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    Royal Assassin
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    Royal Assassin
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    Royal Assassin
    Audiobook29 hours

    Royal Assassin

    Written by Robin Hobb

    Narrated by Paul Boehmer

    4.5/5

    ()

    Unavailable in your country

    Unavailable in your country

    About this audiobook

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

    We are here Fitz, you and I, to change the future and the world…

    Fitz dreams of Red-Ship Raiders sacking a coastal village, leaving not a single man, woman or child alive. Tortured by this terrible vision he returns to the Six Duchies court where all is far from well.

    King Shrewd has been struck down by a mysterious illness and King-in-waiting, Verity, spends all his time attempting to conjure storms to confuse and destroy the Red-Ship Raiders. And when he leaves on an insane mission to seek out the mystical Elderings, Fitz is left alone and friendless but for the wolf Nighteyes and the King’s Fool with his cryptic prophesies.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins
    Release dateAug 30, 2012
    ISBN9780007504015
    Unavailable
    Royal Assassin
    Author

    Robin Hobb

    Robin Hobb was born in California but grew up in Alaska. It was there that she learned to love the forest and the wilderness. She has lived most of her life in the Pacific Northwest and currently resides in Tacoma, Washington. She is the author of five critically acclaimed fantasy series: The Rain Wilds Chronicles (Dragon Keeper, Dragon Haven, City of Dragons, Blood of Dragons), The Soldier Son Trilogy, The Tawny Man Trilogy, The Liveship Traders Trilogy, and The Farseer Trilogy. Under the name Megan Lindholm she is the author of The Wizard of the Pigeons, Windsingers, and Cloven Hooves. The Inheritance, a collection of stories, was published under both names. Her short fiction has won the Asimov's Readers' Award and she has been a finalist for both the Nebula and Hugo awards.

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    Reviews for Royal Assassin

    4.5/5

    400 ratings60 reviews

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    • 4/5
      The second installment of The Farseer Trilogy sees Fitz truly become a Royal Assassin as the Six Duchies is torn apart from by both external and internal forces. The majority of the book centers on Fitz's home, Buckkeep, as he assists his uncle Verity both physically and magically to help protect the common people. However their efforts are hampered by Fitz's other uncle Regal who uses the Skill-trained nobles trained by his own half-brother to disrupt communications and slowly kill his father, King Shrewd. To add to these complications, Fitz must first deal with his health, his love for Molly, and his Wit-bonded wolf Nighteyes.The various intrigues and duties Fitz must keep juggling is a realistic struggle that is the book's strongest part, however as the book continues it also burdens the narrative the closer to the end than helps. Given the style of the book, as an autobiography by an aged Fitz, the reader always has in the back of their mind that any dangerous situation that Fitz is in that he'll survive because if he dies he couldn't write the story. However Hobb uses this knowledge to have a nice twist at the end of the book help Fitz escape his predicament right after the death of his grandfather, Shrewd.Royal Assassin is a wonderful continuation of Assassin's Apprentice as Fitz grows not only as a character through struggles both personal and "professional." At the end of the book, the reader yearns to know what happens next to Fitz and all the characters Hobb peopled the fortress of Buckkeep with as the Raiders continue their campaign while the government heads inland.
    • 4/5
      How much better it could have been! The writing is really quite good, the characters empathetic, the general plot structure almost not obvious. But it fails majorly in the details - the foreshadowing is horrendous, the consistency almost completely lacking, the bad guys unbelivable, ... the little things that elevate a good book to the great are so absent that it's barely good.The story picks up where the previous volumne left off, and it would be wise to read Assassin's Apprentice first for little retelling is given. Fitz, bastard, Chivalry trained assassin to King Shrewd (yes the names start to grate after a while. Does the kingdom have nothing better to do than give people who appear important in the story (excepting burich) character defining names, whilst those who only appear briefly only get normal ones?) had accompained the royal party to the neighbouring Mountain Kingdom (yep original name there too), where he became embroiled and attacked in the youngest Prince's (Regal) scheme to rise to Kingship. Fitz recover slowly and painfully, until he's needed when suddenly almost overnight he is clear of mind and whole of body, occasionally in a quiet moment when it's convenient, suffering extremely mind reminders of his former illness. If only all heros could recover so quickly. The Red Raiders attacks on the kingdom continue and the good Prince Verity needs Fitz' assistance. And there's a girl, and a wolf, and Prince Regal continues his evil plotting. Poor old Fitz is quite torn in where to place his loyalty, and as matters come to a head he is increasingly required to choose for himself, withou guidance from his elders and betters, which leads to the dramatic finale.It really is all quite good, there are twists and turns and the pace of action keeps up with Fitz's problems and information. But there are also way too many issues. Skilling either takes a while with Fitz staring into space, or is over "in the blink of an eye" depending on the need of the story, which is very poorly thought out. The King is or isn't lucid again depending on the infomation being presented to him. many other peopel change their mind or opinion on a whim. Even deeply held convictions are suddenly overturned with no more anguish than a 'oh well, I suppose it's ok' And worst of all much of the plot is obvious. Guessable way in adavance. What is supposed to be surprising twists, become oh look that foreshadowing has come to pass. It's quite hard to explain just how much these minor details, each in their own way insignificant, combine to majorly distract the reader from enjoying the story. Readable, and if anyting lightly better than the original, it's disappointing to find it could be much better...........................................................................
    • 5/5
      This book is as good as the first Assassin's Apprentice. The most exciting part is his bond with Nighteyes, but there is by far more to this book than just Fitz's Wit ability. Through Ftitz's eyes we see the collapse of the Kingdom, the unbeknownst betrayal of of people to their king and king-in-waiting. We see the un-thanked tasks Verity does for his people, the tricks and danger from Regal, and everywhere we see Fitz, trying to keep his world from crumbling down around him. It is depressing tale, for no matter what he does, Fitz cannot stop it. Hunted and threatened, with only Nighteyes, he loses everything and in the losing discovers the base animal in him. There is no happy ending here. Despite this, or maybe because of it, this has always been the book of the three that I always remember. Fitz is not a hero, he's a man trying to survive. It reminds me of George R R Martin's books and other series where despair threads through the story to a point where you ache as you read them, where your breath shudders out when you turn a page. It makes you wonder why these are the more powerful books that we turn back to again and again. Why do we put ourselves through he misery of watching these characters lose everything? I have no answer, only that these are the books I crave. The books that invoke those strong emotions and heart-tearing affection for the characters. The writing has to be part of it. There has to be really good writing to back up a story like this. Hobb certainly has that. My recommendation, if you read this series, is to have the third book handy when you finish this one. You'll need it.
    • 4/5
      Fitz's story continues as King Verity takes a wife and attempts to battle the zombie-like plague.
    • 3/5
      The action of Royal Assasin takes up right where Assasin's Apprentice leaves off. Fitz Farseer slowly recovers from the poison that nearly killed him in the first book of this trilogy. At first he vows to turn his back on King Shrewd. But the continued threat from the Raiders soon brings him back to Buckkeep. The danger to Fitz and the Six Duchies grows as Prince Verity leaves to search out the Elderlings and save his people and his younger brother Regal moves in on the throne.King Shrewd continues his steady decline. Meanwhile Prince Regal continues shows himself to be spoiled, vain and totally unsuited to a kingship. As Regal's grip on the throne tightens, Fitz finds himself with few allies. His secret of beast magic proves to be both his salvation and potential destruction. Royal Assassin is fairly action packed and perfectly sets up the third and final novel of this Farseer trilogy.
    • 4/5
      This second volume gets off to a confusing start, taking a step back in time to disconcertingly contradict some facts and impressions established at the end of the first. Once it finds its wheels, there's a satisfyingly more mature FitzChivalry who has grown with experience despite his young age. He has an impressive array of skills, but refreshing in that they can be as much a nuisance and danger to him as an aid. By the end I was even more fully invested in the characters and their world than at the end of the first.There's a lot more of the Fool and political intrigue, in addition to a few battle scenes. I found the plot strangely non-linear, and I suspect it was written without an outline. It was rarely clear where the story was going next, with little in the way of foreshadowing. This can be a good thing, reducing predictability, but also causes a "making it up as we go along" impression. Fortunately enough was evolving in the background and with FitzChivalry to keep me interested, and I wasn't feeling entirely adrift. Somehow everything came together at the end, and it matched the first book for an exciting wrap-up. I'm ready for volume three.
    • 5/5
      Liked this as much as the first, probably a bit more. Stronger female characters in this one, which I was hoping for, and real development here. Starting the third in the series right away. I've been looking for a big world to get involved after the end of Feist's billion Riftwar books, and this looks like it might be it.
    • 5/5
      I think Robin is the best fantasy writer I’ve ever come across. Amazing work. Inspiring.
    • 4/5
      Background (No Spoilers)This is a saga about a boy, Fitz, who spends his life always in reluctant service to others - in particular, the Farseer Rulers of the Six Duchies. Fitz wants so much just to follow his own dreams. Yet his royal blood means that self-determination can never really be his fate. Like the rulers of the Mountain Kingdoms acknowledge, those with royal blood must be a “sacrifice” to their people, and have no other choice: “the true ruler of a kingdom is the servant of all.”Fitz was born out of wedlock to Chivalry Farseer, the King-in-Waiting of the Six Duchies. At age six, Fitz was taken away from his mother by his grandfather and handed over to Verity, Chivalry’s brother, at Buckkeep Fortress. With Fitz's existence known, Chivalry was forced as a manner of honor to abdicate his right to the throne and to leave Buckkeep. Fitz’s care was given by Verity in part to Burrich, the Stablemaster of Buckkeep and Chivalry’s right-hand man. A third brother, Regal, was jealous of Chivalry and Verity, and when Fitz came, Regal began to hate Fitz the most of all of them. Regal resolved to get rid of all three of them so he could rule after the death of their father, King Shrewd. The others ignored Regal, because the Six Duchies had bigger (or so they thought) problems. They were being besieged by pirates from the Outislands, who traveled in distinctive red ships, raiding the shores and stealing the wealth of the Six Duchies. Then the Outislanders began kidnapping villagers and by some unknown process returning them as zombie-like monsters. Because this practice began with the village of Forge, such people, no matter their origin, were ever after known as “Forged.”People who were Forged could not even be detected by the Skill. This was a magic common to those in the Farseer line enabling a person to reach out to another’s mind, no matter how distant, and know that person’s thoughts. If the other person were Skilled also, the two could even communicate through mind-speak, and if one had evil intent, he or she could control or even kill the other person via the Skill.The trilogy can almost be seen as a catalog of Fitz’s suffering. Yes, he is a hero, but not a shining, caped hero that escapes repeated trials to save the day. Rather, he is battered and bruised, both physically and psychologically, with few moments of happiness. Thus it is that the rare glimpses of sunlight in his life make you want to weep for him. It is not at all spoilery to tell you he survives however, because the trilogy begins as a recounting by a much older Fitz of his memories. But as for how intact he is when he writes down these memories, and what his current status is - for that you have to read the books.Royal Assassin (Spoilers for Book One)As Book Two begins, Fitz, 15, is recovering from Regal’s attempt to poison him. King Shrewd’s fool (who only goes by the name Fool), and who is also Fitz’s friend, serves as Fitz’s healer. During this time, Fitz begins to “Skill-walk,” i.e., travel to other minds when he is sleeping, and experience whatever they are experiencing. In one of these dreams, he sees his childhood friend Molly threatened by Forgers. He is determined to find her and see if she survived.But first, on a trip to the town, he stops at the market, and encounters an angry and abused wolf cub in a cage. Fitz feels like he has come face-to-face with himself. Fitz is “Witted,” meaning that he can communicate with animals, and potentially bond with one. When he sees the horrid condition in which the cub is kept, Fitz buys him from the vendor. He intends to treat the wolf and release him in the wild, but the cub is hungry, cold, and tired, and his pack was all killed. Fitz’s heart was grabbed, and the cub, named Nighteyes, and he bonded. They came to communicate perfectly with one another through mind-speak, becoming brothers who shared their food, their souls, and sometimes even their bodies.Meanwhile, Fitz finds Molly where he leasts expects, in the Buckkeep Castle working as a lady’s maid to Patience, the wife of his now-deceased father Chivalry. Patience forbids Fitz to court Molly, because he has royal blood and must only marry who King Shrewd demands he marry. She reminds him he has sworn his life to King Shrewd, and “a man whose duty is sworn to a King has little time for anyone else in his life.”Fitz knows this is true but he can’t keep away from Molly, and they begin a clandestine affair. Or at least, they think it is clandestine. In a castle full of Skilled people, however, nothing remains secret for long.Fitz harbors bitterness at just being a “pawn,” especially because it keeps him from just marrying Molly and leaving for a life of contentment with her. But Fool lectures him that his life is more than he thinks, that Fitz in fact is a Catalyst. A Catalyst, Fool explains, is someone who is born in a unique position to alter predetermined events, which in turn cascade into new possibilities. Wherever Fitz is, the Fool says, different forks are taken in history. Fool tells Fitz he can change the future of the world, but Fitz is only horrified by the idea.The situation with the Outislanders continues to deteriorate, and Verity is desperate, Skilling at all hours and using Fitz’s strength to aid him. Molly decides she has had enough, and tells Fitz she is leaving. For his part, Verity determines he must travel to the Mountain Kingdoms in search of the ancient and perhaps mythical “Elderlings,” who pledged to his Farseer ancestors they would help in a future time of trouble.When Verity leaves, Chade and Burrich deduce that Kettricken and Fitz are in more danger from Regal than ever, especially since Kettricken is pregnant with another potential rival for Regal. They decide to try to help them escape.Fitz doesn’t know if Kettricken gets away, but he gets caught, and Regal almost succeeds at killing him by turning others against Fitz because of The Wit. The Wit is seen as a degrading and wicked magic by the people, and they fear it, a fear exploited by Regal. But Fitz has a secret weapon, ironically thanks to his Wit - Nighteyes.
    • 5/5
      About a third of the way through this book I had an epiphany--there are werewolves and zombies in this book! It's obvious, but the way they are portrayed is so unique, I didn't even think of it that way until half way through the trilogy. The end of this book is chilling. This is the way to do a trilogy: each book has a beginning, middle and end, with a cliffhanger, and yet there's a satisfying stopping point that still eggs you on to the next book. How does she do that?
    • 3/5
      Three stars feels a bit high for this book, but I do think it was an improvement on the first in the series. Hobb tells a good story, but I've come to want more out of my reading, even my pulp fantasy reading, then just a good story.

      Hobb delivers a tale w/ a very interesting look into loyalty, duty, and personal independence. These bits were almost smoothly integrated into the plot, it ended up feeling a bit didactic at points but not to the point of distraction. It helped that the didactic bits were interesting to think about.

      The Molly character felt painfully underused. Her independent nature was a nice contrast to the protagonist, yet she filled a very standard girlfriend template. I was disappointed that she only appeared when the author wanted to say something about Fitz, she never was developed on her own.

      In the books favor, it does wrap one up in an unfolding plot and the resolution is perfect for the middle book of a series. It had an Empire Strikes Back flavor to it that was more satisfying than yet another "underdog wins despite overwhelming odds" resolution. So props to Hobb for not taking the easy way out there.
    • 5/5
      Royal Assassin, the second novel in the Farseer trilogy, starts where the previous left off. FitzChivalry, assassin trained bastard for king Shrewd has survived the bloody attack which closed the Assassin's apprentice -- but just barely. He is now left crippled, plagued with seizures and weakness; Left battered and bitter. Despite  his own judgment and  filled with emotion, he soon returns to Buckkeep to fulfill his promise to the king -- his pledge of service. Unfortunately for him, things back at home are worse than ever. The king is sick and ailing, the red ship raiders are plaguing the coast -- leaving behind even more forged ones, and prince Regal, the royal son who executed the attack on Fitz is left unpunished, as if nothing had happened. Life in Buckeep is worse than before, and even more treachery is on it's way. A treachery that could destroy everything FitzChivalry has grown to love and care about.And this is where the novel begins -- reviving everything the last book closed on -- treason, assassins, danger, love, drama, and more. "Assassin's Apprentice" is to say the least, as gripping as the last, and another read I could not put down. Everything good about the last novel was here -- great characters, great development, and great story. Essentially, this is yet another amazing installment -- but that isn't to say it's perfect or problem free. This one had a few rough spots.For me, I found a few areas to be a bit slow and plodding. There was a point in the book, where I almost pleaded to it that Fitz would finally get to use some of his Assassin skills. For a book about an assassin, there is little assassination. That's not to say the plot suffered from it, it didn't -- it all made sense, Fitz was never really in a position to use these skills, but it didn't stop me from wishing. I would have liked to see more stealth, carefully executed plans, etc. I would have liked to see him use the skills he had learned.  Most of the action in this novel that did happen (on Fitz part) was uncalculated and unintended. It seemed each instance, he got his way out of a situation by pure luck rather than skill. That was a bit disappointing. None the less, I can let it slide, as It all built up, and by the end it was well worth it.There was another slight annoyance however, one that bothered me a bit. I won't give anything away, but if you'd rather not read just a tiny, vague spoiler, skip this small paragraph. The incident with Rosemary, the Queen-in-Waiting's little servant girl, was totally predictable. How could a trained assassin not figure this out? I assumed it the moment she entered into the novel -- and if I could figure it out, I'd think that Fitz, Chade or the Queen-In-Waiting would caught on. None the less, they didn't, and it all seemed a bit silly. Though in a way I can understand it, I would have thought that three relatively intelligent people, in a time of such danger would have been more careful. ..and those are my complaints, all fairly small. Now onto more good things..The characters. Yes, the characters once again were simply brilliant. Robin Hobb doesn't fail to shine in this aspect, and at this point, I can never see her ever doing so. All of the characters are so compelling, and interesting. I grew to have feelings for each one --  whether it was love, or hate, or worry, or something in between -- I felt it, and that takes a special type of writer to do that. I've read so many novels where some (or even all) of the characters are so phony or bland, to the point where there's no connection. This, like the previous novel, relied heavily on the characters personality and actions, and once again, it succeeded immensely..Ah, and amongst the excellent characters, there was a new addition. A wolf, and perhaps one of my favorites of this series, Night-eyes!  Everything about him was great, from the way he was discovered -- the intense moment of emotion and rage that lead Fitz right to his confining cage --  to the much needed relief he added to a novel that was so grim. It was simply brilliant, I was so happy to see Fitz once again restore an animal bond, one that this time, WASN'T broken.  All in all, this character added so much to this piece, and as always with Hobb, the dialog between them was simply amazing.We also cannot forget the beloved fool, another stand-out, whom' in my opinion, is a refreshingly complex and interesting character. Not only does his humor, quick-witted comments and actions grace many of the moments in "Assassin's Quest,"  but there is a new deepness to the fool that is finally touched upon. A deepness that really gives us as readers a different view of him -- a more human view -- one that really expanded on his character, making him even more interesting and enjoyable. This, was great to see, but not unexpected. Again, I can't refrain from praising Hobb for her amazing ability to bring her characters to life. She is truly gifted. There is also a great deal of development in the relationship between Molly and Fitz. While it is the classic forbidden "this can never work' relationship, it added a new evolved depth to Fitz as a main character, and truly revealed how in some ways he had grown up – yet in others he was still a child. Again, this was a nice thing to see -- even if it brought out quite a bit of emotion and strife to a character I really grew to like and care about. From Burrich, to Chade – to the Queen-In-Waiting Kettricken (who really stood out in this novel as a very strong character), and to Molly, to Verity, and even to Patience, each of the characters continued to grow and evolve; This, as before, was a big highlight for me.And lastly..Much like the debut novel of the Farseer Trilogy, it all leads to a huge, climatic, impacting ending that changes everything. One that left me, quite honestly, stunned. I found the vivid description and deep emotional outpouring of the final scene to be both haunting and immensely saddening, A scene that will surely stay with me for some time -- burnt into my mind. I was utterly chilled by the ending words – by the ending chapter – by the actions that were done, and by sorrow and despair it carried. By the end of the final chapter, I was literally gripping the novel intensely, completely lost in the storyline -- and yes, even a bit teary eyed! It was perhaps, one of the most emotional ending I've ever read, and truthfully, it left me feeling emotionally drained and a bit depressed. It also left wishing for a happier resolve, a larger glimmer of hope. Sadly however, from my experience with this series, there usually isn't one. It's all so bleak. Luckily for me, the third book is already out, and I can start it right away to see how everything turns out – hopefully for the better!All in all, “Royal Assassin” is yet another amazing novel in the Farseer trilogy. While it was at many times depressing, I found it to be a worth-while read – one where I've truly grown to care about many of the characters – yet at the same time grown to hate others. Robin Hobb's ability to bring her characters to life is a true talent, and as stated previously in this review – the progressive development she works through them is an aspect of these novels that keeps me glued to each page. For whatever happens to the characters I love, I always want to know more – because in many ways, they seem so real to me. As if I truly know them. That is the magic of these books. With that said, I close this review and pick up the next in the Farseer trilogy, hoping to find some sort of relief and resolve. I suggest this to anyone who has read the first book in the series – continue on, it's definitely worth it!
    • 3/5
      This one drags a bit but the series as a whole is worth your time.
    • 3/5
      If it weren’t for the narrator I would’ve dnfed this
    • 5/5
      This entire trilogy is a very good read.
    • 5/5
      I honestly think I could've just sat and read this book straight through, if I'd had the chance. I didn't willingly take a break until I was about five hundred pages in, and even then it was a short one.I found Royal Assassin even more absorbing than Assassin's Apprentice. The character development continues as Fitz returns to Buckkeep and assumes a more active role in the country's defense. My one complaint with the first book was that I didn't get enough of a sense of the danger that threatened the Six Duchies. That was no longer a problem with this book. As the Red-Ship Raiders became a larger concern for Fitz, they became a larger concern for me. I felt the characters' frustration as they struggled to keep their people safe.And, once again, it's really the characters that make this book. Robin Hobb's characterization is excellent; everyone has depth. Even their minor conflicts feel important because they come across as real issues that these people struggle with. I found it very easy to get lost in the story; I was always eager, (and sometimes desperate), to see how things would turn out for the characters I'd come to care for.At more than two hundred pages longer than the previous volume, this is a big book. It flies by, though; despite the wealth of detail, I didn't feel that it lagged at all until right near the end. And even then, it's difficult to say whether the momentum diminished because of the writing or my own horror at what was happening.I highly recommend both this and the previous volume. They're excellent, character-driven fantasy that works. I'm only sorry I didn't dive into Robin Hobb sooner.
    • 5/5
      Another brilliant story about Fitz. I love him. He grabs my emotions and drags them around with him until I'm not exactly sure how I feel.

      This helping just made me even more emotionally confused, empty and drained. I cried, I laughed, I was shocked and I was excited and disappointed. There's nothing better than a book that grabs you and won't let go until you've closed the back cover.
    • 4/5
      Even better than the first volume, Hobb really puts Fitz through the wringer here, both physically and emotionally. She expands on the world created in the first volume, in geography, politics and the magic system.
    • 4/5
      This is the middle book of the Farseer Trilogy and it is very much a middle book. It begins with its central character, Fitz (FitzCivalry Farseer), still reeling from the after-effects of the near-fatal conclusion of book I and ends with him similarly struggling with the aftermath of another harrowing “near-death” experience. In between, the story goes from bad to worse.I’m finding that Robin Hobb’s willingness to brutalize her characters sometimes exceeds my tolerance for reading about brutality. If she were any less skilled a writer or I were any less hooked on her characters, I would probably not continue. Having some foreknowledge of events based on having already read Fool’s Errand (book I of the second trilogy) made it sometimes easier and sometimes harder to read on. The brutality isn’t only physical, it’s emotional as well. The betrayals are the worst, when you find out that one of the few things you thought the character was doing right is actually wrong.My complaints are not criticisms so much as personal reactions. Hobb is marvelously effective in doing what she does (it wouldn’t hurt so much if it weren’t so real), and many readers just eat this up, I’m sure. If I do have a genuine criticism, it’s that Fitz often doesn’t feel his age. He can be no more than sixteen, but his first person “voice” sounds like an adult. This is partly explained by the fact that he is telling the tale in retrospect, but that doesn’t account for why the other characters mostly seem to treat him like an adult and expect him to act like one when his youth and lack of experience ought to excuse his rashness and immaturity. I know that the age of majority is a cultural variable, but even so I felt the other characters’ harsh judgements of him were often out of line.
    • 2/5
      Bits of this are quite good, but it's depressingly like any other fantasy book. It's quite readable all the same mind you, I was just expecting something more. A lot of the characterisation is quite deft.
    • 5/5
      robin why must you hurt me this way
    • 5/5
      Audiobook - Now to the next one.
    • 4/5
      The second instalment in the series and it opens with Fitz seriously debiliitated by a poison he has taken. I've been there, my poison was chemotherapy and it was pretty much like it was described in the book. Fitz is now fighting Regal more openly with the red ships preying on the kingdom. Full of interesting characters and interesting situations although it's a big book it's a quick read.
    • 5/5
      Two quick complaints. Robin Hobb's novels aren't that easy to find. She has thoroughly engaged me with her writing style and amazing, deft characterizations in her novels, but I can't find any of her works at the local bookstore. Grr. Barnes & Noble can go ride a zucchini, whatever that means. And secondly, Hobb has, possibly, the worst biographical blurb of any book I've ever read: "Robin Hobb is a writer, and lives in Washington state." Huh? Okay, I know Robin Hobb is a pseudonym, but really?OK. Now on to real things. A the end of the previous novel of the Farseer Series, Assassin's Apprentice (my review here), FitzChivalry is caught up in court intrigue, and his jealous uncle, Regal, schemes to kill the young bastard prince. He, and his caretaker, Burrich, are brutalized and nearly killed, in the capital of the Mountain Kingdom. After several months of recuperation, Fitz decides that never again will he take up the cause of the Farseer throne.Of course, you know how this sort of thing is bound to turn out. Within 150 pages, he's off and murdering a new threat, The zombie-like Forged Ones, whose souls have somehow been erased by the Out Island pirates. Can you kill a man, if he is no longer who he was? It's a question for a better ethicist than I am.FitzChivalry discovers his strong rapport with the Wit (beast magic) and, nearly against his will, bonds himself to a wolf pup called Nighteyes. If someone discovers Fitz's Wit Magic, it may be punishable by death.A second subtext running through the novel is Fitz's romance with his childhood friend, Molly. The information of him, as the king's Assassin, must be hidden from her. She knows him as an errand-boy, and he must pile secret upon secret, in order to protect her from the trouble his career would bring her. How many secrets must your bury yourself in, before you are no longer yourself? I would not be surprised if Fitz's morose questioning reminds readers of prince Hamlet. At several points, he considers suicide to escape his fate.Once again, Hobb excels at crafting a world and characters that are real and engaging. Her story is engaging, and not at all pedestrian. Her characters do not shy away from real emotions, although occasionally, you want to grab young FitzChivalry and slap him upside the head.Hobb manages something that I haven't experienced in a very long time. The characters in the novels became friends: I actually cared what happened to them. Although it's an excellent story, it's definitely a "middle" novel of a trilogy. The reader is left with the desire to scamper to the nearest bookstore and find the third book, and start it immediately. Of course, the novel, in all probability, won't be on the shelves and you'll have to Special Order the silly thing. I didn't find it at my three local bookstores in Virginia, but managed to locate the third book in a bookshop in California, a mere 3,500 miles away. Her books are the best I've read in years.
    • 4/5
      Royal Assassin is the second book in the Farseer Trilogy and I must say, I liked it even more than the first, even though the middle dragged a bit. Fitz is a great character and I love that we get to see him grow up and even though he's now in the depressed teenager stage, I did not mind watching him mope. What I did mind, however, was the fact the villain of this story gets to walk around and be a villain for most of this book without anyone stopping him. Everyone knows who he is and what he's doing... and no one interferes. The last third of the book turns into some sort of emotional rollercoaster and I was on the edge of my seat for the last few hours and my heart broke for Fitz for the first time. Now I'm emotionally invested, I'm afraid to pick up the third instalment.
    • 5/5
      This novel was very slow to pick up, but once it did, it was relentless. The final third of the book had me so invested I literally could not put it down and ended up reading well into the early hours just because there was no way I could stop reading until it was finished.Hobb is a skilled fantasy writer, with so much depth to her characters and plot. I am utterly amazed.It has been a minute since I have loathed an antagonist as much as I loathed Regal in this book. I was physically frustrated as the pages went on and praying for his demise with each passing chapter. It's not easy to write a character so vile while still keeping them complex and more then just an evil trope. Beyond Regal though, Hobb has created so many dynamic and interesting characters that really begin to take on shape in this second installment to the series. Kettriken, who was only in the final chapters of the first book, took on a much larger role here, and became such an important part of Ftiz' journey. I felt she was an extremely well written and interesting character, and I couldn't help but fall in love with her. I cannot wait to read on in the series, as this has the makings of being on the top of my lists in fantasy. There are so many levels to the story that still need more time to flesh out, and I am very excited move on to the next book. This series is a must read for fantasy lovers.
    • 5/5
    • 4/5
      This volume starts off right where the first one ended: Fitz is still recovering from his poisoning experience. He is still in Jhaampe with Jonqui and Burrick (and Hands) while all others have departed weeks ago for Buckkeep. Fitz is suffering from trembling and seizures and therefore thinks he will no longer be of any use to his King as an assassin. He’s even considered never going back till he has a dream of Molly being attacked by Forged ones. Only this persuades him that he has to go back, if only to know whether or not she survived. Fitz comes back to Buckkeep and is barely recognizable. Not only because of his sickness but also because he was grown and much more resembles his father in many way (in Jhaampe he was being treated as prince regardless the fact that he was a bastard so adjustments are required) still, the character seems to have grown from the last time he were with him.This second book covers about a year and a half. The Raiders haven’t stopped their attacks, the Forged ones seem to be all converging on Buckkeep, Verity’s marriage is not exactly the fairy tale Kettricken was waiting for (she too experiences troubles adjusting to her closed life in Buckkeep and the fact that she no longer is the Sacrifice), King Shrewd is gravely sick and his new valet Wallace (or Wall’s Ass) is feeding him suspicious looking herbs. To this already complex plot a few more things come in addition to further twist it: Fitz bonds with a wolf called Nighteyes, the Fool reveals his past as well as an interesting prophecy, Molly is alive, working as Patience’s servant and very much in love with our hero, but so is another called Celerity, daughter of the Duck of Bearns. Verity’s ships are being built but things get slightly more complicated when he starts wanting to use the Galen’s coterie (who turns out being loyal to Regal and not Verity), Verity sets off on a quest to find the Elderlings as he and Kettricken believe they are the only ones capable of saving the Six Duchies from the Raiders. Fitz sees a White Ship twice when fighting the Raiders. His gift of the Skill is slowly coming together and becoming less erratic thanks to Verity’s teaching. Still as Verity leaves, he leaves the Six Duchies into the hands of Regal as Queen-in-waiting Kettricken is often set aside though she does as much as she can to hold the kingdom together (the fact that there’s a little spy among her people doesn’t quite help), and King Shrewd is invalid. In the end, King Shrewd dies using the Skill, on the day of Regal’s ceremony as King-in-waiting (the coterie says they know Verity is dead), Fitz is arrested for avenging him and killing Serene and Justin. His tortured, executed but before that, he leaves his human body behind to take shelter in Nighteyes’ and becomes a wolf. The volume ends as he comes back to life (or to his own body). We don’t know where Chade is, neither do we know where the Fool and Kettricken and her unborn baby are. Verity is alive but that’s about as much as we know.Once again, Hobb caught me as I was immediately enthralled in this exciting, page turning adventure. The romances were sweet, the characters believable, Hobb’s whole world credible… 750 pages and still wishing there was more… but hopefully there is.
    • 4/5
      In this second volume of Hobb's 'Assassin' trilogy, matters progress from bad to worse. As FitzChivalry Farseer recovers from the near-fatal assassination attempt on him by Prince Regal, he begins to see that Buckkeep and the Six Duchies are falling apart around him. The Red-Ship Raiders grow ever more bold, and the vicious, amoral Forged Ones that the raiders somehow create from good citizens are growing to be ever more of a problem. King Shrewd is failing, wracked by illness - and drugs. In desperation, Prince Verity goes on a quest to seek the mythical Elderlings - and in his absence, Regal seizes yet more power, disregarding the woes of the nation and partying with pomp and ceremony. Fitz believes that the Duchies' decline may be all part of a plot designed by Regal - but his mentor, Chade, seems to think that his opinion may be based on his personal (although admittedly justified) dislike of that prince.
      Can Fitz stay loyal to the royal family, balance his job as an assassin with his love of his childhood sweetheart, Molly, support Verity's wife, the foreign quuen, Kettricken, against those who would discredit her, remain friends with the stablemaster, Burrich, even though he has the illegal 'Wit' (an ability to speak with animals), and survive the various hatreds of those who are arrayed against him?
      OK, I'm still missing some of the subplots here...
      It's a complex, soap-opera-esque story with plenty of drama - pure entertainment, and executed near-perfectly! Great stuff!
    • 4/5
      This is a pretty close continuation of the first book -- the good parts are still dramatic and exciting, the bad parts are still ridiculous. The focus this time is more on court politics instead of learning new skills, but Fitz' talents do continue to develop in interesting ways. Many of the side characters have become strong forces in the plot too, especially the cryptic Fool and the courageous queen-in-waiting Kettricken.

      But the weakest part of the book has to be the ridiculously over-the-top villain, Prince Regal. He was bad in the first book, but I let it slide because I thought there was no way he'd be the central antagonist again. The fact that he gets away with as much as he does makes it hard to take the other characters seriously sometimes, if they're supposed to be so clever.

      But once again, despite the flaws, I really enjoyed the overall story. I'm hoping the next book will be less restrained and let the characters deal with what's happening in the world on a greater scale.