bigzone's review against another edition
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
linguana's review against another edition
5.0
After many re-reads still one of my favourite fantasy books. It actually becomes better the more you read it. Full review at: http://sffbookreview.wordpress.com/2012/05/16/robin-hobb-assassins-apprentice/
jimmypat's review against another edition
1.0
While the book started off somewhat promising, it eventually turns into a very boring and mediocre tale. Much of it felt like a series of vignettes about the main character meeting a variety of other characters in the castle - with all of them being supremely uninteresting. I gave up about halfway through, as there was little momentum or passion. Not recommended.
alliebee6077's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
carturnright's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
ellgm's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
brigs27's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
tough_cookie's review against another edition
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The first installment in the Farseer trilogy follows Fitz, the bastard son of Prince Chivalry, heir to the throne of the Six Duchies. Narrated in the first person by an elderly Fitz, this slow-paced novel takes readers from his earliest memory (being dumped at an outpost by his grandfather) through his growth and development at the capital keep, first as an aid to the royal stable master, Burrich, then as an apprentice assassin to the mysterious figure, Chade (with some training in a magical ability known as the Skill towards the end of the book). At first, Fitz struggles to find his place in the world; he's merely King Shrewd's tool, living in anticipation of being used, but as he grows older, his desire for companionship (in the form of friends and a first crush) buck heads with his robotic directives.
As he attempts to balance selfless duty with a growing desire to create a life for himself, the kingdom becomes threatened by the Red Ships, foreign invaders from the Outislands who raid the kingdom's coast and then turn anyone they capture into simple-minded beasts. The king takes several measures to combat this aggressor, including sending Fitz on his first major assassination mission in the mountain kingdom. But once he's there, he realizes things aren't what they seem. Alone and on the clock, Fitz must use all his wits and training if he wants to survive the deeper plot that's about to be put into action.
As I said, this book has a slow pace. What surprised me is that I remained interested enough to finish it. That may sound harsh, but I do mean it as a compliment. Given my somewhat ridiculously high expectations for novels these days, the fact that very little happened in this book and yet I wanted to keep reading to find out what happened next speaks volumes as to the quality of both the story and the writing itself. Even more shocking, I can't really pinpoint what kept my attention; although I liked Fitz, he's nowhere near the top of my list of favorite characters, and the secondary ones remained aloof enough that I never formed a deep connection with them. But they're rich in depth, every one of them. Even when characters were briefly introduced and disappeared, I still knew exactly who they were when they showed up again many chapters later.
I also appreciated the slow buildup of tension around the larger plot with the Red Ship raiders. At first, they're portrayed as a seasonal but familiar thorn in the kingdom's side. But as the story goes on, their threat grows in severity through the author's case study in one of the towns, called Forge. I was impressed how, after that incident, the term "Forging" easily settled into my vocabulary with a negative (and slightly frightening) connotation.
Given this novel's age, I was worried I'd find the writing a little dated, but it held up well. More than that, I was impressed by the obvious skill -- you don't see writing of that caliber these days. So, although this trilogy isn't exactly my cup of tea, I nevertheless must commend it for its expertly crafted story.
As he attempts to balance selfless duty with a growing desire to create a life for himself, the kingdom becomes threatened by the Red Ships, foreign invaders from the Outislands who raid the kingdom's coast and then turn anyone they capture into simple-minded beasts. The king takes several measures to combat this aggressor, including sending Fitz on his first major assassination mission in the mountain kingdom. But once he's there, he realizes things aren't what they seem. Alone and on the clock, Fitz must use all his wits and training if he wants to survive the deeper plot that's about to be put into action.
As I said, this book has a slow pace. What surprised me is that I remained interested enough to finish it. That may sound harsh, but I do mean it as a compliment. Given my somewhat ridiculously high expectations for novels these days, the fact that very little happened in this book and yet I wanted to keep reading to find out what happened next speaks volumes as to the quality of both the story and the writing itself. Even more shocking, I can't really pinpoint what kept my attention; although I liked Fitz, he's nowhere near the top of my list of favorite characters, and the secondary ones remained aloof enough that I never formed a deep connection with them. But they're rich in depth, every one of them. Even when characters were briefly introduced and disappeared, I still knew exactly who they were when they showed up again many chapters later.
I also appreciated the slow buildup of tension around the larger plot with the Red Ship raiders. At first, they're portrayed as a seasonal but familiar thorn in the kingdom's side. But as the story goes on, their threat grows in severity through the author's case study in one of the towns, called Forge. I was impressed how, after that incident, the term "Forging" easily settled into my vocabulary with a negative (and slightly frightening) connotation.
Given this novel's age, I was worried I'd find the writing a little dated, but it held up well. More than that, I was impressed by the obvious skill -- you don't see writing of that caliber these days. So, although this trilogy isn't exactly my cup of tea, I nevertheless must commend it for its expertly crafted story.
hakeneye's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
elinorrose's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0