Search results for ""author robin hobb""

‘Fantasy as it ought to be written’ George R.R. Martin Return to the world of Fitz, the Fool and Nighteyes in the first book of The Tawny Man Trilogy by international bestselling author, Robin Hobb. Years have passed since Fitz was tortured by Prince Regal. Now he lives in self-imposed exile far from the court. Even his beloved Molly believes him dead. It is safer that way. But safety remains an illusion. Even though war is over dangerous undercurrents still swirl around the Six Duchies and suddenly young Prince Dutiful disappears just before his crucial diplomatic wedding to shore up the peace. The Fools brings Fitz a secret mission. He and his bonded companion, the wolf Nighteyes, must find Dutiful and bring him back to be wed. For if the Outislanders are snubbed, war will surely resume. But what if the prince does not wish to be found?

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Internationally-bestselling, critically-acclaimed author Robin Hobb takes readers deep into the history behind the Farseer series in this exclusive, new novella. Long before the time of Chivalry Farseer, there was another indiscreet member of the royal line. Princess Caution Farseer, in defiance of her name, was headstrong and willful, destined to fall dangerously in love where she ought not. The child she bore, a Witted boy known as the Piebald Prince, rose to favour despite his questionable bloodlines. But the dukes of the Six Duchies backed Canny Farseer for the throne. And so both young men competed for power… But this was not their only struggle: for they both fell in love with the same lady. Such rivalry could end only in bloodshed… A tale of love and secrets, magic and manipulation, heartbreak and murder most foul: only a true-tongued minstrel can reveal the real story of the Wilful Princess and the Piebald Prince.

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“Complex . . . an atmosphere-filled adventure . . . with a fair quota of surprises . . . a winning combination of strong characters and colorful societies.”—Kirkus ReviewsIn the final book in the Tawny Man Trilogy, Fitz and the Fool are tested more severely than ever in a book the Monroe News-Star calls “a breathtaking ride from beginning to end.”FitzChivalry Farseer has become firmly ensconced in the queen’s court. Along with his mentor, Chade, and the simpleminded yet strongly skilled Thick, Fitz strives to aid Prince Dutiful on a quest that could secure peace with the Out Islands—and win Dutiful the hand of the Narcheska Elliania.The Narcheska has set the prince an unfathomable task: to behead a dragon trapped in ice on the isle of Aslevjal. Yet not all the clans of the Out Islands support their effort. Are there darker forces at work behind Elliania’s demand? Knowing that the Fool ha

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The second book in The Soldier Son Trilogy, from the author of the bestselling Farseer, Liveship Traders and Tawny Man trilogies. The King’s Cavalla Academy has been ravaged by the Speck plague. As the infirmary empties, Cadet Nevare Burvelle also prepares to journey home. Far from being a broken man, Nevare is hale and hearty after defeating his nemesis, Tree Woman, and freeing himself of the Speck magic that infected him and attempted to turn him against his own people. Yet his nights are still haunted by dreams of the voluptuous Tree Woman, dreams in which his Speck self betrays everything he holds dear in his waking life. Has the plague infected him in ways far more mysterious than the merely physical? Despite his fears, Nevare will journey back in full expectation of a jubilant homecoming and a reunion with his fiancée, Carsina. But his life is about to take a shocking turn, as the magic in his blood roars to life, a magic that seeks to destroy all he loves.

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'Fantasy as it ought to be written' George R.R. Martin The second book in Robin Hobb’s thrilling fantasy series returns readers to the Six Duchies and the magical world of the Fitz and the Fool. Fitz has been persuaded back to court, posing as a servant to the decadent Lord Golden (who is the Fool in disguise). In secret, he will train Prince Dutiful in the magic known as the Skill. The peace remains fragile, so the diplomatic wedding between Dutiful and the Outislander princess is a crucial alliance. But when Elliania arrives she challenges the prince to undertake an impossible quest before she will accept him. He must kill Icefyre, one of the last true dragons. And Fitz and the Fool must go with him…

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The first book in The Soldier Son Trilogy, from the author of the bestselling Farseer, Liveship Traders and Tawny Man trilogies. Nevare Burvelle anticipates a golden future. He will follow his father into the army, to the frontier and thence to an advantageous marriage. Over twenty years the army has pushed the frontiers of Gernia as far as the Barrier Mountains, home to the enigmatic Speck people, who retain the last vestiges of magic in a progressive world. Exotic and misunderstood, they are believed to spread a sexual plague which has ravaged the frontier, decimating entire regiments. Such beliefs will affect Nevare’s military training at the Academy, where he will experience injustice and foul play. But his world view will also be challenged by his unconventional cousin Epiny. And on Dark Evening, when the carnival comes to Old Thares, it will bring with it the first Specks Nevare has ever seen…

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Return to the world of the Liveship Traders and journey along the Rain Wild River in the third instalment of high adventure from the author of the internationally acclaimed Farseer trilogy. The secret is out… The Tarman expedition has at last found Kelsingra, a city filled with ancient treasures. Rumours of the city have floated down the Rain Wild River. Adventurers, pirates and fortune hunters will soon be coming to pillage what they can. Among them, Hest Finbok, determined to claim back his errant wife, Alise. Meanwhile, Selden Vestrit finds himself a prisoner of the ailing Duke of Chalced, who believes the 'dragon man's' flesh and blood may cure him. Where is Tintaglia, greatest of dragons, when there is need of her? She holds the memories that will unlock the mysteries of Kelsingra, and the power to defend it, and dragonkind. Without her, all may be lost.

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The first book in a four part series from one of the greatest writers in the fantasy genre. DRAGON KEEPER returns fans to Hobb’s best-loved world, full of dragons, magical ships and unforgettable characters. Dragons have returned to the world . . . Guided by the dragon Tintaglia, the serpents came from the sea to fight their way up the Rain Wild River to their ancestral hatching grounds. But the fledglings that emerge from the cocoons are a travesty of the dragons of old. Flightless and fractious, they soon become a danger to all and must be moved. Thymara, a Rain Wilder born with scales and claws, answers the call to become one of the dragon keepers to accompany the creatures upriver. Their target is the legendary Elderling city of Kelsingra. But no one knows if it even exists; and no one expects the dragon keepers to return, or even survive…

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‘Hobb is a remarkable storyteller’ GUARDIAN The second volume in this superb trilogy from the author of The Farseer trilogy continues the dramatic tale of piracy, serpents, love and magic. The Vestrit family’s liveship, Vivacia, has been taken by the pirate king, Kennit. Held captive on board, Wintrow Vestrit finds himself competing with Kennit for Vivacia’s love as the ship slowly acquires her own bloodlust. Leagues away, Althea Vestrit has found a new home aboard the liveship Ophelia, but she lives only to reclaim the Vivacia and with her friend, Brashen, she plans a dangerous rescue. Meanwhile in Bingtown, the fading fortunes of the Vestrit family lead Malta deeper into the magical secrets of the Rain Wild Traders. And just outside Bingtown, Amber dreams of relaunching Paragon, the mad liveship . . .

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‘As addictive as morphine’ THE TIMES From the author of the classic Farseer trilogy, SHIP OF MAGIC is the first part of the Liveship Traders. Set in a land bordering the Six Duchies, Robin Hobb begins her epic tale of pirates, talking ships, magic, sea serpents, slave revolts, dashing heroes and bloody battles. Wizardwood, the most precious commodity in the world, comes only from the Rain Wilds. But only a liveship can negotiate the perilous waters of the Rain Wild River, and liveships are hard to come by. They quicken only when three family members from successive generations have died upon their deck. The liveship Vivacia is about to undergo her quickening: Althea Vestrit waits for the ship that she loves more than anything in the world to awaken. But her dream of taking her father’s place at Vivacia’s helm is not to be, for her family have other plans. . . And the dark, charming pirate Kennit also lusts after such a ship: he well knows the power of wizardwood and has plans of his own . . .

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“As good as gold . . . Golden Fool proves again that Hobb is one of the best in the business.”—Monroe News-StarFitz and the Fool continue their quest as new challenges beset their land and threaten the ruling family in this “page-turning treat” (Romantic Times, four stars).Prince Dutiful has been rescued from his Piebald kidnappers and the court has resumed its normal rhythms. There, FitzChivalry Farseer, gutted by the loss of his wolf bondmate, must take up residence at Buckkeep as a journeyman assassin. Posing as a bodyguard, Fitz becomes the eyes and ears behind the walls, guiding a kingdom straying closer to civil strife each day. Amid a multitude of problems, Fitz must ensure that no one betrays the Prince’s secret: that he, like Fitz, possesses the dread “Beast Magic.” Only Fitz’s friendship with the Fool brings him solace. But even that is shattered when devastating r

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Return to the world of the Liveships Traders and journey along the Rain Wild River in the second instalment of high adventure from the author of the internationally acclaimed Farseer trilogy. A mythical city: a dangerous quest… As the fledgling dragons and their keepers forge a passage through the uncharted waters of the Rain Wild River, they are supported by the liveship Tarman, its captain, Leftrin, and Alise Finbok, who has escaped her cruel marriage in Bingtown. A vial of dragon blood can earn a man enough gold to last a lifetime: there may be some in the party who see the dragons as more valuable as body parts than whole and alive. But it is the Rain Wilds themselves – mysterious, unstable and ever perilous – that may provide the deadliest danger as they make their way towards the mythical haven of Kelsingra. The hazards of that journey will push them all to the very brink of survival.

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‘Fantasy as it ought to be written’ George R.R. Martin The second volume in Robin Hobb’s internationally bestselling Farseer Trilogy. Honesty is the bedrock for any relationship. But how can Fitz – royal bastard, trainee assassin, holder of secrets crucial to the security of the kingdom – bare his soul to his beloved Molly? Danger lies all around him – from the raiders savaging the coastal towns, and from within the court. The king has been struck down by a mystery illness and his eldest son, Verity, is bound up in the defence of the realm. When Verity leaves the court in search of the mythical Elderlings, Fitz finds himself friendless apart from his wolf, Nighteyes, and the king’s strange, motley-clad fool, exposed to Prince Regal’s malign ambitions. He will be asked to sacrifice everything – his heart, his hope, even his life – for the sake of the realm.

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‘Fantasy as it ought to be written’ George R.R. Martin The gripping finale to Robin Hobb’s classic Farseer Trilogy. With the king no longer living and the heir, Verity, missing and declared dead, Prince Regal has treacherously seized the throne. Regal’s torture has left Fitz more dead than alive, and more closely than ever bonded with his wolf. All who once loved him believe him dead: even Molly, now pregnant with his child. But he cannot go to her without placing her in terrible danger. With nothing to lose, Fitz sets out for Tradeford, where Regal has withdrawn, having heartlessly abandoned the north of the kingdom to the Red-Ship Raiders. His quest: to assassinate the man who has destroyed his world.

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The much-anticipated final conclusion to the Fitz and The Fool trilogy. Prince FitzChivalry Farseer’s daughter Bee was violently abducted from Withywoods by Servants of the Four in their search for the Unexpected Son, foretold to wield great power. With Fitz in pursuit, the Servants fled through a Skill-pillar, leaving no trace. It seems certain that they and their young hostage have perished in the Skill-river. Clerres, where White Prophets were trained by the Servants to set the world on a better path, has been corrupted by greed. Fitz is determined to reach the city and take vengeance on the Four, not only for the loss of Bee but also for their torture of the Fool. Accompanied by FitzVigilant, son of the assassin Chade, Chade’s protégé Spark and the stableboy Perseverance, Bee's only friend, their journey will take them from the Elderling city of Kelsingra, down the perilous Rain Wild River, and on to the Pirate Isles. Their mission for revenge will become a voyage of discovery, as well as of reunions, transformations and heartrending shocks. Startling answers to old mysteries are revealed. What became of the liveships Paragon and Vivacia and their crews? What is the origin of the Others and their eerie beach? How are liveships and dragons connected? But Fitz and his followers are not the only ones with a deadly grudge against the Four. An ancient wrong will bring them unlikely and dangerous allies in their quest. And if the corrupt society of Clerres is to be brought down, Fitz and the Fool will have to make a series of profound and fateful sacrifices. ASSASSIN’S FATE is a magnificent tour de force and with it Robin Hobb demonstrates yet again that she is the reigning queen of epic fantasy.

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'Fantasy as it ought to be written' George R.R. Martin Robin Hobb returns to her best loved characters with the second volume in a brand new series. Years ago, they freed a dragon from the glaciers on Aslevjal. Then they parted, the Fool returning to far-off Clerres, while Fitz finally claimed a wife, a family, and a home of his own. Now, betrayed and broken, the Fool has made his way back to the Six Duchies. But as Fitz attempts to heal his old friend in Buckkeep Castle his young daughter Bee is abducted from Withywoods by mysterious raiders who leave ruin and confusion in their wake. Fitz must rescue his beloved Bee. At the same time the Fool is determined that Fitz travel with him to Clerres to wreak vengeance. Fitz must grimly take up his assassin’s tools once more, but will he also be forced to choose between saving his child and avenging his dearest friend?

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“Hobb’s fans won’t be disappointed with this latest installment. Fool’s Errand lives up to the legacy of the Farseer trilogy.”—Monroe News-StarFitz and the Fool are reunited in the first book in the Tawny Man Trilogy—“a stay-up-until-2:00 a.m.-to-finish type of book” (Publishers Weekly, starred review).For fifteen years, FitzChivalry Farseer has lived in self-imposed exile, assumed to be dead by almost all who once cared about him. But now, into his isolated life, visitors begin to arrive: Fitz’s mentor from his assassin days; a hedge-witch who foresees the return of a long-lost love; and the Fool, the former White Prophet, who beckons Fitz to fulfill his destiny. Then comes the summons he cannot ignore. Prince Dutiful, the young heir to the Farseer throne, has vanished. Fitz, possessed of magical skills both royal and profane, is the only one who can retrieve him in t

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