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beautifulpaxielreads's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
tense
slow-paced
- 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? It's complicated
4.5
This may be one of the best fantasy novels I have ever read, and yet I can understand why others have had difficulty with it.
The pace is very, very slow, there is a lot of descriptive language and exposition to wade through, and even then, there isn't a whole lot of plot to be found, at least not at first. All these things considered, I can easily see why someone might get frustrated and give up.
But I found Assassin's Apprentice to be an absorbing, riveting, and immersive read - just what a good fantasy should be.
It also delivers in spades when it comes to political intrigue, which I also very much enjoy reading. The story is told from the POV of Fitz, who forthe first half of the book isn't even given a proper name , and this was such a masterful move on Hobb's part. You see him as he grows from a child into a young man . He's very observant of people and he has a strong affinity for animals . His keen observational skills (and at times judgmental behaviour) could make him unlikeable, but Hobb takes care to show us the other sides of him - his compassion, his kindness, his curiosity, and his thirst for knowledge all made me care about him and root for him as a character.
The other characters are well-developed too (even the villainous ones[well, mostly</spoiler]), depicted as complex, flawed human beings, with many shades of grey.
The plotting was overall excellent, although did find the endingrather rushed and not well-explained , but I am willing to overlook that because of how much I enjoyed the rest of it.
4.5 stars from me.
The pace is very, very slow, there is a lot of descriptive language and exposition to wade through, and even then, there isn't a whole lot of plot to be found, at least not at first. All these things considered, I can easily see why someone might get frustrated and give up.
But I found Assassin's Apprentice to be an absorbing, riveting, and immersive read - just what a good fantasy should be.
It also delivers in spades when it comes to political intrigue, which I also very much enjoy reading. The story is told from the POV of Fitz, who for
The other characters are well-developed too (even the villainous ones[
The plotting was overall excellent, although did find the ending
4.5 stars from me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Medical content, Medical trauma, Murder, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Eating disorder, Blood, Death of parent, and Alcohol
Minor: Alcoholism, Fatphobia, Infidelity, Xenophobia, and War