Customer Reviews
It the book Fitz, read it - By: Jeremy Squire, 05 Jul 2007 
The Farseer Trilogy has so far proved that Robin Hobb is a writer who knows what her readers want ... & delivers! The storyline, characters & intrigue develop & just leave you wanting more. I can't wait to read book 3!!
The best book of the series - By: Martin Anderson, 10 Jul 2006 This is a great book where Fitz (the hero of the series) becomes a man. After surviving the trouble of childhodin the royal court, Fitz starts to take shape as one of the most charismatic charactersin modern fantasy fiction. The rudderless child of the previous book becomes a princeling & the pride you feel for him is a testament to the authors skillin storytelling.
Robin Hobb has a knack of treating her characters that makes you burn with the injustice that life has thrown at them; from the larger issues to the petty everyday tormenting of thosein power against the powerless while still giving them the nobility to bear this treatment without resorting to cheap literary tricks.
The only downside is that the bad/evil characters never get the same emotional rounding given to the good characters, so they all end up sounding & feeling like pantomime villans.
The trials and tribulations of the Fitz - By: Sally-Anne, 21 Aug 2005 Book 2 of the Farseer trilogy continues Fitz's life of trouble & strife, pain & suffering, torment & injustice. It's a great tribute to Robin Hobb's writing & story telling skills that she can make you want to read a tale that's so full of loss & misery. The trick is that her characters are alive, with depth of personality. The villains are irredeemably wicked so that the reader is frustrated with impotence at not being able to getin there & sort them out, give them what they deserve. But the heroes are far from perfect: they have foibles & faults that we can all relate to & forgive, their intentions are good but they make mistakes, misunderstand situations, get their priorities wrong, go off on ego trips - just as most of us wouldin their situation. Their mistakes often have dire consequences & they have to pay dearly when that happens. Fitz is young & impulsive & he sometimes rails against the constraints his elders place upon him. His rebellious spirit makes it difficult for his mentors & allies to plot a straight course through the political mire. Where there was a single path that led to possible disaster, there are now multiple possibilities. As The Fool foresaw, Fitz generates alternatives.
The charactersin this trilogy have invaded my sleep,in more ways than one. The books keep me awake far into the early hours, reading when I should be sleeping & then, when I do eventually turn out the light, the world of the Farseers sidles into my dreams. Stories don't get much more real & powerful than that. I recommend these books to anyone who enjoys fantasy - but with one proviso: don't expect a happy ending.
Faster than my legs could carry me! - By: IJ, 03 May 2005 Firstly...I am not going to give away one single shred of the story or indeed character developments that continue into this, the gripping second bookin the Farseer Trilogy, because I have no doubt that would make me the most hated follower of this magnificent series.
When I came to the end of this book I ran (and I mean RAN) to my local bookstore to lay my hands on the final instalment of the story of Fitz, the Fool, Molly, Chade, Verity & each & every one of the many more characters brilliantly brought to life by Hobb. I ran not only because it was 4.40pm, the bookstore would be closing & I wasin imminent danger of waiting days, or maybe even weeks to discover all that would followin this utterly engaging character driven & magical, fantasy, adventure drama, but also because even minutes being leftin the dark after the cliff-hanger that brings to a close 'Royal Assassin' seemed like a fate worse than death.
So, whatever you do, don't buy 'Royal Assassin' without also purchasing 'Assassin's Quest', or at least having a darn good contingency plan should you find yourself at the end of this book without the conclusion to the trilogy...you've been warned! I only wish I was being clever & exaggerating, but it's the absolute truth- the finale is breath-taking, so ignore my advice at your peril dear readers!!
An excellent series, well continued. - By: Ian Tapley, 02 Nov 2004 THE STORY:
Having barely survived Prince Regal's attempt to kill him, Fitz returns to Buckkeep weakened & with a new positionin castle's society. He becomes the apprentice & aide to Prince Verity & must attempt to match wits with Regal whilst ensuring the safety of this he cares about; Burrich, Patience, Verity, Kettricken, Shrewd & the love of his life, a passionate girl named Molly.
WHAT'S GOOD:
Where 'Assassin's Apprentice' asked questions we all ask (Who am I? What is my placein this world?), this book deals with a different element of all our lives; the coming of age. Throughout this book we see Fitz grow from being a mere boy into a man of responsibilty, intelligence & influence. As far as I know, never before has a fantasy author been able to so completely immerse the readerin a character as Hobb emerses usin Fitz, we feel his pain, triumph & frustration as keenly as if they were our own. I cannot recommend this series strongly enough for anyone who wants a change to the 'quest' style of fantasy novel.
WHAT'S BAD:
Two things. Firstly, Regal is a bit too much of a cliched scheming villain, which detracts from the emotional impact of his sadistic plots somewhat. Secondly, this book is just way too depressing! You'll find yourself being unreasonably tense whenever Fitz has a fight with Molly or when a clever plot is foiled by Regal's agents. You'll just wish,in vain, that Fitz will throw caution to the wind & make a stand.
