A review by roctothorpe
The Wilful Princess and the Piebald Prince by Robin Hobb

dark emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

This was short but very compelling and beautifully written, so basically par for the course with Robin Hobb. The prose has a fairytale-like rhythm, but the actual story that is told is quite dark. This novella is broken into two parts and it really fleshes out the backstory of how the Wit was introduced into the Farseer line and why Witted folk are treated with such prejudice. There is a broader message of how superstition and fearmongering propaganda get passed down through generations and become accepted as fact, which is as applicable as ever in our present day world. This is the mildest of spoilers but the way the second story is framed as a

scroll that is hidden in the Buckkeep library made it feel like I was reading this through the eyes of a young Fitz that had stumbled upon a secret piece of Farseer history, which I deeply enjoyed

. I read this after Fool's Errand, which I think was a good point in the series to slot this in. While it can technically be read at any point (even before the Farseer trilogy), it would be best enjoyed by someone who was already familiar with Fitz's world.

"Every coward may know one moment of courage." 💔