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crufts's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
This short novel written in a fairytale style captivated me.
Apparently it's a prequel to some of Robin Hobb's other books, intended as an origin story of the "Piebald Prince". Personally, I've never read any other books by Robin Hobb, had never heard of any "Piebald Prince", and had no prior reason to care who all these characters were. But Hobb's writing and characterization is so compelling that pretty soon, I too was intrigued to find out how this familial drama of kings and queens would play out.
At the encouragement of her mother, a perpetual wet nurse, our protagonist Felicity grows up as a servant to the wilful Princess Caution Farseer. (All of the royals in the book have oddly pointed given names like that.) Felicity intends to remain a silent, well-kept fixture in Caution's life, but before long, she's drawn into the familial drama generated by the wilful princess and must act to protect both the princess and her own livelihood.
A lot happens in ~180ish pages, giving the book a rapid pace. I was never bored while reading. However, this comes at a cost: while the most crucial scenes do play out for the reader, the majority of events are told, not shown. This gives the book more of a "light novel" or fairytale style, although it does miss out on some moments that could have been extended or slowed down to increase tension and atmosphere.
Overall the book was very entertaining to read and I'd recommend it, even if you haven't read the rest of the series. It gets a bit dark at times, but ends on a hopeful note.
Apparently it's a prequel to some of Robin Hobb's other books, intended as an origin story of the "Piebald Prince". Personally, I've never read any other books by Robin Hobb, had never heard of any "Piebald Prince", and had no prior reason to care who all these characters were. But Hobb's writing and characterization is so compelling that pretty soon, I too was intrigued to find out how this familial drama of kings and queens would play out.
At the encouragement of her mother, a perpetual wet nurse, our protagonist Felicity grows up as a servant to the wilful Princess Caution Farseer. (All of the royals in the book have oddly pointed given names like that.) Felicity intends to remain a silent, well-kept fixture in Caution's life, but before long, she's drawn into the familial drama generated by the wilful princess and must act to protect both the princess and her own livelihood.
A lot happens in ~180ish pages, giving the book a rapid pace. I was never bored while reading. However, this comes at a cost: while the most crucial scenes do play out for the reader, the majority of events are told, not shown. This gives the book more of a "light novel" or fairytale style, although it does miss out on some moments that could have been extended or slowed down to increase tension and atmosphere.
Overall the book was very entertaining to read and I'd recommend it, even if you haven't read the rest of the series. It gets a bit dark at times, but ends on a hopeful note.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Murder
Moderate: Animal death, Child death, and Pregnancy
Minor: Xenophobia
Animal death, murder, violence: A horse is killed in a fight. Assassins murder a man who opposes their politics.Poverty/Dubious pregnancy: Felicity and her mother belong to a long line of wet nurses. Rather coldly, Felicity's mother believes this job requires an occasional pregnancy as a strategic manoeuvre. While her actions are technically intentional, it's clear that Felicity's family has been pressed into this line of work due to their poverty and a lack of other options.