Fitz has barely survived his first hazardous mission as king’s assassin. Battered and bitter, he vows to abandon his oath to King Shrewd, remaining in the distant mountains. But love and events of terrible urgency draw him back to the court at Buckkeep, and into the deadly intrigues of the royal family.
Renewing their vicious attacks on the coast, the Red-Ship Raiders leave burned-out villages and demented victims in their wake. The kingdom is also under assault from within, as treachery threatens the throne of the ailing king. In this time of great danger, the fate of the kingdom may rest in Fitz’s hands—and his role in its salvation may require the ultimate sacrifice.
Something I’m sure I’ve talked about on here quite a bit is the practice of buying a whole bunch of an author’s books before ever reading a single book by that author. It’s something I’ve done a lot of in the past, but it’s a habit I’ve tried cutting way back on. Shelf space is something I put a pretty high value on these days, so I try my best to not buy a whole entire fantasy series without first reading book one, to make sure it’s something I’m going to even enjoy.
Robin Hobb was definitely one of those authors for me, though. I had amassed a pretty sizable collection of her books before ever reading one. And now that I’ve read two, that collection has grown even more! I’ve got three different editions of all three books in the FARSEER TRILOGY (mass market, trade paperback, and those very beautiful illustrated hardcovers!), and my Robin Hobb shelf is threatening to spill over to a second shelf any day now.
So I guess you could say I’m a fan. I really loved ASSASSIN’S APPRENTICE (and the as-yet-completed comic book adaptation as well!), but ROYAL ASSASSIN fairly blew me away. I’ve mentioned it a bunch recently, but I am trying to get through some backlist trilogies pretty quickly. It’s rare for me to want to immediately pick up a book three after finishing a book two, but for sure, ASSASSIN’S QUEST is already calling to me & I really want to tackle it very soon! I just keep thinking of all the books in REALM OF THE ELDERINGS that I have in front of me & cannot wait to explore more of this incredible world!
Like the first book, this is a very character-driven, deliberately-paced fantasy novel. There’s definitely a slight uptick in the amount of action sequences which I certainly appreciated. But for sure, don’t go into these books expecting blood-drenched, action-packed thrill rides (with all due respect to blood-drenched, action-packed thrill rides, like some of my favorite fantasy books!)
It was clear by the end of ASSASSIN’S APPRENTICE that Kettricken would play a significantly larger role in the sequel, and oof…she’s such an integral part of this story now, and I grew so fond of her. Now that she’s married to Verity & living at Buckkeep full time, we get a real sense of just how different her previous life was. She’s clearly feeling somewhat stifled by by her situation, and lonely as well. She’s much more of a hands-on problem solver (and a fucking badass), and that ruffles some feathers amongst the nobility. Just an incredible character, and I was so glad to see her in an expanded role.
Burrich will (probably) always be my favorite secondary character in these books, and I really view the relationship between Fitz & Burrich to be the heart of this trilogy so far. Burrich is always gruff, & grumbling about something, but ultimately fair, and you get the sense that his love for Fitz is just this bone-deep thing that weighs on him in a way.
The scenes between Fitz & The Fool continue to be wildly interesting…I’m not sure I’ve met a more enigmatic character in a fantasy novel than The Fool. This time around, there are some very faint hints about who he is, where he’s from…I’m sure there are things that went right over my head, but either way, The Fool remains a powerful ally for Fitz as things get more & more treacherous in the kingdom.
It was cool to see Fitz involved in more action sequences here! I’ve had the mass market paperback editions of these books for ages & I was never quite sure if that was supposed to be him on the cover, looking all badass & wielding an ax! But that’s our boy for sure. Robin Hobb might be a little stingy when it comes to action, but she can write a harrowing & bloody scene with the best of them! The Forged are even creepier and more threatening than ever, and Fitz has a hand in dispatching many of them.
I think this book’s (and I imagine all of the REALM OF THE ELDERLINGS book’s) greatest success is in creating a world that feels so utterly real & lived in. Buckkeep feels like a living, breathing place to me. Everywhere you turn, you run into someone who has their role to play in this story, each character as realistic as the next.
As much as it will always be Fitz’s story, the secondary characters really shine in this book:
-Patience is a really unique figure in Fitz’s life. I love that we get to explore more of her backstory in this one, and that she doesn’t just get confined to the role of the eccentric plant lady in the castle.
-Regal is more villainous than ever here, holy fuck. This is one of those characters you are actively hoping meets a grisly end, and not a moment too soon. He is a relentless schemer & has had it out for Fitz from the beginning. Ughhhh, fucking hate this guy!!!
-Nighteyes!! Holy shit! While it (unsurprisingly) tests the limits of Burrich’s patience/understanding, Fitz forms a bond with a wolf! A GODDAMN WOLF! The less I say the better, but this bond changes just about every aspect of Fitz’s life and I can’t wait to see how this plays out in ASSASSIN’S QUEST!
As I frequently do, I mixed in some of the audio for this and it was great!! Paul Boehmer is an outstanding narrator & I’m for sure going to mix in some audio for the third book as well!
Loved this so much! Still so thrilled to have started this journey & can’t wait to get further and further into this epic world!
Grimdark Dad 