Royal Assassin (Farseer Trilogy, #2)

Nov 13, 2011

Ben Babcock rated it

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Shelves: own, 2011-read, fantasy

One of the difficulties of pledging allegiance to a sovereign monarch is that whole loss of individual volition. Most of the time you might hardly notice it—but when you fall in love with someone below your station, or when the monarch begins fading and his unscrupulous youngest son sets his eyes on the throne, suddenly this loss of volition is a big deal. FitzChivalry Farseer watches the Kingdom of the Six Duchies fall apart before his eyes—yet his field of possible actions is highly constraine...more

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Aug 13, 2008

Jamie rated it

I just can't seem to stop reading fantasy fiction. Robin Hobb is another one of those authors whose name comes up when people ask about fantasy that isn't truely, terribly, unbearably awful, and I guess there's a grain of truth in that. While I was really ready for this trilogy to end by the time it chose to do so, it wasn't quite as bad as some stuff I've read.

In fact, there's actually a fair amount to like here. I really dug the way that psionics and mental powers like mind control...moreI just can't seem to stop reading fantasy fiction. Robin Hobb is another one of those authors whose name comes up when people ask about fantasy that isn't truely, terribly, unbearably awful, and I guess there's a grain of truth in that. While I was really ready for this trilogy to end by the time it chose to do so, it wasn't quite as bad as some stuff I've read.

In fact, there's actually a fair amount to like here. I really dug the way that psionics and mental powers like mind control and telepathy were this world's "magic." It was kind of a nice change from the typical wizards and spells and other ground that's been trampled flat by other authors working in the genre. Hobb is also to be heartily commended for creating a genuinely tragic character in the form of FitzChivalry, the reluctant hero of the trilogy. Fitz's life sucks, and it's genuinely moving to see him grow into such a noble man that so much is demanded of and taken from. His own virtues drive him into a world that he doesn't want to be a part of, and he loses everything as a result. He's kind of like the tree from that children's book The Giving Tree, except he totally wishes that kid would leave him the hell alone and he has like the world's most supersmart wolf as a pet. By the end of the series I was really feeling for the guy and had a genuine connection with him, and that's no small feat for a writer to pull off.

On the other hand, for the love of God when was it decided that every fantasy series had to be huge and thick enough to build a garden retaining wall out of? Absolutely nothing of any consequence happens for great stretches of these books. While it's nice that we get the nuanced character development and insights out of plodding chunks like this, it's really aggrevating to move at such a glacial pace. The third book's climax is also infuriating in its dragon ex mechanica way of wrapping up a thousand pages of conflict in a few measly pages tacked on as almost an afterthought. I understand that the war that threatens the people of this fictional world is just a backdrop and a plot device --this is a story about one man's tragic life and sacrifice, not a story about battles and war. But come on. The way that things ended just screamed of some kind of "Well, I've hit my word count goal for the series. Time to wrap it up and ship it out!" mentality. Some of the books' greatest mysteries (especially the nature of the Red Ship Raiders and why they were attacking the good folk of the Six Duchies) are solved in an off-hand fashion that just annoyed me and left me feeling bereft of some kind of satisfaction that I had been expecting since the beginning. Such a missed opportunity.

So, unless you don't mind daunting page counts and are a particular fan of the fantasy genre, I'd only recommend these books with strong reservations. Be ready to devote some time to them and be at least annoyed at the end, if not outright angry. I may eventually pick up Hobb's other series set in this same world, but I'll have to take a break for a while.(less)

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Apr 11, 2008

Julie rated it

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Recommends it for: EVERYONE

Recommended to Julie by: Bryon

Shelves: fantasy

I'm not sure I can say enough to convey my love for these books. Starting with Assassin's Apprentice, they tell the story of FitzChivalry Farseer, bastard pseudo-prince of the Farseer line (with a detour to Bingtown in the Ship books, but read them anyway - it's important). One thing I love about these books is how people are named after personality traits: Chivalry, Verity, Shrewd, Regal, Patience, Modesty.... etc. After a while you completely forget they aren't just names. :)

Robin ...more

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Jan 22, 2008

Robert Beveridge rated it

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Shelves: finished, cle-pub-lib

Robin Hobb, Royal Assassin (Bantam, 1996)

There should be a law against ending books like this, especially when they're the second part of a trilogy. Imagine what it must have been like for the poor souls who read this on the day of release, and then had to wait another year to find out what happened next.

Royal Assassin continues the story of Fitz, son of an abdicated prince, assassin for the king, user of magic both human and bestial. It also continues the building of the wor...moreRobin Hobb, Royal Assassin (Bantam, 1996)

There should be a law against ending books like this, especially when they're the second part of a trilogy. Imagine what it must have been like for the poor souls who read this on the day of release, and then had to wait another year to find out what happened next.

Royal Assassin continues the story of Fitz, son of an abdicated prince, assassin for the king, user of magic both human and bestial. It also continues the building of the world of the Six Duchies, and adds a new component; while most of the diplomacy (outside the small world of Fitz, that is) in the world of the first novel in this trilogy took place with what amounts to a sledgehammer, the second novel brings in political intrigue on a much more delicate level. The king's two younger sons, Verity and Regal, sit ready to leap at one another's throats, as the four coastal duchies (who support Verity) and the two inland duchies (who support Regal) sit poised on the brink of conflict. It doesn't help matters much that the Mountain kingdom, which sits on the other side of the inland duchies, just married its daughter and queen-to-be off to Verity. Things look pretty bad for the inlanders, right? Well, if they were, we wouldn't have a novel.

Royal Assassin continues on at the same pace as did Assassin's Apprentice; it may be a huge-looking effort (my trade paperback version is 580 pages, and almost as thick as the trade paperback edition of that doorstop known as Harlot's Ghost), but believe me, now that you've gotten yourself into the story, the slowness with which it begins (as did Assassin's Apprentice) is easily forgivable, and you'll be sitting and reading long after you'd promised yourself you'd stop.

I warn you now: stop before you get to page five hundred, and wait until you've secured a copy of Assassin's Quest before reading the end of this novel. The twists and turns will leave you growling in frustration if you have to wait to dive into the last book in the trilogy. It's almost as memorable, and frustrating, an ending as we got from George R. R. Martin's A Storm of Swords (and two years later we're still waiting for the fourth book in THAT series, a form of slow torture that is crueler and more unusual than anything the U. S. Justice System has ever come up with).

And with that, I'll go back to chewing my fingernails and waiting for the library to get the third volume back in (since I can't find it in any of the bookstores near me). **** (less)

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Jan 09, 2008

Tracy rated it

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When I began reading Royal Assassin by Robin Hobb, her second book in The Farseer Trilogy, I could not seem to get into the story, perhaps due to a slow beginning, but probably more likely due to a preoccupied mind, filled with a thousand other things. So don't let the fact that it took me several months to read Royal Assassin deceive you, for by the end of the book, I was reluctant to put it down, and that's the sign of a good story. Furthermore, upon finishing it, one of my initial thoughts ...more

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Jun 24, 2011

Jennifer rated it

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Shelves: fantasy

"Always I have possessed the loneliness of one raised amid intrigues and clustering secrets, the isolation of a boy who cannot trust the completeness of his heart to anyone."
And so the journey we began with Fitz in Assassin's Apprentice continues in Royal Assasin . Fitz has survived much, barely, and is fast learning that there are no easy resolutions to one's problems in life. He must face enemies battering the Coastal Duchies from without who bring violence and devastation, and...more

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Jul 16, 2009

Jamie rated it

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Shelves: fantasy-traditional

This is a riveting book, and I lost myself easily in the smooth writing. But it reminds me of a stage play, or an old BBC television drama where you have to overlook the fact that the battle is being fought with 12 extras. There aren't enough characters in the book to make the world seem viable. But in exchange for that kind of realism the author includes a lot of little details in Fitz's experiences that I very much appreciate. Admittedly the good guys are fleshed out much better than the bad g...more

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Feb 11, 2012

Andrés rated it

Shelves: good-is-dumb, political-intrigue

I will rant about this book, there's no doubt in my mind. I'm simply trying to gather my thoughts. Let's try with the first book, "Assassin's Apprentice," shall we?

I liked Book I. It was a beginning story, a training story. Young FitzChivalry is the bastard son of King-in-Waiting Chivalry and has to come to terms with a world that doesn't want him. King Shrewd, however, decides to train him as an assassin from an early age, and so begins young Fitz' journey into adulthood a...moreI will rant about this book, there's no doubt in my mind. I'm simply trying to gather my thoughts. Let's try with the first book, "Assassin's Apprentice," shall we?

I liked Book I. It was a beginning story, a training story. Young FitzChivalry is the bastard son of King-in-Waiting Chivalry and has to come to terms with a world that doesn't want him. King Shrewd, however, decides to train him as an assassin from an early age, and so begins young Fitz' journey into adulthood and the intrigues of the royal court. Book I works because Fitz is too young to understand half of what he's doing or to give any serious thought to it. He's learning to play a dangerous chess game against opponents who have far more experience, though usually less sense, than him. Therefore, we expect his failures to be on par with his victories, probably to surpass them even.

Book II suffers from trying to pull the same stunt twice to an older and more experienced Fitz. We tell ourselves Fitz would have learned from the ordeals in Book I, that he would try to forge his own identity, make his own decisions, be his own man for once. He doesn't. At no time did I feel him grow as a character, rather he was always complaining about how unfair life was to him, about what he wanted to do, never sparing a thought about others except occasionally and briefly. Fitz is always putting his urges, his desires, first, always at the expense of putting other people in danger. An assassin should know better.

So, yes, this turns Fitz into a selfish, little brat, but there's still worse to come. I've said it before and I'll say it again: heroes (and their entourage) needn't be stupid for villains to be smart. But this is what happens with Book II. Everyone, and I mean everyone, is dumb beyond the point of credulity, wielding feeble arguments to argue passivity. Of course, this only makes Fitz' character even dumber for going along with it all. Treason is brewing in the royal court and everyone seems to believe inaction is the best remedy. Some even go so far as claiming it's their only choice, a ludicrous thought. Peasants, soldiers, lords, all are easily duped by a web of conspiracy that can be seen from light years away. Not one character makes a sensible choice throughout the length of Book II and the author has utterly failed to convince me about the reasons why.

I suppose what angers me the most is how the author manipulates hope to lure the reader in. Hope that Fitz will become his own man, hope that things will turn out okay, hope that somebody will have the sense to kill Regal once and for all and thus put an end to his far-fetched charade. With every turn of page, every chapter that gets consumed by the reader, things take a turn for the worse; each successive title forebodes another dark, depressing chapter, and the reader's hopes slowly, but surely, ebb away. It's an incredibly depressing book, not so much for the plot itself, but because of how unbelievably the characters act. The author seems intent on convincing you that two plus two equals five when you know it to be four.

I tried to convince myself Book III would be better. I checked the one-star reviews to prepare for the worst and was not disappointed. Everything I've read points to a long and pointless read that turns productive towards its bittersweet ending that seems more bitter than sweet. There's apparently another trilogy about Fitz' exploits that tries to tie some, if not all, of the plot holes of the Farseer Trilogy, but I presently feel too deceived by this trilogy to entertain the notion of beginning another one, with the same dumb protagonist and written by the same author.

Originally, I gave this a two-star rating out of pity, more than anything else, but then "Rule of Two" came to mind. I gave that one a one-star rating on the basis of its incredible -in the true sense of the world- plot, but I think "Royal Assassin" is the first book I've read that not only has a plot that doesn't hold water, of any kind, but it is also way too depressing going about it. At this point in time, I wish I could erase this book from memory, commit it to some deep, dark corner of my mind and leave it there for all eternity.

Some time in the distant future I may gather the will to read the end of this trilogy. Or perhaps not. But if there's something Robin Hobb has helped me discover is what kind of fantasy I enjoy and what kind I don't. I've discovered I don't enjoy the kind of fantasy that puts its main character through a constant stream of endless suffering that furthers no plot or character development. Suffering for the sake of suffering itself is pointless. Worse, it's bad writing or, in any event, it makes for bad reading.

To close this rather long rant I leave you with this: In my world of reading/writing I praise subtlety over brutality, cunning over stupidity, strong characters that react to circumstance rather than being manipulated by the author's desires. Every writer sets him or herself with an endgame. Some, in trying to organise their way through to it, lose perspective of their characters, wondering more about getting character X to do action Y and less about why character X should do action Y in the first place. I won't say whether this is right or wrong, but I've always valued the latter over the former. So, my advice, for whatever is worth, is this: build strong characters, set your pieces, and only then play the game. Who knows, maybe the game will take you in unforeseeable directions...(less)

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Mar 29, 2010

Vivian rated it

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Shelves: read-2010

Like some other reviewers said, this is an incredibly depressing book. I basically skimmed the last third waiting for something good to happen to Fitz (the main character). The "good" guys all know who the bad guy is (Royal), yet still manages to passively ignore that he may be behind EVERY bad thing that happens thus allowing him to achieve his every evil deed. I don't need 600+ pages of overly stupid characters. I know it's a trilogy and eventually, good more or less prevails ove...more

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Jul 11, 2008

Jake rated it

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Shelves: fantasy, series

When I was in undergrad, I remember at some point seeing Alaron wandering around reading a book called Royal Assassin. The cover depicted a man standing on top of a mountain, head thrown back, arms spread wide, raising a sword towards the sky. Next to him, a wolf sat, it’s head thrown back in a long howl.

In other words, it looked like the cover of a thousand fantasy novels, all of them miserable pieces of garbage. And while Alaron has good taste in books, I never had any reason to beli...moreWhen I was in undergrad, I remember at some point seeing Alaron wandering around reading a book called Royal Assassin. The cover depicted a man standing on top of a mountain, head thrown back, arms spread wide, raising a sword towards the sky. Next to him, a wolf sat, it’s head thrown back in a long howl.

In other words, it looked like the cover of a thousand fantasy novels, all of them miserable pieces of garbage. And while Alaron has good taste in books, I never had any reason to believe that this novel was anything particularly remarkable.

Alaron, if you are reading this, I blame you entirely for not telling me how good Robin Hobb really is.

Royal Assassin is actually the second book in the Farseer Trilogy, which chronicles the life of FitzChivalry Farseer, bastard son of King Shrewd’s eldest son, Chivalry, who is dead before the story ever begins. The first novel, Assassin’s Apprentice tells the story of how FitzChivalry (often called Fitz, and the name I will use for him hereafter) is taken by Burrich, the king’s stablemaster, and subsequently trained as stablehand, warrior, Skill user (the Skill is a sort of mental magic), and above all else, assassin. If you haven’t read it, I won’t spoil it for you. Suffice it to say that Hobb does a wonderful job of conveying Fitz’s confusion and desperation as he struggles to find his place the world. Assassin’s Apprentice culminates in Fitz’s first assignment as an assassin, a mission which does not go nearly as well as one might expect.

If Assassin’s Apprentice is a story about childhood, Royal Assassin is a story about adolescence. Fitz returns from his mission to continue his duties as Shrewd’s servant, but finds that Shrewd has grown old and sick. Thus, Fitz finds himself under the command of King-IN-Waiting Verity, and his Queen-In-Waiting Kettrickan.

A quick word on naming conventions; Hobb never explicates the means by which she names characters, but certain patterns are fairly clear. Royalty in the Six Duchies (the kingdom where most of the story takes place) are given names that mean something. Shrewd, Verity, Regal, Patience, Chivalry, and so on. Those characters frequently embody the traits that their name describes (Regal might be the one exception, depending on what you think a "regal" person ought to act like). The rest of the population is granted names that read like standard fantasy names…that is, a string of syllables with no meaning what so ever (it is possible that I am wrong about their meaning). Occasionally, there are exceptions, such as Molly (Fitz’s romantic interest), and Hands the stable…er…hand. But the basic pattern holds. Fitz means bastard, which creates the interesting suggestion that bastard children really have no name or identity, except to be designated as the illegitimate offspring of someone else.

Moving on.

Royal Assassin takes place primarily in Buckkeep, the capital fortress of the Six Duchies. Upon returning there, Fitz is caught up in a variety of political intrigues, mostly those between Verity and his younger half-brother, Regal. I have mixed feelings about Regal. He initially seems to be your somewhat standard evil half-brother, bent on getting his own way even if it means destroying the kingdom entirely. He’s pompous, rude, manipulative, and generally not a very likable fellow. On the other hand, he turns out to be more clever than he initially appears (no, I won’t tell you how), and holds up pretty well as an interesting villain by the end. Since the novels are written in the first person, we gain an amazing amount of insight into Fitz’s thoughts, but the thoughts and motives of other characters are always a bit obscured.

As I said early, Royal Assassin is a story about adolescence. Which means Fitz spends a great deal of time questioning himself, experiencing overblown emotions, question everyone around him, breaking rules, trying to please his mentors, and rebel against them at the same time. While the angst and agony of adolescence can be annoying in the hands of some writers, Hobb does a wonderful job of conveying things in a way that makes Fitz sympathetic and enjoyable to read. Telling her story through the eyes of a growing boy allows her to open up layers of the world to the reader as the story progresses. As Royal Assassin progresses, the reader slowly understands more and more of what is going on, just as Fitz does the same.
Hobb manages to pack an incredible amount of information into every word, which makes providing a plot synopsis impossible. There’s just too much intrigue, emotion, and action to sum up neatly. This is a good thing. Too many fantasy novels can be summed up in a paragraph, and when finished, are easily forgettable. Royal Assassin not only defies easy summation, but is easily worth a second read. It’s so good that, in defiance of my own set rules, I’m now reading Assassin’s Quest, the third book in the series. I just couldn’t wait to get to it.(less)

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Sep 04, 2008

Nicole rated it

Recommends it for: fantasy fans

Recommended to Nicole by: Demi

I found this book to be just as engaging as the first one - even more so! I loved the political machinations in it.

The one thing - and I didn't realize this until I got all the way through the book - is that this is set in a medieval millieu, and yet there is no religion. None! No church, no priests (or imams, or what-have-you), no people occasionally praying - it's as if they're an entirely atheistic world. While I find it interesting, I think it's also a big hole in the story. Even...more

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May 11, 2011

Coligne rated it

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Shelves: fanucci, fantasy, lungavista, my, favorite, sfida, dei, mattonazzi, 2009, realm, of, the, elderling

Continuano le avventure di FitzChevalier, il bastardo reale, l'assassino del Re...</p>

In questo volume si assiste ad una battaglia per il potere che vede coinvolti il Re Sagace, vecchio e malato, il Re-in-Attesa Veritas, oberato dalla sua personale lotta ai pirati della Nave Rossa combattuta con l'arma dell'Arte; ed infine il viziatissimo Principe Regal, ultimogenito di Sagace, disposto a tutto pur di riuscire a mettere le mani sulla corona.
La loro è una lotta che si svolge all'ombra, a co

...moreContinuano le avventure di FitzChevalier, il bastardo reale, l'assassino del Re...</p>

In questo volume si assiste ad una battaglia per il potere che vede coinvolti il Re Sagace, vecchio e malato, il Re-in-Attesa Veritas, oberato dalla sua personale lotta ai pirati della Nave Rossa combattuta con l'arma dell'Arte; ed infine il viziatissimo Principe Regal, ultimogenito di Sagace, disposto a tutto pur di riuscire a mettere le mani sulla corona.
La loro è una lotta che si svolge all'ombra, a colpi d'intrighi e tradimenti, sopratutto da parte di Regal, che come prima cosa tenta di eliminare suo padre, avvelenandolo lentamente, peggiorando così ulteriormente la sua malattia.
Fitz, assassino ed Uomo del Re, si ritrova ben presto coinvolto in questa rete di intrighi, sia come Uomo del Re, sia personalmente, diventando bersaglio delle mire di Regal, che oltre a vederlo come un potenziale avversario (è pur sempre il figlio di Chevalier, primogenito di Sagace), lo disprezza profondamente e porta una certa dose di rancore nei suoi confronti.

Questo è, ancora una volta, un romanzo di formazione; Fitz sta ancor crescendo, all'inizio del libro non è certo il ragazzino sperduto che era all'inizio della sua carriera, "un libro fa", ma sotto alcuni aspetti è ancora inesperto; e nel corso delle vicende gli vengono imposte delle dure lezioni che contribuiranno a formarlo. Non vuole decidersi tra in suo ritrovato amore per la sua donna, Molly, e la sua fedeltà ai suoi Re. Non può metterla davanti ad ogni cosa nella sua vita, quel posto spetta al suo Re, al Re-in-Attesa Veritas, che l'ha preso sotto la sua protettiva ala, ed i Sei Ducati stessi. Come gli viene detto, non può portare due selle sulla stessa groppa...
Alla fine, infatti, sarà Molly a scegliere per entrambi, lasciando definitivamente.

Un ruolo più marginale, rispetto al primo libro della saga, lo svolgono i pirati della Nave Rossa ed i forgiati. Un vero peccato, sopratutto per questi ultimi, che mi avevano incuriosito molto nel precedente volume; avevo sperato che la Hobb approfondisse ulteriormente l'argomento in questo libro. Le poche volte in cui Fitz interagisce con loro sembrano quasi messi a in quel posto per caso, e si capisce la loro utilità solo nelle ultime pagine del libro...

Azzeccatissima la scelta di inserire un commento di George R.R. Martin sulla copertina, le atmosfere che traspirano da questo romanzo sono molto simili a quelle che si respirano nella sua saga Le Cronache del Ghiaccio e del Fuoco...
Ed in conclusione come non citare le parole dello stesso Martin:
"Questo è il modo in cui il Fantasy dovrebbe essere scritto.
Nell'affollamento di opere di questo genere, i romanzi di Robin Hobb spiccano come diamanti in una massa di zirconi."

(less)

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Jan 05, 2011

Brian rated it

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1/1/2004 - 10/10

book 2: great characters with a great coming of age story - see characters evolve, excellent plot that keeps you guessing with intrigue and will not let you put it down - finished at 2:40am

The Farseer trilogy is one of the best fantasy series I've read...right up there with George R.R. Martin. The characters were excellent...very detailed and extremely well drawn. The characters are very human - you can see them evolve and can come to care about them very easily. The main char...more

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Dec 20, 2011

Manrix rated it

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I do suppose this novel suffers from "Second Book Syndrome" or something of the like, meaning that little or nothing gets finished this novel, and few things are started. However, it suited my reading needs so perfectly, read almost all of it between Friday and Monday. For a 35 p/h reader, that's almost 20 hours of reading in four days.

Robin Hobb's use of language is just a treat. Her style is elevated, without being annoying (like some Victorians). The characters she's cre...moreI do suppose this novel suffers from "Second Book Syndrome" or something of the like, meaning that little or nothing gets finished this novel, and few things are started. However, it suited my reading needs so perfectly, read almost all of it between Friday and Monday. For a 35 p/h reader, that's almost 20 hours of reading in four days.

Robin Hobb's use of language is just a treat. Her style is elevated, without being annoying (like some Victorians). The characters she's created are real and vivid. I felt myself caring for them in a way that has not happened in all my mandatory readings of genre literature. This does mean, however, that the feelings of loss at the end of this novel are staggering. I simply do not see how the characters will get through this, considering what has been foreshadowed. It is rather depressing, but only in that you sympathise so much with FitzChivalry and the others you only with to see them overcome everyting (Regal first and foremost - I hate that bastard, even if his motives are not entirely damnable; he's just annoying, selfish and stupid).

The Fool, in this book, has become one of my favourite characters in the novel. Not only do you get to glimpse what he has been through, but you also learn something of his purpose, and what the Red Ships portend. Also, he can be outrageously funny, epsecially in a particular scene involving Justin, Serene and Fitz at Fitz's chamber door.

Queen Kettricken is another character that developed rather well over the course of the novel. Though she has not overcome all het troubles, she truly is a strong person, and I hope things go better for her in the future. I do expect them to, to be honest.

Fitz' relationship with Molly is both beautiful and painful. When they say that they are, in their hearts, husband and wife, it seemed a bit much for me, but it does work, in their High Medieval society, and the way they probably thought about such things. Molly is a well developed side character, though I'm still a bit puzzled by her falling in love with a boy two years younger than her. It's not something most teenage girls do. However, they are great together, in spite of the fact that she sees everything Fitz does for her as Fitz abadoning her, which I don't agree with entirely.

I'm curious what will happen with the Elderlings in book three, as it could either turn out really good or really bad. However, I'm not too enthousiastic about the whole fate of the Six Duchies (and indeed, the world), as this whole world-saving thing is a bit old. Still, I'm already thrilled there are so many more novels set in this world.

All in all, this book was wonderful, in spit of its main focus on court intrigue, and I've already started on book three. Let's see where it takes us.(less)

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Mar 09, 2011

Ben Johnson rated it

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*This review is for the entire series. There are no spoilers*

The Farseer Trilogy by Robin Hobb is the story of Fitz, a bastard of the royal line and tool of royal family. He struggles to carve out a life of is own while serving as a playing piece in the games of courtly intrigue at Buckkeep, all the while struggling to come to terms with his affinity for the Wit - an empathy with animals viewed as an abomination. Meanwhile, the lands of the Six Duchies are threatened by unnatural raide...more*This review is for the entire series. There are no spoilers*

The Farseer Trilogy by Robin Hobb is the story of Fitz, a bastard of the royal line and tool of royal family. He struggles to carve out a life of is own while serving as a playing piece in the games of courtly intrigue at Buckkeep, all the while struggling to come to terms with his affinity for the Wit - an empathy with animals viewed as an abomination. Meanwhile, the lands of the Six Duchies are threatened by unnatural raiders from far shores, and the royal family is hard pressed to resist. The series is compelling and weighty, an experience rather than escapism because it is too emotionally draining to be read lightly. But it is an experience not to be missed, one that transcends its genre by doing what fantasy does best: challenging our assumptions regarding fantasy worlds and our own society, and how the two relate.
Assassin's Apprentice is the story of a child growing up outside the courtly romance of the royal family, who is treated as a tool as much as the servants and soldiers. Royal Assassin focuses on the domestic sphere during a time of crisis: as the powerful men are out fighting and plotting, the queen and other members of her sphere are left to deal with the problems they create. Finally Assassin’s Quest takes the characters of the series, who had been mostly confined inside castle walls, and places them on a heroic journey of their own.

In a previous review, I lamented the fact that the author seemed to take no real risks with her characters. Robin Hobb has no such problem. Her characters - particularly her narrator Fitz - find very few instances of true contentment or joy and suffering is frequently extreme. Hobb is not scared of seriously injuring a character during a fight that would be routine in any other work of fantasy, and the characters bare an increasing amount of scars - physical or otherwise - as the story progresses. It sometimes feels as if Fitz goes from one convalescent period to another with little gained in between, but rather than an annoyance this lack of authorial protection adds welcome tension to the action.
And it is not only in the fights that Hobb is willing to make her characters suffer. Emotionally this series is less roller-coaster and more bungee-jump. Sure, after a plunge there will probably be a recoil back up - but you’re not going to be as high as you were, and there’s no avoiding the next drop, and there’s no way you can get higher than you started. The series is occasionally bleak, sometimes depressing, but it is in these lows that catharsis is reached. In my opinion, worlds of fantasy are only as real as the suffering they contain - too little and they are merely an artistic fancy, like Disneyland compared to downtown LA.

On top of this, the series is slow-paced. If I was to summarize the major points of the over-arching conflict between the Six Duchies and the Red Ship Raiders, there would be a few in the first book, a couple in the second, and then a whole bunch at the end of the third. Same with the courtly-intrigue. And this just goes to show, the series is not about it’s political conflicts, it is about its characters. Specifically, it is about Fitz. Fitz is the plot, and the slow pacing combined with the first person narration invested me in the character as few books have. I can’t say that everyone will appreciate the strategy as I did - if action is what you’re after (and that’s not a bad thing), you might not make it to the end of the the series. On the other hand, the deliberate pacing combined with Hobb’s willingness to hurt the protagonists means that the action that does occur is all the more thrilling. The books simmer like a kettle on a stove, and when they finally boil over they are impossible to put down. During each book I kept a fairly standard reading pace until the last 20% or so (I have a Kindle so I can know these things), and then finished the book in a marathon reading session.

Every once in a while (and I mean like once or twice every book), there is a brief section that can only be described as an interlude for social commentary. In Assassin’s Apprentice this takes the form of speculation over what sort of women would be the best wife for the prince. “Verity deserves a companion, not an ornament to wear on his sleeve... Someone to ride beside him of a morning when he takes Hunter out for a gallop, or someone who can look at a section of map he’s just finished and actually understand just how fine a piece of work it is.” These interludes feel a bit out of place, but they do highlight the significance of the author’s breaks with “conventional” fantasy. The confinement of the characters to the castle; the vagueness of the external conflict combined with the detailed exposition of home life; the focus on the bastard child, the wife, the fool and the stablemaster as the primary protagonists - all act as a challenge to the primacy of military chronicles as the basis for fantasy novels.

I entered the series with my own assumptions in place: the domestic sphere of the castle is the realm of the women and children, while the king and soldiers do the meaningful work outside. I think that for a very large percentage of fantasy works this expectation is validated. Think only of how many stories focus on a warrior, or a king, or a band of soldiers fighting on foreign soil. Generally, the meaningful work is done outside of the home, on a quest in a far-away land. And yet this “meaningful” work is never really shown in the Farseer Trilogy. In the series, the most significant conflict points are not external but internal ones; the plot is primarily concerned with Fitz’s inner struggles and his interactions with his friends and enemies inside the castle. By shifting the story into the domestic sphere, Hobb shows that this sphere is really no different than any other. It is not gendered, it is not safe, and it is not without it’s own intense struggles. It is not separate from the external sphere of wars and diplomacy, as the concerns of each affect the other. My own expectation of the world as consisting of these two separate domains was no longer valid - there is only one reality, and it is shared by all. Hobb’s fantasy world is not an escape from reality but an insistence that some of our “realities” are more fantasy than we realize.
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Nov 28, 2010

Tanabrus rated it

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Shelves: fantasy

Secondo libro della trilogia dei Lungavista.

In questo libro si assiste, si, alla maturazione di Fitz, al suo diventare uomo, al suo trovare un vero legame con lo Spirito... ma sopratutto si respira un'atmosfera di angoscia e di insofferenza.

Le cose vanno sempre peggio, contro i pirati, e nessuna contromisura adottata da Veritas sembra sortire gli effetti desiderati. Resta solo una folle idea, quella di ricercare l'aiuto degli Antichi che già un tempo salvarono i Ducati.
...more

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Jun 04, 2010

Ren the Unclean rated it

Shelves: fantasy

This book is on par with the first in the series. It is as well written, but suffers from the same shortcomings that prevent it from being really great.

There is more exploration of the two different types of magic, which are both interesting and at least one is fairly unique to the fantasy setting. I look forward to getting more information about this particular aspect of Hobb's universe in the final book.

Royal Assassin is pretty rough to read. Not because it is poorly...more

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Apr 25, 2010

Bertrand rated it

Shelves: fantasy

L’Assassin du Roi est le deuxième tome en français du cycle de l’Assassin Royal. Il correspond à la première partie de « Royal Assassin », puisque nos bien-aimés de Pygmalion se sont amusés à couper les romans en 2 ou 3 lors de la traduction (n’y voyez aucune motivation pécuniaire).
L’Assassin du Roi est une excellente suite au premier tome. Fitz a grandit et représente maintenant l’espoir de tout un peuple dans la guerre contre les Pirates Rouges. Les relations entre Fitz, Vérité, Subtil e...more

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Mar 21, 2010

Rachel Crooks rated it

If any complaint is made of this series, it is that there is a threadbare plot kept afloat with a surplus of words. While I can agree with this to some extent, I can't say that I would discard much (if any) of this book.
Fitz, now a young man, is faced with a kingdom under siege, both on its coasts and within the keep. Parallel to this struggle is the one inside himself, as he continues to decide who he is and what he wishes to be. Fitz is full of desires at war with each other, an...more If any complaint is made of this series, it is that there is a threadbare plot kept afloat with a surplus of words. While I can agree with this to some extent, I can't say that I would discard much (if any) of this book.
Fitz, now a young man, is faced with a kingdom under siege, both on its coasts and within the keep. Parallel to this struggle is the one inside himself, as he continues to decide who he is and what he wishes to be. Fitz is full of desires at war with each other, and the people around him continually push him to choose one or the other - either he can offer his life as a sacrifice for his king, or he can pursue his childhood love, Molly - either he can grow in developing the art of the Skill, or he can give in to his natural talent for the Wit.

The large question in this book, masterfully executed even if long, is that struggle between the self and the world at large. Do we exist only as parts of a whole, or ought we to assert ourselves as individuals? Many of the wishes closest to Fitz's heart are expressly against the interests of his kingdom, and I found that difficult. If he marries Molly, for instance, as he desires, he forgoes making a marriage that will make his kingdom stronger. I empathized with this character and grew frustrated when even his best friends coax him to choose against himself and the life he truly wants, every time.

The irony is that this same theme of the self vs. the world is at play within members of the royal family. King-in-Waiting Verity, loyal to his kingdom first, expends his energy until he has no time for his personal interests, leaving his inner world a mess while he fights larger battles on the outside. Meanwhile, his younger brother Regal, thinking of nothing but his own selfish ambitions to the throne, finds success even as he carelessly allows the kingdom to fall to ruin.

What a great theme to explore! So, why does the character who puts himself first, appear to win? And why do the self-sacrificing characters lose the things (and people) who are most important to them? And why am I left angry at the injustice of this? Personally, I think the book teaches that there must be a balance between the self and the outside world for there to be true peace. Now, the story is far from over, but I am really interested to see what happens in the third book. (less)

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Jul 08, 2009

Alan rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: Fans of thoughtful fantasy

Recommended to Alan by: Chris E.

Hobb seems determined to do well at this fantasy series thing. If anything, this second book in her landmark Farseer series is even harder to put down than the first.

This is, in a way, a very traditional second book for a trilogy: things are dark, and getting darker. The scene and characters have been well-established in the first volume, after all, and very little can be permanently resolved in the second, lest the third be anticlimactic. Royal Assassin is very much a dark addition....more

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Feb 07, 2012

Shaheen rated it

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<a href="http://speculatef.tumblr.com/post/17244711221/royal-assassin-review>Read the full review here.</a>

The story-telling in this series keeps getting better. I was sucked into this book from the first chapter, and found myself reading it hungrily in large chunks. While the action moved slowly, it was driven by character development. Prince Regal’s scheming allowed the climax to build steadily, with the author dropping hints and foreshadowing events before adding a ...more

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Sep 28, 2009

Ethan Miller rated it

This trilogy was wonderful. There is a complexity of emotion and resonance that springs from the great well of characters and tone in this story--first in a subtle way but it continues to grow and run deeper and deeper beneath the surface as the trilogy goes on. At some point that subtle evocative resonance is no longer a spring but an ocean beneath these pages. Lovers of Fantasy will place this trilogy next to Tolkien and George R.R. Martin on the top shelf. Most non-Fantasy fans would love the...more

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Jun 16, 2009

Sean Randall rated it

without a shadow of a doubt, this is one of the most compelling, exhaustingly detailed and riveting series of books I have ever read. I can only apologise for not peppering my thoughts with quotes from the text as I have done in recent times. if i'm hurrying through a book, I'm lining up another title - or if the one I am reading so grips me that I haven't even the whit to pause and note a place wherein resides an interesting quote, then I can often come out of my reading hays and think 'oh m...more

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Apr 25, 2008

stephen rated it

Recommended to stephen by: Colin Riggs

Book 2 of a trilogy:
This one was much better than the first, both in creative descriptiveness and in pacing. I felt a greater interest in each of the characters, and was surprised in the directions that the story travelled (in opposition to convention). Don't read if you like things to go smoothly for the protagonist, or if you get too emotionally connected. The book definitely "got" to me, and was similar to Deerskin in tone.

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Feb 08, 2011

Hari rated it

Shelves: dropped

There's only so much negativity that I can take before I decide that a book isn't worth it. Considering the fact that I really liked the first, I had high hopes for this one; But the whole air of hopelessness that hangs over every single event in Royal Assassin just makes it hard to swallow. I'd have imagined the lead character 'Fitz' to have grown up a bit for this second book but, if anything, he's more of an idiot. Some of the decisions made by the good guys just make no sense whatsoever.
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Feb 05, 2011

jD rated it

Shelves: series_trilogy, 2011-read, 2011_5-stars

I can't believe I gobbled those 675 pages so swiftly. Well, Fitz continues on his creatively crafted journey into hell. As expected with this type of fantasy, he is continually placed in situations where he becomes a Catalyst. The Fool even calls him such. Many may view his mistakes as youthful error, me, I think Fitz is a coward. I thought so in the first book and I became certain in the 2nd book well before Molly put it to him straight up with no chaser.

Now Regal, I liked. Y...moreI can't believe I gobbled those 675 pages so swiftly. Well, Fitz continues on his creatively crafted journey into hell. As expected with this type of fantasy, he is continually placed in situations where he becomes a Catalyst. The Fool even calls him such. Many may view his mistakes as youthful error, me, I think Fitz is a coward. I thought so in the first book and I became certain in the 2nd book well before Molly put it to him straight up with no chaser.

Now Regal, I liked. Yes, he is the bad guy, erratic, and narcissistic. Regal was true to his cause -- becoming King. He did not let anything stop him -- his father the King, his brother and rightful heir, the wishes of his subjects, or a bastard nephew -- NOTHING. I respect that. Everybody else remained tethered to one excuse or another. Don't get me wrong, Regal was very bad but he did not operate from a position of fear and he was not stupid either. If this book was not being told through the eyes of a very young man, I would have given up on this story. Molly and Queen Kettricken were the only two people in the story that had a set of balls and they were women. Even Patience gained some of my respect before all was said and done. The disappoint I felt in Chade, Fool, Verity, and Burrich was palatable and set my teeth on edge. About 3/4 of the way through, I realized that no one was going to man up. I also became certain that the Farseer line needed to die out.

Fitz was too young and trusting of the judgment of cowardly men to truly have changed anything that happened. Had he listened to Molly, maybe, he would have died sooner but he would have died like a man defending what was his. No, he let everybody keep him locked in the confining role of bastard with no right to his own future. I respected the advice he received from Nighteyes, his wolf, more than any of the men in his life. If not for that wolf, this book would have not had any humor or lighthearted moments.

I am left after 675 pages, calling the library to pull "Assassin's Quest" off the shelf and hold it for me to pick up. Yes, I have to keep going and tackle 757 pages left of Fitz's story. Ms. Hobb has captured my inner hero and warrior. I believe that Fitz will find his destiny. He can never set things to right because too many have suffered and/or paid too high a price (including Fitz) but he can find a measure of peace. That's what I am looking for in book 3. I am hopeful that Fitz discovers the importance of his life and accepts the decisions he made in hindsight. I am mostly hoping that he will see in retrospect that many times he was a catalyst for good...at least once, PLEASE!

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Jul 10, 2011

{eri} rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: kindle

I was hesitant to start this series. I remember checking the first book of the Farseer trilogy out from the library and put off reading it for so long I missed the due date, a very rare occurance! So once I had the Kindle version I was even less sure that I wanted to read it (Kindles and I don't see eye to eye and let's not mention the headaches of long term reading).

But it grew on me. By the time I was 1/4 of the way through, I was really enjoying myself. I cared about the characters...more

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Jun 04, 2011

Marshall rated it

This is a phenomenal book. Having read a number of reviews on this series, I had the impression that "Assassin's Apprentice" was the finest book in the series. I could not have been more wrong. This book blew me away with its scope and characters. It is true that there is not very much action, but the intrigue and plot structure are more than enough to make this book nothing short of enamoring. I will warn potential readers that if you don't like being depressed then please don't rea...more

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Oct 17, 2011

Emily rated it

· review of another edition

Again, I found this second book in the series to be easy to read and easy to keep reading. And though I wholly appreciated the fact that we got to explore more of the world, the characters and their histories, there were a few things that irked me.

Be forewarned, Fitz is a bit of a whiner. Yes, his life sucks, but he tends to wallow in it. His love life is particularly not handled well and at some point I had to just throw my hands up in the air at both parties involved.

Wh...more

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Aug 24, 2011

± Colleen of the Crawling Chaos ± rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, library-read, group-read

So, for those not in the know, let me take you through a quick history of my Robin Hobb history.

(view spoiler)...more

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Royal Assassin (Farseer Trilogy #2)

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