Royal Assassin (The Farseer Trilogy #2)

Robin Hobbs Assassin Apprentice was one of the best books Ive ever read seriously, I cant think of a single novel that hit on so many of the themes and tropes that I personally enjoy and favourand I read a decent amount. So, after giving myself a little time to digest and appreciate the first book, I eagerly started the second, hoping for the same satisfying experience as the first. Royal Assassin is a good second book, probably one of the most successful Ive encountered in this role, but Id be lying if I said that I liked it as much as the first novel. Spoilers follow.

He may have survived the attempt on his (and Prince Veritys) life in the Mountain Kingdom, but Fitz isnt out of the fire yet. Now back in Buckkeep, hes finding that much has changed, and most of it isnt for the better. Regal has received little more than a slap on the wrist for attempted fratricide, and thats only fueled his desire for power even further. King Shrewd is unwell, stricken down by an unknown ailment that leaves him weak and in pain, comforted only by medicine and smoke, leaving him unable to rule as he once did. Within the Keep, theres trouble brewingand if that wasnt enough, the Red Ship Raiders continue to harry the kingdoms shores, leaving Forged civilians in their wake. With no other choice, Prince Verity embarks on a dangerous quest to the mountains to seek the aid of the Elderlings, a mythical people that helped the Farseers once in the past. Theres faint hope for the kingdom, but with the heir to the throne gone, Buckkeep and everyone within it is left at Regals mercy, and with Regal dreaming of sitting on the throne, no one is safe, least of all Fitz.

The role of middle book in a trilogy is a difficult one, and Ive seen plenty of second installments fall flat on their faces trying to achieve what it takes to be a good middle book. Royal Assassin isnt one of those novels. This is the sort of the book that perfectly blends the ongoing conflict that we learned of in the first book (the Red Ship Raiders) and new conflicts (deadly deception within Buckkeep) into a smooth story that keeps you turning pages. While the first book took time to establish the external threat facing the Six Duchies, more time is spent in Buckkeep in this installation, introducing us to new, possibly more deadly developments at home. The plot is intriguing, pulling on threads introduced in the first book to create a potentially disastrous series of developments for Fitz and his friends, and the questions are never ending. The Farseer family and, indeed, the world that Robin Hobb has created is further developed in these danger-at-home sort of conflicts, giving us more insight into Fitzs life and the larger implications of what hes involved in and his struggles with what it means to be a Kings Man. In short, this is the perfect second book: it deftly calls on the ideas from the first novel while also introducing plenty of new ones to keep us interested and reading, making us invested in this as its own story and not just the space that needs to be occupied between books one and three (as so many middle books end up being).

Much like Assassins Apprentice, this novel is a slow burn in the absolute best way. Hobb takes a lot of time to properly flesh out her characters, their relationships, and the intrigue thats simmering away in the Keep. Theres a lot of excitement to be had, but much of it tends to be of the more low-key varietyat least until Hobb is ready to spring what shes been concocting, then things get downright heart racing. Again, much of this novel takes place at Buckkeep, so the focus is more on plans coming to fruition for the various factions that call the Keep home. It takes a little work to get there, but I promise that the payoff is worth it. This is a setting that is rich in development, and that sort of development takes time. If you want a novel thats nonstop action, this isnt your series, but if you want carefully crafted characters in a setting that comes alive and plots that are slowly brewed throughout hundreds of pages, then settle in and get ready for a good ride.

I especially love that Hobb doesnt rely on gotcha! moments. You know, those twists that authors seem to pull out of nowhere just so they can snicker at their readers confusion and insist they pulled one over on themyeah, Hobb doesnt do that. There are some amazing turns and reveals whats really wrong with King Shrewd, what is Regals plan, how much does he know and how does he get his information, who is on his side, the discontent amongst the coastal barons, just to give a few examples and while theyre certainly shocking, theyre all wonderfully foreshadowed, the pieces carefully laid into place long before their reveal. If youre paying attention (because Fitz makes note of things even if he doesnt always recognize their significance), you might pick up on whats going onand even if you dont immediately put the pieces together, when the big moment comes, everything falls into place. This is a story crafted with care and detail, rife with twists and turns of the most rewarding variety. Im eager to see what in this novel will end up playing a bigger part in something in the next.

I also cant move on from plot without touching on the ending. Its, well, probably the most difficult 50 pages or so that Ive read. Fitz, through a series of poor choices and unfortunate events, ends up getting himself imprisoned by Prince Regal. Now, to be honest, I sort of foresaw that something like this would happen theres the vague sense that everything happening throughout the novel is spiraling down in a way that cant spell good things for Fitz. And since Regal is Regal and has never had any love for his bastard nephew, he has no qualms with putting Fitz through the wringer to get the confession out of him that he wants (Fitzs use of the Wit) so he can condemn Fitz to a gruesome death. Its a profoundly hopeless situation thats so well written that I found myself wanting to shed frustrated, angry tears at Fitzs predicament. And worse? Theres no eleventh-hour miracle that rescues Fitz, no cavalry of friends to burst in and save the dayhe just dies (sort of). Its so counter to what we expect from fantasy novels that its pretty painful to endure. Fitz doesnt meet his end in battle or in an impressive mental skirmish via the Skill, hes just tortured to death. Itswow. I finished this book over a month ago now, and its still stuck with me. Theres a great twist at the end that makes it a little better, but its a rough ride even with that. So, hats off to Robin Hobb for actually leaving me feeling unsettled, a feat that few authors (or, indeed, people in my real life) have accomplished.

Now, my praise of the story and ending aside, I must confess that there was a point where I was sure that this would be a three or even a two-star read. Remember when I said that Royal Assassin is a little slow? This works very well in terms of character and intrigue development, but in this book at least, it creates a pacing problem that didnt exist in the previous installment. The first 10% of the novel is great, picking up where the first left off and setting up the conflicts that will define the story; the last 30% is amazing, Fitzs frustrating predicament and all, an impactful coming together of everything thats been brewing in the back and foreground; the middle 60%, however, is a bit of a slog. Theres still just enough happening to keep you reading, but its padded out by a lot of fluff, mostly Fitz running around doing day to day sorts of things for months. Im ok with a slow burn story, but I can only deal with droning routine for so long before I want to put the book down. And a lot of the problems in this bloated middle portion boiled down to one thing

The romance. Its bad. Like, really bad, and had the rest of the story and characters not been so well done, it would have easily ruined the book. When Fitz returns to Buckkeep from the mountains, he soon learns that Molly is now in the employ of Lady Patience, which puts her in the Keep. It isnt long before theyre romantically involved, complete with uncountable late-night liaisons and promises from Fitz to marry her. I dont like romance in general, but in my review for the previous novel, Id expressed optimism that Molly would be an interesting love interest because she didnt seem to fit into any of the normal tropes for female characters. My God, was I wrong. Molly is the whiniest, most demanding love interest with the least personality Ive ever seen beyond complaining and has no chemistry with Fitz. And I read Young Adult fiction when Im not reading fantasy, so thats saying a lot. Despite Fitz having been up front with her about what it means for him to be a Kings Man, every time she appears, shes reaming him for not spending enough time with her, for compartmentalizing her in his life, for not putting her first, for not giving her a life outside of being a servantit gets old fast. It got to the point that I started skimming each new page for Mollys name (shes in far too many of them) so Id know if I was in for more of her whining, and thats just not a very enjoyable way to read.

Additionally, I couldnt quite figure out why Fitz sees Molly as the be all end all relationship. Like I said earlier, they have zero chemistry. In fact, the only thing they have in common is their childhood friendship, which simply isnt enough to create the strong bond that they seem to want from one another. In this book, all they do is make love and fight about Fitzs obligations to King Shrewdand yet Fitz holds firm that shes the one for him. At first, I was willing to chalk this up to their young ages, but Fitz is so insistent that Molly is his one and only that I dont think this is simple teenage puppy love I think Hobb genuinely wants us to believe that this is a pure, perfect relationship. Its odd, really: Hobb is so skilled in writing characters and relationships between characters, yet this romance is one of the absolute worst that Ive read (surpassed possibly only by Kylar and Elene of The Night Angel Trilogy). At least Molly had the decency to leave before the book ended, but I cant shake the sinking suspicion that she only left because she was pregnant.

It also took entirely too long for Fitz to realize that he was at risk of producing an illegitimate child of his own. As hes facing the undesirable struggle of that position himself, I found it difficult to believe that it didnt cross his mind until someone else pointed it out to him.

Fitz still remains the tragic hero that youll either love or hate. I still like him quite a bit since I find his internal turmoil and insecurity to be refreshingly realistic, though I have to say that its a little harder to feel sorry for him in Royal Assassin. In the first novel, he was getting his footing as an illegitimate child and a Kings Man; now, he has a better idea of what is expected of him and what he needs to look out for, so his mistakes arent quite as forgivable. He tends to get himself into trouble, act on impulse, and overlook things due to narrowmindedness, but, honestly, thats one of the things I like about him. Fitz is a very flawed, relatable character that has to rely on himself and work within the confines of his position to create the best life he can. His self-lamentations and second-guessing could get tiresome, I suppose, but I find it realistic given his situation. The noose is tightening around his neck and his survival is dependent on his wits and ability to adapt, and he certainly tries to varying success. I like the Hobb allows him to display selfishness and make mistakes with severe consequences; a flawed protagonist is simply more enjoyable than one who can do everything.

The real treat with Fitz in this book is his relationship with Nighteyes, a wolf pup that he rescues from an abusive merchant early in the novel and then nurtures into adulthood. This is where Fitzs ability with the Wit really shines. We saw glimpses of it in the previous book, but now we get to witness what the Wit is really about. Theyre a great pair, even with their misunderstandings (Nighteyes doesnt worry about things that arent in the here and now and sees Fitzs focus on obligation to be senseless), more like brothers than anything else. Their bond is nurtured with care and we get to see it grow from distrust to a close connection that pulls Fitz through his toughest trials.

Many of the characters from the first novel make an appearance here: Burrich, Chade, Lady Patience, Hands, Verity, and many of the other palace staff, though many are absent from long portions, either because theyre working on other business or are out of Buckkeep on the mission to the mountains. I personally enjoyed the growth of Kettricken, Veritys new Queen. Her struggles to accept her role as ruler of a foreign land, her naivete and stubbornness to cling her peoples ways giving way (with some guidance from Fitz) to a more level, distinguished decorum (as much a she can, anyway, given how little support she has among the Farseer family) that pulls on her natural headstrong courage. Its a fascinating transformation, one of the things that made that middle slog worth it. The Fool is still around, being his enigmatic self. If Im going to be honest, I disliked him quite a bit in Royal Assassin, since he largely seemed to make Fitzs life more difficult and humiliating. I have no doubt that he has his reasons (and theyll hopefully be explained in the next novel), but there were definitely times where I wished hed been a little less present. That might just be me, though, since he seems to be a fan favourite.

As with the first novel, the relationships between all of the characters (save Fitz and Molly) are beautifully fleshed out and brought to life. Fitz has some strong friends in this group, whether he realises it or not, and his interactions with them are the true beacon of light in this tale. A good plot is one thing, and I can appreciate a solid story, but I read for characters and character interaction, and what Ive read from Hobb so far says that her skill in writing these often-difficult dynamics is top notch. Again, I think its because she gives these things time to develop and doesnt rush the relationships between characters (aside from the romance, which Im going to mention again because it was just so bad). As someone who lives for amazing characters, this novel was almost everything I could ask for.

Some reviewers have expressed discontent with two characters: King Shrewd and Regal. Its immediately obvious from the moment that Fitz returns to Buckkeep that Shrewd isnt his normal self, so I give him a pass on not living up to his namesake because of whats happening to him to leave him in this condition. As for Regal, the general complaint is that hes too obvious as a villainbut I think thats what makes him such a successful protagonist. Yeah, hes over the top, boasts, and tends to flaunt himself to anyone who will listen, but thats exactly what makes him so perfect. The feeling that I got from the other characters is that theyre so used to Regal being petty and elaborate that they just ignore him and write everything off as him just being himself. Fitz knows that Regal is more insidious than he lets onbut then, who listens to Fitz? Regal is one of those antagonists that hides in plain sight and he does it with practiced skill. Hes the guy we love to hate, and I think Hobb characterizes this snake well.

Royal Assassin, contains a good story even if some of the novels problems prevent it from being as good as the first novel. If the romance hadnt been present to bog a huge portion of the middle section down, this would have been a five-star read. Everything to love about Hobb is present: carefully crafted story, amazing characters, a flawed protagonist, relationships that feel real, and a villain thats too good at what he does. And because of that, despite my extreme hatred of the romance and what it did to the novels pacing, I still have to give this book four stars. Theres simply too much quality writing in here to give it anything less.

MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS

This is another of those books where I’ve read the first in the trilogy but didn’t write a proper review for it. This is also one of those series where you really need to read the first one otherwise nothing, and I mean nothing, that comes after will make any sense to you. Now, I do recommend you read Robin Hobb, she has a lovely sense of fantasy and builds very rich worlds. But her books are massive, re: really long. Which, personally, I enjoy. But if you are looking for a quick read, this isn’t it. Read this series when you have the will and desire to sit with something for long stretches of time, that is the only way to do it justice. Read this series when you are in the mood for something that is slower paced up until maybe the half way mark. Again, when you’re in the mood for this kind of story, it’s great! If you aren’t, then it seems boring and a chore to get through. Know that going into the Farseer Trilogy, because I didn’t. The first book left me confused and annoyed that it took so long to get things rolling. This time around, knowing what I was getting into, I liked the second in the series much more. It’s still a slow burn, but either the story was just all that much better or I knew enough of Hobb and her writing style to not judge the story early. Also, if you want a really crazy magic system and hardcore fantasy book, I wouldn’t consider this trilogy to be that. There’s no mistaking the fantasy elements and the magic that is present. But this is not a traditional witches or magicians kind of magic. Nor is it as complicated as Sanderson’s magic systems. All of these are fine! I just want to be sure you all know what you are getting into ahead of time. I’m looking out for you guys!

So first things first, I wasn’t in love with the first of the series which is why it took me so long to get to book two. Things like the Skill and the Wit are explained a bit better here then they were the first time around. The Skill is basically a type of telepathy that lets certain people speak directly to each other over great distances and influence others to do what you want and actually want to do it. I get it now. The Wit is the Skill but for animals and people are afraid of it. Think Bran Stark in GOT and his warg ability. People hate the Wit and those who use it, and Wit users can be put to death. I never understood why it was bad. Despite everyone in the book, literally everyone, saying it’s beast magic and it’s just so, so awful… I never understood why. It seems like a really useful skill. Fitz thinks so too. And perhaps this was Hobb’s way of showing that Fitz is right when it comes to judging the Wit, but because I still don’t understand why everyone hates it, it’s hard to even see the other sides point of view as legitimate.

Anyway, this book takes over pretty much right after the events of the first book with Fitz recovering from his near death experience. The book starts with him weak and hurt and it maintains this theme throughout. Hobb loves hurting Fitz. Pretty much every other chapter this kid was getting abused physically or mentally in some way. Which is ok, I abuse my main characters all the time too, but Fitz doesn’t always improve or learn after his ordeals. Sometimes he does, but not always. And he’s also not the best assassin. Not because he doesn’t know how to be stealthy when he poisons you, but because he just doesn’t kill all that many people outside of the mindless Forged people or in the confines of battle. Fitz occupation is almost inconsequential to the story outside of a few, and I mean few, instances. So if you want a book focused on assassins, I’d be hard to say that this is that story.

But all of this I forgave because I liked hanging out with Fitz in Buckkeep. I liked him finally using the Wit to get a wolf buddy. I wish they had done more with their relationship and less with Molly and Fitz but oh well. Fitz and Molly’s relationship felt very forced at the beginning. There was no courtship, just “we both like each other and then you left but you’re back! Let’s try again?” There was more “courtship” with Fitz and his wolf bonding so I enjoyed that more and didn’t much care when Molly left the story. So if you want a fantasy romance story, this is not that story.

What this story is, is Fitz growing up and turning into his father’s son. More a leader than a troublesome bastard. A man people want to follow. A prince who puts his people first and becomes a real pain in evil Regal’s side. I really liked that Fitz, the troubled boy who wants a life of his own but knows his duty and knows its bigger than him and must always comes first. That conflict was so genuine and real and I loved it. I loved how Regal went full on crazy in this book, not just doing his underhanded deeds in secrecy but kind of full on in the open. What I didn’t like was that only Fitz, Chade, and Kettricken seemed to notice (also, how do you have a name like Kettricken and Molly in the same book? Seems so out of place but oh well). I wanted more people to be on Fitz side rather than Regal but that didn’t happen in this book. Which makes some sense because this is supposed to be the lowest point for Fitz and Verity while he’s off trying to find the Elderlings (which never really get explained as how or why these things are supposed to be the key to stopping the Raiders). But still, when so few people are against Regal right now, it’s just going to make convincing people that Verity is back and the rightful king harder than it needs to be, or harder than I want it to be. Like I said, Fitz gets beat up a lot so I just hoped that something would go his way otherwise I worry he’ll commit suicide!

So this book is hard to give a rating to. I liked it more than the first in the series, but it is still a slow read. I had a better grasp on the magic but things like the Elderlings and how Forging happens is still a mystery. Fitz struggle is delicious but the book ends with him having lost almost everything so he has a lot to make up for in the next book. The writing is excellent and Hobb does a great job of showing how easy it is for someone to lose track of who they are when they Skill into someone else. The romance is unsatisfying and the magic system isn’t really all that magical so if you want that, you won’t get that here. It wasn’t a classically exciting or tense story but I liked it and enjoyed the slow build up so I give it a 3.5 out of 5 stars and I’ll read the final one when I have more time to sit with Robin Hobb’s long ass books!

I picked up the first book of the series because it is listed near the top of all time fantasy. I liked the first one enough to pick up this one. About half way through this book, I was really frustrated at just how stupid this guy could be but I said to myself. He was very idiotic in the first book so at least he is keeping to character in the 2nd. By the time I put down this book, I realized not only is the protagonist an idiot but even the evil arch villain is not much more than one of the “Forged” with his bumbling and pathetic attempts to seize power. Even then, every person in the kingdom manages to play right into his hands. I hate these kinds of books.

Robin Hobb is a new author to me. I also have to say Im not particularly into fantasy books either. I think I got the Farseer trilogy because is was on special offer. I read a lot of books on spec, hoping to hit the jackpot. Well, Fitz is definitely a hero to be reckoned with. commencing his history at six years old, when he is delivered to the Royal court, the illegitimate son of the heir to the throne. His existence causes the much admired married crown prince to abdicate, and he bears the shame of his conception. Fritz walks a thorny path, with little joy. Once I read book 1, I was hooked and have since devoured Fitz and the Fool and The Tawney Man. Fitz suffers from loneliness and trusts no one, but he does fall in love, but thats not allowed either! He is shaped into a tool for the king to wield. Highly recommended.

Sometimes, at the close of a book, you feel almost physically drained. I had forgotten, quite forgotten, exactly how tough this series is: I cant believe I was so young when I read it first (this was a reread). Its harder and more brutal by far than the work of any other author I can remember reading, even more than George R.R. Martin, who is usually referenced as the example par excellence of an author who refuses to wrap his characters in cotton wool. The miraculous thing is that it all just binds you in to the story ever more tightly. There must be few mid-series books with such a raw ending, but at least the closing mood is one of mitigated triumph.

Despite the darker plot-threads that begin to unravel in this instalment, Hobbs solid sense of place and character never fails to delight. The court at Buckkeep becomes an ever more absorbing bustle of plots, secrets and gossip and Fitz rapidly learns that he must be on his guard both within and without. As his relationships with those around him change, to echo the change in himself, he realises that adults are no better at making sense of their lives than he is, with his adolescent torments and confusions. And, enmeshed in the court hierarchy, these adults rarely have as clear and insightful an understanding of events as does Fitz, with his assassins eyes. He continues to follow Chades directions: to aid Verity, protect Kettricken and defend King Shrewd, but this becomes a crushing weight for such young shoulders to bear.

Hobb is extremely good at avoiding the suggestion that Fitz is the protagonist for anyone except her readers. All her characters have their own dreams and hopes and lives and you have a very firm sense that there are all sorts of other interesting stories unfurling at the sides of the novel that we never get to hear about. She drops tantalising hints about Chades past that I dont think are ever fully fleshed out. Fitz moves through a world which is completely self-absorbed and really doesnt take much notice of him; and thats unusual in a genre where the heroes, like Rothfuss’s Kvothe in

The Name of the Wind

, are often extravagant, extrovert mavericks. Most of the people who do notice Fitz end up using him perhaps kindly, perhaps with the best of intentions, perhaps with regret as an instrument in their own plans. Thats even true (perhaps even more true) of the Fool. It all combines to create a stifling sense of claustrophobia, a world in which no one can really be trusted. Even those whom Fitz considers his protectors are willing to take desperate gambles in which he is the pawn that faces sacrifice.

If you can finish this book and not end up staring at the wall, feeling exhausted and wrung-out, then youre stronger than I am. But this is part of the contract this series makes with you. It demands a particularly intense engagement from its readers and in return it sweeps us into one of the most addictive and absorbing fantasy worlds I know.

For the full review, please see my blog

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