You gush just as well as you rant hahah, absolutely devoured this unapologetic gush! You are really making me want to reread this trilogy, because the first time I read it I was still very much in my YA fantasy era and didn't fully appreciate all the richness that Hobb had to offer. Still enjoyed it and I eventually came to adore the RotE as a whole, but now I need to go back to the beginning with all the added context! I know you've already binged the trilogy by now, so I hope all the things you were hoping for got delivered. Also, ugh yes Nosy's fate was just... MY HEART! And her writing is indeed soooo good. Like, I am not a visual reader at all, but Hobb's descriptions are just the perfect balance between sparsely efficient and lushly enveloping. I have never felt so immersed in a world as with the Six Duchies!! You totally did this story justice 🤩
Oh goodness, I loved this video! Thanks for letting me relive one of my favourite books through you. Now that you've finished Farseer, I demand a similar recap of the entire series! I'm excited for you to continue this RoTE journey! I'm confident you'll love every book along the way (except maybe Rainwilds haha)
Glad to hear it! I'll be filming my recap/review of the final Farseer book this coming week, and then I might do a series review as well. Have you read all of the books in RotE?
I loved this video sooo much! I finally forced myself to get back and start reading book 3 again haha so if you do a video like this again for the other books in this trilogy hopefully, I’ll be done with it by then Hobb’s prose is probably the best in the business omg. It doesn’t even feel pretentious or anything its just damn good XD 40:55 When I read this book, I was sooooo worried when Lady Patience was introduced, I just assumed she was going to be evil stepmom lmao XD I was like “oh, no, female Regal incoming…” She ended up being one of my favorite characters Regal = style / Verity = substance I actually don’t hate Regal as much as most people. For me personally, Regal’s story really mirrors the story of a protagonist in another series that I know of. That character has a lot of similarities with Regal, but he is sympathetic because the story is told from his point of view. The reason Regal doesn’t come across as sympathetic in this story is because the story is told from Fitz’s POV. Galen is a horrible and irredeemable little turd from any POV though so screw him. The thing I hate most about Galen doesn’t even to do with the book lmao. I personally have an extra layer of hate for Galen because that’s my dad’s first name IRL and he therefore is besmirching my father’s good name via the associate hahaha XD
@@v3rmilli0nair3 yay I’m glad! I’m planning to do videos like this for every Hobb book lol. Will see if that actually happens though. I agree about Lady P. I was so worried she’d be a cliche but she’s just amazing. Which series are you referring to re Regal’s arc? Hahaha I can totally see why hating Galen would be especially easy for you with your dad. He really is just an evil turd!
@@bookswithzara Lelouch from the anime "Code Geass" has several similarities with Regal, although its definitely not one to one lol Hard to explain without epic spoilers for both series though, but I guess the most relevant part is that like Regal, Lelouch is a prince, there are other siblings ahead of him in line for the throne. Seeing things from Lelouch's POV makes you understand why he feels the need to plot and scheme against his siblings, even the siblings that are inherently good ppl and/or good leaders. With Regal, Fitz doesn't have enough perspective to view him as anything other than awful which makes Regal really hard to empathize with even though from Regal's own POV he is perfectly justified in the moves that he is making
@@v3rmilli0nair3 Hello there! Fancy seeing you here 😆 I'd love for you to get back to Assassin's Quest too, if only so you can move onto the next part of the saga 😉. Regal's character gets fleshed out quite a bit in Assassin's Quest, though understanding him takes a conscious effort to remember he lives a very different life to the other Princes. His mother, Queen Desire, takes him back to Tradeford every summer, his experience of life as royalty is much of pampering and wish fulfillment, not so much of duty, not to mention, Regal's been indoctrinated with the belief that Fitz is now another hurdle between him and the throne he *truly believes* he's 'entitled' to. Wonderful villain. You will meet some of fantasy's most detestable villains later in the saga. Regal's a decent start.
Fabulous review, Zara! Making me excited about a re-read hopefully sooner rather than later. There's definitely a cosiness to the Fitz centric books that you don't quite get in Liveship Traders and Rain Wild Chronicles. Though to be fair, those books are on a grander scale and do the bulk of the heavy lifting of the worldbuilding compared to the Fitz books. This isn't a spoiler but that's one of Hobb's tricks, Burrich is only in his twenties when we meet him, it's the beard and limp that make him appear older to Fitz. I like to think of the Witted as this world's version of Marvel's mutants. One of my favourite parts of Assassin's Apprentice is Fitz and Verity's dynamic. Both are in their stations and are forced to live them, but as a result their relationship is more formal and estranged than either would like. Though admittedly I find Fitz and Chade's dynamic more interesting out of his father figures. Patience ❤ its impossible to not love her. My mixed thoughts on Assassin's Quest aside, I adore the Farseer trilogy. And the best part, its like, my 2nd least favourite subseries of the 4 I've read of RotE so far.
@@thatsci-firogue damn I didn’t realise Burrich was only in his 20s when we meet him! But as a child, everyone above 20 is ancient 😂 amazing writing. I really really love Verity and Fitz’ relationship. It’s probably one of my favourite parts of the series. I really like Chade and how he’s changed in AQ, interesting to see after experiencing his character in the first two books. I’m curious, which set of the trilogies is your favourite?
@@bookswithzara my ranking of the various subseries so far would be Rain Wild Chronicles in last place, then Farseer, Liveship Traders in 2nd and Tawny Man (2nd Fitz trilogy) is easily my favourite. I'm going back to the final trilogy, Fitz and the Fool as soon as possible. I'm almost finished reading the 2nd book in Tad Williams' Memory Sorrow & Thorn and I find Williams writes very similarly to Hobb, especially in terms of pacing.
@@bookswithzara Rogue's placement of the sub-series is the most common, which always surprises readers who fall utterly in love with Farseer. How could it get better? Trust us, it does. An interesting point to note, is that of the few readers I know of that began (not knowing any better) with The Rain Wild Chronicles (targeted by publishers at YA initially), those readers rate that sub-series just as highly. The difference in tone usually comes as a surprise to readers going in the right order, and it's jarring, but that different experience suggests that it's only in comparison with OTHER ❤Hobb ❤ works that makes RWC 'less' awesome.
I highly HIGHLY recommend reading The Wilful Princess and the Piebald Prince (a novella) AFTER Liveships trilogy BEFORE the next Fitz trilogy. You get lots of background on the Wit and it is very helpful for events in that next trilogy. If course not necessary but I think it filled in some holes between the two Fitz trilogies.
@@bookswithzara Top points for Penny! Particularly given your questions about the Wit in this video Zara. Despite it not being 'necessary' to the saga, or part of the story's timeline (it's set a couple of centuries before Fitz' birth), it gives a spectacular amount of lore. It's also a great read.
Nosy and Fitz 😢 I hated Burrich at first for that. Patience is a character that is forever in my heart. I thought she would hate Fitz for obvious reasons, but the fact that she sees him as her son she could never have was unexpected but less cliche. I love the magic system. The Wit and the Skill is easy to understand nothing too fancy but it is integrated into the world so well. The ending is heartbreaking.. AA and the second book Royal Assassin is one of my all time favorite books and helped me through hard times. Robin Hobb’s prose is absolutely beautiful I would love to see more of these reviews for Hobb. Love gush videos about Hobb. I would love to see your thoughts on Tawny Man trilogy, which is my personal favorite.
@@SarahJ70 yeah I love that Lady P didn’t turn out to be a cliche. She’s just a legend. Agreed on the magic system. It’s simple and effective. I’m planning to do videos like this for every Hobb book!
Sorry to take so long to get to this video - I wanted to give it my full and undivided attention. That your first point is about how relaxing you find ❤Hobb's ❤writing, makes me irrationally happy. The Realm of The Elderlings is my comfort read so I 'get' that completely. You've touched already on what are some of the main threads of the saga, trauma, relationships, loneliness, and you're right to do so. Something I hope you've discovered (because I'm assuming you've already continued) is how well ❤Hobb ❤integrates trauma into the characters personalities. So far, she's the only author I've read where that holds true for the duration of the books. If something happens to one of her characters, the scars (mental or physical) remain. Burrich's age is one of the clearest clues about Fitz being an 'unreliable narrator'. Burrich was Chivalry's best friend, roughly the same age. Chivalry Fathered Fitz before meeting and marrying Patience, putting him in his late teens. Meaning that when we're introduced to Burrich he's only in his mid-twenties, not the grizzled veteran Fitz makes him out to be. He DOES look haggard and tired, because he's recovering from the massive injury to his leg he took saving Chivalry's life from a wild boar. By the end of Assassin's Apprentice, when we're told Fitz is 15, Burrich is still only in his early/mid-thirties, a man pretty much in his prime. Chade/Lady Thyme and the wild euphoric drugged dash to Forge is one of those defining moments for Fitz, when a number of things fall into place for him. These moments of epiphany are something ❤Hobb ❤ does really well, giving us as the reader, insight into only marginally related situations. As for Lady Patience, I would die for that woman. I could go on (and on and on), but instead, open the invitation to chat whenever you'd like to. I'm so happy you enjoyed your entry to RoTE.
So sorry for the delay. I didn't get a notification but just saw this in my comments tab. It's crazy to me that Burrich felt so old hahaha but it's super in-line with Fitz' age. Everyone feels older when you're that young. "As for Lady Patience, I would die for that woman." - I totally agree! What a gem. Have you read all of RotE? If so, which has been your favourite series?
@@bookswithzara 😂I'm the ❤Hobb ❤ Queen. I've been annually re-reading the available books since 2001, and I love the entire series to an unnerving degree. I don't even HAVE a favourite sub-series (they all have something the others don't) but I do have favourite moments and characters. I'd genuinely love to have any discussions that draw you on your first read, I've got a BUNCH of talks with various others on my channel where they're full spoiler to the end of the sub-series' but not the entire thing (so those who still have a long way to go get to dig into the story anyway), and I'm positive that Evie would love to join us too. I'm on a few discords, I think we're both a part of Allen's? If you're interested at all, I'm "Derri - Loves Queen Hobb"
Realm of the Elderlings by Robin Hobb is my favourite fantasy book series I’ve ever read! Great review 😁 I’m actually planning to read a book series next year that apparently has the phenomenal character work of Robin Hobb, the epic story and in-depth cultural worldbuilding of Robert Jordan (albeit on a smaller scale), and the political intrigue of George RR Martin all in one series. I’m planning to do 2 books per month for 9 months (the upcoming 18th book should be published next year). If you’re interested, you can also read along with me when I start in February (I’m planning to start the series just after my 30th birthday). 😁
@@samcostello2861 Essalieyan by Michelle West. Similarly to Realm of the Elderlings, it is essentially a gigantic epic fantasy series made up of several interconnected series (those series being The Sacred Hunt duology, The Sun Sword series, The House War series, and the ongoing final series/arc: The Burning Crown series).
@@Bobbyismetal this sounds awesome! Never heard of this series but love the sound of it. I’m not sure if I’ll be able to join but please keep me posted and I’ll see where I’m at in February!
![Seungmin "그렇게, 천천히, 우리(As we are)" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/kAzmhLHePqU/mqdefault.jpg)
Timestamps:
Intro: 00:00-03:05
Non-spoiler thoughts: 03:06-11:12
Spoiler thoughts: 11:22-57:21
Outro: 57:22-59:28
FitzChivalry Farseer and Beloved are two of the best fantasy characters ever...
They’re great!
Opposite of a rant is a gush. ❤
@@Thecatladybooknook_PennyD I’m going to be gushing about this series forever haha 💙
You gush just as well as you rant hahah, absolutely devoured this unapologetic gush! You are really making me want to reread this trilogy, because the first time I read it I was still very much in my YA fantasy era and didn't fully appreciate all the richness that Hobb had to offer. Still enjoyed it and I eventually came to adore the RotE as a whole, but now I need to go back to the beginning with all the added context!
I know you've already binged the trilogy by now, so I hope all the things you were hoping for got delivered. Also, ugh yes Nosy's fate was just... MY HEART! And her writing is indeed soooo good. Like, I am not a visual reader at all, but Hobb's descriptions are just the perfect balance between sparsely efficient and lushly enveloping. I have never felt so immersed in a world as with the Six Duchies!!
You totally did this story justice 🤩
Hahaha thank you! Totally agree that her writing feels so visual. Can imagine everything! Have you read the next trilogy?
A ridiculously long deep dive into AA by Robin Hobb? By Zara? Yes, please!
Exactly!!🎉🎉🎉
Yepp!
@@samcostello2861 💙💙💙
Oh goodness, I loved this video! Thanks for letting me relive one of my favourite books through you. Now that you've finished Farseer, I demand a similar recap of the entire series!
I'm excited for you to continue this RoTE journey! I'm confident you'll love every book along the way (except maybe Rainwilds haha)
Glad to hear it! I'll be filming my recap/review of the final Farseer book this coming week, and then I might do a series review as well.
Have you read all of the books in RotE?
I finished all Rote books about a year ago and i still think about the whole series atleast once a week or something. Glad you like it!
Can’t wait to start the next trilogy!
I loved this video sooo much! I finally forced myself to get back and start reading book 3 again haha so if you do a video like this again for the other books in this trilogy hopefully, I’ll be done with it by then
Hobb’s prose is probably the best in the business omg. It doesn’t even feel pretentious or anything its just damn good XD
40:55 When I read this book, I was sooooo worried when Lady Patience was introduced, I just assumed she was going to be evil stepmom lmao XD I was like “oh, no, female Regal incoming…” She ended up being one of my favorite characters
Regal = style / Verity = substance
I actually don’t hate Regal as much as most people. For me personally, Regal’s story really mirrors the story of a protagonist in another series that I know of. That character has a lot of similarities with Regal, but he is sympathetic because the story is told from his point of view. The reason Regal doesn’t come across as sympathetic in this story is because the story is told from Fitz’s POV.
Galen is a horrible and irredeemable little turd from any POV though so screw him. The thing I hate most about Galen doesn’t even to do with the book lmao. I personally have an extra layer of hate for Galen because that’s my dad’s first name IRL and he therefore is besmirching my father’s good name via the associate hahaha XD
@@v3rmilli0nair3 yay I’m glad! I’m planning to do videos like this for every Hobb book lol. Will see if that actually happens though.
I agree about Lady P. I was so worried she’d be a cliche but she’s just amazing.
Which series are you referring to re Regal’s arc?
Hahaha I can totally see why hating Galen would be especially easy for you with your dad. He really is just an evil turd!
@@bookswithzara Lelouch from the anime "Code Geass" has several similarities with Regal, although its definitely not one to one lol Hard to explain without epic spoilers for both series though, but I guess the most relevant part is that like Regal, Lelouch is a prince, there are other siblings ahead of him in line for the throne. Seeing things from Lelouch's POV makes you understand why he feels the need to plot and scheme against his siblings, even the siblings that are inherently good ppl and/or good leaders. With Regal, Fitz doesn't have enough perspective to view him as anything other than awful which makes Regal really hard to empathize with even though from Regal's own POV he is perfectly justified in the moves that he is making
@@v3rmilli0nair3 Hello there! Fancy seeing you here 😆 I'd love for you to get back to Assassin's Quest too, if only so you can move onto the next part of the saga 😉.
Regal's character gets fleshed out quite a bit in Assassin's Quest, though understanding him takes a conscious effort to remember he lives a very different life to the other Princes. His mother, Queen Desire, takes him back to Tradeford every summer, his experience of life as royalty is much of pampering and wish fulfillment, not so much of duty, not to mention, Regal's been indoctrinated with the belief that Fitz is now another hurdle between him and the throne he *truly believes* he's 'entitled' to. Wonderful villain.
You will meet some of fantasy's most detestable villains later in the saga. Regal's a decent start.
I'm a beginner fantasy reader.
I might give this series a try.
Fabulous review, Zara! Making me excited about a re-read hopefully sooner rather than later.
There's definitely a cosiness to the Fitz centric books that you don't quite get in Liveship Traders and Rain Wild Chronicles. Though to be fair, those books are on a grander scale and do the bulk of the heavy lifting of the worldbuilding compared to the Fitz books.
This isn't a spoiler but that's one of Hobb's tricks, Burrich is only in his twenties when we meet him, it's the beard and limp that make him appear older to Fitz.
I like to think of the Witted as this world's version of Marvel's mutants.
One of my favourite parts of Assassin's Apprentice is Fitz and Verity's dynamic. Both are in their stations and are forced to live them, but as a result their relationship is more formal and estranged than either would like. Though admittedly I find Fitz and Chade's dynamic more interesting out of his father figures.
Patience ❤ its impossible to not love her.
My mixed thoughts on Assassin's Quest aside, I adore the Farseer trilogy. And the best part, its like, my 2nd least favourite subseries of the 4 I've read of RotE so far.
@@thatsci-firogue damn I didn’t realise Burrich was only in his 20s when we meet him! But as a child, everyone above 20 is ancient 😂 amazing writing.
I really really love Verity and Fitz’ relationship. It’s probably one of my favourite parts of the series. I really like Chade and how he’s changed in AQ, interesting to see after experiencing his character in the first two books.
I’m curious, which set of the trilogies is your favourite?
@@bookswithzara my ranking of the various subseries so far would be Rain Wild Chronicles in last place, then Farseer, Liveship Traders in 2nd and Tawny Man (2nd Fitz trilogy) is easily my favourite.
I'm going back to the final trilogy, Fitz and the Fool as soon as possible. I'm almost finished reading the 2nd book in Tad Williams' Memory Sorrow & Thorn and I find Williams writes very similarly to Hobb, especially in terms of pacing.
@@thatsci-firogue ohhh nice! I wonder how my ranking will compare to yours.
I can’t wait to read Tad Williams at some point!
@@bookswithzara Rogue's placement of the sub-series is the most common, which always surprises readers who fall utterly in love with Farseer. How could it get better? Trust us, it does.
An interesting point to note, is that of the few readers I know of that began (not knowing any better) with The Rain Wild Chronicles (targeted by publishers at YA initially), those readers rate that sub-series just as highly. The difference in tone usually comes as a surprise to readers going in the right order, and it's jarring, but that different experience suggests that it's only in comparison with OTHER ❤Hobb ❤ works that makes RWC 'less' awesome.
I highly HIGHLY recommend reading The Wilful Princess and the Piebald Prince (a novella) AFTER Liveships trilogy BEFORE the next Fitz trilogy. You get lots of background on the Wit and it is very helpful for events in that next trilogy. If course not necessary but I think it filled in some holes between the two Fitz trilogies.
Yeah I didn't think it was necessary either I'd a good time with it. A nice wee novella
@@Thecatladybooknook_PennyD noted! I’ve got it on my kindle already and flagged it to read after the Liveships books. Thanks Penny!
@@bookswithzara Top points for Penny! Particularly given your questions about the Wit in this video Zara. Despite it not being 'necessary' to the saga, or part of the story's timeline (it's set a couple of centuries before Fitz' birth), it gives a spectacular amount of lore.
It's also a great read.
Nosy and Fitz 😢 I hated Burrich at first for that.
Patience is a character that is forever in my heart. I thought she would hate Fitz for obvious reasons, but the fact that she sees him as her son she could never have was unexpected but less cliche.
I love the magic system. The Wit and the Skill is easy to understand nothing too fancy but it is integrated into the world so well.
The ending is heartbreaking.. AA and the second book Royal Assassin is one of my all time favorite books and helped me through hard times. Robin Hobb’s prose is absolutely beautiful
I would love to see more of these reviews for Hobb. Love gush videos about Hobb. I would love to see your thoughts on Tawny Man trilogy, which is my personal favorite.
@@SarahJ70 yeah I love that Lady P didn’t turn out to be a cliche. She’s just a legend.
Agreed on the magic system. It’s simple and effective.
I’m planning to do videos like this for every Hobb book!
Sorry to take so long to get to this video - I wanted to give it my full and undivided attention. That your first point is about how relaxing you find ❤Hobb's ❤writing, makes me irrationally happy. The Realm of The Elderlings is my comfort read so I 'get' that completely.
You've touched already on what are some of the main threads of the saga, trauma, relationships, loneliness, and you're right to do so. Something I hope you've discovered (because I'm assuming you've already continued) is how well ❤Hobb ❤integrates trauma into the characters personalities. So far, she's the only author I've read where that holds true for the duration of the books. If something happens to one of her characters, the scars (mental or physical) remain.
Burrich's age is one of the clearest clues about Fitz being an 'unreliable narrator'. Burrich was Chivalry's best friend, roughly the same age. Chivalry Fathered Fitz before meeting and marrying Patience, putting him in his late teens. Meaning that when we're introduced to Burrich he's only in his mid-twenties, not the grizzled veteran Fitz makes him out to be. He DOES look haggard and tired, because he's recovering from the massive injury to his leg he took saving Chivalry's life from a wild boar.
By the end of Assassin's Apprentice, when we're told Fitz is 15, Burrich is still only in his early/mid-thirties, a man pretty much in his prime.
Chade/Lady Thyme and the wild euphoric drugged dash to Forge is one of those defining moments for Fitz, when a number of things fall into place for him. These moments of epiphany are something ❤Hobb ❤ does really well, giving us as the reader, insight into only marginally related situations.
As for Lady Patience, I would die for that woman.
I could go on (and on and on), but instead, open the invitation to chat whenever you'd like to.
I'm so happy you enjoyed your entry to RoTE.
So sorry for the delay. I didn't get a notification but just saw this in my comments tab.
It's crazy to me that Burrich felt so old hahaha but it's super in-line with Fitz' age. Everyone feels older when you're that young.
"As for Lady Patience, I would die for that woman." - I totally agree! What a gem.
Have you read all of RotE? If so, which has been your favourite series?
@@bookswithzara 😂I'm the ❤Hobb ❤ Queen. I've been annually re-reading the available books since 2001, and I love the entire series to an unnerving degree. I don't even HAVE a favourite sub-series (they all have something the others don't) but I do have favourite moments and characters.
I'd genuinely love to have any discussions that draw you on your first read, I've got a BUNCH of talks with various others on my channel where they're full spoiler to the end of the sub-series' but not the entire thing (so those who still have a long way to go get to dig into the story anyway), and I'm positive that Evie would love to join us too. I'm on a few discords, I think we're both a part of Allen's? If you're interested at all, I'm "Derri - Loves Queen Hobb"
A gush is the opposite of a rant.
Realm of the Elderlings by Robin Hobb is my favourite fantasy book series I’ve ever read! Great review 😁
I’m actually planning to read a book series next year that apparently has the phenomenal character work of Robin Hobb, the epic story and in-depth cultural worldbuilding of Robert Jordan (albeit on a smaller scale), and the political intrigue of George RR Martin all in one series.
I’m planning to do 2 books per month for 9 months (the upcoming 18th book should be published next year). If you’re interested, you can also read along with me when I start in February (I’m planning to start the series just after my 30th birthday). 😁
Which series?
@@samcostello2861 Essalieyan by Michelle West. Similarly to Realm of the Elderlings, it is essentially a gigantic epic fantasy series made up of several interconnected series (those series being The Sacred Hunt duology, The Sun Sword series, The House War series, and the ongoing final series/arc: The Burning Crown series).
@@Bobbyismetal this sounds awesome! Never heard of this series but love the sound of it. I’m not sure if I’ll be able to join but please keep me posted and I’ll see where I’m at in February!
@@Bobbyismetal hmmmm I am intrigued.
Oh and I know you feel like you're struggling a bit with AQ... but hold on, keep at it. You'll get a few tidbits that you are interested in.
@@Thecatladybooknook_PennyD it’s getting better now! Over 80% of the way through and enjoying it.
@@bookswithzara yessss