Random House Books for Young Readers Assassin's Apprentice: The Farseer Trilogy 1

I first read this book and its sequels, in the early 2000s. But, I’d missed some of the later linked trilogies. My treat for 2022 is to re-read the books I’ve already read and then catch-up with the newer releases.Within a few chapters I knew I’d made the right decision. The Assassin’s Apprentice is every bit as good as I remembered.The build up of the story and the world from the point of view of six-year-old Fitz is the perfect introduction to the massive world Robin Hobb builds in the follow-up books. Fitz goes from stable boy to take his place in the royal household as the illegitimate offspring of a former King-in-waiting, who abdicated to spare his wife the embarrassment of his previously unknown son. His perspective makes for an easy entry point to the court intrigues.A fantastic selection of characters, the best of whom is definitely the ambiguous Fool, makes this an immersive world I want to return to again and again.

Robin Hobb is one of fantasy fiction’s best-loved authors, and I’ve been meaning to open the door into her Realm of the Elderlings for years.Fitz is a very young boy when he’s left at the doors of the palace keep by his maternal grandfather, who no longer thinks it should be his responsibility to feed and clothe someone fathered by the crown prince, Chivalry. Fitz’s arrival that night changes everything.His father abdicates from the throne, never seeing his son and leaving his father and two brothers to rule the kingdom, and takes his barren wife to an estate in the countryside, and Fitz is left in the care of Chivalry’s man, Burrich, who takes care of the horses, hawks and hounds. When Fitz is eventually noticed by his paternal grandfather, he’s ordered to train as an assassin, and Fitz is thrust from a life as a stable hand into a world of power and politics.Assassin’s Apprentice is an incredibly difficult book to sum up because there’s so much to it and, for the most part, it’s a very quiet novel. For me to tell you about the world’s magic systems and Fitz’s relationship with them would feel like spoiling a lot of the book, so this is a book that definitely benefits being experienced – especially because it’s clear that Hobb is laying the groundwork for the many books that follow in this epic series.I must admit I did struggle with this book at first, even though I do tend to enjoy slow stories. I think one of my issues with Assassin’s Apprentice is that we know from both the title and the blurb what Fitz is going to become, but it takes quite a while for us to get there and I often found myself wondering where the book was going. That it’s not predictable – especially considering its very traditional high fantasy set-up – is refreshing in a genre crowded by assassins and royal courts, but the writing is so rich that sometimes I felt like I’d been reading for hours and had barely made any progress.Like so many fantasy novels, though, Assassin’s Apprentice is a book that rewards patience. From around the 100-page mark I felt like the true story had begun and, as I mentioned before, it’s clear that everything we’re told contributes to building this fantastical world we’re in and Fitz’s part in it.In fact in a way that groundwork is really important considering this is a book told not only in first person, but also in hindsight, which means Fitz himself isn’t an entirely reliable narrator. Not necessarily because he’s purposefully lying to us, but because there are certain things he experiences or sees as an eight-year-old that we can understand much better than he did as a child. Alternatively, sometimes I was so far into Fitz’s head that small twists that should have been obvious ended up surprising me because I was seeing the world through Fitz’s eyes.Having the story told in hindsight, however, meant I wasn’t always as worried for Fitz as I could have been. I never had to worry about whether or not he was going to survive because I knew he had – otherwise he wouldn’t be telling me his tale himself.Fitz himself I did like a lot, though, and I have a feeling he’s going to be one of those characters who stays with me as I read more of the series and watch his experiences throughout his life. This boy doesn’t have it easy, and I get the feeling Hobb’s going to give him one hell of a ride.I loved so many of the side characters too, and I think Hobb has a real talent for writing believable, real side characters I want to know more about without making me wish I was following them instead of Fitz. That’s a real skill when so many side characters often feel like side characters, but each of Hobb’s characters feel like they have their own stuff going on that’s just as important as what Fitz is going through – if not more.Ultimately I’m looking forward to reading more from this series and getting further into this world and learning more about Fitz and all the people who surround him – I particularly love Chade, and I’d like to see more of Patience, too – and I’m hoping to become Robin Hobb trash in the process.

I can not properly articulate just how phenomenal these books are, if you enjoy wolves and castles, magic and dragons, diversity and poetry, deep friendships and fairytales, impressive character arcs and a will to never give up in your fantasy then you need look no further than these books… For Robin Hobb delivers all and far more. There were many times I could not put these books down and spent sleepless nights staying up to read ‘just one more chapter’ and since finishing all the books in this series I have re read them all many times and alway get something eye opening out of them each new read.All time favourite books and author. True classics and a gift to the world of fantasy.

This is the first book for a while that I've found difficult to put down. Even trying to slip away for peace, during the day, to catch a chapter or two.It's a fairly simple and straightforward book, nothing complicated or unique about the setting or characters, but it is very well written and as a result is a compelling read.The book definitely reads like the opening chapter of a wider trilogy. It is very much based around building the main character and dropping hints about what his future could hold.It certsi ly drew me in and I've already ordered books 2 and 3 so am looking forward to catching up with how things pan out.

Bought on the recommendation of a friend ... 4 weeks and 9..yes 9 books of the Farseer series later , I am wondering what on earth to do now! (Read her other trilogies I guess!)It took a few chapters to get into the plot but after that it was pure reading pleasure, with characters that build, and not your usual 'poor boy has special powers' kind of deal. We see Fitz develop and the Fool become..well quite what, is up for interpretation.I ended up ordering all three trilogies because i could not bear to wait a moment until my next fix. Just buy, read and enjoy!