Royal Assassin by Robin Hobb
FitzChivalry Farseer, who barely survived an assassination attempt by his uncle, Prince Regal, has returned to Buckkeep where the King, his grandfather, lies dying. His other uncle, Prince Verity, is exhausting himself by trying to keep the kingdom together in the face of increasing attacks by the Red Ship Raiders. The Raiders continue to capture and, through some unknown process, “Forge” citizens of the Six Duchies. When these Forged citizens, who are now more like animals than people, are released, they start moving toward Buck Keep. What are they doing? Do they have some sort of programmed mission? What is the goal?
When Prince Verity leaves the castle to look for the ancient (perhaps mythical) Elderlings, life becomes even more difficult for Fitz. He has the horrible job of tracking and killing the Forged Ones; he must avoid Prince Regal’s attempts to kill him; he suspects that King Shrewd is being poisoned; he has to keep secret his ability with the Wit; he has to make sure Kettricken, Verity’s Queen-in-Waiting, is happy and safe in her new home; he must stay away from Molly, the girl he’s in love with while keeping Celerity, the girl that King Shrewd wants him to marry, at arm’s-length.
It’s all rather grueling and the story becomes more and more intense as time goes on. Fitz has the choice to sit and sulk, or to suck it up and act like a man. Fortunately, Fitz has some allies who he knows he can trust: Burrich, the stable master who raised him; Chade, the assassin who trained him; Patience, his dead father’s seemingly scatter-brained wife; and the Fool, an enigmatic little fellow who sometimes shows up with a mysterious riddle that turns out to be exactly what Fitz needed to hear.
Royal Assassin is an excellent second book in Robin Hobb’s FARSEER SAGA. It’s full of action, great characters, intense emotion, political intrigue, and ugly treachery. It’s a little hard to believe that a teenager could be wise enough to be counseling royalty on statecraft and affairs of the heart, but it’s hard to resist FitzChivalry Farseer’s appeal as the inconvenient bastard of a much-loved dead prince. In the first book, Assassin’s Apprentice, Fitz was protected from his ambitious uncle Regal by King Shrewd and Prince Verity, but Shrewd is dying and Verity is gone, leaving Fitz to fend for himself. Hobb hasn’t treated Fitz well up to this point so, even though these events are related in the first person by a future Fitz, the reader feels no assurance that Fitz is going to be okay. And, indeed, he isn’t — the ending is surprising and devastating.
I’ve read these books before, but I can’t wait to torture myself again with the third volume of the FARSEER SAGA: Assassin’s Quest. This time I’ve been reading Tantor Audio’s versions which are narrated by Paul Boehmer who does a great job portraying some of my favorite characters in all of fantasy literature.
THE FARSEER SAGA — (1995-2013) Words Like Coins is a short e-story published in 2012. The Willful Princess and the Piebald Prince is a related prequel novella published in 2013. Publisher: 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 secretly 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.
LIVESHIP TRADERS –(1998-2000) Bingtown is a hub of exotic trade and home to a merchant nobility famed for its liveships — rare vessels carved from wizardwood, which ripens magically into sentient awareness. The fortunes of one of Bingtown’s oldest families rest on the newly awakened liveship Vivacia. For Althea Vestrit, the ship is her rightful legacy unjustly denied her — a legacy she will risk anything to reclaim. For Althea’s young nephew Wintrow, wrenched from his religious studies and forced to serve aboard ship, Vivacia is a life sentence. But the fate of the Vestrit family — and the ship — may ultimately lie in the hands of an outsider. The ruthless pirate Kennit seeks a way to seize power over all the denizens of the Pirate Isles… and the first step of his plan requires him to capture his own liveship and bend it to his will…
TAWNY MAN — (2001-2003) For fifteen years FitzChivalry Farseer has lived in self-imposed exile, assumed to be dead by almost all who once cared about him. But that is about to change when destiny seeks him once again. Prince Dutiful, the young heir to the Farseer throne, has vanished and FitzChivalry, possessed of magical skills both royal and profane, is the only one who can retrieve him in time for his betrothal ceremony — thus sparing the Six Duchies profound political embarrassment… or worse. But even Fitz does not suspect the web of treachery that awaits him or how his loyalties to his Queen, his partner, and those who share his magic will be tested to The breaking point.
THE RAIN WILDS CHRONICLES — (2010-2012) Publisher: Guided by the great blue dragon Tintaglia, they came from the sea: a Tangle of serpents fighting their way up the Rain Wilds River, the first to make the perilous journey to the cocooning grounds in generations. Many have died along the way. With its acid waters and impenetrable forest, it is a hard place for any to survive. People are changed by the Rain Wilds, subtly or otherwise. One such is Thymara. Born with black claws and other aberrations, she should have been exposed at birth. But her father saved her and her mother has never forgiven him. Like everyone else, Thymara is fascinated by the return of dragons: it is as if they symbolise the return of hope to their war-torn world. Leftrin, captain of the liveship Tarman, also has an interest in the hatching; as does Bingtown newlywed, Alise Finbok, who has made it her life’s work to study all there is to know of dragons. But the creatures which emerge from the cocoons are a travesty of the powerful, shining dragons of old. Stunted and deformed, they cannot fly; some seem witless and bestial. Soon, they become a danger and a burden to the Rain Wilders: something must be done. The dragons claim an ancestral memory of a fabled Elderling city far upriver: perhaps there the dragons will find their true home. But Kelsingra appears on no maps and they cannot get there on their own: a band of dragon keepers, hunters and chroniclers must attend them. To be a dragon keeper is a dangerous job: their charges are vicious and unpredictable, and there are many unknown perils on the journey to a city which may not even exist…
FITZ AND THE FOOL — (2014- ) Publisher: FitzChivalry — royal bastard and former king’s assassin — has left his life of intrigue behind. As far as the rest of the world knows, FitzChivalry Farseer is dead and buried. Masquerading as Tom Badgerlock, Fitz is now married to his childhood sweetheart, Molly, and leading the quiet life of a country squire. Though Fitz is haunted by the disappearance of the Fool, who did so much to shape Fitz into the man he has become, such private hurts are put aside in the business of daily life, at least until the appearance of menacing, pale-skinned strangers casts a sinister shadow over Fitz’s past… and his future. Now, to protect his new life, the former assassin must once again take up his old one….
I ought to try these. I’ve been on a court intrigue kick lately.
While my taste in fantasy these days is more heroic fantasy. Hobb’s books and the farseer trilogy were the first i read and made me fall in love with the genre and I havent looked back since.
All six books are still my favourite series of all time. The character growth and progression of the characters throughout the series is detailed, well paced, believable and really well done. Both tragic and beautiful. Filled with awesome and shocking moments. I cant express just how awesome I think this series is.
These are the books I reccomend to people who have not read fantasy before (if they are dog people).
Yes, this book may be the most touching and engaging of the series. It’s great buildup for the finale and does not fall victim to “middle-book” syndrome.
I’m thoroughly impressed with your audiobooking!! (Is that a word?) Obviously your attention span is much longer than mine….
Allan, Farseer is one of my very favorites, too, and I am so pleased that they’ve held up over time. They continue to rank at the pinnacle of epic fantasy.
Jesse, I agree that this one is an excellent middle book!
As for my “audiobooking,” I read so much in audio just because I don’t have time for much else. I do have attention span issues occasionally, but it’s easy to rewind an audiobook. In the car today, for example, I had to rewind the same part a few times because I realized my mind was drifting. Not that the book was boring (it’s not) but I had something else on my mind. I had to turn the book off for a few minutes until my head was clear. Maybe audiobooks work for me because I just don’t have a lot going on up there most of the time?
This book left me flat. After 580 pages, I didn’t see any character development and I am no closer to uncovering the mystery of the Red Ships and forging. I felt like Hobb was treading water until book 3. Very disappointing.
Hobb’s books are less about plotting, setting, mystery, and the like, and more about the characters, their interaction, emotions, thoughts, and ultimately how they are affected and react to the world. At the moment I see you enjoy the likes of Joe Abercrombie, Djanglo Wexler, and other such plot-centric authors. I understand the appeal, but someday when you’re older I think you’ll appreciate Hobb more. Her creations are a degree more subtle and humane.
Jesse, I don’t think that’s Kevin Wei.
I think you have the wrong Kevin. I’ve never read Abercrombie or Wexler…and I’m 51 yrs old :)
Oops…meant to put that under Jesse’s post!!
My apologies Kevin!! I thought you were the reviewer Kevin from the site.
It’s funny how differently two people can perceive the same book. I had the same complaints about the 3rd book as you had about the 2nd. It leads to the question: what’s the point of reviewing if we’re all going to have our own point of view? (Ha!) :)
My apologies, again. Shouldn’t have jumped to the conclusion.
No worries at all, Jesse.
Whether I agree with them or not, I love reading the reviews and opinions on this site. I just got into the fantasy genre a few years ago so I lean on the opinions here a lot when deciding what to read next. Kat’s review of The Dragonbone Chair by Tad Williams introduced me to the series and I am eternally grateful!! :)
Kevin, I think Hobb is not for everyone. The book lingers a lot. Let us know how you like book 3.
I need Fitz to quit moping around the Keep and take more action concerning Molly and the Red Ships. He’s too much of a victim. I’ve come to care about his character but he needs to man up!!
I’m also dying to learn more about the Red Ships and forging. In books 1 and 2, we keep hearing that the attacks don’t make sense. I hope they are explained in book 3.
I first read this series when it was first published. I was in my mid twenties and was much more patient as a reader. I wonder how much of my enjoyment of it now is simply nostalgia for Fitz. I might not be as patient with it now except that I love Fitz so much.
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