Read the previous entry in the series here.
Read the next entry in the series soon.

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Following a letter from Fitz to Nettle that warns against much investigation of the Skill Pillars, “Chade” begins with Fitz reminiscing about his erstwhile mentor’s tendency towards drama as he answers his summons. While he waits, he is approached by a young woman who makes seeming advances towards him, the which he rebuffs gently until Chade arrives, with Riddle assisting. Fitz reminisces about his long experience with Riddle, as well, and he and Chade confer for a time, not entirely pleasantly. Fitz realizes Nettle is Skill-riding Riddle, and he accompanies the men to a room prepared for them.

The woman from before greets them in the room, and Fitz is somewhat surprised to find Chade including her in their activities. Fitz intuits that she is of Farseer blood, and he is embarrassed to realize that she has duped him thoroughly. A casual comment comes from her that Fitz perceives as a threat to Bee, and he reflexively moves to eliminate the threat. Chade partially defuses the situation by noting the need to test Fitz again, citing the effects of grief upon him. He also notes his plan to place the woman, called Shun, in Fitz’s household, ostensibly as an aide for Bee, but more fully as a guard for her and a means of providing for her.

Discussion of Shun’s background follows, and Fitz puts questions to Chade through the Skill that the latter deflects. Shun expresses her distaste at the situation, which Chade validates, but he also lays out her situation as a bastard Farseer–which Fitz knows well. Fitz agrees to assist Chade with Shun, and Chade claims Shun as his own, calling her by his own surname of Fallstar. Fitz then makes to return home, deflecting attempts to keep him present; as he leaves, he and Riddle confer, Fitz averring that matters are well with him and Bee. And as he departs, Fitz ruminates on his erstwhile mentor further.

Given my comments about the past few chapters of the novel, I feel I have to note that the present chapter is a more “normal” length, not quite thirty pages in the edition I’m reading. And it does focus narrowly on a single scene, so that more “normal” length makes sense to my reading.

A couple of things strike me about the present chapter aside from the length. In it, Shun is described as being some nineteen years of age, which prompts Fitz to consider her origin. Some of that is confirmed, or at least heavily implied, by Chade’s recognition of her by surname, assigning Fallstar to her; it might well be thought that Chade, himself a Farseer bastard put to ungentle use by the Farseers, would be more careful about generating more such. (Given that Chade has access to a hangover cure, as well as any number of other fantastic concoctions, and given the attested existence of silphium, it would not be beyond imagining that Chade could have contrived birth control or an abortifacient. Indeed, Chade remarks upon several of the potential effects of his chemistries, suggesting that they might well be able to prevent conception.) However that might be, Shun’s age seems to my reckoning to put her conception between the events of Assassin’s Quest and Fool’s Errand, although, on reflection, it might have been during the former. I’m not at this point aware of any formal chronology, although I don’t doubt it could be sussed out from what is in the text, and I’m sure that some explication of the dating involved could be done to some effect; it’s the kind of thing that makes for a good short essay, really (and if the essay’s already out there, please let me know).

I wander once again, of course. I often do when I work with Hobb’s writing, getting lost in rereading as I look for things I remember. While it did, admittedly, complicate the work of writing my master’s thesis, one conference paper or another, a book chapter and a follow-up essay, an early publication, and teaching materials, I think it also speaks to the quality of Hobb’s writing. If it is so easy to get back into reading it, after all, it would seem to be doing something right.

If you like the way I write, why not hire me to write for you?

Or you can send your support along directly!