Fantasy for Our Time: The Hero's Journey in the Farseer Trilogy

Join me as I explore how Robin Hobb’s Farseer trilogy presents the best possible answer the modern world can offer to the problem of suffering. I also look at what that answer means for her worldbuilding and her take on the traditional heroic paradigm as compared to writers like Tolkien and Lewis.

Fun rabbit trails in this Farseer trilogy review include discussions of John Howe’s fantasy art, war trauma, PTSD, and The Iliad, and how reading in a digital versus print format affects our memory.

(Farseer novels are Assassin's Apprentice, Royal Assassin, and Assassin's Quest.)

Timestamps:
00:00:00 - Introductory Music
00:00:08 - My First Impressions of Robin Hobb's Farseer Trilogy
00:03:16 - A Unique Storytelling Method
00:06:23 - Robin Hobb's Worldview
00:10:14 - The Problem of Suffering
00:13:10 - A Secret Name: A Catalyst without Agency
00:17:08 - How Fitz Reacts to the Valley of the Shadow of Death
00:20:02 - War Trauma
00:23:13 - How Fitz Defies Classic Writing Advice
00:23:56 - A Catalyst-Based Heroic Paradigm
00:26:50 - A Traditional Hero Needs This
00:29:47 - Patron Q&A


ABOUT ME
I’m Nicholas Kotar. I write epic fantasy and science fiction inspired by Slavic fairy tales. You can find my books at Waystone Press, an independent publisher that partners with award-winning illustrators to craft artisanal books for lovers of fairy tales new and old.
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#storytelling #epicfantasy #bookreview