Should I read the books before listening to your podcast?

Yes. Is Fitz Happy? is a full-spoiler, reread podcast made by and for people who have already finished the Realm of the Elderlings (RotE) by Robin Hobb. We don't shy away from mentioning any plot point or character fate the discussion (or our ramblings) leads us to.

What is the reading order for The Realm of the Elderlings?

Publication order and chronological order are the same thing for the main novels:

The Farseer Trilogy

1. Assassin's Apprentice
2. Royal Assassin
3. Assassin's Quest

The Liveship Traders Trilogy

4. Ship of Magic
5. The Mad Ship
6. Ship of Destiny

The Tawny Man Trilogy

7. Fool's Errand
8. The Golden Fool
9. Fool's Fate

The Rain Wild Chronicles

10. Dragon Keeper
11. Dragon Haven
12. City of Dragons
13. Blood of Dragons

The Fitz and the Fool Trilogy

14. Fool's Assassin
15. Fool's Quest
16. Assassin's Fate

There's also one novella and six short stories.

When should I read the short stories?

• Cat's Meat — It takes place before Assassin's Apprentice, but can be read in any order.
• Words Like Coins — It takes place around the Farseer Trilogy, and can be read in any order.
• Blue Boots — It takes place around the Farseer Trilogy, and can be read in any order.
• Her Father's Sword — It takes place around the Farseer Trilogy and can be read at any time, but we recommend after Assassin's Apprentice or Royal Assassin.
• Inheritance — It takes place sometime before Ship of Magic, but we recommend to read it any time after Ship of Magic.
• Homecoming — This is about the first Jamaillian settlers of the Rain Wilds. Therefore, it's one of the oldest chronologically, but should be read after the Liveship Traders Trilogy.
• The Willful Princess and the Piebald Prince — This is a novella rather than a short story. It details the origin of the prejudice against the Wit and the true story of the Piebald Prince. It is ancient history of the Farseers, so it can be read any time. However, it gives a lot of context to the story after Fool's Errand, so we recommend reading it then or after the whole of the Tawny Man Trilogy.

Can I skip the Liveship Traders Trilogy and/or the Rain Wild Chronicles?

No. Well, you technically can, but you shouldn't.
The Liveship Traders contains vital information and plot threads that converge in the future. The trilogy might seem unrelated, but nothing truly is in this series. It's widely regarded as one of the best trilogies in the series for a good reason.
The Rain Wild Chronicles contain an enormous amount of world building for RotE and reveal a lot of secrets and information about the lore. These books should be read and the final trilogy (Fitz and the Fool) won't have as much meaning without reading all of the novels in the series.

Does Fitz ever get a happy ending?

Several times! However, it usually doesn't last. In the finale, Fitz gets the ending that makes sense for him. The journey is full of hardships, but we like to think he's happy, ultimately.