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britreads's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I have a lot of mixed feelings about Assassin's Quest. I enjoyed the first 15%-20% of the book where Fitz and Burrich are living in the cottage together.
In terms of characters, Hobb had a difficult challenge on her hand. Most of the characters we met and grew to love in the first two books are absent here or we see them in quick scenes when Fitz uses the Skill. I wished we had more of Lady Patience. She is my favorite in the series so far and I wanted so much more of her in here. My heart broke for Kettricken and Verity. (Though I will always firmly believe Verity was a terrible husband.) And while Fitz's angst and self-pity was annoying most of the time, I did understand why he held such feelings and why he struggled to release them. I also grew to love both Nighteyes and the Fool here. I always appreciated the Fool, but this was the first time I genuinely enjoyed reading the Fool and Fitz's relationship. And Nighteyes matured immensely and endeared himself to so many people.
There are two new and recurring characters here: Kettle and Starling. I enjoyed Kettle from the time she joined the story. Her backstory was heartbreaking and I was interested in all of the secrets that surrounded her. Starling on the other hand... *sigh* At first, I liked Starling and the friendship she established with Fitz. Not only was she entertaining, but also resourceful. And while her motivation was selfish (not in a bad way), I liked that it was simple compared to everyone else's goals. I wished it stayed there with Starling. But at some point, right around when Fitz makes it to the Mountain Kingdom, things change and I grew to dislike her. Now to be fair, I understand how Starling's backstory and some events in the story influenced her actions, particularly her complicated relationship with Fitz. Truly, I believe Starling is a hard character to write given what happens to her. What softened my dislike of Starling was the realization that everyone in this story is desperate in some way. Starling is desperate for a sense of stability and safety. But I think Fitz's angst and his constant lamenting over Molly was annoying at times and adding Starling into that mix only made things worse for me. By the end, I have no strong feelings about her. Given the in-universe importance of minstrels in this world, I understand why she needed to be part of the story. I just wish some things were different about her...mostly I wish there wasn't this strange romantic subplot between her and Fitz.
Speaking of romance, I don't like ANY of the couples in this series.
I heard the Liveship Traders series is one of Hobb's best series. I am taking a quick break from her work to read other things, but I look forward to reading the next installment in this world soon (possibly in February). And while I struggled to read this final book in the Farseer trilogy, I genuinely loved this series and I want to work my way through all of Hobb's stories. So far, Assassin's Quest is my least favorite book by Hobb and I hope her other stories far exceed my expectations.
Graphic: Violence and War
Moderate: Rape, Torture, and Grief
Minor: Miscarriage
talonsontypewriters's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Drug use, Gore, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, Alcohol, War, and Classism
Minor: Ableism, Child death, Homophobia, Infertility, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Slavery, Vomit, Abortion, and Death of parent
lukegreed's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Moderate: Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Rape, Grief, and Gaslighting
beyourbestshelf's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Moderate: Rape and Torture
Minor: Miscarriage, Grief, Murder, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail
angstifies'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
4.5
Graphic: Death, Violence, and Blood
Moderate: Child death, Drug abuse, Miscarriage, Rape, Grief, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Addiction and Pregnancy
atalea's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Violence and Blood
Moderate: Death, Drug use, Grief, and Pregnancy
Minor: Infertility, Miscarriage, Rape, and Torture
kaziaroo's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Addiction, Animal death, Death, Drug use, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Murder, and Alcohol
Moderate: Alcoholism, Child death, Drug abuse, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Fire/Fire injury, and War
Minor: Homophobia, Infidelity, Rape, Transphobia, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, and Outing
adeliab'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
3.75
Graphic: Death, Drug use, Gore, Violence, Grief, Murder, and Abandonment
Moderate: Miscarriage, Rape, Sexual content, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cursing, Infertility, Abortion, Death of parent, and Pregnancy
themegaread's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Torture and Grief
Minor: Child death and Rape
mariebrunelm's review against another edition
- 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
TW : mention of stillbirth.
Graphic: Addiction, Rape, Sexual violence, Torture, Blood, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail