Rating: 
Summary: An assured and accomplished debut
Review: Published in 1995, Assassin's Apprentice is Robin Hobb's debut novel. It is also the first volume in The Farseer Trilogy, the second and third volumes being called Royal Assassin and Assassin's Quest respectively.Having just happily gone through all five current volumes of Harry Potter at a trot (leaving my head swimming with Quidditch, Every Flavour Jelly Beans and the like), I was a little anxious to embark on a new series. Besides, the series is written from a first person perspective (it's an "I" book, in other words) and that's not something I'm overly fond of. But I needn't have worried. "Assassin" is a surprisingly assured first novel. It is also, simply put, a very rewarding read. Hobb manages to accomplish this, it should be said, by subtle means. "Assassin" is not, for example, outstanding due to the originality of its plot; neither is it very spectacular. After all, this is, at heart, another fantasy situated in a pseudo-medieval world, this time centered around the bastard son of one of the realm's princes. In itself, that's hardly arresting. And whilst the kingdom is obviously threatened by outside forces, the only instant when a true confrontation seems unavoidable has our bastard hero - he's called Fitz, by the way - simply arrive too late at the scene to do anything. So no great magical battles, then, either. But Hobb does something which many other authors would find remarkably difficult: she tells an ostensibly simple, subtle, and surprisingly humane tale, and she does so primarily through the strength of her writing. And the strength of that writing lies, first and foremost, in the strength of her characters. Almost all of these are presented with true feeling and insight - and given the fact that, as mentioned, this book is written exclusively from Fitz's point of view, that itself is a remarkable achievement. Moreover, Hobb shows a deft hand at distinguishing between Fitz's portrayal as the old narrator of the story (looking back, and recounting) and his role as young protagonist. In this, too, the first person technique is used extremely well. Ah well, I hear you say - but what about the story? You're right. That's what it's ultimately about, isn't it? No worries there, either. If you don't mind the fact that there are no truly earth-shaking events yet and the body-cut doesn't veer into the hundreds of thousands (discounting "off scene" deaths, it's about five, I should think), you'll find yourself emersed in a tale of a young boy growing up amidst intriguing and complex political machinations, with an old king slowly losing his grasp and his sons vyeing for power. You'll learn about the Skill, the ellusive and half-abandonned magical ability to influence or communicate with others by thought. You'll learn a bit about another magical art - the Wit - too, but not too much; there is much left be revealed later. And you'll also learn about the subtle arts of the assassin's craft, which can be used for the greater good as well as for evil. And, finally, you'll read about the imminent and growing threat from the raiders from across the sea, that no doubt in the following volumes will prove to be, in one guise or another, the true threat. In other words, you'll find yourself reading an engrossing first volume in what can only be described as an epic fantasy. Epic, that is, without any unnecessary pyrotechnics. By this time, Hobb is a well-established writer in the field. After this trilogy, she went on to publish the "The Liveship Traders" series, which I understand is set in the same world but otherwise unrelated. However, she recently returned to the Farseer concept with "The Tawny Man" sequence, which at present consists of "Fool's Errand" and "Golden Fool".
Rating:
Summary: Very pleasant find
Review: It is nice to read a writer of current fantasy, that does not feel like they need to tell a story from the viewpoint of 6 or more major characters. Written in the first person, this book clips along at a very readable pace, while at the same time imparting a great deal of information. Alot of novels out there have alot of fluff in them, but very little of this novel was not important to the development of the main character, and the story itself. The main character, Fitz, is one that is familiar to alot of fantasy, the child who has great powers that will soon be called upon to 'save the world', but the similarity to most other fantasy novels ends there. Fitz is a flawed character who one can care for, but we learn quickly that not everything he does is 'the right thing' as in so much other fantasy. I'm very much looking forward to reading more of Hobbs novels, and would happily reccomend this novel for anyone who enjoys SF or fantasy..
Rating: 
Summary: Poignant, wonderfully done.
Review: As I am reading books, sometimes I'll run across quotes and write them down. My collection of quotes are ones that speak to me or somehow reveal a universal truth not usually acknowledged. After reading this book, I had collected two pages of quotes, which is quite unusual indeed! Robin Hobb's protagonist is a bastard, the illegitamate son of a prince soon to be king. In court politics, being a bastard is dangerous for if they have no use for you, they kill you for fear of you gaining power. He struggles his whole life to find his place in the world and along the way meets up against some pretty nasty adversaries. One of the things I like about Hobb is that she doesn't always let her protagonist win. Sometimes he struggles and loses but other times he struggles and wins! That, to me, seems a much more entertaining read than some flat hero who is so perfect that he always wins. Other things about the book that stood out to me were the characters. They had their faults but you couldn't help but love them! They were very rounded and multi-faceted. After reading three or four fairly stale books, I found this one thankfully refreshing and full of depth.
Rating: 
Summary: Dear Heaven
Review: If you like depression, stories where nothing ever goes right for our main character and he is never happy (unless it's so that happiness can be tragically yanked away from him), by all means, read this book. It is so unrelentingly, unrealistically depressing that I listed to a friend everything that happened to our main character, and she couldn't believe I finished reading it. Angst is substituted for depth and dreariness is substituted for reality (even in the real world, things DO occasionally go right, if only by accident). Take my warning -- stay away!
Rating:
Summary: Entertaining
Review: "Assassin's Apprentice" is the first of the Farseer trilogy written by Robin Hobb. It is wonderfully well written, with the strength focused on the character's depth. The book follows the young life of Fitz, who is the bastard son of the king-in waiting, Prince Chivalry, and some peasant. This causes Prince Chivalry to give up his title and leave the capital town, Buckkeep. Fitz is left with much ridicule and humiliation, but soon learns that he has the "Skill," a technique of using his mind to bend the will of others, and the "Wit," a technique of combining his mind with animals. After grabbing the attention of the King, he is sent to train with Chade, the king's assassin. Thus begins the numerous plots of the king and the other two princes, Verity and Regal, to gain control of the Six Duchies while Red-Ship raiders are attacking the coast. This novel is intriguing and face-paced, and will stay on my shelf as a must-read.
Rating:
Summary: Great tale!
Review: This is a wonderful tale. I found myself reading until the wee hours because I couldn't put it down. If you like fantasy you will like this book. There is relitively little magic happenings in this book but it is still a good book. You won't find dragons or elves threatining the people. Fritz does learn to comunicate with animals. This is a good book to help you escape reality.
Rating:
Summary: Catalyst, Keystone... Changer.
Review: Assassin's Apprectice is based in the Six Duchies, a world where the coastal duchies are beset by an enemy, bent on destroying them. The story is in first person and follows Fitz, a young bastard of the royal Farseer line, and much despised by one of his uncles, Prince Regal. Fitz has a unique ability that allows him to communicate and bond with animals. The ability is called the Wit. Problem is, he also has the Skill, an ability that all related to the Farseer line inherit, whether strong or weak. He must train to use the skill, though his master, Galen, detests him. Travel with him to meet Molly, Hasty, Lady Patience, Burrich and a whole cast of other colourful characters as he attempts to fit into the castle life, after being abandoned by his mother at the gate of the keep. Fitz will have to learn to become an Assassin, in order to best serve his King, but will the Skill and the Wit stand in the way of that purpose? Read this great book to find out!
Rating:
Summary: A Truly Magical Journey - One-of-a-kind fantasy book
Review: Assassin's Apprentice falls into the fantasy genre as it follows a young boy named Fitz in an expansive and detailed medieval world which has two magic's in place. One is the "Wit" which allows you to converse and form closely held bonds with animals. The other is the "Skill" which is a telepathic type ability. The first book of the Farseer Trilogy, is about an illegitimate son of a prince, who tries to find his place in the life he leads, under his King's and Uncle's watchful eyes. The novel is rife with political intrigue and treason which leads up to a certainly vivid and imaginitive ending. Looking through the eyes of this boy, you immediately understand and sympathise with everything he goes through and learns about, so you are not only enjoying the plot arcs but are actually being taken on a ride beside the main character. For instance he is very nearly mute at the beginning of the novel, so everyone he encounters calls him "boy" or "Bastard" as they do not know his name. Your heart goes out to him as you read his deepest thoughts on life and the people he encounters. Every character in the book, has their own faults and the main character is no different. While his life can be somewhat depressing if looked at from a distance, the journey he goes on to discover his abilities and place in life make this book definitely worth reading.
Rating:
Summary: Sweet Read
Review: Fantastic Book! But just a precursor of things to come from this author. With a blending of the Wit (Animist) Magic and Skill (Telephathy) Magic, it truly is a ground breaking novel. Robin has a firm grasp of her characters and plot, easy to follow and truly a pleasure to read.
Rating:
Summary: The Life and TImes of an Illegitimate Prince
Review: Assassin's Apprentice is the first novel in the Farseer trilogy. FitzChivalry, illegitimate son of Prince Chivalry, was given unto the care of his royal family by his maternal grandfather at the age of six years. Since Prince Chivalry was away at the time, Fitz was passed on to Burrich, the caretaker of Chivalry's horses, dogs, and birds, and he was housed in the stables with Burrich's other charges. This close proximity, however, fostered an unfortunate Witted bond between Fitz and Nosy, one of the pups. Meanwhile, this previous unknown member of the family triggered a heated disagreement between the King Shrewd and his current spouse, Queen Desire, as well as much discussion among the rest of the royal household. Prince Regal was convinced that Fitz would take away his place in the line of succession and complained publicly. But Chivalry cut short most of these arguments by abdicating his position as heir apparent. As an illegitimate Royal, Fitz has no chores nor has he been assigned a tutor, so he basically runs wild with Nosy. They soon encounter other children, including the girl Nosebleed, whose real name is Molly. She is about a year or so older than Fitz and is so feisty that she will even fight the older boys if they get too bossy. Her father is a drunk and hits her when he is drinking, but when he threatens Molly as she is playing with the children, Fitz uses Wit to "push" him so that he falls down and loses consciousness. Despite her sassy attitude toward her father, Molly is terrified that he has died, but he soon wakes up and Molly helps him home. Fitz and the other children performs odd jobs in order to buy treats and such, but sometimes the kids just steal things. One day, they are running from a merchant with a string of stolen sausage when Burrich steps out of a shop into their path. Burrich cuffs Fitz and sends him and Nosy home. Suspecting a Witted bond between the two, Burrich tests Nosy, confirms his suspicions, takes Nosy away, and breaks the bond. Thereafter, Burrich watches for another bond forming, but Fitz fools him by creating a partial bond with many animals instead of a single bond. In his tenth year, King Shrewd changes Fitz's life again by providing him with tutors in riding, reading and swordplay. He is also assigned a room in the castle itself and a place to sit in the dining hall. He soon meets Mistress Hasty and learns all the gossip about his advent in the world and in society, much of which he had never known before, while being measured for his clothes. He also becomes the apprentice of the Royal Assassin, Chade, another illegitimate child of the royalty. When Chivalry dies, Burrich shaves his head and cuts Fitz's hair in mourning. Complaining of the haircut to Chade, Fitz mentions that his father had never cared for him, but is then told that Chivalry HAD cared enough to ignore him, thereby diverting jealousy and suspicion that might have otherwise caused his death. This novel is an interesting tale of a talented and clever boy growing up in a feudal society amidst ambition and intrigue, but protected to some degree by his obvious lack of power and influence. In reality, his grandfather the king, his father, and Chade are powerful patrons who ensure that he receives many of the advantages of the legitimate princes. Moreover, it is the story of a person who has both the Wit, an empathy with animals found only among the indigenous population, and the Skill, the telepathy found only among those with royal blood. While this is her first novel under the name Robin Hobb, the author has already written a number of excellent fantasies under the name Megan Lindholm; these tales are known for the credibility of the heroes and heroines, often bewitching the reader into a vicarious identification with the main characters. This story, moreover, is the most complex, and best crafted, work to date. While this series has some action scenes, they are few and understated; the emphasis is upon character and political development. Highly recommended for Lindholm fans and anyone who enjoys tales of political intrigue and magic, with believable characters, in a medieval setting.
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