Fool’s Errand (The Tawny Man Trilogy, Book 1) cover art

Fool’s Errand (The Tawny Man Trilogy, Book 1)

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Fool’s Errand (The Tawny Man Trilogy, Book 1)

By: Robin Hobb
Narrated by: Nick Taylor
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About this listen

Return to the world of the Farseers…

Robin Hobb’s best loved characters, Fitz , The Fool and Nighteyes the wolf, face new adventures and trials in the first book of The Tawny Man trilogy.

When Assassin’s Quest closed, Fitz was living in self-imposed exile. Wracked with pain, he had chosen to discard the magical gifts that had seen him survive the wonders and torments of navigating the legendary city of the Elderlings, and of raising a dragon.

Now, in this the first of a new trilogy, we are returned to the world of the Six Duchies and the lives of those who managed to survive the events of the first Assassin trilogy.

Fifteen years have passed and events are about to sweep Fitz out of his quiet backwater life and into the main political current again. Persecution of the Witted has become rampant throughout the Six Duchies despite Queen Kettricken’s effort to damp it. The Witted themselves have begun to strike back. So when 15 year old Prince Dutiful disappears, is it only because he is nervous about his betrothal ceremony to an Outislander princess, or has he been taken hostage by the Witted? Worse, is he perhaps another ‘Piebald Prince’, a Farseer tainted by Wit magic? As the desperate situation worsens, Kettricken has no choice but to summon Fitz to Buckkeep, for who better to track the young prince down than another gifted with the Wit, together with his bonded companion, the wolf Nighteyes?

Action & Adventure Epic Epic Fantasy Fantasy Fiction Historical Military Royalty Paranormal Magic

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Critic reviews

'Hobb is one of the great modern fantasy writers… what makes her novels as addictive as morphine is not just their imaginative brilliance but the way her characters are compromised and manipulated by politics.'
The Times

Assassin's Apprentice:
'A gleaming debut'
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY

Assassin's Quest:
'Assassin's Quest achieves a bittersweet, powerful complexity rare in fantasy' LOCUS

'Robin Hobb writes achingly well'
SFX

Praise for The Liveship Traders series:
'Even better than the Assassin books. I didn't think that was possible'
George R R Martin

'Hobb is a remarkable storyteller.'
Guardian

All stars
Most relevant
I am from the west country, but this narrator wants me to rip my ears off. The voice makes no sense, why does starling sound like my cousins from Hartcliffe. Shes a minstrel not Vicky Pollard, and night eyes mysterious voice now sounds like a dodgy uncle from London. I will continue to muddle through but i have bought the physical book so I can read it at home and listen to the audio while i work. This way i can save myself from the voices a bit more.

great book terrible voices

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It's so good to back in the game with my favourite trio from The Realm Of The Elderlings, Returning to the world of Fitz, the Fool and Nighteyes in the first book of The Tawny Man Trilogy, Fool's Errand. It's like being back with old friends you haven't seen in years.
I absolutely enjoyed the Farseer Trilogy and the last book left me longing to get back to this world and to the life of FitzChivalry to see what happened after the end of Assassin's Quest had left me feeling a bit nostalgic. This book has everything that made me love the story and gave me some hope of a better life for Fitz, because he really deserves happiness after the hell he went through in the last trilogy. But knowing Robin Hobb her characters never get an easy ride. Set fifteen years later after the red ship wars, a new conflict and threat comes to Buckkeep and the Farseers line. The witted are being persecuted for their old blood across the kingdom, the Piebalds have a sceme of their own. When Prince Dutiful is deemed missing, Fitz is called backed into action and courtly matters when visited by old friends. Robin Hobb really knows how to emerge the reader in the mind of Fitz and the characters making you feel every emotion that they go through and have to deal with as things happen throughout the book. Damn you Robin Hobb, you broke me, better get tissues for this one on stand by. I very highly recommend, now for Golden Fool...😢🐺💙🔥

Absolutely awesome.

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loved it. like all Robin Hobbs books it was amazing and heartbreaking. hard to put down and the narrator did it justice

amazing

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I would say overall that the narrator was quite good compared to the first and second trilogies.

There is a clear error an hour or so in, and the lack of a gap in between chapters is truly awful.

The book itself is fab. Just when you think you may think it’s getting predictable, it’s the opposite.

Brilliant.

Echo some other reviews

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In terms of both story & delivery, this is a wonderfully rich experience. Moments of absolute heartbreak, deft & expansive world building delivered with a light touch... and a narrator that maintains consistency between character voices without jarring or drastic choices.

A Triumph

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