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The Farseer Trilogy (1) - Assassin's Apprentice [Kindle Edition]

Robin Hobb (Author)
4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (165 customer reviews) |
Print List Price: £8.99
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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

A glorious classic fantasy combining the magic of Ursula Le Guin’s The Wizard of Earthsea with the epic Mastery of Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings. Now reissued in gorgeous new livery.

In a faraway land where members of the royal family are named for the virtues they embody, one young boy will become a walking enigma.

Born on the wrong side of the sheets, Fitz, son of Chilvary Farseer, is a royal bastard, cast out into the world, friendless and lonely. Only his magical link with animals - the old art known as the Wit - gives him solace and companionship. But the Wit, if used too often, is a perilous magic, and one abhorred by the nobility.

So when Fitz is finally adopted into the royal household, he must give up his old ways and embrace a new life of weaponry, scribbing, courtly manners; and how to kill a man secretly, as he trains to become a royal assassin.

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews
129 of 137 people found the following review helpful
By Fisket VINE™ VOICE
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.
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51 of 55 people found the following review helpful
By Fantasy Lore TOP 1000 REVIEWER
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.
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47 of 51 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
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
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 11 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 18 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 19 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 21 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 21 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 22 days 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 24 days ago by S. Bendell
Worth every penny
I came to this book knowing nothing, except a vague familiarity with the author's name, that it was fantasy, and (most important) it was going cheap in a kindle sale. Read more
Published 26 days ago by Mal_GT
Story telling at it's best
I just wish I had been on holiday when I read this book, so I could have gone cover to cover without interruption. As it was I grabbed a read whenever I could. Read more
Published 27 days ago by Phil4379
The Assassins Apprentice
Really enjoyed this book and am now through half of the second looking forward to the third. Great character from boy to man very subtle
Published 27 days ago by buddydog
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