Assassin's Apprentice (Farseer Trilogy, #1) in 2017 Reading Challenge

Dec 17, 2022 susan rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

So, I entered the Realm of the Elderlings series knowing only that:
- It’s about a prince’s bastard who is trained by the royal family to be an assassin
- It ended recently with like, 16 books
- Everybody who loves these, LOVES these

And guess what? I LOVED this too.

I had actually read Robin Hobb before this, in a short story set in the same Six Duchies universe, Blue Boots, and was so impressed with how vividly she drew the world of a kitchen girl that I knew I had to read more from her one day.

H So, I entered the Realm of the Elderlings series knowing only that:
- It’s about a prince’s bastard who is trained by the royal family to be an assassin
- It ended recently with like, 16 books
- Everybody who loves these, LOVES these

And guess what? I LOVED this too.

I had actually read Robin Hobb before this, in a short story set in the same Six Duchies universe, Blue Boots, and was so impressed with how vividly she drew the world of a kitchen girl that I knew I had to read more from her one day.

High fantasy like this is my ultimate comfort reading – imagine my delight when it had a courtly intrigue focus, rather than boys’ own adventure. And not only that, it’s character driven and relationship focused, and fully explored all the messy, heartwrenching, wonderful relationships that Fitz builds.

First off, I honestly thought this would be lighter and – not YA, but appropriate for fantasy obsessed teenagers of the 90s to read as well. I really expected it to be a better version of Magician lol. It had all the same trappings – parentless, misfit child finds his place as an apprentice for the court’s highly niche master, goes on fantasy adventure. But no, it’s actually a lot darker in its depiction of Fitz as an outcast in a noble house, showing in great detail how his status affects his life, upbringing, and place in the world.

The world itself is more low fantasy than I expected, much more grounded and well-realised than a lot of other 90s fantasy I’ve read. Gone are the Kingdoms of Dwarves and Woodland Elves, or the broad one-to-one ethnic equivalent Foreign Kingdoms – we actually have logical geographic considerations, like a history of sea-faring raiders turning to agriculture. But where we do have magic, it’s honestly, excellently chilling and appropriately mysterious. The older I’ve gotten the more I bounce off the highly complicated Rulebook Fantasy that got more popular in the 2000’s and prefer this, where the Gods and the Fae are fleetingly understood. I’ve never read anything so despairing like the Forged.

I’ve bounced off other fantasy books because it didn’t prioritise exploring characters’ relationships – especially prickly family dynamics, especially in highly stratified speculative societies, with all the concerns of propriety and status. I’m so used to writers prioritising plot and worldbuilding that they would ignore the character development and drama potential of a character like Patience – the wife of the bastard’s father, who struggled with fertility and was the one who compelled her husband to denounce the bastard. But Hobb didn’t, and not only that, but wrote her to be an independent, unique character with complexity, melancholy and warmth in her relationship with Fitz. That was when I knew I was in for something good with this series.

Unfortunately I’m writing this having already finished the second book, trying to recall my impressions from December perfectly, but it still stands – I can’t wait to see where this series goes.
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Nov 03, 2020 Esther rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

In times where you feel like real life became the plot of a dystopian novel - thanks 2020 - I turn to fantasy.
This book offered a good escape from the pandemic-filled reality and more than that, it introduced me to an entirely new world. A world not as cruel as ASOIAF, but definitely not shying away from deceit, death and violence.

This book sets you up for multiple trilogies and I'm down for that, because it feels like a worthy investment of your time when the world-building is not just a one- In times where you feel like real life became the plot of a dystopian novel - thanks 2020 - I turn to fantasy.
This book offered a good escape from the pandemic-filled reality and more than that, it introduced me to an entirely new world. A world not as cruel as ASOIAF, but definitely not shying away from deceit, death and violence.

This book sets you up for multiple trilogies and I'm down for that, because it feels like a worthy investment of your time when the world-building is not just a one-novel only thing. It allows the writer time to create a multifaceted and complex world and to uncover bits and pieces along the way without having to hurry and dump a bunch of info on the reader all at once. Even so, first books are always a little tricky since they do often feature that huge info dump, but Hobb really eases her readers into the world-building- at least in my humble opinion.
I enjoyed the slow burn of this novel. Though a lot happens, it never feels rushed and there's a lot of slow build-up. I can see how that's not the case for every reader, but I certainly enjoyed it in this case.

I loved Hobb's writing style and her descriptions. The way she writes about Burrich's quarters, the stables, Chade's room, etc. is so vivid that you can almost feel it. I was especially mesmerised by the descriptions of Jhaampe. Oh lord, those gardens, colourful "tulip-like" buildings, their structure, the bathing house... I was there and saw it all with my own eyes. I could see it, smell it, hear it. This was true for the entire novel, but especially for the Mountain Kingdom chapters.

Also: let's applaud a fantasy writer that does away with patriarchy and has an heir be an heir regardless of their gender? Thanks. Long live the Queen!

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I am eager to start reading the next instalment (in fact, I already have) and hope to get answers to many of the questions I have. (I am especially hoping to find out more about the Wit. Who else has these powers? Where does Fitz get his powers from?) Lastly, I'm just curious to see this world continue to unfold and to explore its mysteries.

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