Assassin's Apprentice (Farseer Trilogy)
"Fantasy as it ought to be written . . . Robin Hobb's books are diamonds in a sea of zircons."--George R. R. Martin Young Fitz is the bastard son of the noble Prince Chivalry, raised in the shadow of the royal court by his father's gruff stableman. He is treated as an outcast by all the royalty except the devious King Shrewd, who has him secretly tutored in the arts of the assassin. For in Fitz's blood runs the magic Skill--and the darker knowledge of a child raised with the stable hounds and rejected by his family. As barbarous raiders ravage the coasts, Fitz is growing to manhood. Soon he will face his first dangerous, soul-shattering mission. And though some regard him as a threat to the throne, he may just be the key to the survival of the kingdom. Praise for Robin Hobb and Assassin's Apprentice "A gleaming debut in the crowded field of epic fantasies . . . a delightful take on the powers and politics behind the throne."--Publishers Weekly "This is the kind of book you fall into, and start reading slower as you get to the end, because you don't want it to be over."--Steven Brust
BUY THE BOOK
Community Reviews
Such a beautiful writing style. In fact, it is the style of fantasy writing that was popular when I first was introduced to the genre and consequently fell in love.
I went into this book blind and just got completely taken for a wild ride. Nothing was what I expected. It was darker than I anticipated and Robin Hobb was just plain brutal to the main character.
It was such a sad story...I had my heart ripped to shreds so many times...I honestly will have to recover for quite some time before I can continue.
Video non spoiler review here: https://youtu.be/UcDkZchjiW4
I went into this book blind and just got completely taken for a wild ride. Nothing was what I expected. It was darker than I anticipated and Robin Hobb was just plain brutal to the main character.
It was such a sad story...I had my heart ripped to shreds so many times...I honestly will have to recover for quite some time before I can continue.
Video non spoiler review here: https://youtu.be/UcDkZchjiW4
It gets a 7 for the slow parts and also because Robin is a cruel woman who beats the hell out of Fitz! I also listened to this on audiobook. However, this book is a classic fantasy book for a reason—the cast of characters is rich; their relationships are complicated and when it gets going, it’s incredible! But it’s a 1st book, so there’s a lot to weed through and set up. I will say, for all the damn set up and world building—I always knew the characters. I wasn’t ever like, “who is that again?” And that’s a testament to her character work. Read this if you enjoy the journey; love getting emotionally attached to characters despite feeling like the author might torture/kill them at anymore and enjoy “learned” magic over “chosen”. Favorite characters: The Fool; Fitz and Patience (and her lady’s maid).
See why thousands of readers are using Bookclubs to stay connected.