Inconsistencies in certain characters descriptions / relationships [spoilers]

[macpuff]

I've just started reading Fool's assassin, and came across only the second inconsistency that actually bugged me in reading all the previous books. I figured I would come here and see if anyone else noticed these or perhaps there is an explanation that I may have missed or forgotten.

While reading Fool's Fate (I believe it was fool's Fate at least) I noticed that the relationship between Fitz and Dutiful was described as uncle and nephew, and I recall reading that at one point Fitz's thoughts relayed that Dutiful was speaking to him more as his nephew than his King. I can assume it was meant only to imply that Fitz acted more akin to an uncle, or subsitute father figure. rather than as a cousin as Dutiful would believe to be the case. But then there was a time when Dutiful was talking of explaining things to Nettle, and mentioned that they shared a grandfather. This to me seems to be an error in the writing as Dutiful wasn't aware that Fitz was his biological father, at least in body. So Dutiful should have viewed Shrewd as his grandfather, where Nettle's grandfather would have been Chivalry.

Next is when early on in Fool's Assassin, Fitz refers to Laurel as the Queen's Witted Huntsman, even though it is made very clear that she is not witted, and only Old Blood by way of being born into an Old Blood family.

These little things haven't kept me from enjoying the books immensely, but they have clearly bugged me enough to come asking if anyone else made note of these instances, or to see if there were explanations I may have missed.

So I ask: Have I missed some explanations or are these just simply minor errors, overlooked in the editing process?

[hermoine]

I think they are just things that fell through the cracks during editing.
There is also a line in Assassin's Apprentice where Chalced is referred to as the "southernmost Duchy", which just shows that sometimes errors get passed by everyone in the push to finish the book on time.

[BrilliantFarseer]

I think they are just things that fell through the cracks during editing.
There is also a line in Assassin's Apprentice where Chalced is referred to as the "southernmost Duchy", which just shows that sometimes errors get passed by everyone in the push to finish the book on time.

There are a couple things like that. For example, Fitz's age changes from the Farseer Trilogy to the Tawny Man trilogy. Fitz is 14 going on 15 when he goes to the Mountain Kingdom to get Kettricken to be Verity's bride. The events of the Royal Assassin happen when he is 15 going on 16. The events of the Assassin's Quest happen when he is 16-17.

Yet in the Fool's Errand, Fitz says that 15 years has gone by from the events of the Assassin's Quest, but it places his age at 35. This means that Robin Hobb is saying that Fitz was 20 by the end of the Assassin's Quest, but the math doesn't work to make that so. There are a couple things like that that I have noticed. Things just missed by editors.

[Buckkeepblue]

While reading Fool's Fate (I believe it was fool's Fate at least) I noticed that the relationship between Fitz and Dutiful was described as uncle and nephew, and I recall reading that at one point Fitz's thoughts relayed that Dutiful was speaking to him more as his nephew than his King. I can assume it was meant only to imply that Fitz acted more akin to an uncle, or subsitute father figure. rather than as a cousin as Dutiful would believe to be the case. But then there was a time when Dutiful was talking of explaining things to Nettle, and mentioned that they shared a grandfather. This to me seems to be an error in the writing as Dutiful wasn't aware that Fitz was his biological father, at least in body. So Dutiful should have viewed Shrewd as his grandfather, where Nettle's grandfather would have been Chivalry.

Next is when early on in Fool's Assassin, Fitz refers to Laurel as the Queen's Witted Huntsman, even though it is made very clear that she is not witted, and only Old Blood by way of being born into an Old Blood family.

I think the description of Dutiful regarding Fitz more as an uncle than a cousin is just because of the age gap between them. Eventhough the technical relationship between them is first cousins (according to Dutiful), the fact that Fitz was a young man when Verity was king, and is literally old enough to be Dutiful's father, would make it more natural for him to see Fitz as an uncle/father figure than as a contemporary. Dutiful is pretty desperate for a male role model in the Tawny Man books.

Regarding the bit about Dutiful and Nettle sharing a grandfather, I'm not sure if this is an editing mistake or Dutiful just being casual about relationships: as far as he's concerned Shrewd is his grandfather and Nettle's great-grandfather, sure there might be a generation in the difference but the relationship is still close enough that he might casually say that they 'share' a grandfather. I think if Dutiful was just chatting about the family with Fitz he wouldn't feel the need to define everyone's exact relationship, they know who they are (or at least think they do!), so generalities like the grandfather comment would be easier.

I don't know what is happening with the Laurel story-line, I didn't pay her too much attention in Tawny Man but it looks like her story has a bigger role to play, and if that's the case then it's unlikely it's an editing mistake. Maybe they call her witted because she's from an old blood family and could be an 'ambassador' for old blood..