Assassin’s Apprentice (#1 of the Farseer Trilogy) by Robin Hobb Review

Hi Foreverbookers! 

How are you all today? I hope you’re well, what with the Coronavirus pandemic.

I’ve just finished Assassin’s Apprentice by Robin Hobb, which I ADORED!!! 

5 Stars! 

I’m really surprised that I enjoyed it so much if I’m being honest as it’s got none of my favourite things (no central romance, no female lead character, LOTS talk of killings etc) but I really did! Probably the most surprising thing of this novel for me was my enjoyment of it because it’s told from a boy’s perspective as he grows up. Now, I love first person POV’s but I much prefer reading from a female point of view because I feel that I can relate better. The author, Robin Hobb is a woman so that may have been psychologically why I enjoyed Assassin’s Apprentice, but there were hardly any female characters apart from Molly, who doesn’t have a huge role and a couple of other minor characters. When I was a lot younger (over 10 years ago) I read another book written by two female authors told from a boy’s perspective, “Beautiful Creatures” by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl, I thought it was so badly written because they weren’t young boys so how could they understand that mentality? I might go back and reread this series sometime soon to see if my views have changed.

I read “Assassin’s Apprentice” for: 

Cardcaptor-a-thon - The Jump - A naughty card - read a book with a trickster character - There are plenty of characters where we’re not sure of their intentions in Assassin’s Apprentice!

Reading Rivalry - A book with an opening line that grabs my attention - The first line gets straight to the point of the novel. Fitz, the lead character is recounting his young life. 

Fiction Feud Society - Kittencorn/Puppycorn - book with an animal - For the month of March, Fiction Feud Society are playing Unstable Unicorns, which is where we have to chose books to go with the personalities of the unicorns in the game. For Kittencorn/Puppycorn the prompt is to read a book with an animal in - Dogs are a HUGE part of Assassin’s Apprentice, as well as horses but the dogs are the main animal. 

Popsugar 2020 Reading Challenge - A book with a map - there's a map of the 6 duchies, where the story is set.

Elderling-a-long - This is a readathon specifically for the Realm Of The Elderlings series by Robin Hobb hosted by The CatchUp Bookclub on Youtube. Assassin’s Apprentice is the first book in the first trilogy of the series - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATmkCGQbEyE.

Note: Assassin’s Apprentice is more for adults because the main character trains to become an assassin.

Spoilers Below...

“He put a heavy hand on my shoulder and turned me back toward the door. I went somewhat reluctantly, for the room was bright and pleasant and warm. My cold feet had started to feel the tingle, and I knew if I could stay a little longer, I would be warmed through. But the guardsman’s hand was inexorable, and I was steered out of the warm chamber and back into the chill dimness of the drear corridors.”

When the novel starts we first see Fitz, our main character as a really young boy as he’s taken to Buckkeep Castle. He was abandoned by his mother and grandfather on his mother’s side, and is taken in by Jason, one of the King’s guards. Jason isn’t present anywhere else in the story. Soon after this Fitz meets Burrich, who becomes a secondary character and who Fitz forms a strong almost father/son like bond with. 

Burrich takes Fitz to the stables, where he meets some dogs. One dog in particular, he bonds with is called Nosy. “The Wit” is one of the magic systems in the “Realm Of The Elderlings” series, what "Assassin’s Apprentice" is the first part of. “The Wit” is how some people can communicate with animals. This was a different type of magic than I’d ever read about! I found “Assassin’s Apprentice” unique in it’s magic system. Also there’s “the Skill.” This is a magic that the Kings of the Six Duchies have use of. This isn’t seen as as bad as “the Wit,” which of course our main character of Fitz can practice. He can also practice “the Skill,” but this isn’t revealed until much later in the novel. 

“The Wit,” he began slowly. His face darkened, as he looked down at his hands as of remembering an ancient sin. “It’s the power of beast blood, just as the power of the Skill comes from the line of kings. It starts out like a blessing, giving you the tongues of the animals. But then it seizes you and draws you down, makes you a beast like the rest of them.” 

is what Burrich thinks of the Wit. He’s firmly against it. Does he stay this way throughout the novel? You’ll have to read to find out!

Another significant character in the story is Chade, who trains Fitz to become the title of the book, the “Assassin’s Apprentice.” I’d go as far as to say that Chade IS the Assassin is the title! I found Chade a mysterious character, which he’s meant to be. 

“So I’m to teach you to be an assassin. Is that alright with you, boy?”

 I nodded again, uncertain but not knowing what else to do.”

is what Chade asks Fitz in their first encounter with each other.  Of course, Fitz is only really young when he meets Chade in the first part of the novel, so he’s unsure of what Chade is asking him, I believe. Chade doesn’t want to call Fitz by his name, so he uses the term “boy” instead. Chade calls on Fitz at certain times during the novel, normally in the night. Fitz knows he’s getting a call from him when a certain light comes on in his chambers.  

As the novel progresses, we see Fitz grow and become the Assassin’s Apprentice. He makes friends with the children of Buckkeep, while he’s still young. One of these children, Molly is two years older than him, becomes his crush. How does this relationship play out in the context of events that happen? You’ll need to read to find out! I will say here that romance really isn’t at the forefront of this book or series. I knew this before I went in to it. 

A character that I didn’t expect to be as important as he was is The Fool. Fitz meets the Fool early on in "Assassin’s Apprentice." 

“At the door, the pale Fool paused. For an instant he looked back at me, and made an incomprehensible gesture with his narrow hands. It could have been an insult or a blessing. Or simply the fluttering of a Fool’s hands. Then he smiled, waggled his tongue at me, and turned to hurry after the king.” 

This is the first time we see the Fool. He will play a bigger role than just a side character in later books, I believe.  

There are tensions between Fitz and Burrich because of “the Wit.” Can they set aside their differences and work together in the end? You’ll need to read to find out!

There are characters we’re not sure of as well as evil characters, such as King Shrewd and Galen who is a trainer for the Skill that Fitz tries to learn that appear in the pages of Assassin’s Apprentice. Does Fitz succeed in learning it from Galen or someone else, or at all. You’ll need to read to find out! Also the Princes, King Shrewd’s sons have a role. Prince Chivalry, Fitz’s father died. He was next in line to the throne, so now it’s between Prince Verity and Prince Regal. Who will get the throne next? Of course, Fitz also has royal blood from his father so will he somehow get the crown? You’ll need to read this and the next books to find out! 

A part of the novel that I really don’t want to spoil because it hinges the entire plot, I feel is at the end when Fitz is thrown into a dilemma. What I will say is who can he trust? He thinks he can only trust Chade and the Fool with the secrets he’s come to learn. Is this the case or are there more people he can rely on? There are several betrayals in this book too. Who betrays who though? You’ll need to read to find out!

I’m really excited to read the rest of the series in the coming months as a part of Elderling-a-long, hosted by the Catch Up bookclub on Youtube!