Scan barcode
A review by divine529
The Wilful Princess and the Piebald Prince by Robin Hobb
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
November 2022 reread:
For those of you who know me, you know Robin Hobb is everything to me. I love everything I've read by her (in varying degrees) and this book is no different.
This is a novella in Hobb's Realm of the Elderlings series and while I know there are some out there who disagree with me, I'd say this is required reading in addition to the main series. It has so much important information in this, even some you don't realize is important until later, or on reread. Hobb's world is just chock full of so many layers and incredible storytelling.
This book is split into two parts, the story of The Willful Princess and the story of The Piebald Prince. They are linked and yet separate at the same time, but you can't have one without the other. It's told from a perspective many people might not expect, but that's part of the brilliance of it. Our narrator is Felicity, a servant whose life is intertwined with that of the Farseers. This explains some important aspects of how certain things came to be in the Six Duchies with regards to certain magics as well as the politics.
Technically you can read this at anytime after Farseer, but I'd highly recommend reading it after Liveship and before Tawny Man.
An absolutely fantastic novella and one that I will of course revisit whenever I reread the series.
For those of you who know me, you know Robin Hobb is everything to me. I love everything I've read by her (in varying degrees) and this book is no different.
This is a novella in Hobb's Realm of the Elderlings series and while I know there are some out there who disagree with me, I'd say this is required reading in addition to the main series. It has so much important information in this, even some you don't realize is important until later, or on reread. Hobb's world is just chock full of so many layers and incredible storytelling.
This book is split into two parts, the story of The Willful Princess and the story of The Piebald Prince. They are linked and yet separate at the same time, but you can't have one without the other. It's told from a perspective many people might not expect, but that's part of the brilliance of it. Our narrator is Felicity, a servant whose life is intertwined with that of the Farseers. This explains some important aspects of how certain things came to be in the Six Duchies with regards to certain magics as well as the politics.
Technically you can read this at anytime after Farseer, but I'd highly recommend reading it after Liveship and before Tawny Man.
An absolutely fantastic novella and one that I will of course revisit whenever I reread the series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Death, Genocide, Gore, Misogyny, Sexism, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Infidelity and Sexual content