Description:

Prince Dutiful has been rescued from his Piebald kidnappers and the court has resumed its normal rhythms. There FitzChivalry Farseer, gutted by the loss of his wolf bondmate, must take up residence at Buckkeep as a journeyman assassin. Posing as a bodyguard, Fitz becomes the eyes and ears behind the walls, guiding a kingdom straying closer to civil strife each day. Amid a multitude of problems, Fitz must ensure that no one betrays the Prince’s secret—one that could topple the throne: that he, like Fitz, possesses the dread “beast magic.” Only Fitz’s friendship with the Fool brings him solace. But even that is shattered when devastating revelations from the Fool’s past are exposed. Bereft of support and adrift in intrigue, Fitz finds that his biggest challenge may be simply to survive. **Praise for Robin Hobb and *Golden Fool*** “Fantasy as it ought to be written . . . Robin Hobb’s books are diamonds in a sea of zircons.”**—George R. R. Martin ** “[Robin Hobb] ranks near the top of the high fantasy field. . . . [She] juggles all the balls with aplomb, besides providing spot-on characterizations.”**—*Publishers Weekly* ** “Solid storytelling with warmth and heart.”**—*The* *Kansas City Star*** *From the Hardcover edition.* ** ### From Publishers Weekly Blindness comes in many forms. For angst-ridden FitzChivalry Farseer, the blindness isn't physical but rather an inability to gauge character. Fitz, the hero of this second volume in the trilogy that began with Fool's Errand (2002), reluctantly returns, disguised as a servant, to Buckkeep town in the Six Duchies to be skill-master to Prince Dutiful, the king-in-waiting. Fitz is mourning the loss of his wolf bondmate Nighteyes, hating his disguise, worrying about his foster son's behavior in Buckkeep and frantically trying to learn enough about the Skill to stay ahead of the prince during their training sessions. Fitz jumps from crisis to crisis like a bowling ball tossed onto a trampoline-his failure to look deeply at others' motivations plunges him into a morass of poorly thought-out actions and badly managed confrontations. The harder Fitz tries, the worse his situation gets. The author juggles all the balls with aplomb, besides providing spot-on characterizations. The intrigue and double-dealing of the Farseer royal court are spider webs of interconnections, while the plot itself keeps the reader bouncing from one theory to another, right up to the somewhat abrupt ending. The writing may not be quite as fine as that in Hobb's Assassins series (Assassin's Apprentice, etc.), but this latest nonetheless shows why she ranks near the top of the high fantasy field. Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. ### From Booklist A stout and good if not independently readable continuation of Hobb's Tawny Man trilogy, *Golden Fool* follows *Fool's Errand* [BKL D 15 01] closely in the real world as well as its predecessor's fictional realm. FitzChivalry Farseer is back at work as apprentice to master assassin Chade, but the master is nearing the end of his life. Nor is that the young assassin's only problem. The rescued Prince Dutiful isn't living up to his name and in his dereliction threatens to disclose his secret and scandalous possession of beast magic. Moreover, Farseer's wolf bondmate, Nighteyes, is dead, and the valuable companionship of the Fool (formerly known as the Tawny Man) is threatened not only by the Fool's own quirks of character but also by a number of deadly secrets he holds. Altogether, there is enough intrigue of both the martial and magical variety to keep the characters up to their tailbones in alligators and readers turning pages--effects Hobb has yet to fail at producing. Fantasy readers know this, and librarians should react accordingly. *Roland Green* *Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved* 'Fantasy as it ought to be written' George R.R. Martin The second book in Robin Hobb's thrilling fantasy series returns readers to the Six Duchies and the magical world of the Fitz and the Fool. Fitz has been persuaded back to court, posing as a servant to the decadent Lord Golden (who is the Fool in disguise). In secret, he will train Prince Dutiful in the magic known as the Skill. The peace remains fragile, so the diplomatic wedding between Dutiful and the Outislander princess is a crucial alliance. But when Elliania arrives she challenges the prince to undertake an impossible quest before she will accept him. He must kill Icefyre, one of the last true dragons. And Fitz and the Fool must go with him...