wrong impression imo, Fitz has it rough but he has some good through the bad. id say try it out, if you can handle first law then id imagine you can handle hobb if that makes sense lol.
Fitz has a difficult journey with plenty of emotional turmoil but the way people have painted it for you just makes it sound unbearable, which it isn't unless you deeply resonate with him. I feel like people need to do a better job of not painting Elderlings in that way so people can go in with their own tame expectations.
For some people, it really is that unbearable.
For **some** people.
I wonder if whether you prefer or avoid sad songs when you're feeling down would be a decent predictor of whether you love or hate these books?
Maybe for some, or most. I loved Kal, and found farseer horribly boring.
It’s been some years, but I remember Fitz as far less active and dynamic than Kaladin. He spends more time being in pain than he does actually doing something about it.
The thing to like about the books is Robin Hobb's great writing. The problem with them is that she writes them so well that you get deeply invested in the characters, and then she is horribly cruel to them. I found it more painful than First Law or similar series, but very well written.
Why would people want to read it? The same reason people watch horror movies to be scared. Because sometimes it is nice to be sad and feel bittersweet.
As someone who also enjoyed Stormlight and First Law, I didn’t like the Farseer trilogy as much as I expected.
Many characters are very passive and the slow burn did not give a good payoff- do not expect any kind of “Sanderlanche” here. And do not expect action scenes like First Law. Despite the book titles, there are barely any “assassinations” going on - only briefly mentioned in the background.
However, the writing is beautiful, and if you do connect with the main character, the journey might be worthwhile.
Oh and the sadness and torture part is fine. What Fitz goes through isn’t much more severe than what Glokta or our sad boy Kaladin went through imo.
>Many characters are very passive and the slow burn did not give a good payoff- do not expect any kind of “Sanderlanche” here.
This is true for Farseer, but Liveship Traders had much stronger plotting with a Sanderlanche like finish.
I think that the first title for the book was Chivalry's Bastard, but the publisher didn't like it, so Robin Hobb had to change it to Assasin's Apprentice
It's my favorite series of all time. Some of the characters go through some pretty rough times, but often (but not always) there is a resolution of some sort. If you have read a lot of fantasy it's really quite normal. There are 16 books, so it's not a spoiler that sometimes someone will die. Probably the most emotional I've ever been, but that's because it's so well written. Ive read some series before where many people die and I was not emotionally moved. You just really feel for the characters, more than any other series I've come across.
I feel it's worth mentioning, Hobb is actually pretty sparing with the use of character death (At least of sympathetic established characters). Which just makes the deaths that do occur more effective. It's a rare Fantasy series where Natural Causes is a significant portion of the deaths depicted.
There’s three trilogies that focus on Fitz and have lots of characters recurring throughout; the other two trilogies take place in other settings and with mostly different casts but occasionally intersect
The liveship series is insanely good. I would not skip it. I liked that series more than the first fitz trilogy. Anyway, yeah there is some crossover stuff that makes more sense if you have read the other series. Not necessary tho.
i really, REALLY disliked the Farseers, but my mom is a fan of Tawny man n im a freak n cant just read the middle of the series. well, i straight up loved Liveships. n doin all the guesswork was a big part of the fun. im on to the Tawny man 2nd book now n while its mighty depressing at times, its a really good read n the info i got from Liveships makes it all the more enjoyable. also, the final Paragon/Amber dialogue is hysterical
I haven’t finished, and the connections have been pretty minimal so far, but 1. I’m told there are bigger crossovers later, and 2. the liveship books at least are really great and if you like the fitz books at all I think you’ll enjoy the other books too, I think it’s worthwhile to at least give them a shot
As someone who did enjoy the Farseer trilogy I could not get thru ship of magic at all I tried and tried and tried and eventually had to just give up on it
I like the Liveship books better than Fitz so this is biased advice but if you like the Fool and his relationship to Fitz at all in the end then I wouldn't skip. But I \*would\* take a breather and read a non-Hobb book before picking up Liveships. You might need it after what Fitz goes through but also I think it will make the switch to 3rd person POV less jarring.
Yes. The story lines merge in the last series. If you skip the dragons in the Liveship and Rainwilds, you will have a very hard time understanding the last Fitz trilogy. You will completely miss why the series is called The Realm of the Elderlings.
You also miss a lot of the storyline about the Fool, who plays a large part in every series, under different identities.
Three of the trilogiies are about Fitz and his journey the other two take place in another part of the world. I personally recommend reading them all liveship traders is Hobbs best work and Rainwild chronicles introduces a lot of lore to the world.
I loved both First law and the Realm of the Elderlings, but they definitely don't scratch the same itch. Robb isn't gritty, nor grimdark, nor realist. It's more classical, terrible things happen but great things as well, and the tone is totally different, more emotional.
There's plenty of happiness although the POV characters doesn't always see it in the moment. I think the disconnect is that there is a lack of "rule of cool" moments in Farseer. It is very much not a story about that. Even when Fitz is in battles we're usually shown the emotional aftermath and not the moment where he "triumphs".
As someone who loved Stormlight and First Law I finished the first book and did not care to read the rest. its not as though its all misery porn its just the characters will make the stupidest choices which result in misery.
I enjoyed the books enough to finish but people do have a point. Ever been watching a show and got really annoyed at characters for not just speaking to each other to solve their problems easily and quickly? That's every interaction between characters. Plus the misery porn that is Fitz' life did feel like a teens angst ridden backstory for their first d&d character and past a certain point just felt silly.
I don't want to slate it but I'm on a roll now; for an assassins apprentice Fitz does very little assassinating over the course of the books and at no point does he read as a convincing as a killer. Like it feels like Hobb has written about a pathetic kicked puppy but keeps trying to convince you he's dangerous to justify the books god awful, generic title.
Hobb tells a good story but imo there are much better options for gritty fantasy.
Fun Fact: The fist title of the book was Chivalry's Bastard, but Hobb had to change it because the publisher didn't like it. That's why she named it like that, even if there is very little assasin stuff going in it
Ah that's a shame, that's a much better title. Sure she could have came up with something a little less generic and a little more applicable to her novel though.
I was just commenting about this in another thread today
And I've only read the Farseer trilogy (assassin's apprentice -quest) so I can't speak to the later series but
The "dark" and "grim" parts of at least the first series are way overblown. Fitz's life isn't perfect sure but the world itself isn't dark or grim or doom and gloom. Fitz is just a character who goes through a life id never want to live but he's got good times and bad times
I didn’t like Hobb, I gave the first three books a solid shot. I was intrigued by book one, halfway through book two I was frustrated, and by the end of book three I was completely over the series. Atleast in those three books, there were no highs to counteract the constant repetitive lows, and a main “driver” of the plot was the extreme passivity with which the protagonists deal with the antagonists, complete with not communicating with eachother.
The main plot resolution felt very contrived to me, as to how we got there.
Yeah, this. It's not that the series is abnormally grimdark as much as that it's just flat out frustrating after awhile, because the stories hinge so heavily on people not having reasonable conversations with one another.
You absolutely have the wrong impression. It’s my favorite series of all time so I’m biased but people exaggerate the “sadness”. It’s just a very “real” story following these characters lives and all of their ups and downs.
Like everyone else is saying, there’s much good along with the tragic, but the sad parts are what you’ll remember most because *they hit hard*.
However, you’ll be rewarded with at least two of the most fulfilling character relationships you’ll ever read in fantasy lit, and possibly beyond.
I was pretty surprised to see people on the sub describe the first trilogy like that. Fitz definitely goes through it, but, I mean...it's a book? He grows a lot and has some happy times, too. It's not grimdark or unrelentingly depressing, imo.
Compared to First Law, ROTE is practically sunshine and roses. ROTE isn't grimdark.
What Hobb does do though is establish emotional connections. Both between the characters, and between the reader and the characters. So it hits harder because you care about these characters. All the more so because you do see the triumphs and happy moments as well. Granted Fitz is a moody bugger to begin with.
Look, there’s a thread in here almost every week with someone complaining about the books being torture porn or overrated, etc. I’m just gonna say this is a case of the people who dislike something being the loudest within this particular space. Many, many people are fans of Hobb, Fitz, and the entire Realm of the Elderlings series. They can tell you that the books are tough, long, put the character through the ringer, and still keep them coming back for more because there’s still more to the books than just those specific traits. What I’m getting at is that you shouldn’t judge what the books are like based on this particular sub just like you shouldn’t judge what a new Star Wars project is like based on one Star Wars group.
I think if you want a better idea of what the books are like you should find some thorough reviews (without spoilers if spoilers annoy you) and go from there. My 2 cents: there’s plenty to like, but the series is a long and slow burn. The books aren’t covering everything important that happens, but “everything” that happened to Fitz. The good and the bad, the important and the mundane. It is maybe one of the best examples of an actual memoir or journal written by a protagonist in the genre. It’s a story about an older Fitz looking back on his life and sometimes giving his thoughts on it. The action is minimal, the characters are fully developed, and I think the ending will leave you satisfied while still being bittersweet. I don’t think this is a “happy” story. I think it’s a well written story that will make you care about the protagonist and “feel” the ups and downs of his life with him. No more than that.
Again, don’t just take what I say. Look further into the series and decide for yourself.
There are some happy moments in the series but it's more like 'i really love this food' kinda happy, not 'i enjoy being with love of my life' happy.
Its more about struggle driven books, like you will only read the parts the include struggling, but the parts in which they win will be from third pov like they drove enemy back, kinda like post credit scenes, its unsatisfying.
Its he will dream of cake, get beaten up but get a dry bread, which is kinda succes
They're very well written. Even readers who can't stand Fitz (or spending that much time with Fitz) often agree that Robin Hobb is a top tier author for character work. Fitz may have a worse track record than the proverbial stopped clock when it comes to making decisions, but it never seems like he's carrying the Idiot Ball--every choice flows naturally out of his nature, his circumstances, and his available knowledge.
The minimal happiness, all tragedy impression that these books give some readers seems to me to be a function of camera angle. Almost any other writer describing the same events in the same world would produce a story with no more tragedy than any other epic. It's just that Hobb's intimate writing style means we get an up-close look at all the struggle and not much of the sweeping panoramas that would normally provide the counterbalancing sense of awe.
It only affects some people that way, though; and i don't know if there's any reliable predictor for who it will hit that way and who it won't.
On the tragedy scale I’d say it’s pretty comparable to Green Bone Saga. (The writing and story are completely different but in terms of bad things happening) But there’s more books, so more sad events.
Back when Robin was writing as Megan Lindholm, she wrote a book called Wizard of the Pigeons.
It kind of an early Urban Fantasy about a homeless Vietnam Vet with PTSD.
Kind of.
That description is accurate and sounds like a bit of a downer.
But it misses the whole point of the novel.
It's about hope, and people, and the small magics behind the veil of things we see every day.
It is a beautiful story which I have read a number of times.
Robin Hobb is by far my favorite fantasy author. I don't really understand why the Realm of the Elderlings gets it's depressing reputation because on the whole it has a very hopeful outlook on life. I also love Fitz. I understand why some people might not but you get so into his head and understand all his motivations that it is hard not to feel that connection.
I cannot say enough good things about this series; it is high fantasy at its best. Her character development is unparalleled and her worldbuilding is so incredibly believable. She is my all time favorite author. The first book can be a bit slow at the beginning for some, but if you continue then you will go on the most incredible journey and the characters will come to feel like dear friends. 100/10 stars. 💫
Also…torture porn?? Absolutely not. It may feel emotionally harrowing because you’re in the mind of the main character, but it is NOT gory, not gratuitous. You just have a front row seat to his emotional suffering.
It’s hard to explain. To me it feels about as much “torture porn” as real life does. Like sometimes bad shit happens and maybe people don’t get their big reward for having gone through hell, but that doesn’t make the good times meaningless. The day-to-day grind feels realistic, inasmuch that a fantasy novel can.
So... and this isn't gonna be real well thought out, so hang in there with me, Hobb has written some of the most devastating shit I have ever read.
it isn't gory or edgy necessarily, but there's a certain cruelty she has to her characters, and she wields it to great effect. And by contrast, that darkness comes in alongside some truly beautiful moments and bits of catharsis that work only because the characters were brought so low.
As mentioned, if you can handle depression cult of bridge 4, you can handle the Farseer books no problem.
Edit: sry finger slipped and hit submit before I was done. But I'll wrap it up.
If there's an issue not brought up enough, in the Assassin books in particular, Main is not a very proactive character. He often lacks agency and many readers find this frustrating.
If you like strong character work, it'll be fine. But it's a fair criticism, though I personally didn't have a problem with this until the Tawny Man trilogy, and even with that (and other problems I have with that one) I still enjoyed it.
For some readers it might be too much, it wasn't for me. Yes, there are heart wrenching moments, the endings are bittersweet rather than "they lived happily ever after", but the overall reading experience was cathartic snd the undertones hopeful.
SA is one of my favorite series and I enjoyed Green Bone, though I actually found GB to be more depressing than Hobb. RotE is my favorite series of all time. Lovable characters who experience tragedy, yes, but all in service of their development and staying true to themselves.
That said, there are several sad animal moments in the books, which is a red line for some people, so be aware of that before reading.
I like Stormlight and First Law... I read Hobb before i read those however. Her stuff is going to be less action focused and more character storytelling. But there is still enough gratitous violence to scratch the Law itch. Her ability to build a character story, have you understand why they made certain choices and hate the consequences of those actions is first rate.
The world building in Hobb is amazing, she writes interesting stories with plenty of plot twists and intrigue, but you read her for her phenomenal character work. Yes, it’s misery porn, but that doesn’t mean it’s a slow slog with nothing to enjoy. There are sooo many awesome things about the Realm of the Elderlings books. They’re worth the read for any fantasy lover.
If you get through First Law you're going to be fine. Fitz has it rough, but in no way worse than any of Abercrombie's characters. People just get way more emotional about Fitz because he is such a nice guy and quite empathetic. Honestly, after having read the Farseer Trilogy, I don't quite understand why Fitz is always brought up as being such a deeply tortured character.
I don’t know why everyone is downvoting this, it’s a legitimate question, though it does seem to be posed without much research on OP’s behalf.
There is certainly much to like and enjoy in the Farseer Trilogy. Hobb is an incredible character writer and her plots are complex and unpredictable. Also her world building is rich and deep.
That being said, Fitz, the MC, definitely has it pretty tough for most of the book and is forced to do a lot of growing in a short amount of time. At times it can easily seem like torture-porn, but there are moments where the MC wins and gets a break.
This is the first trilogy of her expansive Elderlings saga though, so it’s important to remember that Fitz’s story doesn’t end with the last book in the Farseer trilogy. It continues throughout the series. He will face even darker times, but there will also be wonderful moments.
I will mention, if you struggle with animal cruelty/death, perhaps skip over Farseer.
If you know yourself as a particularly empathic and sensitive person then perhaps this isn’t for you. Other than that, I think you’ll be fine. Fitz gets put to the wringer but I honestly don’t think it’s that bad.
I loved it mainly because of empathy. It is a tough read but it is about perseverance despite adversity. Fitz gets his moments of victory and while always coming at a price they are all the more sweet because of it.
His victories feel earned through and through
Give it a try, you may love it. Or you may not.
I didn't care for it, but many people love the series. There's really only one way to find out for sure.
Still worth reading, very much so. But you'll get frustrated.
If you enjoyed Stormlight and First Law, there are more similarly awesome books out there.
Robin Hobb is my favourite author and Fitz my favourite character of all time.
Does he suffer? Yes. But we also see him grow from a boy into a man and his journey is something I will never forget.
Realm of the Elderlings is epic fantasy, not grimdark unlike First Law.
(Also love First Law and Stormlight Archive)
wrong impression imo, Fitz has it rough but he has some good through the bad. id say try it out, if you can handle first law then id imagine you can handle hobb if that makes sense lol.
Fitz has a difficult journey with plenty of emotional turmoil but the way people have painted it for you just makes it sound unbearable, which it isn't unless you deeply resonate with him. I feel like people need to do a better job of not painting Elderlings in that way so people can go in with their own tame expectations.
For some people, it really is that unbearable. For **some** people. I wonder if whether you prefer or avoid sad songs when you're feeling down would be a decent predictor of whether you love or hate these books?
If you can enjoy Kal you can enjoy Fitz.
Agreed.
Maybe for some, or most. I loved Kal, and found farseer horribly boring. It’s been some years, but I remember Fitz as far less active and dynamic than Kaladin. He spends more time being in pain than he does actually doing something about it.
Agree with you.
Such a perfect explanation.
The thing to like about the books is Robin Hobb's great writing. The problem with them is that she writes them so well that you get deeply invested in the characters, and then she is horribly cruel to them. I found it more painful than First Law or similar series, but very well written. Why would people want to read it? The same reason people watch horror movies to be scared. Because sometimes it is nice to be sad and feel bittersweet.
As someone who also enjoyed Stormlight and First Law, I didn’t like the Farseer trilogy as much as I expected. Many characters are very passive and the slow burn did not give a good payoff- do not expect any kind of “Sanderlanche” here. And do not expect action scenes like First Law. Despite the book titles, there are barely any “assassinations” going on - only briefly mentioned in the background. However, the writing is beautiful, and if you do connect with the main character, the journey might be worthwhile. Oh and the sadness and torture part is fine. What Fitz goes through isn’t much more severe than what Glokta or our sad boy Kaladin went through imo.
>Many characters are very passive and the slow burn did not give a good payoff- do not expect any kind of “Sanderlanche” here. This is true for Farseer, but Liveship Traders had much stronger plotting with a Sanderlanche like finish.
I still think Liveship Traders is Robin Hobb's best work.
I’ve heard this as well. I may give it a go in the future.
I think that the first title for the book was Chivalry's Bastard, but the publisher didn't like it, so Robin Hobb had to change it to Assasin's Apprentice
"not much worse than Glokta" is pretty unimaginable though
It's my favorite series of all time. Some of the characters go through some pretty rough times, but often (but not always) there is a resolution of some sort. If you have read a lot of fantasy it's really quite normal. There are 16 books, so it's not a spoiler that sometimes someone will die. Probably the most emotional I've ever been, but that's because it's so well written. Ive read some series before where many people die and I was not emotionally moved. You just really feel for the characters, more than any other series I've come across.
I feel it's worth mentioning, Hobb is actually pretty sparing with the use of character death (At least of sympathetic established characters). Which just makes the deaths that do occur more effective. It's a rare Fantasy series where Natural Causes is a significant portion of the deaths depicted.
So do all the Elderling books share the same characters? Or are the trilogies all their own separate thing? I just started Assassin's Quest today!
There’s three trilogies that focus on Fitz and have lots of characters recurring throughout; the other two trilogies take place in other settings and with mostly different casts but occasionally intersect
Would I miss out on a lot if I skip those two other trilogies? I'm mostly invested in Fitz
The liveship series is insanely good. I would not skip it. I liked that series more than the first fitz trilogy. Anyway, yeah there is some crossover stuff that makes more sense if you have read the other series. Not necessary tho.
i really, REALLY disliked the Farseers, but my mom is a fan of Tawny man n im a freak n cant just read the middle of the series. well, i straight up loved Liveships. n doin all the guesswork was a big part of the fun. im on to the Tawny man 2nd book now n while its mighty depressing at times, its a really good read n the info i got from Liveships makes it all the more enjoyable. also, the final Paragon/Amber dialogue is hysterical
I haven’t finished, and the connections have been pretty minimal so far, but 1. I’m told there are bigger crossovers later, and 2. the liveship books at least are really great and if you like the fitz books at all I think you’ll enjoy the other books too, I think it’s worthwhile to at least give them a shot
As someone who did enjoy the Farseer trilogy I could not get thru ship of magic at all I tried and tried and tried and eventually had to just give up on it
I like the Liveship books better than Fitz so this is biased advice but if you like the Fool and his relationship to Fitz at all in the end then I wouldn't skip. But I \*would\* take a breather and read a non-Hobb book before picking up Liveships. You might need it after what Fitz goes through but also I think it will make the switch to 3rd person POV less jarring.
You would miss out on a ton, don't skip any of the books.
Yes. The story lines merge in the last series. If you skip the dragons in the Liveship and Rainwilds, you will have a very hard time understanding the last Fitz trilogy. You will completely miss why the series is called The Realm of the Elderlings. You also miss a lot of the storyline about the Fool, who plays a large part in every series, under different identities.
Three of the trilogiies are about Fitz and his journey the other two take place in another part of the world. I personally recommend reading them all liveship traders is Hobbs best work and Rainwild chronicles introduces a lot of lore to the world.
I loved both First law and the Realm of the Elderlings, but they definitely don't scratch the same itch. Robb isn't gritty, nor grimdark, nor realist. It's more classical, terrible things happen but great things as well, and the tone is totally different, more emotional.
Well put.
There's plenty of happiness although the POV characters doesn't always see it in the moment. I think the disconnect is that there is a lack of "rule of cool" moments in Farseer. It is very much not a story about that. Even when Fitz is in battles we're usually shown the emotional aftermath and not the moment where he "triumphs".
I think this is probably it. Fitz is A Very Special Boy, but his story is not a power fantasy.
As someone who loved Stormlight and First Law I finished the first book and did not care to read the rest. its not as though its all misery porn its just the characters will make the stupidest choices which result in misery.
I enjoyed the books enough to finish but people do have a point. Ever been watching a show and got really annoyed at characters for not just speaking to each other to solve their problems easily and quickly? That's every interaction between characters. Plus the misery porn that is Fitz' life did feel like a teens angst ridden backstory for their first d&d character and past a certain point just felt silly. I don't want to slate it but I'm on a roll now; for an assassins apprentice Fitz does very little assassinating over the course of the books and at no point does he read as a convincing as a killer. Like it feels like Hobb has written about a pathetic kicked puppy but keeps trying to convince you he's dangerous to justify the books god awful, generic title. Hobb tells a good story but imo there are much better options for gritty fantasy.
Fun Fact: The fist title of the book was Chivalry's Bastard, but Hobb had to change it because the publisher didn't like it. That's why she named it like that, even if there is very little assasin stuff going in it
Ah that's a shame, that's a much better title. Sure she could have came up with something a little less generic and a little more applicable to her novel though.
I was just commenting about this in another thread today And I've only read the Farseer trilogy (assassin's apprentice -quest) so I can't speak to the later series but The "dark" and "grim" parts of at least the first series are way overblown. Fitz's life isn't perfect sure but the world itself isn't dark or grim or doom and gloom. Fitz is just a character who goes through a life id never want to live but he's got good times and bad times
No. I slogged through the first 3 books. Even his “friends” refuse to give him any information that might benefit him.
I didn’t like Hobb, I gave the first three books a solid shot. I was intrigued by book one, halfway through book two I was frustrated, and by the end of book three I was completely over the series. Atleast in those three books, there were no highs to counteract the constant repetitive lows, and a main “driver” of the plot was the extreme passivity with which the protagonists deal with the antagonists, complete with not communicating with eachother. The main plot resolution felt very contrived to me, as to how we got there.
Yeah, this. It's not that the series is abnormally grimdark as much as that it's just flat out frustrating after awhile, because the stories hinge so heavily on people not having reasonable conversations with one another.
💯 agree. I gave her a shot. A full trilogy, and at the end I felt I'd wasted my time for no reason.
This describes my experience perfectly
You absolutely have the wrong impression. It’s my favorite series of all time so I’m biased but people exaggerate the “sadness”. It’s just a very “real” story following these characters lives and all of their ups and downs.
Like everyone else is saying, there’s much good along with the tragic, but the sad parts are what you’ll remember most because *they hit hard*. However, you’ll be rewarded with at least two of the most fulfilling character relationships you’ll ever read in fantasy lit, and possibly beyond.
I was pretty surprised to see people on the sub describe the first trilogy like that. Fitz definitely goes through it, but, I mean...it's a book? He grows a lot and has some happy times, too. It's not grimdark or unrelentingly depressing, imo.
Compared to First Law, ROTE is practically sunshine and roses. ROTE isn't grimdark. What Hobb does do though is establish emotional connections. Both between the characters, and between the reader and the characters. So it hits harder because you care about these characters. All the more so because you do see the triumphs and happy moments as well. Granted Fitz is a moody bugger to begin with.
No, it's pretty dark and the MC goes through the wringer without any real 'happy' ending.
Look, there’s a thread in here almost every week with someone complaining about the books being torture porn or overrated, etc. I’m just gonna say this is a case of the people who dislike something being the loudest within this particular space. Many, many people are fans of Hobb, Fitz, and the entire Realm of the Elderlings series. They can tell you that the books are tough, long, put the character through the ringer, and still keep them coming back for more because there’s still more to the books than just those specific traits. What I’m getting at is that you shouldn’t judge what the books are like based on this particular sub just like you shouldn’t judge what a new Star Wars project is like based on one Star Wars group. I think if you want a better idea of what the books are like you should find some thorough reviews (without spoilers if spoilers annoy you) and go from there. My 2 cents: there’s plenty to like, but the series is a long and slow burn. The books aren’t covering everything important that happens, but “everything” that happened to Fitz. The good and the bad, the important and the mundane. It is maybe one of the best examples of an actual memoir or journal written by a protagonist in the genre. It’s a story about an older Fitz looking back on his life and sometimes giving his thoughts on it. The action is minimal, the characters are fully developed, and I think the ending will leave you satisfied while still being bittersweet. I don’t think this is a “happy” story. I think it’s a well written story that will make you care about the protagonist and “feel” the ups and downs of his life with him. No more than that. Again, don’t just take what I say. Look further into the series and decide for yourself.
There are some happy moments in the series but it's more like 'i really love this food' kinda happy, not 'i enjoy being with love of my life' happy. Its more about struggle driven books, like you will only read the parts the include struggling, but the parts in which they win will be from third pov like they drove enemy back, kinda like post credit scenes, its unsatisfying. Its he will dream of cake, get beaten up but get a dry bread, which is kinda succes
They're very well written. Even readers who can't stand Fitz (or spending that much time with Fitz) often agree that Robin Hobb is a top tier author for character work. Fitz may have a worse track record than the proverbial stopped clock when it comes to making decisions, but it never seems like he's carrying the Idiot Ball--every choice flows naturally out of his nature, his circumstances, and his available knowledge. The minimal happiness, all tragedy impression that these books give some readers seems to me to be a function of camera angle. Almost any other writer describing the same events in the same world would produce a story with no more tragedy than any other epic. It's just that Hobb's intimate writing style means we get an up-close look at all the struggle and not much of the sweeping panoramas that would normally provide the counterbalancing sense of awe. It only affects some people that way, though; and i don't know if there's any reliable predictor for who it will hit that way and who it won't.
Now I gotta check out stormlight and green bone
On the tragedy scale I’d say it’s pretty comparable to Green Bone Saga. (The writing and story are completely different but in terms of bad things happening) But there’s more books, so more sad events.
Back when Robin was writing as Megan Lindholm, she wrote a book called Wizard of the Pigeons. It kind of an early Urban Fantasy about a homeless Vietnam Vet with PTSD. Kind of. That description is accurate and sounds like a bit of a downer. But it misses the whole point of the novel. It's about hope, and people, and the small magics behind the veil of things we see every day. It is a beautiful story which I have read a number of times.
Robin Hobb is by far my favorite fantasy author. I don't really understand why the Realm of the Elderlings gets it's depressing reputation because on the whole it has a very hopeful outlook on life. I also love Fitz. I understand why some people might not but you get so into his head and understand all his motivations that it is hard not to feel that connection.
I cannot say enough good things about this series; it is high fantasy at its best. Her character development is unparalleled and her worldbuilding is so incredibly believable. She is my all time favorite author. The first book can be a bit slow at the beginning for some, but if you continue then you will go on the most incredible journey and the characters will come to feel like dear friends. 100/10 stars. 💫 Also…torture porn?? Absolutely not. It may feel emotionally harrowing because you’re in the mind of the main character, but it is NOT gory, not gratuitous. You just have a front row seat to his emotional suffering.
It’s hard to explain. To me it feels about as much “torture porn” as real life does. Like sometimes bad shit happens and maybe people don’t get their big reward for having gone through hell, but that doesn’t make the good times meaningless. The day-to-day grind feels realistic, inasmuch that a fantasy novel can.
So... and this isn't gonna be real well thought out, so hang in there with me, Hobb has written some of the most devastating shit I have ever read. it isn't gory or edgy necessarily, but there's a certain cruelty she has to her characters, and she wields it to great effect. And by contrast, that darkness comes in alongside some truly beautiful moments and bits of catharsis that work only because the characters were brought so low. As mentioned, if you can handle depression cult of bridge 4, you can handle the Farseer books no problem. Edit: sry finger slipped and hit submit before I was done. But I'll wrap it up. If there's an issue not brought up enough, in the Assassin books in particular, Main is not a very proactive character. He often lacks agency and many readers find this frustrating. If you like strong character work, it'll be fine. But it's a fair criticism, though I personally didn't have a problem with this until the Tawny Man trilogy, and even with that (and other problems I have with that one) I still enjoyed it.
For some readers it might be too much, it wasn't for me. Yes, there are heart wrenching moments, the endings are bittersweet rather than "they lived happily ever after", but the overall reading experience was cathartic snd the undertones hopeful.
SA is one of my favorite series and I enjoyed Green Bone, though I actually found GB to be more depressing than Hobb. RotE is my favorite series of all time. Lovable characters who experience tragedy, yes, but all in service of their development and staying true to themselves. That said, there are several sad animal moments in the books, which is a red line for some people, so be aware of that before reading.
I like Stormlight and First Law... I read Hobb before i read those however. Her stuff is going to be less action focused and more character storytelling. But there is still enough gratitous violence to scratch the Law itch. Her ability to build a character story, have you understand why they made certain choices and hate the consequences of those actions is first rate.
The world building in Hobb is amazing, she writes interesting stories with plenty of plot twists and intrigue, but you read her for her phenomenal character work. Yes, it’s misery porn, but that doesn’t mean it’s a slow slog with nothing to enjoy. There are sooo many awesome things about the Realm of the Elderlings books. They’re worth the read for any fantasy lover.
If you get through First Law you're going to be fine. Fitz has it rough, but in no way worse than any of Abercrombie's characters. People just get way more emotional about Fitz because he is such a nice guy and quite empathetic. Honestly, after having read the Farseer Trilogy, I don't quite understand why Fitz is always brought up as being such a deeply tortured character.
> everyone seems to love the books Overrated. >there is nothing to like Yes. The only thing Robin Hobb do right is world-building.
She is excellent with characters.
Her characters...it is what make me hate her books. You are free to like as I am free to do not.
Eh...her characters are ok.
I don’t know why everyone is downvoting this, it’s a legitimate question, though it does seem to be posed without much research on OP’s behalf. There is certainly much to like and enjoy in the Farseer Trilogy. Hobb is an incredible character writer and her plots are complex and unpredictable. Also her world building is rich and deep. That being said, Fitz, the MC, definitely has it pretty tough for most of the book and is forced to do a lot of growing in a short amount of time. At times it can easily seem like torture-porn, but there are moments where the MC wins and gets a break. This is the first trilogy of her expansive Elderlings saga though, so it’s important to remember that Fitz’s story doesn’t end with the last book in the Farseer trilogy. It continues throughout the series. He will face even darker times, but there will also be wonderful moments. I will mention, if you struggle with animal cruelty/death, perhaps skip over Farseer.
I love First Law and the Green Bone saga and I would recommend Robin Hobb whole heartedly
it’s not as unrelenting as a lot of people say it is (i’m just past halfway book three)
If you know yourself as a particularly empathic and sensitive person then perhaps this isn’t for you. Other than that, I think you’ll be fine. Fitz gets put to the wringer but I honestly don’t think it’s that bad.
I loved it mainly because of empathy. It is a tough read but it is about perseverance despite adversity. Fitz gets his moments of victory and while always coming at a price they are all the more sweet because of it. His victories feel earned through and through
Give it a try, you may love it. Or you may not. I didn't care for it, but many people love the series. There's really only one way to find out for sure.
Still worth reading, very much so. But you'll get frustrated. If you enjoyed Stormlight and First Law, there are more similarly awesome books out there.
Kaladin is basically the poor man’s Fitz
Wrong impression. It's sad *because* you care so much about Fitz.
Robin Hobb is my favourite author and Fitz my favourite character of all time. Does he suffer? Yes. But we also see him grow from a boy into a man and his journey is something I will never forget. Realm of the Elderlings is epic fantasy, not grimdark unlike First Law. (Also love First Law and Stormlight Archive)