A glorious classic fantasy combining the magic of Ursula Le Guin's The Wizard of Earthsea with the epic Mastery of Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. Now reissued in gorgeous new livery. Fitz is a royal bastard, cast out into the world with only his magical link with animals for solace and companionship. But When Fitz is adopted into the royal household, he must give up his old ways and learn a new life; weaponry, scribing, courtly manners; and how to kill a man secretly. Meanwhile, raiders ravage the coasts, leaving people soulless. As Fitz grows towards manhood, he will have to face his first terrifying mission, a task that poses as much risk to himself as it does to his target: for Fitz is a threat to the throne ! but he may also be the key to the future of the kingdom.
| ISBN | 0006480098 | | Pages | 480 | | ISBN13 | 9780006480099
(What's this?) | | Weight (grammes) | 256 | | Publisher | HarperCollins Publishers | | Published in | London | | Imprint | Voyager | | Series title | The Farseer Trilogy | | Format | Paperback | | Height (mm) | 178 | | Publication date | 18 Mar 1996 | | Width (mm) | 111 | | DEWEY | 813.54 | | Academic level | General | | DEWEY edition | DC20 | |
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'Hobb is one of the great modern fantasy writers ! what makes her novels as addictive as morphine is not just their imaginative brilliance but the way her characters are compromised and manipulated by politics.' The Times
This has to be one of the definitive modern fantasy trilogies and the first book the assassins aprentice is the best of the three. I love the heart wrenching character Fitz-Chivalry ironically named and hated by the Prince Regal. His struggle through newly aquired court life and being the bastard of a disgraced popular prince isn't the scene for your ordinary hero, but it is because of Fitz's hardships it easy to warm to him.
The way the book is written is a big part of its charm, each chapter begins with a diary entry and is then written from the view of Fitz. This allows the reader to become very close to Fitz and understnd the workings of his mind and his struggle with morality and duty.
Furthermore i love the political intrigue involved in the novel and the two subtle magics which help to create such a dark shadowy and deep kingdom clinging on to the cliffside.
For me therefore this is my favourite book of all time, one I never tire of reading and re-reading. -
Stuart WilliamsThis book is a beautifully written, first person account of the intrigues of a royal court in the Six Duchies. It is exciting, tear-jerking and so engaging that you would not notice if the earth moved from under you. I was hooked from the very first page. -
Hollie WardThis is the first book in a nine book series. I like books that follow the lead characters through their lives. This book charts the early life of the main character Fitz and his initial interractions with the people and animals who will keep cropping up in the later books. Fitz has a really awful life and its only his relationship with a wolf that he rescued as a pup, that keeps him going. Robin Hobb seems to thrive on making her heroes and heroines lives as cruel and difficult as possible. These are not 'nice' or 'easy' books to read but I recommend them to anyone who likes a fantasy with depth and detail which almost amounts to a history of the lands they are set in. -
Pat Johns, Blackwell Head Office Read all reviews (4)
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