Hobb perfects a world that I honestly would not want to go to. The political intrigue, the constant threat of death, and the viciousness of it citizens make this setting a wonder. Following an assassin who uses an Axe that rarely assassinates people throughout the book makes the novel truly misguiding. Sounds bad turns out good like a sandwich made form the contents of your fridge without actually looking in your fridge. I'm just the consumer, I didn't edit this series nor did I publish it but I did buy every book and read them till my eyes bled, literally. As the consumer, I have consumed and I have enjoyed it. The way that you get drawn in to the plot is magical because it truly is a mystery novel half of the time and there lies its magnificence. The cliffhangers make you want to stop reading with an overwhelming feeling of "oh my god," but its fine because everyone is going to pick it back up to see how its reconciled. Worth your time.