In anticipation of reading the 9th book of the life of Fitz Chivalry Farseer, I decided to re-read all the preceding 8 books. Granted, it was a sale at Audible that triggered my renewed interest in the first two trilogies, nevertheless, going through Fitz’s journey once again made me re-discover many things that I had forgotten.
Alright, there will be spoilers here, so I am already warning you that you have to read this review at your own risk.
If the Farseer Trilogy is about FitzChivalry as a child and then a young man, in the Tawny Man Trilogy, readers find 35-year old Fitz Chivalry living in an isolated cabin with his foster son Hap and an aging Nighteyes, his wolf companion and bond animal.
There was such a long gap between the Farseer and Tawny Man Trilogies that I failed to notice how sad FitChivalry’s life had been after his adventure in the mountains and his service to his uncle and king, Verity. For the past 15 years, he had cut ties with everyone he loves and from the royals of Buck Keep Castle.
With my reading of these six books one after another, it gave me a perspective of FitzChivalry I did not see before. He was depressed and perhaps suffering from PTSD. He was not even aware of it! He was so starved for company that when he dream-skilled, he sought out his daughter Nettle and Prince Dutiful, heir to the throne of the Six Duchies and Verity’s son.
When FitzChivalry was once again drawn to Buck Keep and charged with rescuing Prince Dutiful and then his mentor after that, we see FitzChivalry come alive again. But, he believed that he did not deserve to happy so he stubbornly hung on to his loneliness.
The Farseer Trilogy was a coming-of-age story and it remains the theme of The Tawny Man Trilogy though it was Prince Dutiful who was at the center of that theme. Then like his father Verity whose arranged marriage was a political alliance, Dutiful was in the same situation, though he did his own courting while Verity did it via proxy.
That’s the first two circles. The third circle is Burrich raising Nettle as his own; the stablemaster once again raising a child that was not his but loved them dearly just the same. Then Burrich took Molly as his wife, which is another circle because Patience who was Burrich’s first love, married Prince Chivalry, Fitz’s father. Finally, Fitz raises Burrich’s 7 sons with Molly. So, round and round we went!
But, Fitz is still Changer, as Nighteyes call him. With the Fool, who was called Lord Golden in this trilogy wielding Fitz like a sword, they changed the world. Or perhaps, they adjusted is to that the circles do not become concentric.
The Tawny Man Trilogy also explained the Wit Magic, showing it is actually good magic, not the evil. But it is susceptible to abuse by misguided users the same way that the Skill Magic can be wielded for evil purposes if the its user deems so.
Still, not everything was explained, hence the third trilogy, “Fitz and the Fool” is a must-read for all fans of this series.
All three books are Rated T for Teens due to violence. There are no sex scenes in this book, though it is implied that it happened.
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.
Golden Fool (The Tawny Man Trilogy #2)
Prince Dutiful has been rescued from his Piebald kidnappers and the court has resumed its normal rhythms. But for FitzChivalry Farseer, a return to isolation is impossible. Though gutted by the loss of his wolf bondmate, Nighteyes, Fitz must take up residence at Buckkeep and resume his tasks as Chade’s apprentice assassin. Posing as Tom Badgerlock, bodyguard to Lord Golden, FitzChivalry becomes the eyes and ears behind the walls. And with his old mentor failing visibly, Fitz is forced to take on more burdens as he attempts to guide a kingdom straying closer to civil strife each day.
The problems are legion. Prince Dutiful’s betrothal to the Narcheska Elliania of the Out Islands is fraught with tension, and the Narcheska herself appears to be hiding an array of secrets. Then, amid Piebald threats and the increasing persecution of the Witted, FitzChivalry must ensure that no one betrays the Prince’s secret—a secret that could topple the Farseer throne: that he, like Fitz, possesses the dread “beast magic.”
Meanwhile, FitzChivalry must impart to the Prince his limited knowledge of the Skill: the hereditary and addictive magic of the Farseers. In the process, they discover within Buckkeep one who has a wild and powerful talent for it, and whose enmity for Fitz may have disastrous consequences for all.
Only Fitz’s enduring friendship with the Fool brings him any solace. But even that is shattered when unexpected visitors from Bingtown reveal devastating secrets from the Fool’s past. Now, bereft of support and adrift in intrigue, Fitz’s biggest challenge may be simply to survive the inescapable and violent path that fate has laid out for him.
Fool’s Fate (The Tawny Man Trilogy #3)
FitzChivalry Farseer has become firmly ensconced in the queen’s court. Along with his mentor, Chade, and the simpleminded yet strongly Skilled Thick, Fitz strives to aid Prince Dutiful on a quest that could secure peace with the Outislands—and win Dutiful the hand of the Narcheska Elliania.
The Narcheska has set the prince an unfathomable task: to behead a dragon trapped in ice on the isle of Aslevjal. Yet not all the clans of the Outislands support their effort. Are there darker forces at work behind Elliania’s demand? Knowing that the Fool has foretold he will die on the island of ice, Fitz plots to leave his dearest friend behind. But fate cannot so easily be defied.
