Assassin's Apprentice

I was a bit unsure at first, because first person POV is usually not something I greatly enjoy, but Robin Hobb has truly mastered the art of it. I have heard some people state that this book is slow, but I didn’t notice as it much as I expected. Fitz is a very interesting main character, and he has grown on me very much. I was originally going to give this book a 4.5 star rating, but those last 50-60 pages were such an absolute masterpiece of literature that there was no debating the 5 star rating. Loved it, would absolutely recommend.

This book was soo awesome! The fantasy world created here is very immersing, I felt like I was right there with the greatly written characters! There's also so much happening, whether it be political or between two best friends. I really recommend this!

Oh my god, I've never read a recommendation so true like the one by George R. R. Martin printed on the cover of this book. "Assassin's Apprentice" and Robin Hobb overall are real gems! Captivating, thrilling, with lots of clever plottwists and a new form of magic. Wow!

"You'd be wise to eat lightly, or not at all, of any food you do not prepare yourself." "At all the feasts and festivities that will be there?" "No. Only at the ones you wish to survive." This first book of the Farseer Trilogy feels more like an origin story, since it follows Fitz from ages 6 to 16 (i think?). As Fitz grows older the world expands for him and the reader so it doesn't feel like there's a ton of worldbuilding at the beginning, you rather learn about the kingdom and the important characters through time. As a bastard, Fitz has a unique view on the people at court and the secrets of the royals, so you slowly understand how the kingdom works, especially in regards to diplomacy, the use of assassins, the different characters who strive for different things and their political views, personalities, ambitions, relationships etc. Not only does Fitz get to converse with the King and his sons, he also builds relationships with the people from town and the palace's workers. It often seems like he exists in two different worlds, on the one hand getting the training of a royal child, on the other being raised as a stable hand and later trained to work as an assassin. With him being pulled in these different directions, the reader gets to view this world through all kinds of different lenses. "It seems as if the closer I walk to death," I told him, "the funnier everything seems." All the characters feel really fleshed out and you can see how their history as well as current problems influence their thinking and their loyalties. While this book did feel slow at times, I still enjoyed it and want to continue the series to find out what happens with the Red Ship Raiders.

This book was just what I needed – an immersive fantasy world that gripped me and wouldn’t let me go. It does start slow, but Fitz’ story kept my attention from the start and the characters and politics were so interesting. A great start for a new series – I can’t wait to read more!