Robin Hobb

The second volume in Robin Hobb's internationally bestselling Farseer series.

Royal Assassin

In the fantasy land of the Six Duchies, a king's illegitimate grandson is appointed official royal assassin, his job to protect the throne and its descendants from usurpers. The novel describes his adventures in battle, magic and love.

Farseer Trilogy 2

It's alright Fitz there's only 55 pages left I'm sure you'll be fine

Jasper

I woke up sometime. Of all the cruel jests fate had recently played on me, I decided that awakening was the cruelest.

so much better than the first. I had a feeling the story would be worth it and was not disappointed. 

Delaney Vorwick

So good!! Still getting used to it being so character driven! Much faster paced than the first book.

Aims

if a book can make me feel 100 different emotions I’m going to rate it highly. i really had no expectations going into this book but i ended up loving it especially the last 30%. I really enjoyed the writing, the storyline & the characters more than the first book. I can’t wait to see how this trilogy ends! 

millie

4.5 ⭐️

if a book can make me feel 100 different emotions I’m going to rate it highly. i really had no expectations going into this book but i ended up loving it especially the last 30%. I really enjoyed the writing, the storyline & the characters more than the first book. I can’t wait to see how this trilogy ends! 

ploral

4.5/5 

• Very character focused, which I loved. 
• The romance is a bit meh but can be ignored. 
• Slow paced, which I loved as well. It is a bit dragging at times but is worth it. 
• Love all the relationships Fitz has with the side characters. Hobb did a wonderful job of exploring them. 
• Emotionally draining as the author puts our beloved Fitz through hell and back with no mercy. 
• I really enjoy how loyal Fitz is to his king and verity and love him as a protagonist in general. 
• Nighteyes and Fool have to be my favourite side characters. I enjoyed their scenes a lot. 
• Lastly, I love the world. 

Can't wait to read the last book and find out how it all ends.

Hanna Rybchynska

Vicky  Nuñez 

I have a new favorite writer. That's it. 

Robin Hobb has managed to create a more enriched world in two books than most writers. If the series ended here I would feel content that I had read a great series, but it thrill me to know there is more.

Whereas Assassin's Apprentice was more of a coming of age, in Royal Assassin we see a more mature Fitz. In here he's more of an adult, making grownup decisions and having to live with them. Sometimes they are not the best decisions, but he's trying to save himself and his loved ones.

I can see this series will crush me before it ends. This is a slow-paced series, by an author who does not think twice before making her characters suffer, so if you want to feel emotionally invested to characters that will undoubtedly agonize till their deathbeds, look no further, the Farseer trilogy is for you.

akynn 

Deepika Ramesh

"There is a place where all time is now, and the choices are simple and always your own. Wolves have no kings."

I hated Fitz. I still don't like him much. But his unwavering loyalty makes me cry. So is his friendship with Chade, Burrich, Kettricken, and even the Fool. Although the trilogy is adequately peopled with characters whom I want to remember forever, I am in love with Nighteyes, the pawed-beauty. When I die, find me in his mind, for I would be ensconced in his soul. Love. Love.

I really enjoyed this read! I was trying to guess where the story was going, but couldn't and what I thought I knew about the characters was all wrong. 

I really like how there are no "superior" good characters that always save the day. Fitz is really just some guy failing every step of the way because of his inexperience and naivety of the world. 

Anne Marit

I really enjoyed this read! I was trying to guess where the story was going, but couldn't and what I thought I knew about the characters was all wrong. 

I really like how there are no "superior" good characters that always save the day. Fitz is really just some guy failing every step of the way because of his inexperience and naivety of the world. 

Very well written, although slightly underwhelming for my taste. There was a great amount of character development although I feel that more intense action would have been welcome. Similar to game of thrones except without the gore and sin…

Anna

fiona

Shape Mismatch

A gripping, grimy, passionate and sad fairytale that had me on the edge of my seat throughout. I got no work done, I missed my bus stops, and a dinner on the day I read this book. 

I call this is a fairytale because amid all the plotting and courting, and poisons and machinations, this is a story of a child's coming of age. Of playing a hand when the deck's stacked against you. And this is very skillfully conveyed by the author. Few books have engrossed me, rather engulfed me in their embrace like it did. 

Every character is enjoyable, albeit far too set in his/her/its ways to ever break out and surprise us. As a result, it reads like an elaborate game of chess, with varying boards, and numerous small battles, all leading towards an enthralling conclusion. My only complain with the book stems from this very fact. 

The events are all too traditional. Although written to convey an unparalleled sense of surrealism, the fact remains that once you manage to backtrack and sift through whatever happened, you realize that every character behaved in its set ways rarely stepping out of what is expected of him/her/it. The only thrill derives from the sudden appearance of the hidden set pieces, or to the depths of which the "bad" ones fall. Honestly, its not that big a deal, and most likely would not stop you from having a very enjoyable read. It is what it is.

Note to self: do not review a book RIGHT after you've read it.

James Winduss

** spoiler alert **
           This was a lot. I wouldn’t say that I enjoyed it… At times I was wanting to either rip my hair out or throw my book across the room in frustration, but if that’s not a sign of good story telling I don’t know what is. The Fool will always and forever be my favourite character I think. I want to like Fitz as much as The Fool, but I can’t. He refuses to believe himself able and deserving and it drives me mental. 

I have to say, Regal surprised me. Credit where credit is due because the use of Rosemary as a way to gather information was completely unexpected. I knew the coterie and himself were interfering with Verity and Fitz but I did not expect that, or their attachment to Shrewd’s Skill. That being said, he’s still horrible and I truly hope he dies in the next book *fingers crossed*

I would say this is a solid 4/5. I liked many aspects of this book, but the Molly/Fitz ‘relationship’ and Fitz’s total lack of confidence for the better part of the book honestly took away from my overall enjoyment.

Rachel Kanyid

Gosh I had forgotten just how amazing these books are.

Till about ~70% the book was meh. The characters wildly fluctuated in importance. The romance with Molly was suddenly far more important than it had been at the end of Assassin's Apprentice, Hod was apparently now the greatest tactician in all of the Six Duchies but died on her journey with Verity (which merited not a mourning but instead a few words in an important conversation whose importance eclipsed her death), and so many more inconsistencies that overall made the book just very unenjoyable to read. The plot too wasn't something great, at least 

Why then, you ask, have I rated this 4.5/5? Because the last 30% more than made it upto me. I won't reveal a lot, in fear of giving out unwanted spoilers, but just know that it's very much worth it. I don't think that I would've stayed with Royal Assassin if it was not for the (sad) fact that I'm not reading any other book right now. But I'm glad that I did, because the ending really did redeem the rest of the book.

It's not very often that I say that, but for Royal Assassin I really do mean it.

Devansh Patil

Till about ~70% the book was meh. The characters wildly fluctuated in importance. The romance with Molly was suddenly far more important than it had been at the end of Assassin's Apprentice, Hod was apparently now the greatest tactician in all of the Six Duchies but died on her journey with Verity (which merited not a mourning but instead a few words in an important conversation whose importance eclipsed her death), and so many more inconsistencies that overall made the book just very unenjoyable to read. The plot too wasn't something great, at least 

Why then, you ask, have I rated this 4.5/5? Because the last 30% more than made it upto me. I won't reveal a lot, in fear of giving out unwanted spoilers, but just know that it's very much worth it. I don't think that I would've stayed with Royal Assassin if it was not for the (sad) fact that I'm not reading any other book right now. But I'm glad that I did, because the ending really did redeem the rest of the book.

It's not very often that I say that, but for Royal Assassin I really do mean it.

Rachel B

ashley

It is only my second time reading Hobb and already I find myself in admiration and wonder of her writing. This book was bogged down by an excessive page count and extended slowness in many parts of the story, but there were certain chapters that had me on the edge of my seat, whirling with so many different emotions at once that I was both extremely invested in the plot and characters, while also merely being in awe of how Hobb was able to construct a moment so masterfully. And once again, she manages to make me cry out of nowhere right at the end. It was, overall, a wonderful second entry into the Farseer Trilogy that left me with so many different feelings throughout the three months (yes, I know) that it took me to read it. 

But seriously, where was your editor girl?

Haley Murray

Anastasia 

A solid 10....this is unprecedented levels of storytelling

Robin Hobb to me might be the greatest storyteller of her generation. I cannot begin to enumerate the number of times I felt like I was watching a masterpiece unfold ...it's one thing to write literature with so little imagination and it's another thing to tell a story so vivid you could actually picture it in your mind as though it was already adapted to television 

Robin Hobb's imagination is the latter...her character work is OUTSTANDING and I dare say it might be top 5 ever. She's so adept at writing her characters in the most profound way I haven't experienced since GRRM and Rothfuss.

PLOT : finishing book 1 ahead of this I genuinely didn't know what to expect but I knew it was going to take a toll on my emotions which it absolutely did, Fitzchivalry's story continues to impress in every way, the constant turmoil for the battle of duty Vs love is something I never get tired of in literature and Robin continues to expand on this theme incredibly well 

Her dialogue is carefully crafted in a way each sentence kind of hurts you but it leaves you wanted more, her writing is so beautiful you almost get lost in the pages ... I thoroughly enjoyed this 

The farseer trilogy is shaping up to me one of the best reading experiences of my life

Marisa Petri

Incredible prose, story, character developments, a tale of treason, loyalty and twisted fates.

Dave Perkins

So freaking good. Builds brilliantly and slowly from the first book. Gut wrenching.

Abdul H

Livia

had this book had less... molly thought and more of my other fave characters, this book would be 4.5 or 5 stars but nevertheless WHAT IS THAT ENDING MY GOODNESS

This one is so much better than the previous one. It was just a bit lower than a five star.

I absolutely love Hobb's writing and the story is getting really interesting. I'm finally getting attached to these characters and their stories. 

Can't wait to finish the first trilogy.

Royal Assassin

Reviews

Highlights