- Mass Market Paperback: 435 pages
- Publisher: Bantam USA; Reprint edition (1 Mar 1996)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 055357339X
- ISBN-13: 978-0553573398
- Product Dimensions: 10.6 x 2.5 x 17.4 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (168 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 1,006,785 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
The Farseer Trilogy (1) - Assassin's Apprentice
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Product Description
Review
'Hobb is one of the great modern fantasy writers … what makes her novels as addictive as morphine is not just their imaginative brilliance but the way her characters are compromised and manipulated by politics.'
The Times
‘In today’s crowded fantasy market Robin Hobb’s books are like diamonds in a sea of zircons’
George R.R. Martin
Product Description
Young Fitz is the bastard son of the noble Prince Chivalry, raised in the shadow of the royal court by his father's gruff stableman. He is treated like an outcast by all the royalty except the devious King Shrewd, who has him sectetly tutored in the arts of the assassin. For in Fitz's blood runs the magic Skill--and the darker knowledge of a child raised with the stable hounds and rejected by his family. As barbarous raiders ravage the coasts, Fitz is growing to manhood. Soon he will face his first dangerous, soul-shattering mission. And though some regard him as a threat to the throne, he may just be the key to the survival of the kingdom.
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First Sentence
A HISTORY OF THE SIX Duchies is of necessity a history of its ruling family, the Farseers. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt
A HISTORY OF THE SIX Duchies is of necessity a history of its ruling family, the Farseers. Read the first page
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
131 of 139 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
It's not very often that you pick up a book from an ordinary shelf, thinking nothing more than 'I'm sooo bored, maybe I'll read this,' and, within a few pages, discover that you have, in fact, stumbled upon genius in print.
Following the life of a royal bastard, known as Fitz, this trilogy takes you on a journey that spans years, miles, height and depth. Though easily qualified as a work of high fantasy, political intrigue, human personality and realistic motivation keeps the entirity incredibly grounded. You never catch yourself wondering just how realistic it all is- it IS real, that's a given. But there was one aspect of this story that especially caught me.
For me, characters are the measure of a good story. If you don't care about them, you don't care about the book itself. In the case of this trilogy, you find yourself becoming more and more deeply entangled in the thoughts, emotions and personality of the characters until it's hard to remember who YOU are.
In particular, I think Fitz is one of the most realistically human characters ever to inhabit the written word, and the Fool remains my favourite character of any I've ever read about. Such depth and delicacy of portrayal and narration is all too rare.
In other words, read this trilogy. You simply can't go wrong with a story like this one.
Following the life of a royal bastard, known as Fitz, this trilogy takes you on a journey that spans years, miles, height and depth. Though easily qualified as a work of high fantasy, political intrigue, human personality and realistic motivation keeps the entirity incredibly grounded. You never catch yourself wondering just how realistic it all is- it IS real, that's a given. But there was one aspect of this story that especially caught me.
For me, characters are the measure of a good story. If you don't care about them, you don't care about the book itself. In the case of this trilogy, you find yourself becoming more and more deeply entangled in the thoughts, emotions and personality of the characters until it's hard to remember who YOU are.
In particular, I think Fitz is one of the most realistically human characters ever to inhabit the written word, and the Fool remains my favourite character of any I've ever read about. Such depth and delicacy of portrayal and narration is all too rare.
In other words, read this trilogy. You simply can't go wrong with a story like this one.
52 of 56 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Friendly fellow fantasy fan warning: buy this book and you'll be committing yourself to purchasing not only the further two books in this trilogy, but very likely every other book in all four trilogies that have thus far been written by Robin Hobb. The characterisation, prose and plots in all of her novels are of such a high standard that it's impossible to describe how engrossing they can be until you've sampled them for yourself. Here's a list of those trilogies, just so you know what you'll be letting yourself in for...
The Farseer trilogy- Assassin's Apprentice / Royal Assassin / Assassin's Quest
The Liveship Traders trilogy- Ship of Magic / Mad Ship / Ship of Destiny
The Tawny Man trilogy- Fool's Errand / The Golden Fool / Fool's Fate
The Soldier Son trilogy- Shaman's Crossing / Forest Mage / Renegade's Magic
The first three trilogies are set in the same world, while the fourth is a stand-alone series set in a different world. Although the Liveship Traders trilogy can be read independently, as it concentrates on a different set of characters, I would still recommend reading the trilogies in order, as they each subtly tie-in with one another and build a larger story-arc in the saga of this world as events transpire. The most recently published fourth trilogy is set in a completely different world, but is perhaps best accessible to die-hard Hobb fans, as it isn't quite in the same league as her previous trilogies.
For me Assassin's Apprentice was easily the best debut from any author I'd ever read in any genre at the time and remains one of my all-time favourites. The world Hobb has crafted here is so detailed and authentic, the characters so vivid and the story so mesmerising that you'll realise you're hooked after only the first two chapters. It tells the story of a nameless boy who comes to live in Buckeep Castle under the watchful eye of stable master Burrich, who in turn bestows upon him the enigmatic name of Fitz. Very soon Fitz finds himself in the service of ageing King Shrewd and embroiled within court intrigue and various plays for power that are rife among the royal family. The backdrop to this domestic plotting is the invasion of the Six Duchies by a race known as the Outislanders whose method of conquest is as horrific as it is persuasive.
If it sounds in the least bit derivative so far then rest assured it's absolutely anything but! The outline may even sound like standard fantasy fare, but Hobb's storytelling abilities elevate Assassin's Apprentice far above any similar fantasy tale with familiar themes. By the end of this first story in the Farseer trilogy you'll be completely immersed in Fitz's bittersweet story and the conflicted kingdom of the Six Duchies, so much so that the impulse to read the whole of this trilogy in one sitting will be extremely difficult to resist. Magical is a term that's very often over-used to describe fantasy stories, but for Assassin's Apprentice there's no more accurate description. Enjoy.
The Farseer trilogy- Assassin's Apprentice / Royal Assassin / Assassin's Quest
The Liveship Traders trilogy- Ship of Magic / Mad Ship / Ship of Destiny
The Tawny Man trilogy- Fool's Errand / The Golden Fool / Fool's Fate
The Soldier Son trilogy- Shaman's Crossing / Forest Mage / Renegade's Magic
The first three trilogies are set in the same world, while the fourth is a stand-alone series set in a different world. Although the Liveship Traders trilogy can be read independently, as it concentrates on a different set of characters, I would still recommend reading the trilogies in order, as they each subtly tie-in with one another and build a larger story-arc in the saga of this world as events transpire. The most recently published fourth trilogy is set in a completely different world, but is perhaps best accessible to die-hard Hobb fans, as it isn't quite in the same league as her previous trilogies.
For me Assassin's Apprentice was easily the best debut from any author I'd ever read in any genre at the time and remains one of my all-time favourites. The world Hobb has crafted here is so detailed and authentic, the characters so vivid and the story so mesmerising that you'll realise you're hooked after only the first two chapters. It tells the story of a nameless boy who comes to live in Buckeep Castle under the watchful eye of stable master Burrich, who in turn bestows upon him the enigmatic name of Fitz. Very soon Fitz finds himself in the service of ageing King Shrewd and embroiled within court intrigue and various plays for power that are rife among the royal family. The backdrop to this domestic plotting is the invasion of the Six Duchies by a race known as the Outislanders whose method of conquest is as horrific as it is persuasive.
If it sounds in the least bit derivative so far then rest assured it's absolutely anything but! The outline may even sound like standard fantasy fare, but Hobb's storytelling abilities elevate Assassin's Apprentice far above any similar fantasy tale with familiar themes. By the end of this first story in the Farseer trilogy you'll be completely immersed in Fitz's bittersweet story and the conflicted kingdom of the Six Duchies, so much so that the impulse to read the whole of this trilogy in one sitting will be extremely difficult to resist. Magical is a term that's very often over-used to describe fantasy stories, but for Assassin's Apprentice there's no more accurate description. Enjoy.
47 of 51 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
When you read fantasy there is always this little voice in your head telling you that the young shy hero will do the right thing eventually and all will work out for the best. Halfway through assassin's apprentice this voice is effectively silenced! Just like in real life things do go seriously wrong and are sometimes damaged beyond repair, despite the best intentions of the main characters. The kingdom is being torn to shreds by magic, raids by foreign raiders, intrique and petty rivalries. The only member of the royal family competent enough to deal with the troubles abdicates over a scandal and vanishes. His bastard son, Fitz, is left to grow up in a mostly hostile court. He struggles to master his magical abilities, learns the secrets of assasination in an attempt to be loyal to his king and tries to survive the lethal tangles of court intrigue. Robin Hobb has created a stunning fantasy story that, while retaining all the classic elements of good fantasy (dragons, magic, wizards) nevertheless tastes of reality because of it's unpredictability and it's deep-felt tragedies. If you are still well into reading "young shy hero grows up to be the brilliant king that saves the world" stories, this book is not for you. If you are ready for something far deeper and infinitely more gripping; it's only one click away! Enjoy!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
What a great find!!
I bought this at a promotional price of (£1.09) in January, and have just got round to it in the queue on my Kindle. Read more
Published 3 days ago by Kev the Rev
So far so good.
A little slow at times but very intriguing. Just bought number 2 so we will see how it all progresses.
Lord of the Rings or Game of Thrones fans should enjoy it
Lord of the Rings or Game of Thrones fans should enjoy it
Published 6 days ago by Corky0705
Assassins Apprentice
I found this book so good that I ordered the sequel on Kindle straight after finishing the first. Good plot without the gratuitous violence and sex of others of this ilk.
Published 7 days ago by Keith Sunderland
A song to entice and admire.
When I first finished A dance with Dragons (I know wrong book but bear with me) I felt bereft. As a newcomer to the high fantasy genre I quickly engorged my self on Martin's work... Read more
Published 18 days ago by The Reader
Review
Loved the story and the characters. The fantasy world created was very vivid, not too different to Saxon Britain. A book that is hard to put down.
Published 26 days ago by Bob the Nob
A slow burner
I enjoyed this book , and if you like throne of swords and that ilk you will too.Good characters that you care about . Takes a few chapters to get into then you're hooked. Read more
Published 27 days ago by mickblue
Couldn't put it down!
Assassin's Apprentice is a brilliant book, that I couldn't put down. Great characters, living in a fantasy world with intriguing mental powers of the Wit and the Skill, which... Read more
Published 29 days ago by D Fish
Awesome book have already bought the other 2. .
Robin Hobb has created a world of depth and steeped in history. The book holds you in it's grasp and leave's you wanting more. Read more
Published 29 days ago by M. Reed
Classic fantsay expertly told
Hobb has struck a vein of gold with the Farseer Trilogy. Like the best fantasy writers (Tolkien, Robert Jordan et al) she creates a complete world that feels like a golden middle... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Brian Hamilton
Not for me
While the book is well written and skillfully detailed I find myself being less and less disposed to finishing it. Read more
Published 1 month ago by S. Bendell
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