Robin Hobb

Raised by a stableman and trained in the arts of the assassin, bastard nobleman's son Fitz realizes his magical skills and finds a first test of manhood in a band of raiders and a group of murderous nobles. Reprint. K.

Assassin's Apprentice

Assassin's Apprentice (The Farseer Trilogy)

Alina

Crazy. I couldn't pull myself away. I grew so attached to the protagonist I spbbed for him a third of the way through. Ugh. I'm so, so in love with this book I'm scared to read the sequel for fear of not loving it as much.

alice

A bastard prince relegated to cleaning stables is chosen by a king to become an assassin. The novel follows the training and missions of this man who has inherited magical skills, among them mind-control and the ability to communicate with animals.

Hanna Rybchynska

Wow!
Estamos aqui num mundo de fantasia em que a mágia é um dom raro e apenas corre no sangue da realeza. Fitz - o filho bastardo, acaba por parar à corte e, para não ser um desperdício total (pois, não apresenta afinidades desenvolvidas de um nobre) acaba por ser ensinado a ser um assassino do rei. No entanto o povo não está contente, nem com o futuro rei nem com as misteriosos Barcos Vermelhos que andam a envadir a costa do Reino de Seis Ducados.
É uma aventura intrigante e entusiasmante! A Hobb tem imenso jeito para a criação de um mundo mágico super realista. Gostei muito das personagens, da sua profundidade e dos seus morais e crenças.
Recomendo para quem gosta de Senhor dos Anéis ou Guerra dos Tronos!

Luke Harkness

Absolutely loved this. Can see why it's one of the top-rated fantasy books/series of all time!

Read my full review on www.lukeharkness.com

As Fitz, an outcast and the bastard son of Prince Chivalry, grows to manhood, a legacy of magical skill and other mysterious talents propels him into the role of protector of the kingdom, if his initial perilous mission does not destroy him first.

Sunny

oh my God it takes a lot for a book to make me cry but oh my God

Vicky  Nuñez 

A friend of mine compared this whole world to Harry Potter. She said it was the only fantasy series she loved as dearly. 
This is a very thoughtful and very clearly an introduction into this great series. I enjoyed it a lot and look forward to the rest.

akynn 

try as many old fantasy books as possible

 project and I was ready to DNF it at the slightest sign that it wouldn't work for me. Surprisingly, it did.

What makes this book shine is the emotional depth. Fitz, our main character, raised in the shadows as a royal bastard, you can't help but root for him as he navigates the treacherous waters of court politics and assassination plots. His relationships with characters like Burrich, Chade, and the enigmatic Fool are so rich and layered. Hobb does an amazing job making you feel every triumph and heartbreak Fitz goes through and boy does he have a tough life. 

It's not a perfect book by any means. The pacing is so slow for most of the part that sometimes you think the story is going nowhere, especially in the middle when Fitz is going through his training. And some readers might find the old-school writing style a tad dense. But trust me, stick with it, because the payoff is totally worth it.

Souhaila

I started Assassin's Apprentice as part of my try as many old fantasy books as possible project and I was ready to DNF it at the slightest sign that it wouldn't work for me. Surprisingly, it did.

What makes this book shine is the emotional depth. Fitz, our main character, raised in the shadows as a royal bastard, you can't help but root for him as he navigates the treacherous waters of court politics and assassination plots. His relationships with characters like Burrich, Chade, and the enigmatic Fool are so rich and layered. Hobb does an amazing job making you feel every triumph and heartbreak Fitz goes through and boy does he have a tough life. 

It's not a perfect book by any means. The pacing is so slow for most of the part that sometimes you think the story is going nowhere, especially in the middle when Fitz is going through his training. And some readers might find the old-school writing style a tad dense. But trust me, stick with it, because the payoff is totally worth it.

Zahra

A solid first book to the trilogy. I loved reading how Fitz grow up and his journey to adolescent. This one was strong in characterization, which was awesome. Plus there was minimal blood and no excessive gory stuff! The killings were mostly done with the help of poison.

Cody Degen

George

“Utter loneliness was planted in me then, and sent its deep roots down into me.”

 yeah man, this was way better than I had expected going in. My first Hobb book and I wasn't disappointed, looking forward to reading the rest of this series. A little hard to get into at first but as I read more it definitely got better and the magic system was also really fun

A little slow in the beginning, but really picks up into quite an adventure. I really enjoyed this universe and it set me off on reading the next books in this series. 

I love how this book sets up Fitz as a typical hero, but in reality he is show to be a flawed character who is destined to succeed at the cost of his own happiness and health. When I think "Ohh! This is where the book is going" I am aways wrong, and I love it.

Anne Marit

A little slow in the beginning, but really picks up into quite an adventure. I really enjoyed this universe and it set me off on reading the next books in this series. 

I love how this book sets up Fitz as a typical hero, but in reality he is show to be a flawed character who is destined to succeed at the cost of his own happiness and health. When I think "Ohh! This is where the book is going" I am aways wrong, and I love it.

fiona

i have never, ever felt so emotionally connected to a main character. some people might dislike this book because it's slow but that's why I liked it so much. it felt like I was growing up with fitz and therefore connected with him much better. the ending was great.

Shape Mismatch

While the magical system/universe here is not unique, neither is the as-i-grow-up narrative of the protagonist (Rothfuss's The Name of the Wind), this book did catch my interest. It mixes politics, emotions, and aristocracy in correct proportions. 

What Jessica Jones is for superheroes, this book is for high fantasy.

Very well written with some amazing character profiles! Is a very in depth and detailed story that I can already tell will continue to build. Is one of those series everyone should read at least once :)

Anna

Derek

This series is a combination of every style of prose i adore - introspective, first-person, verbose, and poetic - all in a fantasy setting. I'm in love with it, despite it also being a hard read due to the harsh conditions the main character has to survive in.

Krystyna 

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I knew that this was a trilogy and that other series were connected to this one. However, I did not know that the Realm of the Elderlings consisted of 16 books. I'm not even upset about it. I really enjoyed this story and I love Fitz! I also really loved Burrich. 

This story starts out as a slow burn, which is expected for world building and such of a high, epic fantasy. I really loved getting to know about Fitz's childhood and his development as a character. Fitz is a fantastic character and I really got attached to him by the end of the book and wanted to know what was next. I also enjoyed the world that Robin Hobb created. I enjoyed Fitz's connection to animals, being an animal lover myself. I enjoyed the political intrigue of the kingdom and the whole assassin aspect. I didn't fly through this book; I wanted to take my time with it and pay attention to as much detail as possible. That could have been because of the writing style; it was a little different than what I was used to but it didn't take long to adapt to it. Once I adjusted to Robin Hobb's writing style I was hooked; I really love her writing, especially for fantasy. This story was definitely more character driven than plot driven, which, ironically, I still enjoyed. I didn't mind the slower pace/plot of the book because I loved the world and the characters. I was very pleased with this story but I can see how it was building up for the rest of the story in the later books. 

It was a great fantasy book to read. This was such a great introductory book to this series and this world. I am so glad that I picked this up and I definitely plan on continuing with the rest of Robin Hobb's work. I already bought the Rain Wilds series but I have a little while before I get to those. I will be buying all of her books. She is a new favorite fantasy author of mine, for sure.

Wynter

This is what Patrick Rothfuss's Name of the Wind was supposed to be. Alas he failed, Robin Hobb succeeded. Of course you can see the bad guy from a mile away, BUT oh the twisty plot renders that flaw obsolete.

Michael Springer

This is one of the best fantasy novels I've read. The problem with a lot of fantasy is a lack of multifaceted characters; the protagonist of this series is quite complex, and goes through many transitions in this first volume. 

For anyone interested in the fantasy genre, I'd recommend this.

In hardcover for the first time ever! A gorgeously illustrated anniversary edition of the book that launched the epic Farseer Trilogy, praised by George R. R. Martin as "fantasy as it ought to be written," featuring a new foreword by Robin Hobb and ten full-color illustrations. Twenty-five years ago, Robin Hobb's first novel featuring FitzChivalry Farseer and his mysterious, often maddening friend the Fool struck like a bolt of brilliant lightning. Thus began a beloved saga spanning multiple series, full of adventure, magic, and sinister plots. To celebrate a quarter-century of wonder, this special edition of Assassin's Apprentice presents a modern classic as it's never been seen before: in hardcover, with ten beautiful full-color illustrations by Magali Villeneuve. Young Fitz is the bastard son of the noble Prince Chivalry, raised in the shadow of the royal court by his father's gruff stableman. He is treated as an outcast by all the royalty except the devious King Shrewd, who has him secretly tutored in the arts of the assassin. For in Fitz's blood runs the magic Skill--and the darker knowledge of a child raised with the stable hounds and rejected by his family. As barbarous raiders ravage the coasts, Fitz is growing to manhood. Soon he will face his first dangerous, soul-shattering mission. And though some regard him as a threat to the throne, he may just be the key to the survival of the kingdom. Praise for Robin Hobb and Assassin's Apprentice "Fantasy as it ought to be written . . . Robin Hobb's books are diamonds in a sea of zircons."--George R. R. Martin "A gleaming debut in the crowded field of epic fantasies . . . a delightful take on the powers and politics behind the throne."--Publishers Weekly "This is the kind of book you fall into, and start reading slower as you get to the end, because you don't want it to be over."--Steven Brust

Apiecalypse Jen

Simon Lund Larsen

I stopped reading at about page 150. I cannot for the life of me understand why this book has such high ratings.

Prashanth Srivatsa

Hello, 2016!

What begins slowly but meticulously, is quick to spiral out of contemporary fantasy, mixing court and kingdom politics with a potential zombie apocalypse. Hobb's characters are often defined by their names, but the uncertainty in their actions make the plot move towards a thrilling climax. Bastards have rarely been this fascinating.

James Winduss

** spoiler alert **
           For the first few chapters I was not sure if I was going to enjoy this novel. It felt slow, I didn’t like many of the characters and I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to continue it, but as the chapters went on a began to enjoy it more and more. For every character I loved (Fool, Chade, Patience), there was another I hated (Galen and Regal) so I have to give the author credit for their character work. I have not read many fantasy novels, especially not many written in this manner, and I have to say I am really looking forward to continuing this trilogy and more. A solid 4.5, rounded down to 4!

Sade A

where to start? i feel like this book is going to be up there as one of my fave series. so first thing first i have to say it started off slow  
was practically dying for anything to happen that didn't involve Fitz describing Buckeep in detail. but enter Chade and everything became 
Without giving too much a way, pick up this book and read it..its a bit slow in the beginning but it gets infinitely better.

Rachel Kanyid

ugggh, I am so in love with Robin Hobb's world building, story telling, etc. This world is by far one of my favorite fantasy worlds!

Assassin's Apprentice

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