Assassin's Apprentice (Farseer Trilogy, #1)

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Assassin's Apprentice (L'assassin royal #1)

by Robin Hobb (Goodreads Author)

4.11 of 5 stars 4.11 · rating details · 49,223 ratings · 2,004 reviews

Young Fitz is a bastard son of the noble Prince Chivalry, raised in the court of the Six Duchies by his father's gruff stableman. He is ignored 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 b...more

ebook, 447 pages

Published November 5th 2002 by Random House (first published 1995)

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Jul 27, 2009 Jon added it · review of another edition

Recommended to Jon by: Fantasy Book Club July 2009 Selection

Shelves: fiction, fantasy, read-in-my-40s, liked-it

3 stars.

Due to the acquisition of GoodReads by Amazon on March 28, 2013 and my existing and continuing boycott of all things Amazon, the review I wrote after reading this book has been relocated to my blog and can be found in its entirety by following this link: http://bit.ly/XSIkTQ

12 likes · like · see review

Jul 30, 2011 Colleen rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, group-read, library-read

2.5

As some may know, I'd read Ship of Magic in December of last year, and I wasn't that overly impressed with it. Based on that book, and some of Hobb's short stories I'd read, I was more than willing to pass over any of her other stuff.

But then Dawn literally forced me to read this book, and so I did. I was leery going in, as I expected it to be a long and generally unenjoyable slog, but since I was also assured time and again that Farseer was generally much better than the Liveship trilogy, I...more 2.5

As some may know, I'd read Ship of Magic in December of last year, and I wasn't that overly impressed with it. Based on that book, and some of Hobb's short stories I'd read, I was more than willing to pass over any of her other stuff.

But then Dawn literally forced me to read this book, and so I did. I was leery going in, as I expected it to be a long and generally unenjoyable slog, but since I was also assured time and again that Farseer was generally much better than the Liveship trilogy, I also held out hope that I would enjoy it.

Well, I can say that I liked it. Certainly much better than Ship of Magic. There were times that I liked it a lot. And times that it was kind of sloggy and boring and I had to force myself to continue reading it. Overall, though. I will definitely say that I liked it. But I didn't love it.

I sympathized with Fitz and his many trials and travails, but there were times when I felt like the book broke the story rule I learned from a teacher in college - to suspend believability you can't have too many things happen to your hero, or people will just stop believing that his luck is really that shitty. And while I did sympathize with him, there were times I wanted to reach through and smack him upside the head, too.

Also, I like mixed stories - I like darkness and tragedy, but with a mix of humor or lightness. There was very little lightness in this book to my recollection - and what little was there was mostly a set-up for it to be taken away.

Also, some of the characters irritated me. Well, some of them are meant to be irritating, so there's that, but I just got annoyed that (view spoiler)

I know this is Fitz's story, so we only see things he was directly involved in, but there were times where I wished we saw more of the larger story. (Somewhat ironic since, by-and-large, I did prefer the focusing on him rather than the continual perspective changes in Ship of Magic.) Also, there's a lot of telling instead of showing, which is generally a no-no.

Anyway - I can't get into too much of the book without going deeper into spoiler territory, so I'll end it off by repeating that I did enjoy it, more often than not, but I also don't feel compelled to run off and get the next two in the trilogy, either. Not that I'm opposed to reading them at some future point, I'm just not that fussed about doing it right this minute.

This book did place Hobb a little higher in my reckoning, but not high enough that I want to continue with Liveship, though.(less)

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Oct 04, 2011 Traci rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

Like some other readers I thought the begining and writing style was very slow. I wanted to give up and I did actually read another book a few chapters in. But I wanted to give it another chance. So many readers that I otherwise agree with not only like this series but love it. About half way through the writing became easier to read and the style charming. So I recommend sticking with it if at first you think you don't like it. I almost got rid of it and that would've been a mistake and I would...more

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Mar 30, 2010 Kaion rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, unfinshed

I find a lot of fantasy authors are in love with the internalized conceptions of their worlds. This can lead to great nuanced detail supporting imaginative storytelling... but the flipside can be a creation that fails to translate that vision to the actual page, to the audience.

Assassin's Apprentice illustrates this point fairly well. Robin Hobb has clearly lovingly created the world of the Six Duchies, and this love is echoed through the tale's device: born a bastard son to the king's heir, Fit...more

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Aug 08, 2011 Chris rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: scifi-fan-group, fbr-2011

I like this book a lot. It's almost 5-stars, but not quite. Just a hair below. So we can call it 4.5 stars, I suppose.

I love the way Hobb uses first person. When I was young, I hated reading first person narrative, but now I really enjoy it if it's done well. Hobb does that. Fitz's perspective is all we have, but in the scope of this story, that works best. It also helps to accentuate the relationships in Fitz's early life and his emotional ties to them. They're essential to his growth as a char...more

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Aug 10, 2011 Dawn rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, read-in-2010, own-read, favorites, read-in-2011

I have now read this book three times. That’s right, three times! And you know the weird thing? I love it more each and every time I read it.

But there is a downfall to reading the series so often… I can’t separate the feelings I get from this book from the feelings I have for the series as a whole. A lot of the emotions I feel when I read this are triggered by knowledge I have from the entire series. So when a friend pointed out that it was sort of slow moving, I was completely surprised. It ne...more

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Jan 31, 2011 Loederkoningin rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: terrific-covers, pampers-the-emo-within, high-fantasy, war-and-military, political-intrigues, robin-hobb

Boy, if I had never found this book at a discount shop... A few Hobb trilogies further along the way, this is where it all started. At first Assassin's Apprentice seems like your typical fantasy book. Yep, the unwanted orphan, seaside fortress, clandestine politics, a good dash of magic and adventure are all present. However, Hobb is something else.

To say that these books are pretty intense is an understatement. I will just mention that while engrossed in the last chapters of the second book an...more

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Oct 06, 2012 Daniel rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

After hearing about this book for years and years (16, in fact), I was expecting an adventurous and exciting read that features a kick-ass assassin who slays hundreds of wicked dudes with stealth and some medieval kung fu. Turns out this book is nothing like that. Events move slowly, and Fitz's perspective as first and only narrative person restricts the scope of the story to a childhood that did not always interest me.

Though it took me a few hundred pages to connect to this story, I did enjoy w...more

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Sep 17, 2007 Lorena rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

Ugh. Ugh ugh ugh. I didn't care for this series at all. The bad guy is SO bad, stomping around twirling his virtual Snidely Whiplash mustache, sneering and jeering and (literally) kicking puppies, and yet the supposed "wise mentor" in the book keeps insisting mysteriously that there is more to him that meets the eye...well, guess what, there ISN'T, he's just as bad as he seems, and that pretty much saves you the trouble of reading the whole book right there.

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Jan 10, 2013 Candace rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, hobb

I'm so glad that Hanne and I are doing a buddy read 'of all things' Hobb. If the first book was any indicator, we're in for a real treat. I gave the book a 4. The book was a little slow-going for me at the beginning as Hobb gave the background for everything. The book takes us from Fitz as a six-year old to his first solo assignment as a young man so Hobb covers a lot of time and material in this first book. However, once King Shrewd formally acknowledges Fitz, his school and training begin. Thi...more

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Mar 18, 2013 John Champneys rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ebooks, novels

I finished reading this book yesterday (it’s now 27/06/12 11:52:29 AM) and I went into a swoon. I thought I had been drugged and nothing could have persuaded me otherwise, except for the fact that it could not have been, unless boys and dogs have learned the art of administering powders to humans. It’s really good. It gripped me so much that The Six Duchies, the land in which the tale is based, became more real and far more important to me than this humdrum life in which I must do boring things...more I finished reading this book yesterday (it’s now 27/06/12 11:52:29 AM) and I went into a swoon. I thought I had been drugged and nothing could have persuaded me otherwise, except for the fact that it could not have been, unless boys and dogs have learned the art of administering powders to humans. It’s really good. It gripped me so much that The Six Duchies, the land in which the tale is based, became more real and far more important to me than this humdrum life in which I must do boring things like eating my dinner, paying bills, going to the bathroom and taking a shower every day. The world we think of as real suddenly appeared very fractured — so much so that I fell in between the cracks, madly wanting to live in the Duchies, the town of Buckkeep, while paradoxically that land is far too dangerous for more simple souls like me to live. After a chapter of the book, I wanted to 'come back here’ (to my village in England) as Buckkeep was no longer safe. The body demanded that I go to bed, yet first I had clear my head from the effects of Assassin’s Apprentice.

I don’t want to give anything away by revealing too much of the story, so can only sketch a few hazy outlines. One of the techniques came to me as quite a shock, a shock which haunts me even as I scribble these lines. On that one I shall be silent, as I think it needs to be a shock to the reader too. I’ll just say that two themes which run throughout the story are what is known as The Wit which is the ability not only to communicate with animals but to share one another’s minds and to tell each other things, to gain and share information and feelings. The other is called The Skill, which is the ability a highly-trained man acquires to communicate and exchange information with other men. Neither of these abilities has really developed to the full in this volume, but we’re given enough to intrigue us. We are eager to find out more. Another character to watch out for is The Fool, who can never be found if you seek him, although you might be able to get into his private room to breathe the freshness of the air, sniff the scent from his flowers and glimpse fish-like creatures swimming around on the floor. Keep an good eye out for him and pay careful heed when he appears, and even when you do that, he’ll pop onto your screen when you least expect it. Smaller characters are not forgotten either. Keep an eye out for the pup named Nosy. I had a real frisson when I reached the conclusion of his part.

The book felt a little on the long side, and for once I was overjoyed that this was so. At 7% I felt smug. After all, I was thoroughly enjoying it, and I still had so much reading left to go. Pauses I took a-plenty, either because I wanted to savour each episode as though it were a vintage wine, or else because the dose of events I had ingested was too strong. I had to do something else altogether, but what was there for me to do? Whoever I spoke to, whoever or whatever I invoked in my erotic fantasies, whatever food I ate or books I tried to read and imbibe* all I could think of was dipping right back into Assassin’s Apprentice and spend some weeks there, even though it held me in a grip of terror some of the time.

Now that book is finished, and I’ve been mooning around the house, moping for more than a day. I’ve made a rule with myself to clear one more volume from my backlog before I proceed with volume two of the trilogy. After all, that’s never been a problem with me before. It’s the way I like to work with my reading life and poised between volumes of a trilogy has never been a problem for me before. And yet I cannot do it now, although my god, I have, I’ve really tried. For when our hero learnt the art of poisoning, he took The Skill up to the next level. He devised a medicine which could be ingested through the written page. It’s a medicine which gets you hooked after reading a few pages. The story quickly habituated me to its pervasive atmosphere, and now I am fatally bitten. The next volume called Royal Assassin is winking at me seductively from the side-wings, tempting and luring me to press that 'Buy Now’ button on my Kindle.

*NB: In all fairness, there is a small handful of tomes which are resistance, which never change. These books stay the same, yet grow in stature as the years tick by.(less)

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Dec 21, 2012 Hanne rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, fantasy-aficionados-100, shelf-a-ton-14

For me, Robin Hobb was one of those authors I just had to get around reading. How can I call myself a fantasy fan without having read Robin Hobb?! So I had to get my act together, and now I'm just wondering why it took me this long.

I really enjoyed the start of this series. I can't really look at this as 'just a book' though, I've always looked at it as the start of a long series. But it introduced a lot of really enjoyable characters, a mental magic system that looks interesting (and had me scr...more

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Jun 19, 2011 Cheryl Landmark rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Definitely an engrossing, enjoyable read! As seems to be the case with a lot of Robin Hobb's writing, she once again spends more time on character development than on fast-paced action or some of the other more common fantasy elements. But, in this case, it works for the most part.

Fitz is a very likeable, interesting character. There were so many times when I felt immense sympathy and pity for him and others when I admired his courage and fortitude. His ability to interact with animals, especial...more

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Oct 10, 2012 Scott rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

My review is taken from my website at fantasycomesfirst.blogspot.com

What a wonderful book. Robin Hobb is one of the best if not the best character author I have ever read. I really felt for the entire cast of characters. This story is very character driven but that is not to take away from the actual story as it is superb.

To call this a coming of age story is so cliche so I will call it an awakening story. A small boy comes from nothing and is thrust into a life he is not ready for. I don't want...more

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Jun 30, 2011 Alex rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

The poor bastard. How much punishment can one person take.
If he was to be trapped in the body of his Wit-dog he would probably look like this - 'an old dog gone gray about the muzzle and it was horribly crippled in its hindquarters and its head was askew someway on its body and it moved grotesquely. An arthritic and illjoined thing that crabbed sideways and sniffed at the floor to pick up the man's scent and then raised its head and nudged the air with its nose and tried to sort him from the sha...more

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Apr 07, 2008 Leippya rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: people who like political fantasy

Recommended to Leippya by: Phylia Kaitlynn

Shelves: fantasy

This is a series I've been afraid to start for a long time, as I've seen people with tastes similar to mine get completely lost in these books. This didn't happen to me...... at first. I have several issues with the beginning of the book. The first is probably that the hero is so young at the beginning, so he is stup... I mean, naive, like all kids his age, but because as a reader we're smart enough AND we know the title of the book, we can see everything coming from a mile away. It's boring. Al...more

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Mar 31, 2009 Kat Hooper rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

This review refers to the whole Farseer Trilogy:

I read The Farseer Saga years ago and it is still one of my favorite epic fantasies. Its main strengths are its simple writing style and excellent characterization.

Robin Hobb's prose is lovely — straightforward and simple. It never calls attention to itself (and therefore away from the story). The characters are complex and believable. Fitz is my favorite fantasy "hero" and someone I came to really care about. He's not perfect, he's not beautiful,...more

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Feb 25, 2010 Sarah Keliher rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: people tired of bad fantasy

Shelves: sfthatdoesntsuck, read2010, reread, sf-fantasy-general, genderbending

This series demonstrates what a truly gifted writer can do with the constraints and conventions of the fantasy genre. It has all the required elements - dragons, quests, magic, etc - but combined in a dark and unsettling way. Hobb's heroes, fated to attempt epic feats, falter and are left prematurely aged, scarred, and bitter; true love goes unrequited; her characters are morally and sexually ambiguous; and both dragons and magic are dirty, unglamorous, and hazardous to your health.

Though all o...more

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May 31, 2011 Roshio rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, epic, characters-i-love

I only read this book out of acute boredom (my EX housemate stole the internet modem leaving me to take the long walk into college to get some much needed broadband fun) and boy am I glad. It was much more than I expected and I loved it all, love the characters - Fitz our hero, Burrich the cold but warmhearted father figure, Verity, everyone! Its not exactly an epic in the sense that the hero goes on adventure to fulfill some prophecy or save a girl etc. its just Fitz living his life as best as...more

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Jan 31, 2007 bp rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

And now, my extremely guilty pleasures. (The heat you feel radiating towards your face is actually me, white-hot with embarrassment)

Here's the truth: I used to crouch into subway corners, hunched over, pressed against the throng of rush hour bodies, lost in Robin Hobb's universe. I'd miss my stops.

I've read all of her Farseer trilogy, all of her Liveship books, all of her Tawny Man series. I broke my cardinal rule of sci-fi/fantasy reads and actually bought a 1st edition, hard cover of the las...more

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Jul 12, 2009 Jamie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

I liked the writing very much, and on the strength of the writing I've already started on the second book of the trilogy. But there was something implausible about the plot and lacking in the characterizations that kept pulling me out of this story. Fitz's experiences seemed unrealistic, and I got the sense that there were only about three people running this entire Kingdom. Particularly the author nearly lost me when Fitz began his training for the Skill. Something that important was so blatant...more

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Nov 17, 2010 Aredhel rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: faeries-fantasy, male-protagonist, audiobooks, read-in-2010, favorites, epic-fantasy

I'm totally, completely, shamefully in love with this book!

I can't even gather my wits to tell what I think of it. I just, well, a little bit obsessed with it - it's like your first love - you don't see any imperfections in a person you are in love with - and it's just the case with me and this book. I don't want to even admit, that this book has any flaws - to me it has none.
Robin Hobb proves to be an adept at сreating characters that are easy to relate to, and the world she created in this boo...more

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Dec 22, 2008 Anni rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: nerdy badasses

This book made me realize a number of things:

1. I like the idea of killing people for fun and profit
2. You can't trust your uncle
3. I like men who whine a lot and play with dogs
4. I would like to read people's minds, but I do not want them to read mine
5. Poison is an interesting topic, and discussing it with strangers online can lead to tragic relationships with gay Nazis who live in other countries

If you keep these things in mind, you will be able to enjoy this book more.

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Apr 02, 2009 Jim rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Ok, here's the deal. I downloaded this book to my Kindle on a whim. Just looking for a bit of sci-fi/fantasy to test out my new book-reading device.

It took 10-20 pages. I almost gave up on it. But then I got hooked on the nature of the core character. Kinda Harry Potter-ish in that the hero is archetypal in character.

There are bits of the book that seem indulgent. Some of the narrative around describing scenes and backstory seemed unnecessary, but I appreciated the author's attention to detail a...more

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Nov 17, 2011 Tsvetelina rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Tsvetelina by: Мартина Неделчева

Shelves: fantasy, adventure

Поредната книга, която ми бе препоръчана от приятелка... Е, какво мога да кажа аз освен това, че тя все някак успява на налучка десетката и да ми препоръча нещо, което бих харесала. Е, ще си кажете каква десетка, след като съм дала само 4 звезди на книгата? Мдаа, ама за мен това всъщност са 4.5+ звезди.

"Тайните на занаята" ни въвежда в един фантастичен свят, който на пръв поглед би породил завист у всяко днешно общество със сплотеността на хората, с предаността и вярата на народа към управниците...more Поредната книга, която ми бе препоръчана от приятелка... Е, какво мога да кажа аз освен това, че тя все някак успява на налучка десетката и да ми препоръча нещо, което бих харесала. Е, ще си кажете каква десетка, след като съм дала само 4 звезди на книгата? Мдаа, ама за мен това всъщност са 4.5+ звезди.

"Тайните на занаята" ни въвежда в един фантастичен свят, който на пръв поглед би породил завист у всяко днешно общество със сплотеността на хората, с предаността и вярата на народа към управниците и т.н. Но при по-обстоен преглед веднага се забелязват интригите, личните интереси, завистта, убийствата и кражбите. Книгата е по-скоро като мемоар за живота на ФицРицарин, в който той сам ни разказва за премеждията си. В първата част от трилогията се запознаваме с най-ранното му детство, като започнем от оскъдните му спомени затова как дядо му го е предал на войниците в крепостта, за да го гледа баща му, защото вече му е писнало той, обикновеният човек, да го храни. А баща му не е кой да е друг, а самият принц и бъдещ крал Рицарин. Това, разбира се, го превръща в копеле в очите на голяма част от хората и той става пречка и причина за много от последвалите събития. Рицарин се отказва от претенциите си към престола, неговият по-малък брат Искрен заема неговото място, а Фиц започва своето обучение като отровител на краля. През цялата творба Фиц се сблъсква с омразата и любовта, с предаността и подлостта, с изтощителни тренировки и опити за убийство, но когато пиратите от Далечните острови започват своите мистериозни набези към Шестте херцогства, времето за тренировки приключва и му се налага набързо да премине от ученик към таен убиец.

Най-много от всичко обаче ме впечатли изказа на авторката Робин Хоб. Книгата се чете толкова бързо и неусетно, че просто забравяш да броиш страниците, които си прочел. Изказът й има далечно родство с приказките и може би заради това още от първа глава бях сигурна, че това ще ми хареса. Авторката е почерпила магията от начина на пресъздаване на приказки и го е вплела в нейната книга, но от друга страна не е забравила да се придържа и към фентъзи жанра, придавайки специални умения на избран кръг от хора, включително и Фиц. Не е забравила да изплете и мистериозен поток от събития, които те карат да искаш да грабнеш веднага и втората книга и да я прочетеш на часа, за да разбереш какво се случва. Това определено е от онези творби, които не са писани само за проба, т.е. "да видим какво ще стане и ако се хареса, ще има и продължение". Да, първата книга като цяло завършва една от сюжетните си линии, но основната такава предстои разрешаване на проблема в по-нататъшните части. Това всъщност ми хареса, защото обемът и замисълът излизат по-мащабни.

И като споменах за специалните умения, няма да е зле да кажа две думи и за тях. Това всъщност са Осезанието и Умението. Хората, които притежават Осезанието, могат да изграждат специална връзка с животните, да разбират желанията им, да виждат и чуват през техните очи и уши, да "разговарят" с тях по определен начин, но тук искам да направя уточнението, че животните никога не говорят на човешки език, "разговорът" с тях е по-скоро като предаване на чувства на емоционално ниво. Много добро решение според мен, защото ми е писнало от животни, които по много странен начин, започват да говорят човешки. От друга страна хората, които владеят Умението, могат да се свързват духовно с други хора, да черпят сили от тях, да ги подтикват към едно или друго действие. В книгата и двете сили са подчертани като крайно опасни и че само едната от тях може да те доведе до самозабрава и гибел, да не говорим за двете взети заедно, а Фиц притежава и двете. Затова и ставаме свидетели на опитите му да овладее силите си и да превъзмогне отрицателните последици, които те му носят, което кара героя постоянно да търси себе си и да се опитва да разбере какво е най-добре да направи.

Робин Хоб ни запознава и с различни герои и много умело ни подтиква да изпитваме точно определени чувства към всеки от тях и въпреки това успява да не ги разкрива напълно, а да пази за всеки по някой скрит коз, който да ни покаже в точно определен момент. Тя ни представя Фиц, с който се потапяш в приключението, с Бърич, който внушава респект и страх, с крал Умен, който въпреки качествата му, не успяваш да го заобичаш, но все пак изпитваш почит към него, с Искрен, който те пленява с прямотата и смелостта си, със Славен, който ти иде да го цапардосаш с първото нещо, което ти попадне пред очите, с Гален, от който те побиват тръпки и желаеш да му биеш шута, с лейди Търпение, която те пленява с необикновеното си държание, със Сенч, строгият и обидчив, но честен учител на Фиц, с мистериозния шут и т.н. Но най-интересен от всички е образът на Рицарин. За него разбираме от разказите на другите, постепенно, на малки порции, които авторката ни поднася тук-там, за да си изградим по-пълна представа за бившия престолонаследник.

За мен обаче ще си остане голяма мистерия защо на български имената на книгите са съвсем различни от оригинала, като то би могло да се направи доста добър превод. Не знам това решение доколко ми харесва, защото от тези въпросни нови заглавия, така хубаво можеш да се оспойлиш, ако вържеш две и две, че просто не е истина... Е, мистерията ще си остане мистерия, но как да е...

В заключение ще кажа само, че тази книга е едно прекрасно и увлекателно четиво, което би допаднало и на хора, които не са особени почитатели на фентъзи жанра, именно заради далечната връзка с приказките, но освен това и заради увлекателността си и лесната и приятна читаемост.(less)

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Jun 21, 2011 M. Ulin Nuha rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: gift, fantasy, read-in-2011, i-own-a-copy

Buku ini berkisah tentang Fitz, anak di luar nikah dari Pangeran Chivalry--putra mahkota keluarga Farseer. Keluarga Farseer adalah keluarga raja yang menguasai daerah Enam Duchy (Six Duchies)–enam daerah yang masing-masing dipimpin oleh duke atau duchess. Pada usianya yang keenam, Fitz dipisahkan dari ibunya dan dikirim ke istana. Kedatangan Fitz menjadi berita hangat di kerajaan. Alih-alih mengakui Fitz, Pangeran Chivalry mengundurkan diri dari kedudukannya sebagai calon raja dan pergi dari ist...more Buku ini berkisah tentang Fitz, anak di luar nikah dari Pangeran Chivalry--putra mahkota keluarga Farseer. Keluarga Farseer adalah keluarga raja yang menguasai daerah Enam Duchy (Six Duchies)–enam daerah yang masing-masing dipimpin oleh duke atau duchess. Pada usianya yang keenam, Fitz dipisahkan dari ibunya dan dikirim ke istana. Kedatangan Fitz menjadi berita hangat di kerajaan. Alih-alih mengakui Fitz, Pangeran Chivalry mengundurkan diri dari kedudukannya sebagai calon raja dan pergi dari istana. Fitz kemudian diasuh oleh Burrich, kepala istal kerajaan yang juga abdi setia Pangeran Chivalry.

Di masa kecilnya, Fitz hidup dalam kesepian, diabaikan, dan cenderung dipandang rendah oleh penduduk istana. Namun semuanya berubah ketika Raja Shrewd–Raja Enam Duchy saat ini, yang juga adalah kakek Fitz–mengambil sebuah keputusan. Raja ingin melatih Fitz, dan sebagai gantinya Fitz harus memberikan kesetiaannya kepada sang raja. Fitz dilatih baca tulis, etiket, dan persenjataan. Dan atas perintah raja pula, secara diam-diam Fitz juga diajari seni membunuh oleh seseorang bernama Chade. Menurut Raja, membunuh adalah salah satu cara untuk memperlancar diplomasi kerajaan.

Selain memiliki bakat yang lebih daripada anak-anak seusianya (yang digambarkan penulis dari cara berpikir dan kata-kata yang keluar dari mulutnya), Fitz juga memiliki Kecerdasan dan Keahlian. Kecerdasan adalah kemampuan berbahaya untuk menjangkau pikiran binatang. Keahlian adalah bakat turun-temurun semacam telepati yang dimiliki anggota keluarga Farseer.

Walaupun ia sudah berusaha untuk “bersembunyi” dan tidak menarik banyak perhatian, Fitz mau tak mau harus terlibat dalam intrik politik di kerajaan. Diakui atau tidak, ia masih keturunan raja dan walaupun berada di urutan terakhir, ia juga berada dalam daftar ahli waris kerajaan. Konflik mulai terjadi ketika perompak ganas dari bangsa Outisland menyerang desa-desa di wilayah Enam Duchy dan menculik penduduk. Walaupun kelihatannya para perompak tersebut hanya menyebabkan sedikit kerusakan, Enam Duchy sebenarnya berada dalam bahaya yang lebih besar…

…dan Fitz mau tak mau harus terseret dalam konflik ini.

Setting dunia Enam Duchy dijelaskan dengan detail oleh penulis. Sejarah berdiri, sistem pemerintahan, karakter penduduk dan mata pencaharian, transportasi yang digunakan, sampai aspek ketuhanan diceritakan di buku pertama ini. Bahkan, di halaman awal, terdapat peta wilayah Enam Duchy itu sendiri.

Dan karena banyak penjelasan setting, menurut saya bab-bab awal buku ini terkesan lambat. Di setiap awal bab diceritakan peristiwa-peristiwa penting dalam sejarah Enam Duchy. Deskripsi Enam Duchy dan masa kecil Fitz di bagian awal buku ini–yang diceritakan dengan paragraf-paragraf dan kalimat-kalimat panjang–sempat membuat saya bosan. Tapi, menginjak beberapa bab di tengah, yang lebih fokus pada konflik, kisah Fitz mulai menarik untuk diikuti.

Bagi saya, buku ini agak “berat” karena banyak bercerita tentang politik. Akan tetapi, banyak pelajaran yang bisa didapat dari buku ini, misalnya mengenai diplomasi antar kerajaan dan menyelesaikan masalah tanpa masalah–pelajaran yang jarang ada pada buku fantasi lain yang pernah saya baca. Dan untungnya terjemahan Penerbit Matahati terasa mulus, enak dibaca, dan bersih dari typo sehingga saya lebih bisa menikmati ceritanya dan tidak perlu merasa terganggu dengan adanya kalimat yang janggal.

Untuk urusan cover, menurut saya cover edisi terjemahan ini lebih bagus daripada edisi aslinya :) )

Oh iya, awalnya saya mengira si penulis, Robin Hobb, adalah seorang laki-laki. Namun ternyata Robin Hobb adalah nama pena dari Margaret Astrid Lindholm Ogden (seorang perempuan!). Sebelumnya, penulis juga pernah menggunakan nama pena Meghan Lindholm untuk menulis karya-karyanya. Assassin’s Apprentice adalah buku pertama dari trilogi Farseer yang dilanjutkan “Royal Assassin” (buku dua) dan “Assassin’s Quest” (buku tiga).

Trilogi Farseer sendiri adalah satu dari empat seri dalam rangkaian cerita “The Realm of the Elderlings”. Kisah FitzChivalry dalam trilogi Farseer dilanjutkan dalam trilogi “The Tawny Man”. Dua seri lain dalam rangkaian cerita “The Realm of the Elderlings”, yaitu trilogi “Liveship Traders” dan chronicle “Rain Wilds”, juga bersetting di Enam Duchy walaupun tidak bercerita tentang kisah Fitz.(less)

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Feb 25, 2013 KRUSTAL-chan Joanna rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: xxl10-books, favorites

сюжет - 4
идея - 5
герои - 5
жанр - 4
поетика - 3

Книга - мемоар или животът на Фицрицарин. Това е първата част от трилогията "Придворният убиец", в която се представят най-ранните години от живота на главния герой; неговите първи стъпки в един жесток и коварен свят, в който му е отредено мястото на личния убиец на краля.

По начало книгата се развива с по-бавни темпове, но това не я прави безинтересна. Постига се усещането за достоверност, защото Фиц е едно малко, изоставено от всички, копеле на баща...more сюжет - 4
идея - 5
герои - 5
жанр - 4
поетика - 3

Книга - мемоар или животът на Фицрицарин. Това е първата част от трилогията "Придворният убиец", в която се представят най-ранните години от живота на главния герой; неговите първи стъпки в един жесток и коварен свят, в който му е отредено мястото на личния убиец на краля.

По начало книгата се развива с по-бавни темпове, но това не я прави безинтересна. Постига се усещането за достоверност, защото Фиц е едно малко, изоставено от всички, копеле на баща си или просто едно 6-годишно дете и едва ли би могло, по начало, да върти една наистина добре развита интрига. Той извървява своите стъпки, учи се от живота, развива се, постепено расте и се променя, било за добро или за зло. И колкото по-голям става, толкова повече се забързва сюжетното действие. В края на книгата Фиц е само на 16 и щом краят завършва с такава вълнуваща кулминация, то след това предстоят още по-вълнуващи случки. Фиц търси своето място в света, търси одобрение, разбиране. Той е незаконно роденият син на бъдещия крал на Шестте херцогства. Отритнат и изоставен от всички, нежелан от собствените му майка и баща, не му остава много. Дори самото му име Фиц - Копеле, подсказва за неговата обреченост, желана от почти всички. За да оцелее, Фиц играе ролята на отритнатия, поне докато е малък. Въпреки всичко, той е взет под крилото на дядо си, крал Умен, който е далеч от представите ни за един любящ дядо, приютил нещастното си внуче. Той го взема в замяна на пълната му всеотдайност към трона и краля, а докато Фиц е нужен на краля и невидим за останалите - ще живее. Съдбата иронично се усмихва, а Фиц дава всичко от себе си, като е напълно предан на короната и въпреки това успява да запази същността си и да намери правилния изход от отчаяните ситуации.

Светът на Шестте херцогства е доста реалистично постоен за един средновековен град, с неговия крал, подчинени, политика, войни, интриги и проблеми. Фентъзи обстановката е завладяваща, а магията в нея е застъпена по нестандартен начин. Осезанието и Умението - две способности, в които се крие голяма сила. Едната е почитана, другата - отричана. Иронично, Фиц притежава и двете, като едната трябва да развие, а другата да загърби. И, на пръв поглед, той нито успява да изучи Умението, нито успява да спре да използва Осезанието. Умението представлява силата да влизаш в главите на хората, да предаваш мисли, дори чувства, да им внушиш нещо силно, да разбираш плановете им, да разговаряш с другите телепатично. Тази сила е разрешена и дори нужна на кралството. Осезанието е да умееш да контактуваш с животните, но не да си говориш с тях пряко, а като влизаш в тяхното съзнание, като виждаш и чувстваш каквото и те. Тази сила е забранена, тъй като рано или късно се превръщаш в животно, а това е считано за позор. Фиц остава раздвоен и объркан. Любовта му към животните е ненадмината. Те са тези, които го разбират и обичат, негови истински приятели, а още от малък получава забраната да не се доближава до тях, за да не използва Осезанието.

Героите са една от най-впечатляващите части в книгата. Поради Аз-повествованието от гледната точка на Фиц за другите разбираме само това, което вижда той, а Фиц е дете и вижда доста малка част. Освен за Фиц, чието развитие ние следим като читатели, останалите герои влизат плавно, дори неусетно в сюжетната линия. Като оставят много отворени въпроси и желание да се разбере още за тях, но с течението на годините Фиц започва да прозира все повече истини. И що се отнася до него, като главен герой, може би в едно друго фентъзи, с по-красив и подреден свят, където той би бил признатият син на баща си и живеещ с него в двореца - щеше да е един по-типичен персонаж за фентъзи свят. Фиц има много добри качества - ум, усет, смелост, чувство за справедливост, ученолюбие, доброта и разбиране, кара читателя да го хареса и да му съчувства, да го разбере и дори заобича. От характера на Фиц се определя и поетиката на книгата, приятна за четене, напълно лека и ненатоварваща. Липсват лирически отклонения и твърде дългите, така типични, разсъждения и размисли за Аз-повествованието. От друга страна, може би някой би се зачудил, не е ли твърде много жестокостта в света на Шестте херцогства, тежаща на плещите на едно дете? Но животът никога не е бил лесен, особено докато си дете, чиято родителска закрила липсва. Като малко беззащитно вълче в гората, напълно само, в природата, където важи законът "изяж или ще бъдеш изяден".

Като брой героите на книгата не са малко и всички са много различни, дори и с мястото им в йерархията - от Бърич в конюшните, през Моли от градската свещарница, та чак до принцовете Искрен и Славен и самия крал Умен. Всеки от тях присъства в живота на Фиц и ние, заедно с него, ги мразим или обичаме. Любопитството расте заедно с развиващите се интриги, а връзките между героите остават не докрай разяснени. А що се отнася до българското издание с българските имена. В книгата всеки човек, при раждането си получава име, което е като негова характеристика - Умен, Славен, Искрен, Търпение и прочие. Част от тях са преведени, част не - след като ще се превеждат половината, защо не всички? - или обратното, но това се отнася само до преводача, защото идеята иначе е много оригинална и интересна.

Краят на книгата не е същинската кулминация на историята. Той ни подсказва, че това е едва въведението на една голяма история, а злодеите в нея не са злодеи в същинския смисъл на думата, а просто хора, чиито планове не включват съществуването на Фиц - все пак, всичко е борба за власт. Какво предстои - на този въпрос биха ни отговорили следващите книги.(less)

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Mar 05, 2013 Sarah rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013alphabetchallenge, fantasy, own

This is the first book by Robin Hobb that I have read.

I thought that it started out a bit slow and I found myself wishing I was reading something else instead but then once I got to the part where Fitz, the bastard son of Prince Chivalry, and Burrich, his father's right hand man, start talking about "The Wit", it started to catch my interest and then I became quickly sucked in.

Fitz possesses "The Wit", an ancient and distrusted magic which allows him to bond telepathically with animals. He form...more

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Aug 17, 2012 Rob rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Anyone who enjoys fantasy

Recommended to Rob by: Sword and Laser

Shelves: farseer, elderlings, sword-and-laser

This is the first book I read as part of the Sword and Laser book club.

I had never heard of Robin Hobb before. I'm very glad I have now.

I really enjoyed this book a lot. It's a very different feel than most of the fantasy books I've read.

There isn't really a clear path for the protagonist until halfway through the book. Some might find that off-putting, but I found it refreshing.

Just learning about the character and the world as he grows up is more than sufficient to keep the story moving along...more

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Jan 12, 2013 Lisa rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Lisa by: Tamsin

Shelves: 2013

A 4.5 really, I got so into this that I found myself getting irritated whenever someone tried to talk to me, and wishing that days were 48 hours long so i could fit in more reading. I can't believe I've had this sat on my kindle for so long without touching it, but now I'm thrilled to have another great fantasy trilogy in my voracious little mitts.

Fitz is a bastard. Not the modern kind, where he's not very nice and is probably a Tory, but a royal bastard - the son of Chivalry Farseer, King-In-Wa...more

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topics	posts	views	last activity
Should I read this next?	48	311	Mar 14, 2013 02:07pm
Characters Welcome: FitzChivalry Farseer	1	5	Feb 18, 2013 10:18am
The Sword and Laser: Thanks for introducing me to this book	30	247	Feb 17, 2013 01:38pm
Indian Readers: Assassin's Apprentice (Farseer Trilogy #1) - Jan 2013	7	25	Jan 09, 2013 08:47am
The Robin Hobb Co...: Assassin's Apprentice Part 2 - Chapter 6 to 10	19	19	Dec 21, 2012 03:26pm
The Robin Hobb Co...: Assassin's Apprentice Part 4 - Chapter 16 to 20	12	16	Dec 20, 2012 09:14am
The Robin Hobb Co...: Assassin's Apprentice Part 1 - Chapter 1 to 5	29	39	Dec 17, 2012 04:31pm

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About Robin Hobb

** I am shocked to find that some people think a 2 star 'I liked it' rating is a bad rating. What? I liked it. I LIKED it! That means I read the whole thing, to the last page, in spite of my life raining comets on me. It's a good book that survives the reading process with me. If a book is so-so, it ends up under the bed somewhere, or maybe under a stinky judo bag in the back of the van. So a 2 st...more

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Quotes from Assassin's Apprentice

“When you cut pieces out of the truth to avoid looking like a fool you end up looking like a moron instead.” — 263 people liked it

“Don’t do what you can’t undo, until you’ve considered what you can’t do once you’ve done it.” — 87 people liked it

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Assassin's Apprentice (L'assassin royal #1)

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