Such a conclusion to the tale a generation of readers have loved and followed. Robin Hobb has such a way of taking your emotions through peaks and valleys in the span of but a few pages. I've shed more tears while reading this finale than through any other story, in any medium, I've ever experienced. Lifts of joy and moments of sorrow and a fitting conclusion.

Robin Hobb seemed to never hit the slump that so many authors slog through in a trilogy, let alone a trilogy of trilogies with other stories in this fantastic world tying in. Following Fitz through his adventures, feeling as if I've lived them has been an experience I'll never forget.

In this, the finale book of FitzChivalry's story, we come to the conclusion of the search for vengeance against those who stole away Bee Farseer. Bee has been a wonderful surprise and her story here with all its twists and turns is fantastic. Each of the new characters introduced and the old friends we see are memorable, are special in their own ways and Robin Hobb has done an incredible job of bringing new faces to this world and having them fit so seemlessly into this story. Lant and Per, Spark and Amber who is the Fool who is Beloved join Fitz as he travels through the regions we have visited in Robin Hobbs other series as well as new lands in hunting vengeance, or perhaps seeking to save little Bee. 

I don't know that I've ever read a series that ended on such a high note. Sweet or bitter sweet, painful or tragic the end is never certain as we read but it is as well written and paced as any masterpiece you will ever come across. Readers prepare to be torn from your normal lives for the duration of this novel as every page shall capture you and draw you in. It is a shame we can offer only 5 stars.

If you’ve been here for a while, you’ll be well aware I am a huge Robin Hobb fan (see here, here, and here!), so it’s probably no surprise to you that Assassin’s Fate was without a doubt my most anticipated read of 2017.  Knowing that this was the finale not only to the Fitz and the Fool trilogy, but to The Realm of the Elderlings as a whole, I went in with both huge anticipation and nerves.  I didn’t feel I had time to re-read the whole Realm of the Elderlings series, but the long wait between Assassin’s Quest and Assassin’s Fate gave me plenty of time to re-read the first two books in this trilogy before Assassin’s Fate so that I’d be fully refreshed on the details before Assassin’s Fate.  I finished Assassin’s Quest on holiday and immediately picked up Assassin’s Fate.  Over the ten days it took me to read it, I wanted to fly through because it was so addictive and because I so desperately wanted to know what happened, and yet I also never wanted it to end. Reading on holiday worked out as a reasonable compromise, because we were so busy I didn’t actually have that much time to read, so I got to savour a little longer!

    Don’t do what you can’t undo, until you’ve considered well what you can’t do once you’ve done it.

In this final volume, Fitz, Lant, Perseverance, Spark and the Fool are heading to Clerres to seek revenge on the Four and the Servants, while Bee is unwillingly being taken to Clerres by Dwalia.  Those two plot-lines are addictive in different ways.  Bee goes through even more character growth than she did in Assassin’s Quest, and she’s come a long way from the little girl we first met in Fool’s Assassin.  She has to explore how ruthless she’s willing to be as she and Dwalia try to survive their trip to Clerres, often having to choose between the enemy you know versus the one you don’t.  Hers is a fairly isolated journey, and although there is plenty of danger on the route, there’s also a lot of internal conflict but it’s no less intriguing for that – the snippets of Bee’s dream journal in particular make for interesting mysterious reading.

Fitz’s journey in comparison, is full of people and the complex relationships between them that Hobb is so good at writing and which I have such a weakness for.  The relationships between Lant, Perseverence and Spark, as well as their interactions with both Fitz and the Fool are interesting enough on their own, but of course it’s Fitz and the Fool’s relationship which remains, as it always has from my perspective, the most mysterious, the most intriguing, the most intricate.  In this book, as they read Bee’s journals, the two also form a bond with Bee, and the way those bonds differ, as well as the way they impact the Fitz and Fool’s relationship adds another layer of complexity to their relationship.

    She could be prickly and exacting, critical and demanding. But she was like that in the confidence that they shared a love that could withstand such things.

As well as all of that, the journey takes them through many lands familiar to us from previous books, and Hobb ties up the whole Realm of the Elderlings series, showing us glimpses – and sometimes more involved appearances – from characters we’ve loved in other trilogies.  Hobb’s characters feel like old friends – in some cases, very old friends – and even as you’re addicted to the storyline in Fool’s Assassin, the nostalgia may well have you adding a re-read of the other books into your reading plans too.  My boyfriend said to me at one point that Assassin’s Fate was like my Avengers movie, and I agreed that it was – but better.  The liveships, the dragons, the white prophets, the Bingtown traders, the Pirate Isles – it’s all here, and it was everything I could have hoped for and more.

Hobb’s writing is, as usual, one of my favourite things about the books.  I re-read favourite sentences, I copied down quotes, I just-barely restrained myself from reading bits aloud to my other half (who has only read the original trilogy so far).  The way Hobb ties up the series as a whole, bringing in previously loved characters never felt awkward or contrived.  Despite the fact we haven’t seen some of these characters in years, there’s no info-dumps; the characters are there, as interesting and three-dimensional as they’ve always been, and so, particularly for more minor appearances, when Hobb assumes you’ll know who they are, you just do.

    So much of his life was mine and so much of mine was his.

I’ve followed Fitz from the very beginning, and here, at the end of the series, I wasn’t sure what to expect, or what to hope for.  I don’t want to spoil anything, so I’ll say only that it was perfect.  We got answers to questions we’ve had for a long time, we got the fantastic worlds and characters Hobb always delivers and we got a plot I didn’t want to put down.  When this ended, I genuinely found myself hugging the book and smiling.  Fool’s Assassin made me laugh, it made me cry, it made me ramble incoherently with excitement, and it only solidified my love for the series.  I’m not sure what else you could possibly want from a series finale really!

All I can say is, thank you Robin Hobb.  And whether she returns to the Realm of the Elderlings or writes something totally different, I’ll be happy to follow, because she’s never once let me down.

I'm torn on how to go about this--as an advance review, I feel some additional responsibility to say more than, "It was AWESOME!!"  But it's impossible to tell you why it's awesome without spoilers.  So, since we all know perfectly well that if you're this far into the series you're going to be reading this book regardless of what I write, I'm just going to tell you now why you're going to love this book:
1) It is the perfect conjunction of all the pieces Robin's created for her Realm of the Elderlings.  FINALLY, our favorite people (and ships!) from the Six Duchies, Bingtown, and the Rain Wilds come together the way we've been longing for them to for quite some time.  There are surprises in what happens when she does it, but they all make sense within the history that she's built.
2) It's the ending I didn't know I wanted until she gave it to me.  Maybe many others of you saw it coming years ago, but I honestly didn't.  At the risk of drifting into spoiler territory (like the way you start looking for the twist as soon as someone tells you there's a twist, even if they don't tell you what the twist is, thereby ruining the effect of said twist), all I can say is that few (no?) characters have ever made hurt for them and rejoice for them the way Fitz always has, and this volume of his life is no exception.  It was beautiful, painful (because what in Fitz's life isn't?), and perfect.

5 stars!

*

Assassin’s Fate is a heartbreaking and worthy conclusion to one of the best Fantasy series out there. It is an emotional and complex tale of friendship, love, and betrayal, bringing back all of our favorite characters and delivering a story that is both powerful and absolutely captivating.

Robin Hobb has been dazzling readers for over twenty years now with her writing. She has a gift when it comes to creating layered characters and making them suffer, as well as developing intricate plots that grasp your imagination. This novel has all of that and more. It is profound, touching, and painful in the best of ways.

I’ll try my best to string sentences together, but I am having a hard time gathering my thoughts. I found out about the Reamls rather late — September 2015, according to Goodreads. I fell deeply in love with Fitz, Fool, and the other characters, going through all 14 books in a little over two weeks. So while I haven’t been waiting as long for the end as some readers, I was both excited about Assassin’s Fate, and dreading having it in my hands. I actually cried a bit when I got accepted for the ARC. :P

There are really no words to describe how incredible this book is. It brings back so many characters we’ve gotten to know and love throughout the series, all fitting and fighting together. The book is told mostly from the POVs of Fitz and Bee, as each of them continue on from the previous installment. Even in this conclusion, there is a lot of character development, as our favorites face their final obstacles and struggle to protect what they hold dear.

The rich world-building is also another highlight. Hobb has created an unique universe that is fascinating, and in this novel we get even more of it. There are more details, secrets are revealed, questions answered. It is so satisfying to learn about things we’ve long wanted answered, especially with the way they fit together with and impact the rest of the plot.

I am so so so sad to see this series come to an end, but everything is so well-written and well-executed that I can’t even be mad, haha. All the pieces fall to form a perfect, if bittersweet, ending. The story ends as I expected it to end, and it brought tears to my eyes. Fitz and the Fool broke my heart, but they got the beautiful conclusion they deserved.

Assassin’s Fate is everything I hoped for this series. Hobb delivers a story rich in characters and world-building, with a well-developed plot, lots of twists and turns, and action. It has its heartbreaking moments, but it also has its sweet ones. I loved every single moment of it, and I will always hold this series close to my heart.

“How often had the Fool told me that life was an immense wheel, turning in a set track, and that his task was to bump the wheel out of that track and set it on a better one?” 

The third and final novel in “The Fitz and The Fool” trilogy picks up immediately after the cliffhanger conclusion of book two. I won’t provide a plot summary for two primary reasons: a) it is sufficiently complex that I wouldn’t do it justice, and b) it would be near impossible without major spoilage. In essence, FitzChivalry Farseer (Fitz), once more chases after those who have harmed his family, believing that his gifted daughter, Bee, after being kidnapped by the Servants of the Four, has been lost forever in a Skill-pillar. This novel brings in many many characters from previous books, almost like a final farewell tour, including major characters from the Liveship Traders such as Althea Vestrit and the Liveships themselves, the Rain Wild Chronicles, and the earlier Farseer books. Much like book two of this trilogy (Fool’s Quest), the story is told through alternating chapter viewpoints from both Fitz and Bee, with snippets at the beginning of each chapter (such as from Bee Farseer’s Dream Journal) that are remarkable clues to the bigger picture.

I always know what to expect when I start reading a Robin Hobb novel: fully realized characters in a well-developed setting with an engaging plot and a surprise or three along the way. And that’s exactly what I got…for the first 60-65% of the novel. Everything was perking along just fine; I was fully absorbed in the events surrounding my beloved characters, I was appropriately on the edge of my seat hoping against hope for an outcome I could live with, and all the while wallowing in the wondrously lush and complex world that I have inhabited through previous books for some 20 years. But then…

Robin Hobb dialed it up to 11.

I cannot adequately express the emotional roller-coaster that is the final third of this novel. It is truly wondrous prose mixed with a nail-biting, how-dare-you, reaction to the rapidly evolving plot. Make no mistake: this is a book about endings. But just how that plays out is among the most rewarding experiences of my reading life. I will admit to being worried when I started at the beginning of this book. After all, how can any author ever satisfy the cravings of rabid fans, pleasing all and pissing off none? They can’t of course. But for those seeking answers to “Who is the Unexpected Son?”, or “Who is the Twice-Lived Prophet?” or “Who is The Destroyer?” can rest assured that answers to those questions and more that have developed over 15+ books can be found in this final volume.

The novel can be read simply as the third book of a trilogy but I highly recommend pursuing not only the previous direct Fitz novels (The Farseer trilogy, The Tawny Man trilogy, as well as The Fitz and The Fool trilogy) but also The Liveship Traders trilogy and the 4-set Rain Wild Chronicles in order to get the complete experience and appreciate the nuances contributed by the “lesser” characters here.

This novel is a long one but Robin Hobb fans will understand when I say, it doesn’t seem like a long book at all. I enjoy spending time with these characters and in this world so if anything, I wish it were longer. The end of the book works extremely well as the capstone of the entire series but I, for one, wouldn’t mind reading more within this world.

Reading Assassin's Fate was an emotional experience for me. I've been a fan of the series for many years now, so to see the end of the story for Fitz and his Fool was bittersweet. Heart-wrenching in some ways, yet it also seemed so very perfect. I could go on, but I fear I would let something slip and spoil Assassin's Fate for those who have yet to read it. Suffice it to say, it's a beautiful end to an amazing series. If you have been following this series, you won't be disappointed.

***Thanks to Random House Publishing Group title from NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.***

I am completely and utterly exhausted after finishing this book. My thoughts are all jumbled up and nothing will make any sense so it would be pointless trying to write a coherent review right now.

It was everything I hoped it would be (and a little of what I feared as well). I do not feel quite as bereft as I did upon finishing Fool's Fate - there is definitely a sense of closure that I never had with that earlier book - yet I feel a great sense of sadness and finality. My time with these characters has finally come to an end. I am glad of the journey - but I will miss my friends. (less)

Assassin's Fate is not only the culmination of the Fitz and Fool saga, but of all the Liveship and Dragon trilogies that Robin Hobb as so aptly created.  Hobb has a knack for developing characters in a way that really draws you in and makes you feel what they are feeling.  There are parts of the Fitz and Fool sagas that I reread because they so beautifully describe real emotion and relationship. Assassin's fate brings a satisfying conclusion to all of Hobb's  series and I highly recommend that you read them all in order to get the most impact from this book.  I know any fan of this series cannot wait to read this book and they will not be disappointed.

Robin Hobb's Realm of the Elderlings was my introduction to the world of epic fantasy fiction. Before reading Assassin's Apprentice many years ago, the only fantasy I'd read was Alice in Wonderland as a child. As I stood in the bookstore and reached for the third book in the Farseer trilogy, Assassin's Quest, I told my daughter, "I can't believe I'm buying a book with a dragon on the cover." I have bought many books written by Robin Hobb with dragons on the cover since.

Assassin's Fate, the culmination of the 15 books in the Realm of the Elderlings series that precede it, is pure, unadulterated joy. It gallops directly back into the story, where Assassin's Quest left off, continuing alternating points of view between Fitz and his stolen daughter Bee. Somehow along the way, RH has taught her readers to Skill, and touched us all with the Wit, for their emotions are immediate and real - despair, anguish, pain, and ... hope.

Throughout the Fitz and The Fool trilogy, revisiting known locations has led to the return of characters from previous volumes in the series, and Assassin's Fate is even more populated with these friends as we travel throughout the Realm. At times it reminded me of one of those "all star cast" movies from the 1960s, where every A-list actor had, at least, a bit part. Or perhaps more like a high school reunion; "I remember you, and I'm *very* happy to see you again." It was a joy to reunite with so many outstanding characters - and to continue establishing relationships with several new to this trilogy. In the midst of confusion and distress, thrust into one harrowing experience after another, a heartfelt exclamation or cynical observation from beloved characters brings unexpected laughter, momentarily breaking the tension, only for the action to crank right back up again.

The epigraphs are full of juicy bits that fill in what's happening in other parts of the realm, and messages that have passed between characters in the past. Likewise, Bee's dreams and Skill visions give a clearer picture of the hierarchy of the Whites, and the inner workings of Clerres.

This easily could have been two books; the natural break is right at 48%, but it would have been a wicked and cruel cliffhanger. I admire Robin Hobb's work ethic, and respect for her readers, in not splitting the book. The wait was a little longer, but it was definitely worth it.

Now I'm going to go read it again.

Will my heart ever recover from this book? Probably not, let’s be honest.

Since this is the 16th book in a series (17th, if you count The Inheritance), there is almost nothing I can say about the plot without spoilers. Heck, I can’t even discuss what characters are and aren’t alive at this point! Though I will say this: if you have been reading just the Fitz books and skipped the middle series (Liveship Traders and Rain Wilds), you need to go back and read them before tackling this! All of the threads from Hobb’s narratives come together at last, and we get characters from every trilogy here. Sure, you could read it on its own, but you would lose all the emotional impact of the story.

Since I can’t talk specifics, I’ll just discuss what I love about the series in general. The world is, of course, amazing. It’s a nuanced, subtle fantasy word. While there are many kinds of magic (and dragons!) it is never over the top and we don’t get wizard battles or any of that. The magic is completely woven into the story. The world itself feels deep and full of history. Even after 17 books, I don’t feel like I fully know all the nooks and crannies, and much of its backstory is still a secret to the reader. Hey Hobb, if you want to write a history of this world textbook-style, I would gladly read it!

But of course, the characters are where Realm of the Elderlings really shines. I have never encountered a fantasy with such deep, nuanced characters before. Everyone feels completely fleshed out and real. In fact, I think that’s why the Rain Wilds isn’t quite as popular: still good characters, but they aren’t quite as deep as what you’d expect from Hobb. And I have to say, I realized in this book that it’s not just the characters themselves that make these books strong, it’s their relationships to each other. Each connected character has a complex relationship. It’s never black and white: we never have just friends or just foes, there are no simple father/son bonds, no trite love stories. Literally every single character interaction is fraught with history and depth. Fitz and the Fool are obviously the main stars here and I can’t even begin to describe the layers of their relationship!

If you like character-driven fantasy, interesting Medieval settings, complex worlds and magic, and (of course) dragons, I really recommend going and starting with the very first book in this series, Assassin’s Apprentice. And prepare for a journey of extreme emotion, I’ve cried more times than I’d like to admit reading these.

“We follow you, Fitz, to the end, no matter how bitter.”

And yes, it was bitter.  And also sweet. As is always the case when one says farewell to an old friend. And by now, that’s just what these characters feel like, old friends.  How could it be different; I’ve been following some of them for twenty-plus year. The last book had me tearing up in shared joy with one of these characters; this one had me tearing up in shared sorrow.  Honestly, I put off reading this book as long as I did because I was pretty sure I knew where it was going and, like the characters themselves, I just didn’t want to face it.  

And yes, it hurt. I didn’t want to read on; I didn’t want to stop reading. And when I finally came to that end, that gloriously sad/joyful/depressing/inspiring perfectly inevitable and inevitably perfect ending, it was exactly as it should be.  And more.

How more? Because Assassin’s Fate isn’t just the perfect wrap to the FITZ AND FOOL trilogy, it is a masterful culmination of multiple series set in this universe:  all the ones associated with Fitz and the Fool of course (the FARSEER and TAWNY MAN trilogies), but also the RAIN WILD CHRONICLES and the LIVESHIP TRADERS trilogy.  Hobb didn’t just stick the landing here, she stuck five landings.  One after the other. Bam. Bam. Bam. Perfect tens all around.

I don’t think I’ve ever seen a more deft handling of prior material by an author.  Assassin’s Fate is the Bayeux Tapestry of fantasy fiction.  Usually when this sort of thing is done, it feels like old characters/plot strands are shoehorned in as opposed to feeling part of the organic structure and narrative. Characters come and go like so many Stan Lee cameos in Marvel films, plots lines whiz by and are resolved like those European trips advertised on college classroom walls: 30 countries in 6 Days! (Snapchat caption: Church in Spain. Maybe Portugal. Possibly Lithuania. Never mind—it’s Cleveland).  None of that is true here.  Old characters like Althea, Malten, Paragon, Etta, Brashen, Thick, Thymara, Chade, Nighteyes, Kettricken, and others (including Liveships and dragons) steps smoothly and confidently onto the stage, each at their appointed time and place just as it should be. All are given due respect as characters rather than being displayed as props or offered up as cheap sentimentality. Their decisions and actions are important, no matter how many or how few pages they’re around for.  

But none of this comes as any surprise, because Hobb has always been I’d argue the best writer when it comes to creating not just characters (lots of authors do that well), but in creating and conveying the intricate tracery that bind those characters one to the other in a beautifully filigreed network of human connection.  And in Assassin’s Fate all her consummate skills are on full-out display.

Now granted, one of the reasons we feel each one of these characters import is because Hobb is willing to spend time with them, is able to give them some space to work with so that we see not just the big shared events but the tiny domestic, more intimate moments that tie them all together. With so many characters, that means Assassin’s Fate is a pretty sizeable book, nearly 900 pages. And while yes, it does have the trademark “slow” pace of a Hobb novel, I read it in a single day in a few sittings quite happily and when I checked its length (the Kindle gives no sense of weight obviously and I never look at the page numbers), I was shocked at how long it was. I would have guessed more like 600 or so pages. And let’s face it, if a slow pace were an obstacle, you probably wouldn’t have made it this far in Hobb’s work.

One last point on this aspect of reintroducing old characters from prior series.  I don’t think it is at all necessary to have read the RAIN WILD CHRONICLES and the LIVESHIP TRADERS, but there’s no doubt not having done so will mean you’ll miss out on a good amount of the narrative and emotional richness in this book, so I’d strongly, strongly advise it. 

Back to the characters and their relationships.  One of my favorites themes in Hobbs’ work is the idea that nobody ever is or ever stays simply one thing. A theme driven home by all the multiple identities, all the gender-title switching, all the evolving we get. Sure it can, I guess, get frustrating for some readers (wait, who is the “she” now?), Heck, it even frustrates some of the characters, as when Fitz realizes he just doesn’t like Amber (one of the Fool’s many facets). But the truth is we don’t get to just pick out the parts of the people we love; we have to take them as their entirety, and I think that’s a beautiful theme throughout this book/series. One made explicit in an early conversation between Fitz and Perseverance:
“So that’s who she really is? A girl named Spark?”
“Spark is whoever she is. Sometimes that’s Ash. It’s like being a father and a son and perhaps a husband. All different facets of the same person.”

The expectations we put on people to be the people we want them to be, to play the roles we want them to play in the manner in which we want them played, is another running theme, and while we see that in traditional, realistic ways — disputes between parents and children for instance — the way Bee has to learn to fend for herself —, as can often be the case in fantasy, we also see how a metaphor can become literal in a subplot involving the Liveships and their own personal evolution.

This is all presented in wholly mature fashion, in all its attendant complexity. People struggle to understand one another and themselves.  Relationships are not static, they bend and stretch and flex.  The one at the core of this universe — that between Fitz and the Fool — is shown during moments of almost uncomfortable intimacy (uncomfortable in the sense that the reader feels he/she shouldn’t be there at all, that these two characters should be alone with their private moments of grief or happiness) and during moments where they appear farther apart than they’ve ever been from one another.

And it all feels so human. So real. You feel the weight of experience behind all this expression and confusion of love (whether it be the love of one friend for another, one lover for another, a parent for a child, a mentor for a student). You feel the heft of lives already lived, the onus of consequences from acts already taken (as opposed to the clean slate of history we see way too often, where things are simply forgotten a few pages/scenes down the road). That last idea comes up repeatedly in a tag-line mentioned several times, either verbatim or in various formulations of the same thing: “Never do that which you can’t undo, until you’ve perceived what you can’t do once you’ve done it.” What a different world it would be were this our guiding light.

And while we get sword fights and dragon fights and fire and water, daring rescues that succeed and daring rescues that do not, chase scenes and explosions, it all comes back to relationships at the core of it all, and at the end of it all.

Which is why that ending is so damn perfect, so damned inevitable and horrible and inspiring and cruel and warm and perfect (yes, I know I already said that). Why it left me buoyed and depressed, hollowed out and filled with joy. Hobbs stuck the landing, dropped the mic, freed the wolf, Fitzed the Fool. You want those pages at the end to both be done and to just keep going. 

Assassin’s Fate is a true gift to Robin Hobb’s fans, and sometimes a review can be summed up in two heartfelt words: Thank you.

I couldn't even sort out the genders of the characters. Very confusing overall. Very disappointing. Did not finish..

Assassin’s Fate is an emotional roller-coaster of a book that is heartbreaking, bittersweet and absolutely perfect. This book is not just a perfect ending to The Fitz and Fool trilogy, but also to The Realm of the Elderlings series so far. So much so, that my only negative reaction is fear that there may not be another series in this world that Hobb has made me love so much. Don’t get me wrong, there is definitely huge potential for more stories to be told there, but for this conclusion, Hobb expertly weaves together threads from all the prior series in to one epic conclusion.

For any readers that have previously wondered how disconnected the non-Fitz series are from the Fitz ones, I can say they do all come together in this final book. If you have not read Liveship Traders or Rain Wild Chronicles, I strongly advise you to go read those first as there are characters and references from every series that really just add an extra layer of enjoyment. All of The Realm of the Elderling books are worth reading and I believe you will get more out of this conclusion if you have experienced all of the prior stories first.

As in true Hobb form, this book is emotional. We have seen Fitz grow from the lost and lonely orphan into the man with more life experiences and heartbreak than any one human should have. He does at least have those moments of joy and fulfillment in between that makes it all so worth while.

His relationship with the Fool has been a constant for him, and while we have seen multiple faces of the Fool, seeing how Fitz reacts to his friends mysterious ways is interesting. Fitz has to deal with realizing that as close as the connection is between the two of them, there is still a tremendous amount of the Fool that is a mystery to him.

This book is split into two interwoven stories and perspectivbes. First there is Bee. Poor Bee, Fitz’s young kidnapped daughter, is at the center of everything. Her kidnappers do not treat her well at all, we know how the Servants treated the Fool, and she has to struggle just to survive at times, much less escape. But she is her father’s daughter, so you know she has a tremendous amount of fight in her despite her young age and small size. Her story is one of perseverance and survival, using any and all resources she can.

Then on the other side of things is Fitz. Fitz’s main goal is vengeance and retribution. He wants to destroy the Servants for stealing Bee and what he knows of them from the Fool only serves to feed that desire. They came and destroyed his home at Withywoods, where he and his family were supposed to be safe. They also tortured and crippled his dearest friend. Now they have his daughter. Yeah, you can be sure Fitz will want use all the training he had under Chade, training on all the different ways to kill, for revenge. Fitz has had a habit of blaming himself for all the problems of his world, particularly when bad things happen to those he loved. Even as he has matured, this trait still haunts his life. He blames himself for Bee’s capture and will not rest until he finds a way to pretty much annihilate the Servants.

The stories are exciting and addictive and this book ends the series with a fantastically epic conclusion. It really is perfect. I once again loved every page, and my hope after reading this is that Hobb will give us a new series centered on Bee. She is an amazing and fascinating character that would work extremely well as the center of a new series. Not that anyone asked me, but I can hope, right?

Those of you who follow my blog will know that Robin Hobb’s Realm of the Elderlings series is one of my all time favourite fantasy series and that the relationship between Fitz and the Fool is one of my most invested in fictional relationships.  Further, you will know that May 9th marks the release of Assassin’s Fate, the final book in the Fitz and the Fool trilogy, and the apparent conclusion of the 16 book Realm of the Elderlings series.  

Assassin’s Fate is one of my most anticipated and yet dreaded releases of this year, so you can imagine my pure delight when yesterday I received an email advising me that I’d been approved for an early e-galley of said book and that I could download my copy now.  Thank you so much Random House!  I immediately put everything else on hold and have sped read through it already and am here to give you my first impressions, spoiler free.  I intend to do a more spoilery review once I have reread it.

The first question I had going into this book was, would Hobb provide an ending worthy of Fitz and the Fool, and I can say without a shadow of a doubt that yes, she does, and how.  She completely knocks it out of the park.  It is not, perhaps, the ending I would have wished for for Beloved and his Fitz, but it is appropriate, beautifully written and altogether perfect. As promised, Hobb has brought to a conclusion many of the storylines across all four of her series set in the Realm of the Elderlings.

Secondly, if you have any investment at all in these characters (and how could you not, given Hobb’s skill in character development?) be aware that this book will really hit you in the feels.  In terms of emotional impact there are scenes in this book that rank right up there with Frodo’s departure from the Gray Havens, Harry’s final walk through the Forbidden Forest or Game of Thrones’ Hold the Door.

What I love most about Hobbs’ books are the characters and their relationships.  In Assassin’s Fate these shine as brightly as ever.  Hobb has a true knack of writing characters who change and develop as a result of the events of the books and what has happened to them.  The dynamics between them also are ever changing and it’s beautiful to read.

There’s little more I can say without going into spoiler territory, so I’ll leave things there.

Naturally, I gave Assassin’s Fate five stars out of five.

Believing her to be The Unexpected Son, Bee has been kidnapped by the Servants. They hope to use her for their own personal gain and wealth. Knowing firsthand the torture the Servants are capable of, The Fool sets out with Fitz and Co. to get her back. When I started this book, I was thinking wow, that's a long book. A few pages in, and I was already wishing it was at least a thousand pages longer. I feel that way every time I read a book by Robin Hobb. She is brilliant!

What can I say about the conclusion to the series that has dazzled me for years (becoming my all-time favorite) other than: wow.

Assassin's Fate was beautiful, terrible, and profound. I savored each page, painfully aware it might be the last time I experience this world. I've never been as emotionally invested in a story as I was with Hobb's work, her writing draws you in so completely that you forget yourself for a while, totally at the mercy of her story. Each of her series evoked real emotion - a sense of love and loss that is almost unparalleled by anything else I've ever read. Assassin's Fate was the most gut-wrenching to date, but it was worth every painful, poignant moment. I'll be reeling from this one for years to come.

I love this series for so many things: its rich histories and epic world building, its endearingly human characters (flaws and all), its immersive writing, but one of my favorite things about it is the subtle weaving of dragons into the story. It's quite brilliantly done – dragons always seem to be the center of the overall arc of each series, but are often kept on the periphery of the events within each book (with the exception of the Rain Wilds Chronicles). The further you read, the more you start to realize their significant impact on the world and characters. As someone who loves dragons almost obsessively, I ate up every word. Hobb's representation of them is truly breathtaking. Oddly though, I wouldn't call these series dragon-centric because, while essential to the plot, they are usually not the focal point.

At the conclusion of Fool's Fate, (the final book in the Tawny Man Trilogy, a reading experience I'll never forget), I'd been under the impression Fitz's tale was at an end. Therefore, when The Fitz and the Fool Trilogy was announced in August 2014, it felt like Christmas had come early. And it was even better than I dared hope! With the introduction of a new POV character, Bee, whom I love just as fiercely as Fitz, this trilogy offered a convergence of every Elderling series before it (Fitz + Liveship + Rain Wilds = Amazing!). It was an unexpected surprise, and I can't even begin to describe how elated I was. If you haven't yet experienced the brilliant world of the Elderlings, I suggest reading in the following order (to avoid spoilers):

Farseer Trilogy
Liveship Trilogy
Tawny Man Trilogy
Rain Wilds Chronicles
Fitz and the Fool

Each series brings with it loads of new discoveries, and I cherished every detail. Learning the histories of this world is also one of my favorite elements to the series. Each new detail felt like a revelation, and it got to a point where I was hanging on every word, hoping to find out more. Who knew it would go so far beyond the somewhat narrow framework of a little orphan boy at Buckkeep castle in Assassin's Apprentice?

All the books Hobb has written in this world are amazing. Each story is a slow burn that takes its time, building momentum as it goes. By the time you reach the end, you're hurtling so fast you wish you could slow it down to savor every moment. Assassin's Fate and every book that came before it are officially The Obsessive Bookseller's top recommends. I loved every beautiful, gut-wrenching moment and will keep these characters close to my heart forever.

Niki Hawkes - The Obsessive Bookseller

I adored this. It brought together the author's Six Duchies, Liveship and Rainwilds series in a beautiful, seamless way. I hope for many more stories in this world.

Robin Hobb is a master of the well written, caring fantasy. This book along with the other two in the trilogy, Fool's Assassin and Fool's Quest are not just well told tales. They have the heft and tone of history. You care about these characters, they are real, there are times that you just have to put the book down in order to prepare yourself for what is to follow. It takes a special breed of writer to accomplish this. 
Assassin's Fate is more of the same. a book to be savored and read well and slowly.

Robin Hobb continues to blow me away.  Although the book like many epic fantasies can get kinda slow and dragging at times it left me crying and wanting more at the end.  An emotional ending to one of the best fantasy series of the last 20 years.  I will continue to recommend her titles to my fantasy loving customers.