Nearly twenty years ago, Robin Hobb burst upon the fantasy scene with the first of her acclaimed Farseer novels, Assassin’s Apprentice,which introduced the characters of FitzChivalry Farseer and his uncanny friend the Fool. A watershed moment in modern fantasy, this novel—and those that followed—broke exciting new ground in a beloved genre.
robinhobb.com
@robinhobb
Fool’s Assassin
Tom Badgerlock has been living peaceably in the manor house at Withywoods with his beloved wife Molly these many years, the estate a reward to his family for loyal service to the crown.
But behind the facade of respectable middle-age lies a turbulent and violent past. For Tom Badgerlock is actually FitzChivalry Farseer, bastard scion of the Farseer line, convicted user of Beast-magic, and assassin. A man who has risked much for his king and lost more…
On a shelf in his den sits a triptych carved in memory stone of a man, a wolf and a fool. Once, these three were inseparable friends: Fitz, Nighteyes and the Fool. But one is long dead, and one long-missing.
Then one Winterfest night a messenger arrives to seek out Fitz, but mysteriously disappears, leaving nothing but a blood-trail. What was the message? Who was the sender? And what has happened to the messenger?
Suddenly Fitz’s violent old life erupts into the peace of his new world, and nothing and no one is safe.
… and to give you a few insights into this year’s nominated authors, we’ve asked them all a few questions…
Tell us one of your early favourite fantasy novels?
It’s a virtually unknown book these days. The Joyous Story of Astrid by L. Adams Beck. She was a Canadian author and an authority on ‘The Orient’. It’s the tale of a child abandoned on a writer’s doorstep. Astrid is a moonchild and animals can speak to her.
What fantasy novel was a real game changer, shifting the way you thought about epic fiction?
It’s trite, but true. The Lord of the Rings. It was big, a fully realized world, with characters to care deeply about. I’d never read anything like it.
What do you like to see on fantasy novel cover art? What puts you off?
No more hooded dudes! Really and truly. I like to see something that hints at the story without being a major spoiler! And that goes for the back cover, too. No spoilers in the book blurbs!
What classic fantasy themes always get your interest on the cover or in the write up of a new book? Any pet hates?
Oh, I think I betrayed my current dislike for Hooded Men on covers. I will add that I dislike characters dressed in impractical armour that leaves vital areas bared. Yes, you know what I mean.
I will admit that I have a weakness for Fantastic Animals, as they used to be called. But not wimped down into pastel pets. Scary Unicorns. Gryphons. Yes, dragons.
What’s the next big thing you’d like to see in epic fantasy fiction?
Hm. Is it possible to write Epic Contemporary fantasy? I’m not even sure what that would look like. Or epic fantasy that is not necessarily saved by brawn and swords and bloodshed.
Robin Hobb is one of the world’s finest writers of epic fiction. She was born in California in 1952 but raised in Alaska, where she learned how to raise a wolf cub, to skin a moose and to survive in the wilderness. When she married a fisherman who fished herring and the Kodiak salmon-run for half the year, these skills would stand her in good stead. She raised her family, ran a smallholding, delivered post to her remote community, all at the same time as writing stories and novels. She succeeded on all fronts, raising four children and becoming an internationally best-selling writer. She lives in Tacoma, Washington State.