Fitz and the Fool

Just finished reading "The Golden Fool" and having a short break on computer before starting the next book, which will also be the last about these wonderful people. Sadness.

Today has been hell. Let's just leave it at that. At least he fell asleep quickly- as expected since he's been tired and grumpy since 2pm. H is staying the night on the Sunny Coast.

But Fitz and the Fool! Now, I don't love every aspect of the Realm of the Elderlings story; some of it moves too slowly and is frustrating and sometimes I feel Fitz gets a lot of crap for things he does not mean to happen. The writing is far too descriptive too.

BUT! The characters, well most of them, are so beautiful and these two are my absolute favourites. Fitz loves the Fool as a friend. Others around them confront Fitz and tell him the Fool is a woman in disguise and that she is in love with him, and even though the Fool never directly denies it, Fitz never seems to even consider that his best friend might not be a man.

The Fool loves Fitz more than a friend, and he holds the answer to his gender very private. He covers himself up completely, so not even Fitz will know. And when Fitz angrily declares he will never love the Fool more than a friend... well, it's the most heart-breaking scene ever.

So yes. Before I started reading fantasy I never realised this type of literature would be like this. First I read WOT, then ASOIAF and now the Elderlings. And it's not all about swords and honour and dragons and wizards... it's about real people and their feelings. I never would have thought.

This art work is of Fitz and the Fool, and even though it's not great since Fitz (the dark-haired one) looks kind of female which he is very, very much not, I have to admire the so correct portrayal of their love. Or of how the Fool portrays it at least...

Well, I still got one more book to go... you never know!