The Golden Fool
core novel 2002 Realm of the Elderlings
Record
| First published | 2002 |
|---|---|
| Original language |  EN |
| Work type | novel |
| Canon status | core |
| Reader rating | 4.39 (99,319 ratings, collected 2026-09-11) |
| Page count | 709 |
| First-edition ISBN | 9780007160389 |
Synopsis
Fitz reluctantly takes on the role of secretly tutoring Prince Dutiful in the forbidden Skill magic while maintaining his own hidden identity alongside his old friend the Fool, who has resurfaced at court under a new guise. A political alliance is being forged through Dutiful's proposed marriage to an Outislander noblewoman, a match meant to secure a lasting peace, even as hidden magical threats and simmering court conspiracies build beneath the surface of the negotiations. Fitz must balance his covert duties to the crown with his loyalty to Dutiful as a person, all while staying unseen by a court that still remembers him, officially, as dead.
Where it sits
- Universe: Realm of the Elderlings
- Series: Tawny Man Trilogy core; position 2 of 3 in the series' recorded order
- Author: Robin Hobb
Neighbouring works
Publication order and internal chronology are tracked as two separate orderings and are never conflated: a book's place in one says nothing about its place in the other.
- Publication order, within the series Tawny Man Trilogy: position 2 of 3: previous Fool's Errand (2001) · next Fool's Fate (2003)
Sources
← Realm of the Elderlings dossier · All universes
Part of the Library. Fields without an identified source are omitted, never guessed.