Fool's Errand vs Fool's Fate: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: Magic, Fantasy fiction, Fantasy, Fiction
Fool's Errand
“He came one late, wet spring, and brought the wide world back to my doorstep.”
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Robin Hobb has emerged as one of today's foremost fantasy authors. Now she continues the adventures of one of her most popular heroes in the first book of what promises to be her most spectacular trilogy yet. Fool's…
Fool's Fate
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A heralded writer of epic fantasy, Robin Hobb has given readers worlds within worlds in her heroic Farseer and Liveship Traders trilogies. Now she takes the final step in the breathtaking trilogy of the Tawny Man, as…
Side by side
The verdict
- Ratings are close across the board — any is a safe pick by score.
- Fool's Errand is the quickest read — about 12 hours vs 14 for Fool's Fate.
- Fool's Errand has the widest readership — 112505 ratings behind its score.
- Fool's Errand runs the darker storyline; Fool's Fate stays the lighter read.
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How to choose
Scores by source
| Fool's Errand | Fool's Fate | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 4.4 (112505) | 4.5 (95440) |
| Hardcover | 4.3 (516) | 4.5 (443) |
| Google Books | 5.0 (1) | 5.0 (5) |
| Apple Books | 4.5 (395) | 4.5 (424) |
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Reception
| Fool's Errand | Fool's Fate | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 112505 | 95440 |
| Editions | 13 | 14 |
| Film adaptations | 1 | 1 |
| Want to read | 67904 | 33925 |
| Reading it now | 3315 | 1970 |
| Written reviews | 5690 | 4943 |
| Wikipedia attention | 1395 | 957 |
| Pages | 666 | 805 |
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Questions readers ask
Which is rated higher: Fool's Errand or Fool's Fate?
Fool's Fate has the higher combined reader rating across sources (Fool's Fate 4.5/5, Fool's Errand 4.4/5).
Which is shorter to read: Fool's Errand or Fool's Fate?
Fool's Errand is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: Fool's Errand (666 pages, ≈ 12 h 20 m); Fool's Fate (805 pages, ≈ 14 h 54 m).
Which is harder to read: Fool's Errand or Fool's Fate?
Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — Fool's Errand: Moderate; Fool's Fate: Moderate.