A review by lfp_reading
Assassin's Quest by Robin Hobb

adventurous challenging emotional tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Robin Hobb has, for the most part, closed out this trilogy wonderfully. 

Let's get it out of the way: the two small things that stopped me from rating this 5 stars: 
  1. I know this is hailed as a slow-paced series, and I have grown used to Hobb's style by now. But even so, a section in the middle of the book ground the pacing down almost to a halt.
  2. There are two characters whose resolutions I'm... not so pleased with.
    Molly and Burrich? MOLLY AND BURRICH? Get outta here with that nonsense.

But those minor points weren't nearly enough to sour this conclusion for me. I've come to know Robin Hobb as a master of character work and beautiful prose, and Assassin's Quest is no different! The Farseer Trilogy is fantasy as fantasy should be: compelling characters, an intriguing magic system, and an expansive, well-developed world.

Fitz remains far from a perfect hero—he can act rashly, miss cues, and hurt those around him. But I like that about him! It's a refreshing break from the perfect teenage protagonist commonplace in many modern fantasies. He's still young, and by the end, we can see him acknowledge his flaws and his willingness to learn and grow. I can't wait to see where he lands in his next installments. But for now - onwards to LiveShip Traders!

A note on the audiobook:
I read most of Assassin's Quest tandem, reading along with the physical book while listening to the audio, and I was pretty surprised/disappointed at the number of mistakes in the audio! It was to the point where the narrator would say the wrong character's name after dialogue, making it seem like someone had said something totally out of character or joined a conversation they weren't actually present for—or mixing up similar-sounding words that have different meanings. Mistakes that can easily happen in the recording booth, but that absolutely should have been caught and fixed!
So a word of caution if you're planning to listen to this one, your experience might be soured! Or, if you have listened to it and found some of the narrative choices weird, that might be why!!
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