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

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After a report from Jek about Kelsingra and its reoccupation, “The Crown” begins with Fitz returning belatedly to his quarters, tired from the night’s events. He rests uneasily until awakened by Ash effecting entry into his rooms. Fitz challenges the boy, who delivers breakfast and letters for the renewed FitzChivalry Farseer, and the two talk together briefly before Ash notes small injuries on Fitz’s back. Fitz is surprised by them, himself, but he deflects attention by asking after Ash’s background, learning that the boy was the child of a prostitute and slotting more of Chade’s machinations into place in his mind.

Dismissing Ash, Fitz turns to the correspondences that have begun to come in for him, considering them and the ways in which his new status will affect Bee. He is distracted from his ruminations by the arrival of the crow that has insinuated herself into his life, giving rise to a rumination on the Wit and its limits. The bird harangues him for a bit as he wistfully considers changes in the area surrounding Buckkeep, and Fitz attempts to mask the physical differences that separate the crow from her fellows.

So much done, Fitz ascends to Chade’s hidden chambers to confer with the Fool. The latter notes that he is beginning to recover some semblance of sight, and Fitz guardedly congratulates him. The pair then confer about Fitz’s re-elevation, about which not all are pleased, and the Fool notes to Fitz a package Chade had left for him. Within is a sealed message from Verity, dating to his departure to Kelsingra and naming Fitz to his line of succession; a crown accompanies it. Despite his concerns, the Fool places it on Fitz’s head, and the two confer about injuries and Skill-healing. Fitz investigates the Fool, finding himself in mind of his own mistreatment by Galen, and both end up fatigued by the experience. The crow–deemed Motley by the Fool–returns as they continue to talk and makes herself part of their circle.

The present chapter does make a number of references to in-milieu past events, even more than I link herein, glossing them neatly and generally well. It is a good piece of world-building on display and a useful reminder that the present volume is one in a long series. (And what a relief it is to read an author who actually gets books into print!) I could wish I had taken more detailed notes, or more searchable ones, but that is an issue with me and not with the text.

I find some interest in some of the comments regarding those who are not pleased at the return of FitzChivalry Farseer. One, in particular, stands out, that made by the grandson of a soldier who had helped Regal capture Fitz: “My grandfather died thinking he had sent you to your death. To the end of his days, Blade believed he had betrayed you. He, I think, you might have trusted” (162). Again, I appreciate the work to connect the present text back to the earlier volumes in the series; I know–oh, I know–that there is a lot of material in the Elderlings corpus, and keeping track of all of it is not necessarily an easy thing to do. Again, I could wish I had taken more detailed notes, or more searchable ones, than I have done these past years. (It’s strange to think it’ll be six years this May that I’ll’ve been working through this rereading series–and there’s more to do!) But in any event, while some might be displeased to see FitzChivalry return for superstitious reasons (as noted previously), and others might be displeased because the reappearance of an acknowledged Farseer–with an earned reputation as a more-than-capable killer–and possible heir presents substantial disruption to any number of political intrigues that might be in place, the indication that there are entirely justifiable, personal angers to be directed at Fitz does some good work in continuing to humanize the character. Shades of steel-grey would appear to show, indeed, and I find myself thinking yet again of a scholarly someday that might be worth pursuing. Too, the small-scale slice-of-life things Hobb includes do much to make the milieu more “real” for the reader, with effects I think I’ve noted before.

So, yeah, it’s a good chapter.

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