Book Review: Farseer – Royal Assassin

Title: Royal Assassin
Series: Farseer Trilogy
Author: Robin Hobb
Published By: Bantam
Published Date: 1997
ISBN: 978-0-553-57341-1
Length: 675 Pages
Purchased From: Amazon @ $7.99

The Story:

At the end of Assassin’s Apprentice, Fitz is deathly ill as a result of poison and must rest. After an extended stay in the mountain region, the remainder of the party from Buckkeep head back to their home lands to deliver the new queen-in-waiting. The only person to remain at Fitz’s side is Burrich, who was also injured at the end of Assassin’s Apprentice.

Before the worst of winter sets in, the pair journey back to their home of Buckkeep. Over the time that has lapsed, the war with the Red Ship Raiders has built and the coasts are in more danger than ever before. Due to the upbringing of the queen-in-waiting, she interjects herself into the war and begins to rally the smaller lands to defend themselves. By doing this she gains much respect by those around her and is viewed as more than just a foreign lady with the title of queen-in-waiting.

As the end of the novel draws near, Fitz discovers plotting against Kind Shrewd. He then takes it upon himself to remedy the situation and finds himself in a mess of trouble. In this messy predicament, we learn a bit more of the magic system that is The Wit and The Skill.

My Thoughts:

Despite the ending of this book coming across as a little strange, I enjoyed the story immensely. With each book that I read I find myself liking Fitz more and more. At times he comes off as whiny, and at others he comes off as confident and understanding. Regardless of how he is portrayed in any given circumstance, I find the character interesting and fun to read about.

If you find this story interesting but are concerned about it being loaded with killing, there isn’t much to worry about. While the story revolves around an assassin, much more emphasis is placed on what is going on in the characters life, not so much on his job. While there are assassinations taking place, they are not what this book is all about.