Fool's Assassin spoiler thread

[badgerclaw]

I just finished and I have to say I was surprised at the cliffhanger at the end. Mostly the other Fitz novels have ended with minor successes so it caught me slightly off guard.

I found this one to be the most emotional, it was very hard to read about Molly's death. I do think that in the opening scene of Winterfest she suffered a minor stroke, which led to her slight dementia and forgetfulness etc. It lines up with her dying of a stroke later on (such a mercy Hobb gave her, I was very well pleased with her life).

I did find that my opinion of Nettle is swaying, but that might be more because of how I imagined her relationship with Fitz going after Fool's Fate. I just saw very little love for her father in this book, even though there were a few moments that she did seem to care about him. Also I thought it odd that she is in her 40s now and still not allowed to marry. Either she has chosen to never marry and love Riddle in all but name or something is going on here...

I think Shun is far more important to the series than is let on, shame she's such a spoiled bitch.

And I loved that we got a lot more insight in the italicized chapter beginnings of Patience and Chivalry.

I think it is a neck-and-neck horserace between Perserverance and FitzVigilant to see who is Bee's catalyst. I would say that it is Perserverance except for that dream in which the White child is beaten and FitzVigilant just looks on. That seems to link Bee and Lant.

I'm not sure about either, but I did have a moment of hope for Perserverance when she had the waking recollection of the bull without horns.