Anthony's Review: 'Assassin’s Apprentice' by Robin Hobb

Set in a fantasy land in which members of the royal family are named for the virtues they embody. The main character is Fitz. He is the bastard son of Prince Chivalry, the king-in-waiting. King Shrewd makes Fitz his king’s man and orders him to be trained as an Assassin while he grows up amongst the Royal Household at Buckkeep.

Robin Hobb is one of my favourite fantasy writers. The first-person narrative voice of the protagonist, Fitz, is written with such emotion, warmth and great character depth. You feel his loneliness and the prejudges he faces from being royal bastard. His flawed character brings even more complexity to the story. The other characters that either aid or hinder our protagonist’s story are perfectly done and fit nicely in it. There is magic in the world which is all about connection too and fits perfectly through the world and storyline. The interludes of aspects about the world and its history that the story has been set in and related to the following chapters helps build a convincing world and adds strength the narrative voice. If you want a fantasy story to start with then you are in safe hands with Robin Hobb. This is the first of the Farseer trilogy and the stories get better from here. Brilliant fantasy writer and a strong voice. I highly recommend it.