In the first installment of The Farseer Trilogy, "Assassin's Apprentice," readers are introduced to FitzChivalry Farseer, the bastard son of a prince, who is raised in a dangerous position where there are people who want him dead. Swearing allegiance to his grandfather the king, Fitz becomes an apprentice to the royal assassin, navigating a world filled with courtly intrigue, political tensions, and the looming threat to his life. The book is praised for its in-depth story, intricate world-building, and fantastic character development, setting the stage for a tale full of twists and intrigue.
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Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings
Triggers/content warnings include themes of abuse, mental health struggles, and depictions of suicide.
From The Publisher:
"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
Ratings (381)
Incredible (83) | |
Loved It (151) | |
Liked It (82) | |
It Was OK (38) | |
Did Not Like (23) | |
Hated It (4) |
Reader Stats (822):
Read It (394) | |
Currently Reading (7) | |
Want To Read (340) | |
Did Not Finish (19) | |
Not Interested (62) |
13 comment(s)
I loved this book a lot. The world is uncomplicated and easy to understand. Though politics is the theme of the plot, the focus is really on character relationships, dynamics, and growth. This book is Fitz’ origin story and focuses heavily on his training; physically, mentally, and magically. I found Fitz really relatable and starts off as a fish out of water in high political courts.
I could see a lot of people not familiar with fantasy finding this book boring because it is narrowly focused, relatively low-fantasy, and slow-paced but I think it brings the excellent character writing to the forefront and made it more enjoyable. I would only recommend this book to people who are comfortable settling in for a long journey with characters they will love and have experience with slow-paced fantasy novels. Journey before destination.
It was ok. Very slow start and picked up in the last 100 pages. I don’t know if I will continue this one.
A LOOONG read. An entertaining read at times, but with stretches of monotony. The characters are engaging. The world building is excellent. This is wonderful for people who want ALL the palace intrigue with all the dialogue interspersed with moments of action and fantastic adventure.
Got a few hours left on my audiobook but I'm deciding to DNF it for now. It's my second try to consume the story in audiobook form and I feel like it's better to be reading it physically. Hope the get my mittens on it when library opens
Main character is put through a lot of shit. I've heard the rest of the series is good, but I was just sad/mad while reading this.
2.5*
****4.0****
From a long time, I was hearing about Robin Hobb and The Realm of Elderlings in Goodreads and how good it is. So after hearing this good reviews, I saw that there are almost 16 books in the whole series. I so much wanted to read them which got me into collecting them.
AND my 2018 is dedicated for Robin Hobb books.
“Don’t do what you can’t undo, until you’ve considered what you can’t do once you’ve done it.”
The Assassin’s Apprentice is first in Farseer Trilogy. Story follows a young bastard Fitz , son of Prince Chivalry of Buckkeep Castle of Six Dutchies. He was given into the care of Burrich, the stableman and ex-right hand man of Fitz’s father Prince Chivalry. But when King Shrewd notices Fitz, he takes in this kid to be trained as an Assassin for the country. And there goes Fitz along with his training, politics of the court, with a low magic of his own and trying to master Skill ( a royal magical ability) and help the kingdom. But for some he is also a threat, a obstacle to gain throne, a bastard with royal blood.
Most prisons are of our own making. A man makes his own freedom, too.
If you compare the story with the current fantasy novels, you might find it a bit slow, less of action and magic. But if you like to slow the time and enter a world and remain there then this one is the best. It’s more like
“Tolkienian” style of world, not
“Bardugonian“.
“Too late to apologize, I’ve already forgiven you.”
I loved the way Hobb told the story, narrated through first person, Fitz about how his days go, how he feels etc. The story builds on as we turn pages. Truths reveal, some old stories make sense and finally you realize that you are in love with this new world. Simple and yet effectively thorough.
“Very little worth knowing is taught by fear.”
Happy Reading!!!
Boring, YAish,
I really wanted to love this book, but I just didn't. I liked it well enough, but there was just something lacking in the characters that kept me from being entirely engaged with the story. There were some interesting points, such as the Red-Ship Raiders and their hostage returns, but it wasn't enough to make me excited about continuing the book.
I probably won't continue with this series, which saddens me, because I feel that I might've really enjoyed this book if I had read it just a few years ago.
Faster pace.
What can you read after
Assassin's Apprentice?
About the Author:
Robin Hobb is the author of the Farseer Trilogy, the Liveship Traders Trilogy, the Tawny Man Trilogy, the Soldier Son Trilogy, and the Rain Wilds Chronicles. She has also written as Megan Lindholm. She is a native of Washington State.Magali…
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