden reappearance complicates matters. The Fool has been horribly tortured by the sadistic White Prophets on the island of Clerres where the Fool grew up and then returned to, expecting a warm welcome. Fitz's efforts to save the Fool's life ensure that he is not at home when Bee needs him most. Bee is kidnapped by a band of the same White Prophets and Fitz's estate and people are destroyed. Fitz becomes convinced that Bee is dead and wants revenge. The Fool is not sure as he has had dreams about Bee. The two set out on the long journey to Clerres and Fitz's ultimate fate.

Robin Hobb incorporates elements and characters from the Farseer books as well as from the Liveship Traders and the Rain Wild Chronicles. I confess that I have read neither Live Ship or Rain Wild. In fact, after The Soldier Son Trilogy, I laid off Hobb's books. I found the Soldier Son books tough going. No doubt it would have made The Fitz and the Fool a richer experience had I read them but it was always Fitz's voice, and now Bee's, that intrigue me. Fitz's ultimate fate is not what I ever would have chosen or wished for him, but ultimately he is Robin Hobb's creation and her vision. I don't doubt that we will see more of the Six Duchies and the Farseer Dynasty, but Fitz will be missed. To sum up, I ran across a Facebook meme from one of the many "bookish" sites I frequent that expresses my feelings exactly:

me: This book brutally ripped out my heart and tore it to shreds then stomped it into the
ground as I drowned in a sea of tears and basked in eternal sorrow.

me: Here read it.

Thanks to NetGalley and Del Rey for an advance digital copy. The opinions above are my own.

RATING- 5 Stars

I really liked many aspects of this story, such as the relational bonds between the main characters. The emotional feelings they bore for each other came through strong. There is fair amount of action, not much true romance, but there is strong emotion emitted through the pages, the magical world created is very interesting and unique in many ways. Overall story was very interesting, though aspects of it seemed off at times. I thought the world building was a little incomplete. Many times that doesn't bother me as I half find it boring, but there were times when I tried to immerse my mind into the story only to find I didn't have much of a picture of my surroundings. I was afraid I was going to be disappointed in the ending. Ultimately, I enjoyed the ending itself, however there seemed to be a lengthy and tiring prelude to getting everyone set for the ending. In the beginning I felt a strong affinity to Bee's character, but as the story progressed to the climax, I had become less interested in her. I liked the writing style of the author. It seemed to flow well and there didn't seem to be the strain you see with some authors to throw in extraneous words just to make people get out there dictionary. There were a fair amount of literary words used and I find that to be fine, while I find it slightly annoying if I have to look up a definition only to find it doesn't quite fit. Overall this was good book and if you like fantasy I expect you will give it at least four stars, I would say it probably closer to 4.5 for me.

I enjoy all of this author's books and this one is no exception, but it's also not my favorite. I suppose I wanted a different ending which may be why this isn't my favorite but you can't fault the writing or the storytelling

She has done it.

This was a long arc in a trilogy of trilogies, but it was worth every winding road Fitz walked just to be here, at the finale, and at the culmination of Robin Hobb's creative dream. Upon reading the final word in Assassin's Fate, I grabbed my copy of Assassin'a Apprentice and began the series anew.

It is majestic.

It’s been a few weeks since I finished Assassin’s Fate and I’m still struggling to put how I felt about it into works. I’ve been a huge fan of Robin Hobbs ever since I first picked up a copy of Assassin’s Apprentice nearly 20 years ago when I stumbled across it at the library. In all that time I don’t think there has been another author who has so consistently made me fall in love with her characters and the world that they live in. I’ve sat up the entire night at least 3 nights now, reading this book 3 separate times.

I don’t want to chance spoiling anything for the people who haven’t read the book or are just getting started on the series so I’m not going to go into much detail. I will say that I think this is by far the best book Robin Hobb has written so far. I’ve never had a book make me feel so many different emotions at one time. I laughed, I cried, I cheered, and I got angry over and over again as I read this book. I don’t really know how she managed to pack so many different emotions into a single book.

Since I’ve been reading this series for almost 20 years now I probably had my expectations set way too high for this book, but Robin Hobb somehow managed to exceed my expectations in just about every way. I’ve always said if there is one thing that I think this author does better than anyone else it’s write the ending to a trilogy or series. I can still remember finishing Assassin’s Quest years ago and just being awed by the ending — Assassin’s Fate surpassed that ending in every way possible. Robin Hobb has a lot of work ahead of her if she eve wants to top this book at some point in the future.

There probably isn’t a single person that I wouldn’t recommend this book to over and over again, though I would highly recommend that everyone who hasn’t read the rest of the series do so first. Anyone who tries to start here will be completely and utterly lost.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is the most Robin Hobb-esque of all Hobb's novels, and no wonder since it combines plots and characters from three series of novels. Although at times it felt like reading a guided tour through a Wiki of her characters, there was something undeniably satisfying about seeing so many of the strands of Hobb's earlier work come together. I'm giving this book four stars because, well, if you're reading this book it means that you're a fan of Hobb and her stylistic mannerisms and flaws don't bother you so much. But at the same time, as a reviewer, I feel compelled to mention that if you have previously been frustrated with issues like repetitive scenes and situations, characters feeling paralysed and impotent, as well as some less thoughtful instances of violence against women - then you won't find this a relaxing read, as all those issues are present in a major way. However - if you want to find out what finally happens to Fitz and the Fool so badly that you've read this far, then who cares, right? I read the first Farseer trilogy a long time ago now, and this felt to me like a fairly satisfying conclusion to that story.

Robin Hobb writes detailed stories with characters that are realistic and full of history. She then places them in a world that is complete, that contains danger and delight.

This particular story focuses on Bee and her father FitzChivalry Farseer who hail from Buck in the Six Duchies. Bee has been taken and is being dragged across countryside and ocean as a prize for a group of cruel rulers.

FitzChivalry believes Bee dead at the hands of those who attacked them. He is intent on vengeance, recruiting others to his cause as he travels to Clerres with the Fool (also known as Beloved).

This book takes some reading, it is not a short tale. And, it is book three of a complete set (the first two being Fool’s Assassin and Fool’s Quest), so if you read it first, you really are missing out!

I have enjoyed continuing the stories of the Fool and FitzChivalry and have found it hard, waiting to read them. Now this book is published, it is a signal to all to start immersing in this tale.

Having read every book in both the Farseer Trilogy and the Fitz and the Fool series a huge fan of this series, I was eagerly awaiting this book. Unfortunately, I was disappointed.

At the end of book 2, Fitz's daughter Bee was kidnapped from her home by a group who use the dreams/prophecies of the Whites for their own purposes. This group, called the Servants, also tries breeding Whites to be able to further their control over their dreams and therefore what happens in the world. Confused? Wait, there's more.

Remember way back in an earlier book, Prince Verity had released dragons again? Well the Servants did really nasty things, and now dragons want to get even. There seems to be yet another trilogy, the Liveship Trader trilogy, which tells the tell of ships that are alive and sentient, made from what's believed to be a special kind of wood, but that is really made of what was originally dragon's eggs that have fossilized. These ships belong to families for generations, and absorb the thoughts and memories of those families.

All of these various story lines and more come together in Assassin's Fate, which attempts to tie things up relatively neatly. If you haven't read the previous books in the Fitz and the Fool series, this book will not make any sense to you. And at 800+ pages, that's a long time to be confused. The book could benefit from some strategic editing!

Robin Hobb is an incredibly talented author, and one of the best things about reading this book was discovering she has written another trilogy, the Liveship Trader trilogy. I will definitely be reading that one, and am confident that it will be as great as the Farseer trilogy. Unfortunately, this final book in the Fitz & the Fool trilogy just doesn't measure up to what I've come to expect from Robin Hobb.

Assassin's Fate by Robin Hobb is the final book in The Fitz and the Fool trilogy, itself the third trilogy of trilogies about Fitz. It's book nine, is what I'm saying, or book twelve or sixteen if you count the Liveship books and the Dragon books, which aren't about Fitz but are related. Those two series aren't strictly necessary to understand the events of Assassin's Fate, but I dare say they help, which was not the case for Fool's Assassin or Fool's Quest. I haven't read any of the dragon books nor the final Liveship book and I felt a very small lack. On the other hand, the previous Fitz books — The Farseer Trilogy and the Tawny Man Trilogy as well as the preceding volumes of the Fitz and the Fool trilogy — are definitely necessary to make sense of the assassin's fate. This review will contain spoilers for the earlier Fitz books. The blurb also contains spoilers for the earlier books in this series.

Prince FitzChivalry Farseer’s daughter Bee was violently abducted from Withywoods by Servants of the Four in their search for the Unexpected Son, foretold to wield great power. With Fitz in pursuit, the Servants fled through a Skill-pillar, leaving no trace. It seems certain that they and their young hostage have perished in the Skill-river.

Clerres, where White Prophets were trained by the Servants to set the world on a better path, has been corrupted by greed. Fitz is determined to reach the city and take vengeance on the Four, not only for the loss of Bee but also for their torture of the Fool. Accompanied by FitzVigilant, son of the assassin Chade, Chade’s protégé Spark and the stableboy Perseverance, Bee's only friend, their journey will take them from the Elderling city of Kelsingra, down the perilous Rain Wild River, and on to the Pirate Isles.

Their mission for revenge will become a voyage of discovery, as well as of reunions, transformations and heartrending shocks. Startling answers to old mysteries are revealed. What became of the liveships Paragon and Vivacia and their crews? What is the origin of the Others and their eerie beach? How are liveships and dragons connected?

But Fitz and his followers are not the only ones with a deadly grudge against the Four. An ancient wrong will bring them unlikely and dangerous allies in their quest. And if the corrupt society of Clerres is to be brought down, Fitz and the Fool will have to make a series of profound and fateful sacrifices.

When I started reading Assassin's Fate, my recollections of the previous book were a little vague. I remembered the gist but not the precise ending, which turned out to be a little bit of a problem since Assassin's Fate picks up very soon after Fool's Quest left off, especially from Bee's point of view. It is took me longer than I think it should have to work out why Fitz was so convinced Bee was dead because I'd forgotten the events at the very end of Fool's Quest. I don't think this would be an issue if I'd read them closer together. This contributed to me not getting into the book as quickly as I would have liked. The start of the book felt a bit slow and while I wasn't bored I also wasn't as gripped as I am accustomed to being by Hobb books. As a result, it took me about three weeks to get through it, since I got distracted by several Hugo-shortlisted things (mainly short fiction) along the way. On the other hand, it took me only a couple of days to read the second half of the book, in large part because that's when things got really interesting and difficult to step away from. So I suppose it's fair to say the pacing is a little bit off. This is a pretty long book (around 850 pages according to Goodreads for both the US and UK editions) and, in my opinion, that means it can't afford to waste too many pages on less exciting events, even if they needed to happen.

One of the things I really liked about this book was how it tied together all the other series set in the same Realm of the Elderlings universe. As I mentioned at the start, it's not completely necessary to read the Liveship books before reading Assassin's Fate, but we do get a kind of extra Liveship-centric epilogue, which I think fans of that series will appreciate (and those who haven't read any Liveship books will feel as confused by as Fitz was). I also think Hobb ended Fitz's story in a nice way, although the ending took a bit of time to process and gave me rather a lot of feelings. Not to mention, the book is called Assassin's Fate, which should give you some hints about what might happen in it, but by golly Fitz sure has a lot of fates. The latter parts of the book were a bit of an emotional rollercoaster. The end was an ending for all the Fitz and Fool books.

It's hard to say anything very concrete because of wanting to avoid spoilers, but Bee's story was interesting — although she got more than her share of slow bits before the story picked up. I enjoyed learning more about Cleres and where the Fool came from. I also enjoyed reading the start-of-chapter extracts from Bee's dreams, especially once they started happening and we were able to retrospectively join the dots to the events they predicted. There were a few parallels between Bee's life and Fitz's which, towards the end, really emphasised how she was his child more so than Nettle had been, and not just because Fitz was more present in Bee's childhood. But I don't want to venture into spoiler territory.

So, if you've read the other Fitz books, then I strongly recommend finishing off the story with Assassin's Fate. If you haven't also read the Liveship books, then I recommend doing so before Assassin's Fate, especially if you had any general plans to read them at some point. Assassin's Fate contains some critical spoilers for those books and also contributes to their story in its own right. If you haven't read anything by Robin Hobb before, this is pretty much the worst possible place to start. Go back and start with Assassin's Apprentice. This is one of my favourite fantasy series and has been with me for a significant chunk of my life. It was bittersweet to say a final goodbye to the characters and the world.

4.5 / 5 stars

First published: May 2017, Del Rey (US) / Harper Voyager (UKANZ)
Series: Fitz and the Fool book 3 of 3
Format read: eARC
Source: Publisher via NetGalley

Robin Hobb’s genius isn’t flashy.

The world she has created is fully articulated, complete with complex characters and histories, detailed magical systems, and fully realized political intricacies, yet she rarely is mentioned alongside Brandon Sanderson and others recognized as fantasy’s greatest world-builders.

Her prose isn’t particularly flashy in the same way as writers such as Patrick Rothfuss, and almost never draws attention to itself, allowing the characters and their emotional journeys to provide the fireworks.

Hobb certainly can be clever with her dialogue, but she’s only occasionally laugh-out-loud witty along the lines of Scott Lynch.

Instead, Hobb’s success has always depended upon compassionate storytelling and characters who drive the plot, rather than the other way around. In “Assassin’s Fate,” Hobb completes the third book of the Fitz and the Fool trilogy, the fourth such trilogy Hobb has written about this world, and the third trilogy focused upon FitzChivalry Farseer, his friends, and his families.

Even now, after spending thousands of pages and countless hours with these characters, “Assassin’s Fate” provides even more evidence that Robin Hobb’s ability to emotionally punch readers in the gut remains unparalleled.

As the book begins, Fitz’s home has been attacked and his daughter Bee kidnapped. Unaware that Bee still lives, Fitz, the Fool, and a small collection of companions have begun their journey to Clerres, hell-bent upon a vengeful suicide mission. Their enemies already have seen their plans defeated once by Fitz, but some still believe that Bee could be their salvation, a once-in-a-generation figure upon whom the wheels of fate turn.

Against villains who may know their every move in advance, Fitz, now a past-his-prime assassin whom readers have followed since he was a young boy, is under no illusions regarding their chances of success – he considers this his final mission, with no higher goal than to destroy those who stole his child from him.

At one point, the Fool chastises Fitz for risking his life unnecessarily, and asks him if he wants to die.

“Yes,” I admitted it. “But not yet,” I added. “Not until I’ve put a lot of other people in the ground.”

Earlier in the book, Fitz, whose adventures have so often been undertaken out of duty or for love of his kingdom, admits that he has no higher purpose in this final mission.

“Fool, I care nothing for anyone’s vision of a better future for this world. The Servants destroyed my child.” I spoke into the darkness. “I care only that they have no future at all.”

But unbeknownst to Fitz, Bee is alive, held by captors whose casual and unending cruelties are documented in painstaking detail. Bee’s point-of-view chapters describe her beatings, fear, fatigue, pains and injuries, as well as the many times that she dares briefly to hope before that hope is snuffed out once again.

Assassin's Fate by Robin HobbIncredibly, Bee’s point-of-view chapters are even better than those narrated by Fitz, a stunning accomplishment considering that many readers, myself included, are reading this book because of how incredible a character and narrator Fitz has proven to be. Bee’s perseverance and determination will fondly remind readers of Fitz’s younger days as the target of Prince Regal’s abuses. Those cruelties provided the emotional fuel that made you cheer, even when Fitz made decisions that were ill-conceived but emotionally satisfying. Here, the threats and violence perpetrated against Bee are so well-written that you can’t help but spend much of the book enraged on Bee and Fitz’s behalf.

At times, Hobb’s table-setting is so effective that it’s hard to remember that Robin Hobb’s books aren’t one of the “Taken” movies. Fitz may have a particular set of skills, but these books have never descended into a series of vengeful murders. Hobb doesn’t shy away from the violence, but she won’t revel in delivering vengeance either. It gives her books a higher purposed, but I’ll admit – at times, all I wanted was to see the Fitz of old murder his enemies in righteous vengeance.

While Bee suffers, Fitz faces challenges in getting to Clerres, even after he learns that she may be alive. His company’s journey takes it to the Rain Wilds, where the magical liveships serve as the cornerstone of the traders’ way of life. Readers who have not read the Liveship Traders Trilogy may very well be confused at times, though it is possible to follow the plot even without a complete understanding of the traders’ back stories. Ultimately, the story of the liveships plays a key role in Assassin’s Fate.

Not surprisingly, the book’s conclusion packs Hobb’s usual punch. Hobb obviously put significant thought into how to conclude this trilogy and it showed, as threads dating back to the original trilogy came back into play and made the conclusion feel less like the ending of a simple trilogy, but a way to encapsulate the entire story Hobb has told to date.

Fans who have followed Hobb since she first introduced us to this world in Assassin’s Apprentice can’t afford to miss this one. It’s a story that was 22 years in the making, and Hobb’s ability to draw rage and tears and – when she chooses, elation – from her audience is stronger than ever.

What a beautiful conclusion to multiple series. This was probably my most anticipated book of 2017, and it did not disappoint. I've loved the world of Fitz, and the Liveship Traders, and the Rainwild Chronicles, and this brought so much together. I would recommend that people read all those series before this one - for one thing, they are all excellent. And for another, it adds so much depth to this series, and especially this book, to have all of that beautiful background.

There is not a lot that can be said about this book without spoilers. It was emotionally draining and beautiful :)

I sobbed my eyes out at the end==truly a perfect end to a tremendous series of books.

I’ve always loved how this series pulls no punches. What an epic way to finish. In true Hobbs fashion, we are taken on an epic ride, one that will leave you emotionally drained. Will I miss the Characters? Yes. Will my life be empty and void without Fitz? Of course, but at least I have the option of starting over and reading again from the beginning.

This review was written by Confessions of an Ex-Ballerina http://www.exballerina.com it will go live on 5-27

A hard-to-put-down addition to Farseer lore. Fitz and the Fool continue to surprise, newer characters in the saga become fleshed-out gems worthy of their own tomes, and plots thicken and thicken until you wish everyone would just go away until you get to the last page.

Thanks, NetGalley, for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

With this massive tome, Hobb brings her fifth and final trilogy about the assassin Fitz and his catalyst, Fool, to a tearful, fitting end. For the last twenty years I have read Fitz's tales and this one was no disappointment. It's a huge book which could easily be two or three books in itself, but that would break apart the whole idea of trilogy in itself.

I have to confess that I was not enamored with Amber. Like Fitz I wanted the Fool back...the one with whom we all fell in love. But their journey had never been an easy one. I loved Bee and her feisty spirit and incredible power which I felt was dampened a great deal at the end of the novel, after her amazing triumphs in Clerres. But all in all, it was an incredibly satisfying read.

If you haven't read any of the books in Robin Hobb's world, I recommend that you start at the beginning. It will be a long, wonderful quest with characters that will wrap themselves around your heart.

Oh, what a bittersweet book this is! Robin Hobb can pull on my heartstrings like few other authors can. I don't want to spoil it, so let's just say that this book will be a highly emotional one if you've been along with Fitz and the Fool across their many series in the Realm of the Elderlings.

This is the book where it all comes together for a very dramatic finale. If you happened to think the first two books were slow, this one definitely isn't. Bee comes into her own power. There are fitting story endings for all. I even grew to like Lant!

I have a strong sense that this is the end of the Realm of the Elderlings novels. It wraps them all together beautifully. I suppose there is room for more with a new generation of characters, but I don't think I want more. There's a sense of conclusion with hope for the future of that world and that really is a perfect place to end.

'Are you ready,my brother?'

Thank you Robin Hobb.
I can't lie. There have been tears. What a wonderful gift this series has been and what a wonderful final episode.

All strands were connected and interwoven in such an amazing way. Did Robin know how she wanted the story to end up all those years ago when she wrote the Assassin's Apprentice? It boggles my mind. I also found it slightly strange as well as delightful to see the worlds of the Elderlings and Kelsingra combine with Fitz's. Have you ever seen Bedknobs and Broomsticks? Well it was a bit like that when the real cinematic world combined with the animation!
I noted so many memorable scenes while reading that I thought to cite in this review, but I'm not going to spoil your fun.
I have (almost) never minded the long and winding way in which Robin tells her stories. Every word, you realise afterwards, had its place and its reason. But in this book I found the story Zimmerman right along from page 1. No more hints and subtle foreshadowing: all that's been done already in the previous books. THIS is the big reveal, where everything comes together.
The ending was fitting and perfect.
Please don't read this unless you've read the preceding volumes of this work. I'm sure Robin wouldn't thank me for saying this, but to me this is her Magnum Opus.

Thanks to Netgalley, Robin Hobb and Random House Publishing group for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

Arrrrrrgh. How do you rate a book that made your heart ache?

Robin Hobb, it is clear, sees her characters as living breathing creatures. They are not paper creations serving as plot points, or throwaway side characters, or ones who only step in to save the day. In Assassin's Apprentice, we meet Fitz. Scruffy, illegitimate, sent to live away from his mother. Taken in by Chade, made an assassin - a profession he never wanted. He was to serve the king, which kept him from following his heart. Yet Fitz found ways, eh? He found Nighteyes, and they were pack. He found Molly. Burrich took him in. Later, Patience, and Verity, and all those who loved him well. Of course, we can't forget the Fool. What a complicated, frustrating love he had for Fitz.

It's not just Fitz, either - the Liveship Traders series - Althea, fiery and proud. Malta, who started out annoying and deceptive but grew into wisdom and strength with the aid of dragons. Kennit and his perverse and abused back story. His small redemption with Etta. The liveships themselves - Vivacia, and poor twisted Paragon, who gains a redemption of his own.

The dragons! Tintaglia, Heeby, Icefyre (his head on the hearth! Oh, how that made me cheer). The silver, the elderlings, the complex magic in Hobb's world, the details, the way she made you hate Kennit while you pitied him, or loathed Regal, but understood why he did what he did. Fear Paragon, and yet understand how Althea could love him.

In this, Assassin's Fate, you see it all. Robin Hobb (or Megan) brings all the loose ends in and weaves such a backstory, such connections, that I marveled at how seamlessly it was done, at her skill. Then I thought how satisfying, to finally GET things, that "Ahhhh, now I see," feeling. But that was immediately followed by sadness, because oh, no. If she lays bare the mysteries of the past, what more will there be to tell? But she kept on, and next thing I knew, they had all come together. The dragons, the liveships, Fitz and the Fool, Bee all mixed up in the Fool's past. Icefyre! Even the ghost of Nighteyes, speaking in Fitz's mind, sounding as he always did. I was simultaneously overwhelmed with joy and sadness. That was this book for me.

How does Robin Hobb complete a book like this? With a great respect for all those she's loved, all the characters she's made me love. In just the right way. So that you put it down when done, and cry, and smile, and think, "I wouldn't want these characters in anyone else's hands, ever." Nighteyes lives on. Every time our dog huddles up to my husband, and my husband says, "Yes. We're pack." Every time I wonder why I am not using my claws, why I am close to giving up, I think, "Heh, that's something the wolf would say."

If you have not touched these books, if you keep meaning to and put it off, if you think, "Eh, I don't like dragons," well, stop it. Get the Farseer series. Read it. Then decide.

Oh. The usual - received as a galley in exchange for my honest review.

Fantastic book that keeps you reading late at night. It took me a little while to read this book but I am a slow reader. Very well written.

I enjoyed the story very much and I know what will be reading anything else that Robin Hobb writes because the books are always so good.

4 stars!
I'm tempted to give this 5stars because FitzChivalry is my probably my very favorite book character of all time, and the ending did not disappoint (I've spent the last two hours crying my eyes out) - BUT, in true Robin Hobb style the first 60% of the book was a drag. In fact, my sisters are reading this book and warned me not to spoil it, and I told them that up to that point, I couldn't spoil anything even if I tried - NOTHING had happened. It was reminiscent of the last book of the 1st trilogy where it was just tons of travel time and introspection until the last 25% of the book and then BAM, non stop action and emotion.

I will say that Bee really grew on me in this last book. I really disliked her in books one and two, but she was great in this book. And little Perseverance - he was so adorable. One of my new favorites. So many people in this series overall that I just loved and were so memorable - Verity, Kettricken, Nighteyes, Chade, Burrich - even Motley! Oddly there were others that I feel I should have liked, but just never really did. Dutiful's wife, Nettle, Fool as Amber, Bee when she was young. Molly most of all - I never liked her. Am I the only one that never really "felt" the relationship with her and Fitz?

One of the things I didn't like is I felt like the book took too much time with Rainwild and Liveship stuff. I liked those characters, but those sections went on forever and were totally irrelevant to anyone that didn't read the Liveship or Rainwild books. It felt a little indulgent to me that Hobb seemed to want to write a sequel to their story too, but was foisting it on me in a place I didn't want it (in a Fitz book).

If I could rate the last 35% of the book - this would be 5 stars. The ending was everything you would want, everything is wrapped up nicely. You'll probably feel like me, absolutely wrung out emotionally, sad to say goodbye to old friends (and let's be honest - their story is done - time to let them go), but satisfied with how things turn out.

Despite my nitpicks, this series will always be one of my absolute favorites of all time. The characters are fantastic, Hobb can write so beautifully and emotionally. The magic system is great (skilling, wit, dragons, elderlings), the world is so complete and complex. I feel as I do every time I end a beloved series - bittersweet that it ended, and wondering if I'll ever find another series that will ever be so dear to me!