I love Robin Hobb, and was very excited to see a book from her that was under 800 pages. This novella takes place long before FitzChivalry Farseer, of the Farseer Trilogy and beyond, was ever born. It tells of the story of the origins around society's attitude towards The Wit, a telepathic magic that allows humans to communicate and bond with animals, and why some people with the magic now refer to themselves as Piebalds. It's considered a dirty, low magic in the current books, but it wasn't always that way.

Not quite as gripping as her main novels, which would be impossible without the depth you get in those giant trilogies, but it's an interesting and tragic story that takes place in Buckkeep. I've said it before, but I just love Robin Hobb's writing. She can make you care about her characters like no other, even when they aren't people who necessarily demand sympathy from the reader.

I would read The Farseer Trilogy before moving on to this, as I think it's worth having knowledge of the world already. The Tawny Man books do refer to this legend, although having detailed knowledge of the story isn't needed (this was written ten years after the last book of that trilogy), so it could really be read before or after. It's a quick read, though, and an interesting story, so I'd recommend picking it up if you're a fan of the series.

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