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Fantasy. Fiction. HTML:“Fantasy as it ought to be written . . . Robin Hobb’s books are diamonds in a sea of zircons.”—George R. R. Martin Fitz has survived his first hazardous mission as king’s assassin, but is left little more than a cripple. Battered and bitter, he vows to abandon his oath to King Shrewd, remaining in the distant mountains. But love and events of terrible urgency draw him back to the court at Buckkeep, and into the deadly intrigues of the royal family. Renewing their vicious attacks on the coast, the Red-Ship Raiders leave burned-out villages and demented victims in their wake. The kingdom is also under assault from within, as treachery threatens the throne of the ailing king. In this time of great danger, the fate of the kingdom may rest in Fitz’s hands—and his role in its salvation may require the ultimate sacrifice. BONUS: This edition includes an excerpt from Robin Hobb's Assassin's Quest. Praise for Robin Hobb and Royal Assassin “[Robin] Hobb continues to revitalize a genre that often seems all too generic, making it new in ways that range from the subtle to the shocking.”—Locus “[Royal Assassin] reaches astonishing new heights. . . . The Farseer saga is destined for greatness—a must-read for every devotee of epic fantasy.”—Sense of Wonder.… (more)
User reviews
And this is where the novel begins -- reviving everything the last book closed on -- treason, assassins, danger, love, drama, and more. "Assassin's Apprentice" is to say the least, as gripping as the last, and another read I could not put down. Everything good about the last novel was here -- great characters, great development, and great story. Essentially, this is yet another amazing installment -- but that isn't to say it's perfect or problem free. This one had a few rough spots.
For me, I found a few areas to be a bit slow and plodding. There was a point in the book, where I almost pleaded to it that Fitz would finally get to use some of his Assassin skills. For a book about an assassin, there is little assassination. That's not to say the plot suffered from it, it didn't -- it all made sense, Fitz was never really in a position to use these skills, but it didn't stop me from wishing. I would have liked to see more stealth, carefully executed plans, etc. I would have liked to see him use the skills he had learned. Most of the action in this novel that did happen (on Fitz part) was uncalculated and unintended. It seemed each instance, he got his way out of a situation by pure luck rather than skill. That was a bit disappointing. None the less, I can let it slide, as It all built up, and by the end it was well worth it.
There was another slight annoyance however, one that bothered me a bit. I won't give anything away, but if you'd rather not read just a tiny, vague spoiler, skip this small paragraph. The incident with Rosemary, the Queen-in-Waiting's little servant girl, was totally predictable. How could a trained assassin not figure this out? I assumed it the moment she entered into the novel -- and if I could figure it out, I'd think that Fitz, Chade or the Queen-In-Waiting would caught on. None the less, they didn't, and it all seemed a bit silly. Though in a way I can understand it, I would have thought that three relatively intelligent people, in a time of such danger would have been more careful.
..and those are my complaints, all fairly small. Now onto more good things..
The characters. Yes, the characters once again were simply brilliant. Robin Hobb doesn't fail to shine in this aspect, and at this point, I can never see her ever doing so. All of the characters are so compelling, and interesting. I grew to have feelings for each one -- whether it was love, or hate, or worry, or something in between -- I felt it, and that takes a special type of writer to do that. I've read so many novels where some (or even all) of the characters are so phony or bland, to the point where there's no connection. This, like the previous novel, relied heavily on the characters personality and actions, and once again, it succeeded immensely..
Ah, and amongst the excellent characters, there was a new addition. A wolf, and perhaps one of my favorites of this series, Night-eyes! Everything about him was great, from the way he was discovered -- the intense moment of emotion and rage that lead Fitz right to his confining cage -- to the much needed relief he added to a novel that was so grim. It was simply brilliant, I was so happy to see Fitz once again restore an animal bond, one that this time, WASN'T broken. All in all, this character added so much to this piece, and as always with Hobb, the dialog between them was simply amazing.
We also cannot forget the beloved fool, another stand-out, whom' in my opinion, is a refreshingly complex and interesting character. Not only does his humor, quick-witted comments and actions grace many of the moments in "Assassin's Quest," but there is a new deepness to the fool that is finally touched upon. A deepness that really gives us as readers a different view of him -- a more human view -- one that really expanded on his character, making him even more interesting and enjoyable. This, was great to see, but not unexpected. Again, I can't refrain from praising Hobb for her amazing ability to bring her characters to life. She is truly gifted.
There is also a great deal of development in the relationship between Molly and Fitz. While it is the classic forbidden "this can never work' relationship, it added a new evolved depth to Fitz as a main character, and truly revealed how in some ways he had grown up – yet in others he was still a child. Again, this was a nice thing to see -- even if it brought out quite a bit of emotion and strife to a character I really grew to like and care about. From Burrich, to Chade – to the Queen-In-Waiting Kettricken (who really stood out in this novel as a very strong character), and to Molly, to Verity, and even to Patience, each of the characters continued to grow and evolve; This, as before, was a big highlight for me.
And lastly..
Much like the debut novel of the Farseer Trilogy, it all leads to a huge, climatic, impacting ending that changes everything. One that left me, quite honestly, stunned. I found the vivid description and deep emotional outpouring of the final scene to be both haunting and immensely saddening, A scene that will surely stay with me for some time -- burnt into my mind. I was utterly chilled by the ending words – by the ending chapter – by the actions that were done, and by sorrow and despair it carried. By the end of the final chapter, I was literally gripping the novel intensely, completely lost in the storyline -- and yes, even a bit teary eyed! It was perhaps, one of the most emotional ending I've ever read, and truthfully, it left me feeling emotionally drained and a bit depressed. It also left wishing for a happier resolve, a larger glimmer of hope. Sadly however, from my experience with this series, there usually isn't one. It's all so bleak. Luckily for me, the third book is already out, and I can start it right away to see how everything turns out – hopefully for the better!
All in all, “Royal Assassin” is yet another amazing novel in the Farseer trilogy. While it was at many times depressing, I found it to be a worth-while read – one where I've truly grown to care about many of the characters – yet at the same time grown to hate others. Robin Hobb's ability to bring her characters to life is a true talent, and as stated previously in this review – the progressive development she works through them is an aspect of these novels that keeps me glued to each page. For whatever happens to the characters I love, I always want to know more – because in many ways, they seem so real to me. As if I truly know them. That is the magic of these books. With that said, I close this review and pick up the next in the Farseer trilogy, hoping to find some sort of relief and resolve. I suggest this to anyone who has read the first book in the series – continue on, it's definitely worth it!
I found Royal Assassin even more absorbing than Assassin's Apprentice. The character development
And, once again, it's really the characters that make this book. Robin Hobb's characterization is excellent; everyone has depth. Even their minor conflicts feel important because they come across as real issues that these people struggle with. I found it very easy to get lost in the story; I was always eager, (and sometimes desperate), to see how things would turn out for the characters I'd come to care for.
At more than two hundred pages longer than the previous volume, this is a big book. It flies by, though; despite the wealth of detail, I didn't feel that it lagged at all until right near the end. And even then, it's difficult to say whether the momentum diminished because of the writing or my own horror at what was happening.
I highly recommend both this and the previous volume. They're excellent, character-driven fantasy that works. I'm only sorry I didn't dive into Robin Hobb sooner.
OK. Now on to real things. A the end of the previous novel of the Farseer Series, Assassin's Apprentice (my review here), FitzChivalry is caught up in court intrigue, and his jealous uncle, Regal, schemes to kill the young bastard prince. He, and his caretaker, Burrich, are brutalized and nearly killed, in the capital of the Mountain Kingdom. After several months of recuperation, Fitz decides that never again will he take up the cause of the Farseer throne.
Of course, you know how this sort of thing is bound to turn out. Within 150 pages, he's off and murdering a new threat, The zombie-like Forged Ones, whose souls have somehow been erased by the Out Island pirates. Can you kill a man, if he is no longer who he was? It's a question for a better ethicist than I am.
FitzChivalry discovers his strong rapport with the Wit (beast magic) and, nearly against his will, bonds himself to a wolf pup called Nighteyes. If someone discovers Fitz's Wit Magic, it may be punishable by death.
A second subtext running through the novel is Fitz's romance with his childhood friend, Molly. The information of him, as the king's Assassin, must be hidden from her. She knows him as an errand-boy, and he must pile secret upon secret, in order to protect her from the trouble his career would bring her. How many secrets must your bury yourself in, before you are no longer yourself? I would not be surprised if Fitz's morose questioning reminds readers of prince Hamlet. At several points, he considers suicide to escape his fate.
Once again, Hobb excels at crafting a world and characters that are real and engaging. Her story is engaging, and not at all pedestrian. Her characters do not shy away from real emotions, although occasionally, you want to grab young FitzChivalry and slap him upside the head.
Hobb manages something that I haven't experienced in a very long time. The characters in the novels became friends: I actually cared what happened to them. Although it's an excellent story, it's definitely a "middle" novel of a trilogy. The reader is left with the desire to scamper to the nearest bookstore and find the third book, and start it immediately. Of course, the novel, in all probability, won't be on the shelves and you'll have to Special Order the silly thing. I didn't find it at my three local bookstores in Virginia, but managed to locate the third book in a bookshop in California, a mere 3,500 miles away. Her books are the best I've read in years.
The story picks up where the previous volumne left off, and it would be wise to read Assassin's Apprentice first for little retelling is given. Fitz, bastard, Chivalry trained assassin to King Shrewd (yes the names start to grate after a while. Does the kingdom have nothing better to do than give people who appear important in the story (excepting burich) character defining names, whilst those who only appear briefly only get normal ones?) had accompained the royal party to the neighbouring Mountain Kingdom (yep original name there too), where he became embroiled and attacked in the youngest Prince's (Regal) scheme to rise to Kingship. Fitz recover slowly and painfully, until he's needed when suddenly almost overnight he is clear of mind and whole of body, occasionally in a quiet moment when it's convenient, suffering extremely mind reminders of his former illness. If only all heros could recover so quickly. The Red Raiders attacks on the kingdom continue and the good Prince Verity needs Fitz' assistance. And there's a girl, and a wolf, and Prince Regal continues his evil plotting. Poor old Fitz is quite torn in where to place his loyalty, and as matters come to a head he is increasingly required to choose for himself, withou guidance from his elders and betters, which leads to the dramatic finale.
It really is all quite good, there are twists and turns and the pace of action keeps up with Fitz's problems and information. But there are also way too many issues. Skilling either takes a while with Fitz staring into space, or is over "in the blink of an eye" depending on the need of the story, which is very poorly thought out. The King is or isn't lucid again depending on the infomation being presented to him. many other peopel change their mind or opinion on a whim. Even deeply held convictions are suddenly overturned with no more anguish than a 'oh well, I suppose it's ok' And worst of all much of the plot is obvious. Guessable way in adavance. What is supposed to be surprising twists, become oh look that foreshadowing has come to pass. It's quite hard to explain just how much these minor details, each in their own way insignificant, combine to majorly distract the reader from enjoying the story.
Readable, and if anyting lightly better than the original, it's disappointing to find it could be much better.
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What's great about this book are the characters and the politics! Fitz is coming into his own and starting to have an effect on his life and the lives of those around him. The characters around him change from the guiding forces that they were in the first book to challenges for Fitz to confront or lratn to accept. I'll read the next, but Hobb is threatening to alienate me as a reader...
The end of this book is chilling. This is the way to do a
Hobb makes the strange choice of explaining his motivations (kind of) long after we've become frustrated with him. Same with the Inner Duchies - they have good historical reasons for acting in really idiotic ways ("pirates pillaging our only trade partners? no prob Bob!"), but these are not fully established until the two-thirds mark.
Pretty nifty ending though!
I'll definitely read the third book, but I need a break first!
Robin Hobb is very skillful writer, making you feel strongly about all of the main characters, even if what you feel is deep loathing for some of
There's a lot more of the Fool and political intrigue, in addition to a few battle scenes. I found the plot strangely non-linear, and I suspect it was written without an outline. It was rarely clear where the story was going next, with little in the way of foreshadowing. This can be a good thing, reducing predictability, but also causes a "making it up as we go along" impression. Fortunately enough was evolving in the background and with FitzChivalry to keep me interested, and I wasn't feeling entirely adrift. Somehow everything came together at the end, and it matched the first book for an exciting wrap-up. I'm ready for volume three.
I really enjoyed the ending, and maybe a few chapters here
On some level, I'm probably still getting used to Hobb's style; I discovered with her Rain Wilds Chronicles series that her individual books tend to feel like they lack direction, but when taken as a whole, the big picture eventually emerges clearly. Given Royal Assassin is the middle book of the Farseer trilogy, perhaps this was what made this "rambling narrative" feeling more apparent. Though it's been quite a while since I read the first book Assassin's Apprentice, I don't recall feeling so frustrated about it, but maybe I was just a bit more tolerant then because it was book one and that made me give it the benefit of the doubt.
I was unfortunately much less patient with this book. I definitely wanted to give it a chance to show me where the story was going, but it really didn't do that until near the end. Before we got to this point, between Fitz's problems with the Forged, with Molly and with Regal, not a lot really happens and I had to fight myself from zoning out.
To be fair, I just didn't find myself very interested in Fitz's character, nor did I really care about his relationship with Molly. I disliked her intensely, actually. I just really can't understand Fitz's obsession with such a clingy, melodramatic and flaky woman. Not unexpectedly, I really couldn't get into the story when so much was centered around their love and their struggles to be with each other.
I also grew irritated by the fact no one besides Fitz seems to give a crap about Regal's shenanigans. I'm not sure Verity really deserves Fitz's hero-worship of him; I've always thought the King-in-Waiting is a great character, but ultimately it's the inexplicable inaction of otherwise very intelligent and rational characters that really started getting on my nerves. I really didn't like that to be the driving force behind the book.
I'll definitely finish the trilogy, as there's the aforementioned "whole big picture" and all that. Like I said, I particularly liked the ending of this book and I'm quite keen on finding out what happens. Part of me thinks, hell, I've come this far already, but another part also knows it'll mostly likely come together.
But the weakest part of the book has to be the ridiculously over-the-top villain, Prince Regal. He was bad in the first book, but I let it slide because I thought there was no way he'd be the central antagonist again. The fact that he gets away with as much as he does makes it hard to take the other characters seriously sometimes, if they're supposed to be so clever.
But once again, despite the flaws, I really enjoyed the overall story. I'm hoping the next book will be less restrained and let the characters deal with what's happening in the world on a greater scale.
The various intrigues and duties Fitz must keep juggling is a realistic struggle that is the book's strongest part, however as the book continues it also burdens the narrative the closer to the end than helps. Given the style of the book, as an autobiography by an aged Fitz, the reader always has in the back of their mind that any dangerous situation that Fitz is in that he'll survive because if he dies he couldn't write the story. However Hobb uses this knowledge to have a nice twist at the end of the book help Fitz escape his predicament right after the death of his grandfather, Shrewd.
Royal Assassin is a wonderful continuation of Assassin's Apprentice as Fitz grows not only as a character through struggles both personal and "professional." At the end of the book, the reader yearns to know what happens next to Fitz and all the characters Hobb peopled the fortress of Buckkeep with as the Raiders continue their campaign while the government heads inland.