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40 of 40 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Faster than my legs could carry me!, 3 May 2005
Firstly...I am not going to give away one single shred of the story or indeed character developments that continue into this, the gripping second book in the Farseer Trilogy, because I have no doubt that would make me the most hated follower of this magnificent series.When I came to the end of this book I ran (and I mean RAN) to my local bookstore to lay my hands on the final instalment of the story of Fitz, the Fool, Molly, Chade, Verity and each and every one of the many more characters brilliantly brought to life by Hobb. I ran not only because it was 4.40pm, the bookstore would be closing and I was in imminent danger of waiting days, or maybe even weeks to discover all that would follow in this utterly engaging character driven and magical, fantasy, adventure drama, but also because even minutes being left in the dark after the cliff-hanger that brings to a close 'Royal Assassin' seemed like a fate worse than death. So, whatever you do, don't buy 'Royal Assassin' without also purchasing 'Assassin's Quest', or at least having a darn good contingency plan should you find yourself at the end of this book without the conclusion to the trilogy...you've been warned! I only wish I was being clever and exaggerating, but it's the absolute truth- the finale is breath-taking, so ignore my advice at your peril dear readers!!
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A complex, layered, and highly enjoyable read., 15 July 1999
By A Customer
Having read the first in trilogy, "Assassins Apprentice" I approached this with some trepidation, middle books in trilogies usually being somewhat flat, merely building to the climax in the last novel. However, I need not have worried. Throughout the novel is well written in elegant prose, the pace is extremely good. Although it is a much longer book than the first, the length is not superfluous, Robin Hobb was not merely trying to write a long book for the sake of it, but needed to. The snapshot of a corrupt, intrigue entangled court is superb, and trying to sort out this web of betrayal is a major pleasure. The twists and turns are always well done, and contain moments when you knash your teeth in despair and want to scream at the characters. The air of tension in the novel is as good as many a thriller I have read. Most of all, the characters are compelling, with the strong King-in-Waiting Verity, a good man on the verge of despair, the implacable Burrich and so on. All the characters seem to have layers, few of the major characters - with the possible exception of Prince Regal. Fitz, the central character is in the true mold of a modern Fantasy hero, a normal person forced into high events and is throughout a character it is easy to sympathise with. The book touches on many issues - love, honour, duty, betrayal - and deals well with them, without being superficial or trite. The only major gripe in this otherwise excellent novel is the slight feeling of smallness, of a very limited world. This is not a major problem, however, as the world Robin Hobb has created is rich enough.
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
- unputdownable!, 21 April 2001
By A Customer
I'd read Robin's "LiveShip Traders" trilogy and enjoyed that, as well as the first in this trilogy: Assassin's Apprentice. So I was very pleased to find that this book was even better.Sure, some of the characters can be frustrating at times - just like people are in real life! And I found myself feeling for the Fool, whose wit at times is quite brilliant. The plot twists and turns, with plenty of intrigue and surprises around each corner. And yes, you know *the* tragedy is coming - it's unavoidable and there's nothing you can do about it. But that just makes it even more painful in some ways, and adds to the depth of the narrative. Overall then, I found it an excellent and gripping story - well recommended by this reader.
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