#chade

Every time.

Every time I read this passage.

I mean... What else is there to say ?

Chade, most hilarious character in the series. And at the same time it makes me angry because I can't put him with the others. The other assassins I love and think a little too much about. Like minded individuals...♥

I know Fitz is standing at this moment, and doesn't wear a bandana in his hair but I like to imagine him wearing one when making poison so I drew him that way. Don't like it, make your own fanarts.

Slink, I love you. Really. Almost as much as Small Ferret.

Dutiful: Morals, probably?

It was CRAZY seeing Fitz trapped in the king's mind with his consciousness, forgeting his own thoughts and being the king's consciousness confused why he knew his own memories and being himself, confused why he has the king's and on top of all that, seeing visions of the woman he loves being murdered and being a mother. Was that the future? Had only some of that already happened? Are her children Fitz's? Or was that the past, and they were someone else's children?

It's too bad Fitz didn't get his break from people, like he tried to, though I do love how Burrich is trying way harder this book to be a good dad. He's very flawed, but he's not fully as bad a dad as he once seemed. Fitz is so much more headstrong and vocal in this book, which I love! He took so many hits in book 1, so I'm happy to see him fighting back now.

Molly's speech about how abandoned she felt and how much she loved Fitz broke my heart. She thought he loved her while he thought she could never love him. Thinking there was no chance, he thought their every interaction was a blessing but could never go anywhere. While she thought there was every chance of them being together, that he openly loved her, and was trying to court her. She thought he loved her only to find out he had no intention of being with her, but not for the reason she thought. Oh, my heart!! They love each other so much, but the miscommunication is written so well. Reading in Fitz's POV, I am just as surprised as he is that Molly loves him.

I appreciate how much Patience looked out for Molly so that she would be accepted into Fitz's court instead of being lonely among her husband's family for all her life... like I expect Patience's life was like.

Too many girlboss stories just act like every job that is traditionally feminine is not as important as the manly job of fighting in battle and doing corporate buissness. Those things are great, but so is making a house into a home, having children, loving your family, making food, and so many more things. Of course, that's not all we're made for. Women who fight and men who cook are great. But I love how Fitz said to Kettricken how valuable what women do is. What we do is valuable and necessary for all of human life, and yet it is always looked down upon. I'm glad she was reminded of how valuable her work really is.

It hurts me so much to feel Fitz's pain over making a puppy feel how Burrich made him feel as a child all in the name of, "he'll be better off this way." No, what they both needed was love. The world is harsh enough on its own. Nighteyes could feel what Fitz was doing in the name of his king and understood better than every single other character how wrong what Fitz is made to do is.

Kettricken and Verity's relationship is so interesting. It's two people desperately trying to save their two homelands. He would have chosen someone older, someone who could understand him better had he been able to marry for love. And she would have ruled alone and with fierce pride and strength had she been given the option. But they have to work together even if they disagree on how to go about it. I love how Fitz looks out for her - mad at Verity even for all that he loves him because Fitz knows more about Kettricken than her husband does. Even with his flaws, I love Verity - he cares for his wife, but he can't make himself fall in love with her. It's so hard on them both. Kettricken is so like Eowyn from LOTR - she wants to fight and sacrifice more than she wants to live. Her sacrifice is not dying like she might prefer. It's staying where she doesn't want to be and shouldering safer duties she hates. Her sacrifice and burden is life.

In every way Verity can, he wants to let Fitz be free from his assassin life so that he can love Molly as Verity will never be able to with his own wife. Fitz had always wanted to be free from his king, but until he had a chance to be with Molly, he never cared enough to fight. She makes his life so much happier. He deserves a real family outside of the one he was born into.

Fitz's grief was written so realistically in ways I'd never thought to describe before. Memories that were shared now only live in his mind after the passing of his friend, and now he feels less real because what once existed outside of his own mind has now died and lives only with him. Moments they shared.

I love how outside the plot Lady Patience is, lol. She thinks she has the inside scoop on everything while Fitz has been almost murdered by the people she thinks she needs to warn him about. But it's so sweet. She loves him so, so much. She gave up her safety and riches to live in a castle where she hardly knew anyone just to be close to the son of the man she loved. The man who cheated on her. To live in a place where people look down on her and think she's silly. She gave up so much to be a mother to Fitz when she had no obligation to. But it meant everything to Fitz.

I frequently forget that Fitz is an assassin because there is almost no plot or action on the page, which I surprisingly like. We just get reactions to things he feels guilty about doing in the name of loyalty, and it's more of a character study than an action/adventure story. I love that! I don't care about action - I only care about reaction and how it affects the characters and their psyche and their relationships.

Chade and Burrich are so hard to tell if they're good or bad because Fitz doesn't know, and they think they love Fitz. They're both bad and good. They love Fitz, but they aren't good at it. Only Lady Patience and Molly know how to love him selflessly. But when Burrich finally spoke up on Fitz's behalf, trying to free him from his assasin work even if Burrich couldn't really do anything about it made me respect him far more. Verity doesn't want to keep Fitz as a slave assassin but will always choose the many of his country, over a little boy's soul and safety. He can justify it all he wants to, but I can see so much guilt in him like he deserves to feel. It's very interesting how Chade had been convinced since he was just a little boy that if you kill for the king and not yourself, then it's not murder. He really believes that he isn't a murderer. Poor boy had to grapple with that all alone and convince himself that it was okay and so he does the same to Fitz - he can't do otherwise without completely unraveling his worldview like a sweater turned into a ball of yarn. His whole life would have been used for evil if he tells Fitz not to be an assassin, and if he forces himself to believe that his work is good, he helps ruin Fitz's life.

Nighteyes and Fitz's mental connection and bond turning them into a family and pack was so interesting. As an outcast among humans, he fits in better with dogs who love him. Wolves have no evil kings who ruin childhoods.

"Not all men are destined for greatness."

"Are you sure?"

The Fool frequently irritates me, but I do appreciate how he is so wise and has such strong beliefs that he won't let the world tell him are wrong or impossible. He knows Fitz can be so much more than he sees himself as. He is like a jester, unable to actually say his beliefs, so he just says it through satire and comedy.

"My mother needs me." Ohhh, my heart!! In Fitz's dreams, he sees Lady Patience as his mother. I love her so much! Her insecurity at thinking no one will like her hurts to hear. She is the kindest character, and she wanted so badly to be a mother to her greatest love's son even if he's not her's by birth. She loved Burrich but could never be with him, so she was trying to protect Molly from the same fate she suffered. She loves Fitz most of all, but she is a girl's girl through and through and will always put Molly's heart above Fitz's desires, which I really appreciate. All three of them deserved better from this world that cared more about politics than love. Burrich and Patience are the parents Fitz should have had in a happier life if Burrich could've been a father more than an overbearing guardian. Fitz followed in Lady Patience's footsteps - desperately fighting for love despite everything being against them while Molly is like Burrich in how they choose to try and cut out their love before it can turn into world-ending pain. But they can never truly stop loving who they love with all they are.

try these books you wont regret it.

The Tainted Cup - Robert Jackson Bennett

Biopunk murder mystery fantasy, where the eccentric genius detective is a bitingly sarcastic and reclusive old woman called Ana and the watson like sidekick is Dinios a slightly uncomfortable in his own skin, remembers everything in detail forever young man. The main relationship is a platonic mentor mentee type of deal, slight romance between a side character and din towards the end but its brief and doesn't take away from the plot or the main characters.

Assasin's Apprentice - Robin Hobb

Classic fantasy story, really well written with great characters. The main character Fitz is a bastard and has to navigate the harsh life that brings due to him being both an asset and a threat for the royal family. He is taken in by the grumpy stable master Burrich who tries his best to be a father figure to the boy. There is a really cool magic system aswell, especially the Wit which allows users to form links with animals which fitz has and uses even though this form of magic is hated by many. This is all while he is secretly trained in poisons and other such assassin skills by the mysterious and aging Chade whose face is heavily scarred with pox like marks from his own time as an assassin. Not much romance in the first few books of the series although it does build as the series goes on.

The Devil You know - Mike Carey