britreads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
What I admire most about this book is Hobb's ability to trust readers and let them make their own conclusions, even though we're in Fitz's perspective. the entire time. There are several times where the solution to a mystery is revealed and it's not treated as a major revelation in the narrative, but it is still satisfactory. I also found her writing to be extremely detailed and rich. It felt like an immersive read. And this world felt fully fleshed out and lived in.
I really connected with a lot of characters in here. Not just FitzChivalry, but also Burrich, Patience, Verity and to a lesser extent Chade. The evolution of Fitz and Burrich's relationship is one of the best in the book with Fitz and Verity's relationship running a close second for me.
I was also impressed with how progressive this story felt despite being published in the mid-90s. There are a lot of well-rounded female characters in here. This world is inspired by medieval Europe, yet there is no reliance on extreme misogyny or sexism. In fact, in this world, men and women have equal rights to rule. It's a small detail that I really appreciated, especially when compared to other fantasy novels/series written around the same time.
This is a slow-paced novel. We start off with Fitz when he is a young boy, around five or six years old. The story ends when he's roughly 18. I liked the slow pace as we had a chance to track Fitz's successes and failures, particularly when he begins to learn the Skill. And Fitz grows a lot during this novel. By the end, he is much more aware of his position as a King's man and the dangers that comes with the title. I appreciated this thoughtful approach to Fitz's tale. There are some action scenes, but the story is mostly focused on the emotional and mental impacts that stick with this young person.
This is my favorite read of the year and I really hope the rest of the series lives up to the expectation that this novel created. And I can't wait to dig into the other novels in this world.
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Abandonment, Death, and Animal death
Minor: Animal cruelty
jo_lzr's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Spoiler
I think that the fog that Galen put in the mind of Fitz so that he would forget about his ability to Skill, which caused him to hate himself so much that he wanted to commit suicide is an interesting metaphor for real life. I don't know if that was something the author did on purpose, but it is interesting to think that in real life the perspective of oneself can become fogged through abuse and gaslighting.Graphic: Abandonment, Animal death, Blood, Death, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Mental illness, Murder, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, and Violence
roxy_reads_romance's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Physical abuse, Animal death, Death, and Emotional abuse
bookaholic_in_wonderland's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
5.0
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Violence, Torture, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Animal cruelty
bea_reads_books's review against another edition
4.5
Graphic: Addiction and Child abuse
Moderate: Animal death, Suicidal thoughts, Drug use, Cursing, War, Alcoholism, Grief, Sexism, Bullying, Death, Toxic relationship, Animal cruelty, Emotional abuse, and Gaslighting
Minor: Drug abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Blood, and Adult/minor relationship
carrionkid's review
4.5
Graphic: Murder, Violence, Grief, Child abuse, Death, Suicide attempt, and Suicidal thoughts
jg93's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Animal death, Violence, Abandonment, Animal cruelty, and Death
maregred's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Graphic: Death, Murder, Violence, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Classism, Blood, and Animal death
Moderate: Abandonment, Alcohol, Bullying, Drug abuse, and Drug use
Minor: Grief, Sexism, and Domestic abuse
talonsontypewriters's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Physical abuse, Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Violence, Emotional abuse, Death, and Animal death
Moderate: Abandonment, War, Gaslighting, Grief, Suicidal thoughts, Confinement, Animal cruelty, Classism, Ableism, Death of parent, Alcohol, and Medical content
Minor: Miscarriage, Suicide, Infertility, Sexism, Excrement, Fire/Fire injury, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Alcoholism, and Infidelity
Corporal punishment/whipping. Poisoning and aftermath. Near drowning.anahisa's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
three stars because it’s very much a set up book, but the promise of the story it teased throughout is very exciting + intriguing! will be reading on when time (my library hold) permits 🫡
the exposition dragged, yes, but I do believe it’s worthwhile world-building that has already, and will continue to, pay off in future installments. also (?) surprisingly heartfelt!! shocked + upset to find myself crying over characters I didn’t think I’d connected to (silly me).
and YES im reading queer subtext into it <333
Graphic: Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Bullying, Murder, Violence, Death, Drug use, Gaslighting, and Suicidal thoughts