The Willful Princess and the Piebald Prince
A novella. Dust jacket and interior illustrations by Jon Foster.
One of the darkest legends in the Realm of the Elderlings recounts the tale of the so-called Piebald Prince, a Witted pretender to the throne unseated by the actions of brave nobles so that the Farseer line could continue untainted. Now the truth behind the story is revealed through the account of Felicity, a low-born companion of the Princess Caution at Buckkeep.
With Felicity by her side, Caution grows into a headstrong Queen-in-Waiting. But when Caution gives birth to a bastard son who shares the piebald markings of his father’s horse, Felicity is the one who raises him. And as the prince comes to power, political intrigue sparks dangerous whispers about the Wit that will change the kingdom forever...
Internationally bestselling, critically-acclaimed author Robin Hobb takes readers deep into the history behind the Farseer series in this exclusive, new novella, “The Willful Princess and the Piebald Prince.” In her trademark style, Hobb offers a revealing exploration of a family secret still reverberating generations later when assassin FitzChivalry Farseer comes onto the scene. Fans will not want to miss these tantalizing new insights into a much-beloved world and its unforgettable characters.
Robin Hobb
Robin Hobb is alias for Margaret (Megan) Lindholm Ogden. She also writes as Megan Lindholm.
Hobb was born in 1952 in California, US. She is married with sailor Fred Ogden and they have four children and grandchildren. She lives in Tacoma, Washington with her cats and youngest child.
For most of her teen years Hobb lived in Fairbanks, Alaska. She majored in Communications at Denver University, Colorado. She worked as a journalist in Kodiak and wrote fairy tales to children's magazines. She has always been a keen reader and already knew as a child that she wanted to be an author. She sold her first story when she was 18. In 1971 she started writing as Megan Lindholm. Her first book as Lindholm came out in 1983.
The Realm of the Elderlings
The Realm of the Elderlings consists of 1 total books, and the series is set to expand with the upcoming release of one more book. The current recommended reading order for the series is provided below.
Related series The Farseer
Related series The Liveship Traders
Related series The Tawny Man
Related series The Rain Wild Chronicles
Related series Fitz and the Fool
Book Reviews
I have to confess, this short story was not nearly as impressive as the other Robin Hobb works I’ve read. I wanted to love it, but I never felt personally involved in the story. It is told as a narrative—a written record—of the truth of King Charger’s life. It involves much telling and very little showing. Far too much of the story took the form of “some would say… but…” Yes, and the former became history. I like the idea of it, but I very much missed becoming invested in any of the characters. The format leaves a vast gulf between reader and characters. Still… Hobb writes with her typically compelling and intelligent style. The politics are clever and frustrating (as all politics are!). The story of how the Witted were so thoroughly discredited is compelling, believable, and heart-breaking. “The Willful Princess and the Piebald Prince” makes for an interesting tasty historical tidbit.
I recommend this to all those who are fans of the Robin Hobb's Farseer series. If you are not familiar with those, read them first. This is a nice little tale telling an important piece of history of the Six Duchies.