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The Realm of the Elderlings #0.5
The Wilful Princess and the Piebald Prince
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.
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.
159 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2013
About the author
Robin Hobb
290 books105k followers** I am shocked to find that some people think a 2 star 'I liked it' rating is a bad rating. What? I liked it. I LIKED it! That means I read the whole thing, to the last page, in spite of my life raining comets on me. It's a good book that survives the reading process with me. If a book is so-so, it ends up under the bed somewhere, or maybe under a stinky judo bag in the back of the van. So a 2 star from me means,yes, I liked the book, and I'd loan it to a friend and it went everywhere in my jacket pocket or purse until I finished it. A 3 star means that I've ignored friends to finish it and my sink is full of dirty dishes. A 4 star means I'm probably in trouble with my editor for missing a deadline because I was reading this book. But I want you to know . . . I don't finish books I don't like. There's too many good ones out there waiting to be found.
Robin Hobb is the author of three well-received fantasy trilogies: The Farseer Trilogy (Assassin’s Apprentice, Royal Assassin, and Assassin’s Quest), The Liveship Traders Trilogy (Ship of Magic, Mad Ship and Ship of Destiny) and the Tawny Man Trilogy (Fool’s Errand, Golden Fool, and Fool’s Fate) Her current work in progress is entitled Shaman’s Crossing. Robin Hobb lives and works in Tacoma, Washington, and has been a professional writer for over 30 years.
In addition to writing, her interests include gardening, mushrooming, and beachcombing. She and her husband Fred have three grown children and one teenager, and three grand-children.
She also writes as Megan Lindholm, and works under that name have been finalists for the Hugo award, the Nebula Award, and the Endeavor award. She has twice won an Isaac Asimov’s Science Fiction Readers’ Award.
Robin Hobb is the author of three well-received fantasy trilogies: The Farseer Trilogy (Assassin’s Apprentice, Royal Assassin, and Assassin’s Quest), The Liveship Traders Trilogy (Ship of Magic, Mad Ship and Ship of Destiny) and the Tawny Man Trilogy (Fool’s Errand, Golden Fool, and Fool’s Fate) Her current work in progress is entitled Shaman’s Crossing. Robin Hobb lives and works in Tacoma, Washington, and has been a professional writer for over 30 years.
In addition to writing, her interests include gardening, mushrooming, and beachcombing. She and her husband Fred have three grown children and one teenager, and three grand-children.
She also writes as Megan Lindholm, and works under that name have been finalists for the Hugo award, the Nebula Award, and the Endeavor award. She has twice won an Isaac Asimov’s Science Fiction Readers’ Award.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 944 reviews
November 18, 2023
First let's talk about the book - the physical thing. The edition I have is a Voyager hardback and they have gone to town on it. The cover artist, the excellent Jackie Morris, has additional artwork scattered through the text, including two coloured illustrations at the start, and pen and ink work through the body. Each page ends in a narrow scrolled design too. It's a lovely thing.
This is a short book, technically a novella at 38,000 words.
You should be aware when picking this up that it's in a different style to most books, including Hobb's other work. Like many of her other books this is written in the 1st person, but it's in the style of an account, which allows it to cover many years and a good number of complex events in such a short space. You pay for this in a loss of immediacy and a significant reduction in the amount of dialogue. A common 'rule' of writing is "show don't tell" but when you're as accomplished as Robin Hobb you can bend the rules almost to breaking point, and an account of this sort is primarily an exercise in telling. Hobb works her magic here and makes this a tale that manages to be emotionally engaging even while it covers so much ground.
TWP & TPP provides a background to the Farseer books, providing a satisfying insight into some of their history.
This isn't more of the same, it amplifies some aspects of the Farseer books and lessens others. Your reaction will depend on what you loved most about those books.
The book doesn't assume any knowledge, so it's entirely possible that it will work well for those who have never read a Hobb book - but having read many of them I'm not in a good position to judge that.
A beautiful book. A poignant tale, wonderfully written. Something to keep you occupied while you wait for Fool's Assassin!
EDIT - you no longer have to wait for Fool's Assassin - so read it - wonderful book!
Join my Patreon
Join my 3-emails-a-year newsletter #prizes
..
This is a short book, technically a novella at 38,000 words.
You should be aware when picking this up that it's in a different style to most books, including Hobb's other work. Like many of her other books this is written in the 1st person, but it's in the style of an account, which allows it to cover many years and a good number of complex events in such a short space. You pay for this in a loss of immediacy and a significant reduction in the amount of dialogue. A common 'rule' of writing is "show don't tell" but when you're as accomplished as Robin Hobb you can bend the rules almost to breaking point, and an account of this sort is primarily an exercise in telling. Hobb works her magic here and makes this a tale that manages to be emotionally engaging even while it covers so much ground.
TWP & TPP provides a background to the Farseer books, providing a satisfying insight into some of their history.
This isn't more of the same, it amplifies some aspects of the Farseer books and lessens others. Your reaction will depend on what you loved most about those books.
The book doesn't assume any knowledge, so it's entirely possible that it will work well for those who have never read a Hobb book - but having read many of them I'm not in a good position to judge that.
A beautiful book. A poignant tale, wonderfully written. Something to keep you occupied while you wait for Fool's Assassin!
EDIT - you no longer have to wait for Fool's Assassin - so read it - wonderful book!
Join my Patreon
Join my 3-emails-a-year newsletter #prizes
..
January 11, 2021
The Willful Princess and the Piebald Prince (Realm of the elderlings,#0.5) by Robin Hobb
Robin Hobb brings back to the earlier generations of the Farseer reign in this short tale of love, treachery, and magic. She always writes in a way that you'll come to feel the characters' woe and their pain. And this book is none different from that sort of writing. Absolutely fascinating story. Her world completely captured my imagination. If you haven't read any of her books, this book is not a good place to start with. Start with 'Farseer trilogy' and then you'll understand just how grave is the consequences of what happens in this novella.
Remarkable prequel.
Robin Hobb brings back to the earlier generations of the Farseer reign in this short tale of love, treachery, and magic. She always writes in a way that you'll come to feel the characters' woe and their pain. And this book is none different from that sort of writing. Absolutely fascinating story. Her world completely captured my imagination. If you haven't read any of her books, this book is not a good place to start with. Start with 'Farseer trilogy' and then you'll understand just how grave is the consequences of what happens in this novella.
Opinions may have truth in them but that truth must be free of opinions.
Remarkable prequel.
January 25, 2018
There needs to be more novella like this.
The Legend of the Piebald Prince was first briefly mentioned in chapter 31 of Royal Assassin. In this novella, we get to see the full story of the legend, which mostly focused on explaining the dark history of the Farseer line long before FitzChivalry Farseer’s storyline and the most important one, it shed light on why The Wit became despicable by the society in the first place.
This is a short book, just around two hours read for me, but within 160 pages Hobb managed to tell a compelling story of tragedy, love, and betrayal. The book is divided into two parts/chapter only, I didn't expect the first part to be that dark in tone, it was fantastic. The second part sometimes felt a bit draggy but it was absolutely worth it to reach. As usual, Hobb’s prose remained the highlight of the book. Even though the book was told from a secondhand experience of the narrator, it was still engaging for me. Plus, there are a few apt and beautiful interior artworks done by Jackie Morris that will enhance the reader's experience, I know it did for me.
Picture: One of the interior artwork inside the book.
The Wilful Princess and the Piebald Prince is a great novella that provided a great insight into the history of Farseer and The Wit. I highly recommend this to any Robin Hobb's fans. I do have to mention that even though this is a prequel, I think it's better to read this one only after you read at least two books in The Farseer trilogy, this way you'll know more about The Wit and the families in the Six Duchies.
You can find this and the rest of my Adult Epic/High Fantasy & Sci-Fi reviews at BookNest
The Legend of the Piebald Prince was first briefly mentioned in chapter 31 of Royal Assassin. In this novella, we get to see the full story of the legend, which mostly focused on explaining the dark history of the Farseer line long before FitzChivalry Farseer’s storyline and the most important one, it shed light on why The Wit became despicable by the society in the first place.
This is a short book, just around two hours read for me, but within 160 pages Hobb managed to tell a compelling story of tragedy, love, and betrayal. The book is divided into two parts/chapter only, I didn't expect the first part to be that dark in tone, it was fantastic. The second part sometimes felt a bit draggy but it was absolutely worth it to reach. As usual, Hobb’s prose remained the highlight of the book. Even though the book was told from a secondhand experience of the narrator, it was still engaging for me. Plus, there are a few apt and beautiful interior artworks done by Jackie Morris that will enhance the reader's experience, I know it did for me.
Picture: One of the interior artwork inside the book.
The Wilful Princess and the Piebald Prince is a great novella that provided a great insight into the history of Farseer and The Wit. I highly recommend this to any Robin Hobb's fans. I do have to mention that even though this is a prequel, I think it's better to read this one only after you read at least two books in The Farseer trilogy, this way you'll know more about The Wit and the families in the Six Duchies.
You can find this and the rest of my Adult Epic/High Fantasy & Sci-Fi reviews at BookNest
April 23, 2024
First let's talk about the book - the physical thing. The edition I have is a Voyager hardback and they have gone to town on it. The cover artist, the excellent Jackie Morris, has additional artwork scattered through the text, including two coloured illustrations at the start, and pen and ink work through the body. Each page ends in a narrow scrolled design too. It's a lovely thing.
This is a short book, technically a novella at 38,000 words.
You should be aware when picking this up that it's in a different style to most books, including Hobb's other work. Like many of her other books this is written in the 1st person, but it's in the style of an account, which allows it to cover many years and a good number of complex events in such a short space. You pay for this in a loss of immediacy and a significant reduction in the amount of dialogue. A common 'rule' of writing is "show don't tell" but when you're as accomplished as Robin Hobb you can bend the rules almost to breaking point, and an account of this sort is primarily an exercise in telling. Hobb works her magic here and makes this a tale that manages to be emotionally engaging even while it covers so much ground.
TWP & TPP provides a satisfying background to the Farseer books. If you loved those books, as I did, then you'll probably love this work too. It's entirely possible the novella will work well for someone new to Hobb's work - it certainly doesn't assume any knowledge of the Farseer world - but I'm not in a good position to judge that.
For Farseer fans, this isn't more of the same, it takes and amplifies certain aspects and holds less of others. Your reaction to it will depend upon what you liked most in those books. But I think everyone will find things to love in it, and it's a great way to spend some reading time while you wait for Fool's Assassin to come out!
Join my Patreon
Join my 3-emails-a-year newsletter #prizes
..
This is a short book, technically a novella at 38,000 words.
You should be aware when picking this up that it's in a different style to most books, including Hobb's other work. Like many of her other books this is written in the 1st person, but it's in the style of an account, which allows it to cover many years and a good number of complex events in such a short space. You pay for this in a loss of immediacy and a significant reduction in the amount of dialogue. A common 'rule' of writing is "show don't tell" but when you're as accomplished as Robin Hobb you can bend the rules almost to breaking point, and an account of this sort is primarily an exercise in telling. Hobb works her magic here and makes this a tale that manages to be emotionally engaging even while it covers so much ground.
TWP & TPP provides a satisfying background to the Farseer books. If you loved those books, as I did, then you'll probably love this work too. It's entirely possible the novella will work well for someone new to Hobb's work - it certainly doesn't assume any knowledge of the Farseer world - but I'm not in a good position to judge that.
For Farseer fans, this isn't more of the same, it takes and amplifies certain aspects and holds less of others. Your reaction to it will depend upon what you liked most in those books. But I think everyone will find things to love in it, and it's a great way to spend some reading time while you wait for Fool's Assassin to come out!
Join my Patreon
Join my 3-emails-a-year newsletter #prizes
..
October 10, 2018
Excellent fairy tale retelling with a darkling twist!
Q:
These things I saw and knew. ... But willful she was. And still I loved her. (c)
Q:
I had all I needed there at my fingertips, for I loved her with all my being. (c)
Q:
For now, while I have you, I need no man to share my bed. (c)
Q:
From my mother, I had learned that although all noble ladies must be virgins when they first wed, it did not mean they must be strangers to pleasure. And in that duty I had served my queen well and willingly since before we had been women. (c)
Q:
I can say with absolute certainty that many of the things now said of him are rankest nonsense, and only spoken aloud to justify all that came afterward. (c)
Q:
I have heard one minstrel sing of how the mist cloaked her hair as with a thousand jewels, and tell of how pink her cheeks were with the chill. (c)
Q:
A thousand, a thousand-thousand times I have wished those words unsaid. They were the words that ended my life. (c)
Q:
“I have lost so many things. My mother is gone; she will never dance at my wedding. If I ever wed, it will not be as the cherished virgin daughter that you hoped to celebrate. I have disappointed and shamed you. I have disappointed and shamed myself, to give my heart and body to a man who was worthy of neither. And I have cheated the child that grows within me; the babe will have no father to defend him, no name save my own, no future except what I can bestow." (c)
Q:
I seethed in meek silence, wishing to kill them all. (c)
Q:
Put your child on a throne. (c)
Q:
And never did I think of telling her the truth... That burden I kept from her and made it mine alone. (c)
Q:
My heart shrank as her spirit grew smaller, and when she died, something in me died as well. ... My queen, my sister, my daughter, my lover all were gone, as if the sun had vanished from the sky, leaving me with nothing but two squalling children. (c)
Q:
a man both grave and thoughtful... (c)
Q:
Cats trailed after him. (c)
Q:
The truth of how it was will vary with every man that speaks of it... (c)
Q:
But any that tell this tale are attempting to be prophets after the event had passed. (c)
Q:
...she walked like a swordsman, danced like a butterfly, and laughed with the music of the wind in her voice. (c)
Q:
Silence and time might have done many things, but he was denied both of those things. (с)
Q:
All he had was a voice and a tongue, eyes that watched and a mind that remembered. In the end, those were all he could offer to defend his king. (c)
Q:
Every coward may know one moment of courage. (c)
Q:
Yet all winters must end, even those infused with grief and injustice. (c)
Q:
These things I saw and knew. ... But willful she was. And still I loved her. (c)
Q:
I had all I needed there at my fingertips, for I loved her with all my being. (c)
Q:
For now, while I have you, I need no man to share my bed. (c)
Q:
From my mother, I had learned that although all noble ladies must be virgins when they first wed, it did not mean they must be strangers to pleasure. And in that duty I had served my queen well and willingly since before we had been women. (c)
Q:
I can say with absolute certainty that many of the things now said of him are rankest nonsense, and only spoken aloud to justify all that came afterward. (c)
Q:
I have heard one minstrel sing of how the mist cloaked her hair as with a thousand jewels, and tell of how pink her cheeks were with the chill. (c)
Q:
A thousand, a thousand-thousand times I have wished those words unsaid. They were the words that ended my life. (c)
Q:
“I have lost so many things. My mother is gone; she will never dance at my wedding. If I ever wed, it will not be as the cherished virgin daughter that you hoped to celebrate. I have disappointed and shamed you. I have disappointed and shamed myself, to give my heart and body to a man who was worthy of neither. And I have cheated the child that grows within me; the babe will have no father to defend him, no name save my own, no future except what I can bestow." (c)
Q:
I seethed in meek silence, wishing to kill them all. (c)
Q:
Put your child on a throne. (c)
Q:
And never did I think of telling her the truth... That burden I kept from her and made it mine alone. (c)
Q:
My heart shrank as her spirit grew smaller, and when she died, something in me died as well. ... My queen, my sister, my daughter, my lover all were gone, as if the sun had vanished from the sky, leaving me with nothing but two squalling children. (c)
Q:
a man both grave and thoughtful... (c)
Q:
Cats trailed after him. (c)
Q:
The truth of how it was will vary with every man that speaks of it... (c)
Q:
But any that tell this tale are attempting to be prophets after the event had passed. (c)
Q:
...she walked like a swordsman, danced like a butterfly, and laughed with the music of the wind in her voice. (c)
Q:
Silence and time might have done many things, but he was denied both of those things. (с)
Q:
All he had was a voice and a tongue, eyes that watched and a mind that remembered. In the end, those were all he could offer to defend his king. (c)
Q:
Every coward may know one moment of courage. (c)
Q:
Yet all winters must end, even those infused with grief and injustice. (c)
February 22, 2016
I wish Robin Hobb would write more books like this. Well, I wish she would write more books in general, which speaks volumes considering how many she has already written. Her prose is simply excellent; it is so easily to become lost in it. This book tells the tale of a legend that is often referred to in the Farseer books. So, it’s great to see the story in depth, as it adds a sense of history to her already remarkable novels.
An excellent backstory
The Witted folk often claim to have a kinship with the Farseer line because they believe that the Farseers are descended from their own folk. Their suggestion obviously bares merit because FitzChivallry himself is witted, though this may have come from his mother’s blood line. Either way there is some of the Farseer blood with the hated wit magic. The first part of the story is, essentially, a love story in which a young Farseer Princess falls in love with a Witted stable boy. The story is one of love that could never last because a Princess could never marry someone so below her station. The woe begotten tale unfolds, and the Princess is left with a royal bastard; thus, the wit enters the Farseer blood line.
The second part of the story follows a battle of succession. The bastard boy is first in line, but he has the hated wit magic. His conception out of wedlock, and of low lineage, results in the Dukes of the Six Duchies supporting a different claimant: Canny Farseer. If that wasn’t enough reason for the two rival claimants fight they both then fall for the same woman. What unfolds is a somewhat predictable story that ended in bloodshed. I think the first part of the story was much better, and without it, the second wouldn’t have been quite as good. Together though, they provide an intriguing backstory to the Farseer lineage.
A great edition
Very few authors can write one hundred and fifty pages of prose, and then sell it for £14.99 then at the same time have the reader feel like its money well spent. Indeed, the royal Farseer line has a darker history than I ever imagined. This will be appreciated most by those that have read the The Tawny Man Trilogy and The Farseer Trilogy because the reader will begin to see where the discrimination for the witted folk began. I personally recommend reading it after Fool’s Errand . It adds an excellent backstory to her world and specifically to that book in particular. I wish she would write more tales like this.
The book itself looks very good. There are some images that accompany the story, which really help to evoke the nature of Robin Hobb’s writing style. I think the art work is great; it is the same as that on the covers of her books in the U.K. I love the designs. Overall, I really enjoyed reading this, but I found the ending of the overall tale a little predictable. Also because of the short nature of the tale there wasn’t much room for motional investment, which for me is the strongest aspect of her writing. So without it, it felt a little flat.
A Witted 3.5 stars
An excellent backstory
The Witted folk often claim to have a kinship with the Farseer line because they believe that the Farseers are descended from their own folk. Their suggestion obviously bares merit because FitzChivallry himself is witted, though this may have come from his mother’s blood line. Either way there is some of the Farseer blood with the hated wit magic. The first part of the story is, essentially, a love story in which a young Farseer Princess falls in love with a Witted stable boy. The story is one of love that could never last because a Princess could never marry someone so below her station. The woe begotten tale unfolds, and the Princess is left with a royal bastard; thus, the wit enters the Farseer blood line.
The second part of the story follows a battle of succession. The bastard boy is first in line, but he has the hated wit magic. His conception out of wedlock, and of low lineage, results in the Dukes of the Six Duchies supporting a different claimant: Canny Farseer. If that wasn’t enough reason for the two rival claimants fight they both then fall for the same woman. What unfolds is a somewhat predictable story that ended in bloodshed. I think the first part of the story was much better, and without it, the second wouldn’t have been quite as good. Together though, they provide an intriguing backstory to the Farseer lineage.
A great edition
Very few authors can write one hundred and fifty pages of prose, and then sell it for £14.99 then at the same time have the reader feel like its money well spent. Indeed, the royal Farseer line has a darker history than I ever imagined. This will be appreciated most by those that have read the The Tawny Man Trilogy and The Farseer Trilogy because the reader will begin to see where the discrimination for the witted folk began. I personally recommend reading it after Fool’s Errand . It adds an excellent backstory to her world and specifically to that book in particular. I wish she would write more tales like this.
The book itself looks very good. There are some images that accompany the story, which really help to evoke the nature of Robin Hobb’s writing style. I think the art work is great; it is the same as that on the covers of her books in the U.K. I love the designs. Overall, I really enjoyed reading this, but I found the ending of the overall tale a little predictable. Also because of the short nature of the tale there wasn’t much room for motional investment, which for me is the strongest aspect of her writing. So without it, it felt a little flat.
A Witted 3.5 stars
April 3, 2024
1.) Assassin's Apprentice ★★★★
2.) Royal Assassin ★★★★
3.) Assassin's Quest ★★★★★
this is two stories… two parts of a story… maybe a bindup of two novellas… that i truly did not know existed, but i promise you this 150 page book was an easy and so heartfelt five star for me. you can totally read this before assassin's apprentice , but i do think you will get a little more out of it if you have read even a little bit of the first trilogy in the realm of the elderlings. but i will very much warn you: this is a tragedy to its core. this reads so very much like a fairytale, yet i was weeping over so many parts, but the ending healed it all and it felt like storytelling perfection.
to not give anything away, the barebones of this story is that we follow a little girl, named felicity, who grows up alongside princess caution farseer. we get to see their lives together and them becoming the people they want to be versus the people their families expect them to become. in the second part of this story, we follow their sons, both very different but their hearts also very intertwined like both of their mothers. and without saying anything else, this story helps put lineage and heritage a little more into perspective. and it also serves as a reason why many people in this world are scared of the magic called the witt.
this was one of the most beautifully written things ive ever read. the writing was so compelling that the story felt like it was being told to me by the most lulling bard to ever sing a tale. i know this is a short read, but from page one this truly put a spell on me and i was unable to put it down. i just loved this completely and highly recommend it to anyone who already loves fitz, but also to everyone who will eventually love fitz.
trigger + content warnings: drugging, a lot of talk of pregnancy and childbirth, loss of a parent, loss of a loved one, loss of a child, violence (a lot), blood, gore, bullying, animal abuse, animal death, scenes of childbirth and death in childbirth, grief, talk of illness, abusive parent, depression - this is actually a very dark story/stories, so please use caution and make sure you’re in a good headspace
blog | instagram | youtube | kofi | spotify | amazon
2.) Royal Assassin ★★★★
3.) Assassin's Quest ★★★★★
this is two stories… two parts of a story… maybe a bindup of two novellas… that i truly did not know existed, but i promise you this 150 page book was an easy and so heartfelt five star for me. you can totally read this before assassin's apprentice , but i do think you will get a little more out of it if you have read even a little bit of the first trilogy in the realm of the elderlings. but i will very much warn you: this is a tragedy to its core. this reads so very much like a fairytale, yet i was weeping over so many parts, but the ending healed it all and it felt like storytelling perfection.
to not give anything away, the barebones of this story is that we follow a little girl, named felicity, who grows up alongside princess caution farseer. we get to see their lives together and them becoming the people they want to be versus the people their families expect them to become. in the second part of this story, we follow their sons, both very different but their hearts also very intertwined like both of their mothers. and without saying anything else, this story helps put lineage and heritage a little more into perspective. and it also serves as a reason why many people in this world are scared of the magic called the witt.
this was one of the most beautifully written things ive ever read. the writing was so compelling that the story felt like it was being told to me by the most lulling bard to ever sing a tale. i know this is a short read, but from page one this truly put a spell on me and i was unable to put it down. i just loved this completely and highly recommend it to anyone who already loves fitz, but also to everyone who will eventually love fitz.
trigger + content warnings: drugging, a lot of talk of pregnancy and childbirth, loss of a parent, loss of a loved one, loss of a child, violence (a lot), blood, gore, bullying, animal abuse, animal death, scenes of childbirth and death in childbirth, grief, talk of illness, abusive parent, depression - this is actually a very dark story/stories, so please use caution and make sure you’re in a good headspace
blog | instagram | youtube | kofi | spotify | amazon
March 6, 2021
8.29 on CAWPILE
June 6, 2019
Excellent fairy tale retelling with a darkling twist!
Q:
These things I saw and knew. ... But willful she was. And still I loved her. (c)
Q:
I had all I needed there at my fingertips, for I loved her with all my being. (c)
Q:
For now, while I have you, I need no man to share my bed. (c)
Q:
From my mother, I had learned that although all noble ladies must be virgins when they first wed, it did not mean they must be strangers to pleasure. And in that duty I had served my queen well and willingly since before we had been women. (c)
Q:
I can say with absolute certainty that many of the things now said of him are rankest nonsense, and only spoken aloud to justify all that came afterward. (c)
Q:
I have heard one minstrel sing of how the mist cloaked her hair as with a thousand jewels, and tell of how pink her cheeks were with the chill. (c)
Q:
A thousand, a thousand-thousand times I have wished those words unsaid. They were the words that ended my life. (c)
Q:
“I have lost so many things. My mother is gone; she will never dance at my wedding. If I ever wed, it will not be as the cherished virgin daughter that you hoped to celebrate. I have disappointed and shamed you. I have disappointed and shamed myself, to give my heart and body to a man who was worthy of neither. And I have cheated the child that grows within me; the babe will have no father to defend him, no name save my own, no future except what I can bestow." (c)
Q:
I seethed in meek silence, wishing to kill them all. (c)
Q:
Put your child on a throne. (c)
Q:
And never did I think of telling her the truth... That burden I kept from her and made it mine alone. (c)
Q:
My heart shrank as her spirit grew smaller, and when she died, something in me died as well. ... My queen, my sister, my daughter, my lover all were gone, as if the sun had vanished from the sky, leaving me with nothing but two squalling children. (c)
Q:
a man both grave and thoughtful... (c)
Q:
Cats trailed after him. (c)
Q:
The truth of how it was will vary with every man that speaks of it... (c)
Q:
But any that tell this tale are attempting to be prophets after the event had passed. (c)
Q:
...she walked like a swordsman, danced like a butterfly, and laughed with the music of the wind in her voice. (c)
Q:
Silence and time might have done many things, but he was denied both of those things. (с)
Q:
All he had was a voice and a tongue, eyes that watched and a mind that remembered. In the end, those were all he could offer to defend his king. (c)
Q:
Every coward may know one moment of courage. (c)
Q:
Yet all winters must end, even those infused with grief and injustice. (c)
Q:
These things I saw and knew. ... But willful she was. And still I loved her. (c)
Q:
I had all I needed there at my fingertips, for I loved her with all my being. (c)
Q:
For now, while I have you, I need no man to share my bed. (c)
Q:
From my mother, I had learned that although all noble ladies must be virgins when they first wed, it did not mean they must be strangers to pleasure. And in that duty I had served my queen well and willingly since before we had been women. (c)
Q:
I can say with absolute certainty that many of the things now said of him are rankest nonsense, and only spoken aloud to justify all that came afterward. (c)
Q:
I have heard one minstrel sing of how the mist cloaked her hair as with a thousand jewels, and tell of how pink her cheeks were with the chill. (c)
Q:
A thousand, a thousand-thousand times I have wished those words unsaid. They were the words that ended my life. (c)
Q:
“I have lost so many things. My mother is gone; she will never dance at my wedding. If I ever wed, it will not be as the cherished virgin daughter that you hoped to celebrate. I have disappointed and shamed you. I have disappointed and shamed myself, to give my heart and body to a man who was worthy of neither. And I have cheated the child that grows within me; the babe will have no father to defend him, no name save my own, no future except what I can bestow." (c)
Q:
I seethed in meek silence, wishing to kill them all. (c)
Q:
Put your child on a throne. (c)
Q:
And never did I think of telling her the truth... That burden I kept from her and made it mine alone. (c)
Q:
My heart shrank as her spirit grew smaller, and when she died, something in me died as well. ... My queen, my sister, my daughter, my lover all were gone, as if the sun had vanished from the sky, leaving me with nothing but two squalling children. (c)
Q:
a man both grave and thoughtful... (c)
Q:
Cats trailed after him. (c)
Q:
The truth of how it was will vary with every man that speaks of it... (c)
Q:
But any that tell this tale are attempting to be prophets after the event had passed. (c)
Q:
...she walked like a swordsman, danced like a butterfly, and laughed with the music of the wind in her voice. (c)
Q:
Silence and time might have done many things, but he was denied both of those things. (с)
Q:
All he had was a voice and a tongue, eyes that watched and a mind that remembered. In the end, those were all he could offer to defend his king. (c)
Q:
Every coward may know one moment of courage. (c)
Q:
Yet all winters must end, even those infused with grief and injustice. (c)
Read
January 13, 2023A cozy little read that you can read in a couple of sittings. I say "cozy" because you can easily slip back into court life in Buckkeep, even though this is many years before Fitz & the gang. You immediately feel right back at home in this world and getting the story from the perspective of Felicity whilst growing up with the Princess in the title was a wonderful idea. So while I say cozy, do take into consideration that the nobles at Buckkeep do still like to play those same bloody games you're used to. This book isn't what I'd call uplifting, but it gives great context to why The Wit is so frowned upon in the main timeline of Realm of the Elderlings. You should read this one AFTER Farseer but BEFORE Tawny Man. Because the characters make numerous references to it in Fool's Errand.
January 8, 2021
this story was so fascinating, i love robin hobb’s writing and i decided to pick this book up before continuing with the second book in the farseer trilogy, i shouldve read thid before i started the series because this book was so interesting that when i wasn’t reading it, it was all i was thinking about and when i was reading it, i sped through it.
April 7, 2022
Apparently Robin Hobb's speciality is stabbing me in heart... so many feelings for such a small book!
September 18, 2018
Mini Review: Robin Hobb be like “Niki, you think Fitz and the Fool messed you up, you just wait. Ima gut punch you as many times as possible in under 200 pages.” Piebald prince, my friends, is a bonafide tragedy. It was also poignantly written and starkly engaging at parts, which is exactly what you don’t want in a story that’s setting you up for a throwdown... it has been a month and I’m still not fully recovered. On one hand, it was great to see backstory for why the “witted” are so despised in the main Elderling series, but on the other I think I may have been better off remaining ignorant lol. In all seriousness, this was a well-crafted novella on par with Hobb’s other works. My personal dislike of tragic stories definitely affected my rating because, although I love this author, I did not enjoy all the negative feelings stirred up in me while reading this story. Kudos to Hobb for being a skilled enough writer to evoke such a strong reaction in me (she’s my favorite for precisely that reason), but suffice to say I won’t be rereading this tale anytime soon... my feels need to recover.
Via The Obsessive Bookseller at www.NikiHawkes.com
Via The Obsessive Bookseller at www.NikiHawkes.com
November 30, 2017
It probably surprises no one that I absolutely loved this. It’s been available for a while but I preordered the paperback version that came out today (30/11/17) to match the rest of my Hobb collection. It was well worth the wait. I read it in one glorious sitting.
This novella is the story of the Wilful Princess and the Piebald Prince. Well known to those of you that have read the Realm of the Elderlings books by Robin Hobb. Through the course of that series you hear many tales of the Piebald Prince and his curse of the Wit, the despised magic that runs in the Farseer line. The tales we hear are all slightly different and exaggerated as these stories often are. In the time of Fitz Chivalry Farseer the tale is legendary and to most folk it justifies the pursuit of the witted. Especially during the Tawny Man trilogy where it plays a main part in the story.
The only issue is that as so many decades and generations have passed since the Piebald Prince reigned, the tale is so distorted that you never learn the full truth. Until now that is.
This is a wonderful novella. One that brought me many emotions. Hobb’s writing is as immersive as ever and I instantly fell into the familiar territory of this world. Oh how I wish I could read all the books for the first time again. Reading this has reassured me that if Hobb decides to revisit this world again in the future, I will be first in line to read it. Even though the story of Fitz and the Fool is somewhat finished, the world itself still has plenty of stories to tell. I’d love to hear the stories of some of the previous Kings and Queens of the Six Duchies.
It was nice to finally get the full tale of this character, as I said earlier his story still has influence in the times of Fitz Chivalry. Obviously this being a novella, it was short. A little over 150 pages. But Hobb’s writing meant that the story was emotional, eventful and completely wrapped up in those short pages. It’s a tale full of rivalry, deception, love, family and honour. There are beautiful illustrations throughout that really added to the experience. I’d love to see the Realm of the Elderlings books with illustrations too one day. A girl can dream.
This novella can be read before or after the main series. It doesn’t spoil anything for the rest of the RotE books. I think it would be a good entry point for those who are intimidated by the length of the main series or those who want to sample Hobb’s writing on a small scale. I loved the experience as someone who has read and loved RotE. It added great insight for me and definitely left me satisfied.
Part of me was scared to read this as I thought it could never live up to the main series. But my goodness how wrong I was and gladly so. I am still utterly infatuated with this world, and I don’t see that changing anytime soon.
This novella is the story of the Wilful Princess and the Piebald Prince. Well known to those of you that have read the Realm of the Elderlings books by Robin Hobb. Through the course of that series you hear many tales of the Piebald Prince and his curse of the Wit, the despised magic that runs in the Farseer line. The tales we hear are all slightly different and exaggerated as these stories often are. In the time of Fitz Chivalry Farseer the tale is legendary and to most folk it justifies the pursuit of the witted. Especially during the Tawny Man trilogy where it plays a main part in the story.
The only issue is that as so many decades and generations have passed since the Piebald Prince reigned, the tale is so distorted that you never learn the full truth. Until now that is.
This is a wonderful novella. One that brought me many emotions. Hobb’s writing is as immersive as ever and I instantly fell into the familiar territory of this world. Oh how I wish I could read all the books for the first time again. Reading this has reassured me that if Hobb decides to revisit this world again in the future, I will be first in line to read it. Even though the story of Fitz and the Fool is somewhat finished, the world itself still has plenty of stories to tell. I’d love to hear the stories of some of the previous Kings and Queens of the Six Duchies.
It was nice to finally get the full tale of this character, as I said earlier his story still has influence in the times of Fitz Chivalry. Obviously this being a novella, it was short. A little over 150 pages. But Hobb’s writing meant that the story was emotional, eventful and completely wrapped up in those short pages. It’s a tale full of rivalry, deception, love, family and honour. There are beautiful illustrations throughout that really added to the experience. I’d love to see the Realm of the Elderlings books with illustrations too one day. A girl can dream.
This novella can be read before or after the main series. It doesn’t spoil anything for the rest of the RotE books. I think it would be a good entry point for those who are intimidated by the length of the main series or those who want to sample Hobb’s writing on a small scale. I loved the experience as someone who has read and loved RotE. It added great insight for me and definitely left me satisfied.
Part of me was scared to read this as I thought it could never live up to the main series. But my goodness how wrong I was and gladly so. I am still utterly infatuated with this world, and I don’t see that changing anytime soon.
February 12, 2017
12 Feb. '17
goodreads | more reviews
Yet again, Robin Hobb reminds me why she is amongst my very few, all-time favourite writers. I decided to read this novella before I dived into my re-read of the main Farseer trilogy. This you don't need to do, as the series stands well on its own without any of its historical context. The Wilful Princess and the Piebald Prince offers the truth behind many of the distorted beliefs passed as historical fact in the Farseer trilogy, and it's just fascinating to understand how much of an unsuspectingly unreliable narrator we have in the main series.
But to speak of The Wilful Princess; even for a short story, this was a beautifully done tale. Seeing things from the perspective of the handmaid and then wet-nurse of the main characters might not work for some people, as by the end of the story, there are things even beyond Felicity's awareness and understanding. This leaves us with some questions left unanswered , some incomprehension of certain characters and motives, and for some readers, this could make or break the story.
I was able to look at and enjoy it purely from the outsider (but objective) viewpoint of Felicity, which only made the unanswered mysteries all the more powerful.
Admittedly, I would've liked to know more about Wiffen and how on earth Charger could have come to love such a fickle woman, as Felicity rightly describes. But our narrator's unfamiliarity to both Wiffen and her relationship with Charger/The Piebald Prince was only natural and understandable, and the fact the love affair between them remains a mystery makes it more realistic and magical at the same time.
In fact, I think the choice of narrator was what made this work brilliant for me - rather than opting for the easier choice of multiple viewpoints/accounts from key characters.
The unknown is part of what makes the tale stay with you far after you've closed the book. The key questions are answered, the purpose of the story is met, but enough is left open to our own interpretation; striking a nice balance between the elements.
Like all her other books, I find that Hobb's narrator here also had a strong voice. Yes, she writes big tales and even for a novella this was on the longer side of the spectrum. But not one word is wasted. Not one sentence is an empty cushion to thicken the pages.
The story itself is bittersweet, and made even moreso from the third-party viewpoint, who was closely linked to both the Wilful Princess and the Piebald Prince. I don't believe it would have worked any other way.
11 Feb. '17
Review to come.
goodreads | more reviews
Yet again, Robin Hobb reminds me why she is amongst my very few, all-time favourite writers. I decided to read this novella before I dived into my re-read of the main Farseer trilogy. This you don't need to do, as the series stands well on its own without any of its historical context. The Wilful Princess and the Piebald Prince offers the truth behind many of the distorted beliefs passed as historical fact in the Farseer trilogy, and it's just fascinating to understand how much of an unsuspectingly unreliable narrator we have in the main series.
But to speak of The Wilful Princess; even for a short story, this was a beautifully done tale. Seeing things from the perspective of the handmaid and then wet-nurse of the main characters might not work for some people, as by the end of the story, there are things even beyond Felicity's awareness and understanding. This leaves us with some questions left unanswered , some incomprehension of certain characters and motives, and for some readers, this could make or break the story.
I was able to look at and enjoy it purely from the outsider (but objective) viewpoint of Felicity, which only made the unanswered mysteries all the more powerful.
Admittedly, I would've liked to know more about Wiffen and how on earth Charger could have come to love such a fickle woman, as Felicity rightly describes. But our narrator's unfamiliarity to both Wiffen and her relationship with Charger/The Piebald Prince was only natural and understandable, and the fact the love affair between them remains a mystery makes it more realistic and magical at the same time.
In fact, I think the choice of narrator was what made this work brilliant for me - rather than opting for the easier choice of multiple viewpoints/accounts from key characters.
The unknown is part of what makes the tale stay with you far after you've closed the book. The key questions are answered, the purpose of the story is met, but enough is left open to our own interpretation; striking a nice balance between the elements.
Like all her other books, I find that Hobb's narrator here also had a strong voice. Yes, she writes big tales and even for a novella this was on the longer side of the spectrum. But not one word is wasted. Not one sentence is an empty cushion to thicken the pages.
The story itself is bittersweet, and made even moreso from the third-party viewpoint, who was closely linked to both the Wilful Princess and the Piebald Prince. I don't believe it would have worked any other way.
11 Feb. '17
Review to come.
July 3, 2018
Actual review: 4.75
“Opinions may have truth in them but that truth must be free of opinions.”
My love for Robin Hobb and her writing continues.
Hobb is an author who knows how to tell a story. ‘The Wilful Princess and the Piebald Prince’ is a tale continuously referenced in Assassin’s Apprentice, which is the first book in the Farseer Trilogy. It is a historical account of Princess Caution and her son and everything that had befallen them during a time when those who were Witted were known to Buckkeep. The incidents are penned by Felicity, a low-born companion to Princess Caution who loved her dearly. Some might call it an unreliable narration, however, having read how Felicity does not place herself in a favourable light, it can be assumed that there is some truth to her words.
Although written as history, it does not read like a heavy text book. The writing is more a story than fact, although facts are said to be subjective again and again. We follow their lives and loves, their disappointments and betrayals. The story gives us much needed insight into those who have the Wit and how it came to be perceived as a shameful act that demanded a person be hanged, drawn and quartered and then set fire to above a river.
I wouldn’t recommend reading this book before reading at least the first book from the trilogy. The insight provided in this short novel provides context for the main trilogy, but it would be somewhat confusing if a basic understanding of Buckkeep and the Farseer line was not known.
“Opinions may have truth in them but that truth must be free of opinions.”
My love for Robin Hobb and her writing continues.
Hobb is an author who knows how to tell a story. ‘The Wilful Princess and the Piebald Prince’ is a tale continuously referenced in Assassin’s Apprentice, which is the first book in the Farseer Trilogy. It is a historical account of Princess Caution and her son and everything that had befallen them during a time when those who were Witted were known to Buckkeep. The incidents are penned by Felicity, a low-born companion to Princess Caution who loved her dearly. Some might call it an unreliable narration, however, having read how Felicity does not place herself in a favourable light, it can be assumed that there is some truth to her words.
Although written as history, it does not read like a heavy text book. The writing is more a story than fact, although facts are said to be subjective again and again. We follow their lives and loves, their disappointments and betrayals. The story gives us much needed insight into those who have the Wit and how it came to be perceived as a shameful act that demanded a person be hanged, drawn and quartered and then set fire to above a river.
I wouldn’t recommend reading this book before reading at least the first book from the trilogy. The insight provided in this short novel provides context for the main trilogy, but it would be somewhat confusing if a basic understanding of Buckkeep and the Farseer line was not known.
April 4, 2023
4.5 ⭐️
I wasn’t sure how Robin Hobb would do writing a novella because one of the things that I love about her books is how in-depth and sometimes meandering they can be, but she definitely wiped away any doubts I had!
This story felt like a fairytale while also feeling appropriately dark in tone for the Six Duchies legend being told, of how the Wit was introduced into the Farseer line and how it became widely reviled by the people of this land. This novella definitely benefits from the depth of world that Hobb has painstakingly built in her other novels, but it nonetheless stands on its own as a beautifully written story about loyalty, love, friendship, grief and truth.
I wasn’t sure how Robin Hobb would do writing a novella because one of the things that I love about her books is how in-depth and sometimes meandering they can be, but she definitely wiped away any doubts I had!
This story felt like a fairytale while also feeling appropriately dark in tone for the Six Duchies legend being told, of how the Wit was introduced into the Farseer line and how it became widely reviled by the people of this land. This novella definitely benefits from the depth of world that Hobb has painstakingly built in her other novels, but it nonetheless stands on its own as a beautifully written story about loyalty, love, friendship, grief and truth.
October 6, 2019
Robin Hobb does it again; she’s easily becoming one of my favorite authors. Despite none of the characters in this novella (really, two separate-but-related stories) being very likable, Hobb is nonetheless able to deliver an engaging and tragic tale, filled with real-feeling human emotion.
This takes place before the other books in her Realm of the Elderlings series, but it doesn’t have to be read first (nor do you have to have any other knowledge of her world to appreciate it); the book stands well on its own.
This takes place before the other books in her Realm of the Elderlings series, but it doesn’t have to be read first (nor do you have to have any other knowledge of her world to appreciate it); the book stands well on its own.
January 22, 2024
Well, I was on Hobb withdrawl, and needed a book I could read in a day so I can start Wisdom of Crowds tomorrow, and holy crap that book did not disappoint.
So first let's talk about when you can read this.
The answer is whenever, this doesn't spoil any other Hobb book, and it does not require any Hobb book to be understood. However I think that narratively and thematically it should be read after The Tawny Man trilogy, or at least after The Golden Fool.
One of Hobbs most reoccurring themes is how choices and actions can ripple out in the world and into the future and have a much larger impact then you would expect, in a believable way.
This novel uses this a lot, and the events here influence a lot of the social norms in Buckkeep, and I think knowing the impact of it makes this a better and more compelling read then it would be without the context of having read the first 5 Fitz books.
Okay, so moving the the actual book, this is told in first person retrospective following the handmaid of Princess Caution Farseer, who does not live up to her name, almost like people don't know what someone will be like when they are named. Anyways, it is a "truthful" account of a pretty long span of time, and i'm not going to tell you a lot of what it is about, but it is a Hobb book, so you can expect that things will not all be happy, the characters will feel human, despite a tiny amount of dialogue the relationships will feel real and fleshed out, and Hobb will control your emotions at will.
That's all I got, it's a short book, and it is one of my favorite Novella's I have ever read. I often struggle to get emotionally invested in the characters in a novella, but this is Hobb we are talking about.
9.1/10
So first let's talk about when you can read this.
The answer is whenever, this doesn't spoil any other Hobb book, and it does not require any Hobb book to be understood. However I think that narratively and thematically it should be read after The Tawny Man trilogy, or at least after The Golden Fool.
One of Hobbs most reoccurring themes is how choices and actions can ripple out in the world and into the future and have a much larger impact then you would expect, in a believable way.
This novel uses this a lot, and the events here influence a lot of the social norms in Buckkeep, and I think knowing the impact of it makes this a better and more compelling read then it would be without the context of having read the first 5 Fitz books.
Okay, so moving the the actual book, this is told in first person retrospective following the handmaid of Princess Caution Farseer, who does not live up to her name, almost like people don't know what someone will be like when they are named. Anyways, it is a "truthful" account of a pretty long span of time, and i'm not going to tell you a lot of what it is about, but it is a Hobb book, so you can expect that things will not all be happy, the characters will feel human, despite a tiny amount of dialogue the relationships will feel real and fleshed out, and Hobb will control your emotions at will.
That's all I got, it's a short book, and it is one of my favorite Novella's I have ever read. I often struggle to get emotionally invested in the characters in a novella, but this is Hobb we are talking about.
9.1/10
February 15, 2024
I'm translating it for my Mum (I still am. Editing takes much time - my mum is the only judge, but still. She's not in a hurry, at the moment I've started to translate she was into another even longer series she had only recently finished and now wants to re-read all the Robin Hobb's novels. So I'll finish it on time, I suppose...🙂) She didn't ask for, but this series is her most favourite books at the moment, she has already finished all the 16 books, and this one and another side story haven't been translated yet. Luckily, they are short. And! this one turned out to be interesting, it reads like a fairy tale... But I'm not sure how the atmosphere of my translation would feel, since I haven't read any from this series and positively am missing this world's vibe. I'm also consulting with my Mum about the names - I want them to be the same as she already know them. There is a Buckkeep castle and the name of it was translated as Buck Antler, so I'm leaving it this way...
July 3, 2014
This novella covers the backstory of the Piebald Prince referred to in the Tawny Man trilogy. In the first book of the trilogy, the movement of those "afflicted" with the Wit Magic, calling themselves the Piebalds, claimed legitimacy because the Farseer Kings were said to have been descended from "old blood" through the Piebald Prince centuries before. This is that story.
We hearken back to a time when Wit magic wasn't despised and learn how it came to be hated and why those with wit magic are treated with such prejudice. The story is written down by a companion of a Farseer princess whose son became a companion to the Piebald Prince and witness to the events as they unfolded. This historical account was to be stored away and hidden, one buried in Buckkeep library and another some place else. I speculate that it was these accounts being found centuries later that breathed life into the Piebald rebellion of the Tawny Man series.
The writing was top notch as always from Robin Hobb, however, I think Hobb's style of writing only really shines for me when she can "sprawl" in a bigger story with a bigger page count.
Highly recommended for fans of the Fitz and Fool novels. It would possibly be best appreciated if at least the first book of Tawny Man, Fool's Errand were read first.
I'm giving this one...
3.5 stars
We hearken back to a time when Wit magic wasn't despised and learn how it came to be hated and why those with wit magic are treated with such prejudice. The story is written down by a companion of a Farseer princess whose son became a companion to the Piebald Prince and witness to the events as they unfolded. This historical account was to be stored away and hidden, one buried in Buckkeep library and another some place else. I speculate that it was these accounts being found centuries later that breathed life into the Piebald rebellion of the Tawny Man series.
The writing was top notch as always from Robin Hobb, however, I think Hobb's style of writing only really shines for me when she can "sprawl" in a bigger story with a bigger page count.
Highly recommended for fans of the Fitz and Fool novels. It would possibly be best appreciated if at least the first book of Tawny Man, Fool's Errand were read first.
I'm giving this one...
3.5 stars
September 6, 2022
Probably my favorite story set in the Six Duchies so far, and also exactly what I want from a dark/grim fairy tale type story. You can read this before realm of the elderlings or really at any point in the series but I read it before Fool's Errand and enjoyed that choice since it provided context to specific political tensions in that book, was that necessary, no but I also just thoroughly enjoyed this novella and recommend it to everyone. With the caveat that there are trigger warning for darker content.
August 6, 2021
This novella is well worth reading if you want to understand the history of how the Wit is treated in the Farseer Trilogy. It's an interesting, twisty story told from the perspective of a lady's maid and eventual wetnurse who was in love with the princess she served. It's kind of tragic as many of Hobb's stories are, but it's also fascinating and offers a lot of insight into why the world is the way it is during Fitz's lifetime.
October 23, 2023
Odlicna prica! Od prve do poslednje strane odise dobrom atmosferom, puna naboja i vise nego zanimljive radnje. Nezaobilazno delo za sve ljubitelje Farseer serijala.
November 9, 2013
I have to say that I am a little disheartened that The Willful Princess and the Piebald Prince isn't getting as much love as it rightfully deserves. That title alone is simply delightful and deserves a star just for that alone ;)
They say that history is always written by the victor and in a way that is what exactly happens here. The Farseer books showed us the prejudice displayed against anyone showing signs of the Wit and from the tale being told by Felicity, a simple servant and maid in the employ of Queen Capable and King Virile, we learn of how events unfolded that eventually lead to the total mistrust of these folk and how the legend of the Piebald Prince was born...
It has definitely been a long time between drinks for me, the last time that I actually read a novel by Robin Hobb probably bordering on ten years now. The urge to go back to the beginning and re-read the Farseer Trilogy has been quite close to overwhelming me at times and seeing my friends on Goodreads go through not only them but the Liveship Traders and the Tawny Man trilogies as well has only made that desire even stronger. And now that I've read the legend of the Piebald Prince my appetite has well and truly been whetted. No more excuses, get back into them!
It was also help to read them all again so I can then move onto the Rainwild Chronicles which I haven't had the pleasure of reading yet.
So, nevermind the shortness of the novel or the 'Once upon a time...' format that it is told in, this book is extremely well written and a fitting edition to the Farseer mythology.
5 stars.
They say that history is always written by the victor and in a way that is what exactly happens here. The Farseer books showed us the prejudice displayed against anyone showing signs of the Wit and from the tale being told by Felicity, a simple servant and maid in the employ of Queen Capable and King Virile, we learn of how events unfolded that eventually lead to the total mistrust of these folk and how the legend of the Piebald Prince was born...
It has definitely been a long time between drinks for me, the last time that I actually read a novel by Robin Hobb probably bordering on ten years now. The urge to go back to the beginning and re-read the Farseer Trilogy has been quite close to overwhelming me at times and seeing my friends on Goodreads go through not only them but the Liveship Traders and the Tawny Man trilogies as well has only made that desire even stronger. And now that I've read the legend of the Piebald Prince my appetite has well and truly been whetted. No more excuses, get back into them!
It was also help to read them all again so I can then move onto the Rainwild Chronicles which I haven't had the pleasure of reading yet.
So, nevermind the shortness of the novel or the 'Once upon a time...' format that it is told in, this book is extremely well written and a fitting edition to the Farseer mythology.
5 stars.
February 21, 2023
And here I thought this would just be a fun little novella, this shit is just as, if not more bleak and depressing than the Farseer trilogy.
On another note, Charger Farseer deserved so much better and so did Felicity. I firmly believe that Charger and Fitz would’ve definitely gotten along but all witted Farseers just seem to have the worst fates.
On another note, Charger Farseer deserved so much better and so did Felicity. I firmly believe that Charger and Fitz would’ve definitely gotten along but all witted Farseers just seem to have the worst fates.
September 30, 2014
A prequel or ancillary to Hobb's Farseer series This short novel (very brief, compared to other volumes in the series) takes a point of history referred to in the other books , and fleshes it out, showing how rumor and propaganda can become future generations' accepted facts.
As the title suggests, there's a lot of the fairy tale in this story, which is narrated by a wet nurse's daughter, raised as servant to royalty - but the style is purely Hobb's. It meshes epic events with the quotidian with aplomb, and introduces us to flawed yet sympathetic characters with such a deft touch that you'll finish the book feeling like they're people you really know.
Recommended for all fans of the Farseer world.
As the title suggests, there's a lot of the fairy tale in this story, which is narrated by a wet nurse's daughter, raised as servant to royalty - but the style is purely Hobb's. It meshes epic events with the quotidian with aplomb, and introduces us to flawed yet sympathetic characters with such a deft touch that you'll finish the book feeling like they're people you really know.
Recommended for all fans of the Farseer world.
November 10, 2016
Στα 6 δουκάτα υπάρχει μία έντονη προκατάληψη απέναντι στα άτομα που έχουν τη μαγική ικανότητα να επικοινωνούν με τα ζώα, δε μαθαίνουμε όμως πως προέκυψε. Αυτό το κενό καλύπτει αυτό το ιδιαίτερα όμορφο και συγκινητικό διήγημα με τον καλύτερο δυνατό τρόπο. Πρόκειται για μία εξαιρετική ιστορία που τολμώ να πω ότι κάπως θυμίζει αρχαία τραγωδία. Αμαρτήματα του παρελθόντος, βιαστικές συναισθηματικές επιλογές, φθόνοι και φιλοδοξίες φέρνουν την αναπόφευκτη καταστροφή που επεκτείνεται στις επόμενες γενεές και επηρεάζει τις ζωές χιλιάδων ανθρώπων. Μέσα από αυτά τα λάθη όμως η αλήθεια βρίσκει τον τρόπο να επιβιώσει παρά την προσπάθεια ορισμένων να την αποκρύψουν.
April 1, 2020
I have said it in my reviews of all 3 books of the Farseer Trilogy that Hobb is a cruel writer and that holds no less true in this short book. Hobb was pretty much as cruel as she could be considering the plot and the length of the story. Damn Hobb, how do you manage that? Punch after punch after punch?
Anyhoo! This short book serves its purpose very well and it essentially tells you the story of how the Wit got mixed in the Farseer blood line along with the Skill. And it is told masterfully! The overall tone of the book is definitely saddening. I think Hobb pretty much packed everything in this book, love, heart-break, betrayal, unrequited love, enimosity, to name a few. Most importantly it shone a light on the reason of the Wit being despised as it is in the Fitz’s timeline. It was a very enjoyable read and no doubt about it.
I think this novella can be read before the start of the Farseer trilogy as well as at the end of it too. Nothing spoilery at all about the Farseer story at all. But what it does give you is a very decent sampling of the author’s writing style. And while I would claim that this is not Hobb’s best from what I have read till now but it is more than a good entry point. It allows the reader to see what kind of fantasy this is going to be. It’s not big on magic but very big on court intrigue, something that I think might turn off some readers. So, I would suggest anyone to read this novella before they pick up farseer trilogy and keep in mind that Hobb does a monumentally better job during the Farseer trilogy. So, if you think this novella is passable or fair or good enough, then you can be sure that you will more than just like what is to follow.
As for me, I am already aboard the Hobb fan-wagon and I intend to traverse the whole of Realm of Elderlings, however long that takes. I will be back for more of your cruel and heartless writing, Hobb. See you soon!
Anyhoo! This short book serves its purpose very well and it essentially tells you the story of how the Wit got mixed in the Farseer blood line along with the Skill. And it is told masterfully! The overall tone of the book is definitely saddening. I think Hobb pretty much packed everything in this book, love, heart-break, betrayal, unrequited love, enimosity, to name a few. Most importantly it shone a light on the reason of the Wit being despised as it is in the Fitz’s timeline. It was a very enjoyable read and no doubt about it.
I think this novella can be read before the start of the Farseer trilogy as well as at the end of it too. Nothing spoilery at all about the Farseer story at all. But what it does give you is a very decent sampling of the author’s writing style. And while I would claim that this is not Hobb’s best from what I have read till now but it is more than a good entry point. It allows the reader to see what kind of fantasy this is going to be. It’s not big on magic but very big on court intrigue, something that I think might turn off some readers. So, I would suggest anyone to read this novella before they pick up farseer trilogy and keep in mind that Hobb does a monumentally better job during the Farseer trilogy. So, if you think this novella is passable or fair or good enough, then you can be sure that you will more than just like what is to follow.
As for me, I am already aboard the Hobb fan-wagon and I intend to traverse the whole of Realm of Elderlings, however long that takes. I will be back for more of your cruel and heartless writing, Hobb. See you soon!
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