Michael Barnes
I began reading Robin Hobb's Debut novel with some concern given the extensive praise and positive reviews and i must say my oly regret is I hadn't read it sooner, its an outstanding fantasy, a good story well told. If you don’t enjoy slow paced fantasy filled with world building this one isn’t for you. I don’t necessarily mind that and the way that Hobb built the world captured my attention. We learned the setting with Fitz. He knew very little about the world he was thrust into and so we essentially grew up with him as he learned the politics and magic systems. There wasn’t any info dumping or clunky unnecessary passages. And though it was slow paced the story moved smoothly along.
Synopsis from Grimdark magazine May 2015
" about a royal bastard named Fitz put to use by his family, and trying to survive and find happiness. Fitz is an outcast by none of his own doing. He’s a bastard. His father, Chivalry, abdicates to escape him. He’s been born with the Wit, an ability to mind meld with animals, a skill that is shunned by the nobility as an abomination which puts him off side with Burrich, his only chance at a father figure. Other members of his family have the Skill, a way to meld minds with other humans, which is a far better accepted form of magic all but restricted to royalty. One of his uncles, Regal, despises his very existence, as do most who considered themselves Chivalry’s or his wife’s Patience’s loyal subjects. Only Burrich puts up with him, reluctantly taking Fitz under his wing, though the man is constantly torn between his own agony at the loss of his lord, Chivalry, and a fatherly want to look after a young boy abandoned by all.
Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb King Shrewd (all nobility are supposedly named after a character trait they have) decides that it’s better the devil you know than to put up with a royal bastard-led uprising down the track, he decides to train Fitz as an assassin to bind the boy’s loyalty to the crown of the Six Duchies. Fitz’s world is opened to not just the sword and dagger, but to a wide range of reasons a king may need for an assassin – an illness to take a noble who may influence another at court out of the picture for a month, an injured horse to keep another at court for a few more days. Fitz is introduced to Chade, the current (though forgotten) Royal Assassin, who teaches him the ways of death and deception.
When the Red Ships begin to invade and Forge people (remove their humanity and leave them as mindless savages) before letting them loose once more in the Six Duchies, Shrewd’s kingdom begins to crumble. Fitz is pushed to do more and more for his king – for he is a King’s man – which challenges his relationships with his mentors, his friend Molly, and his family to its limits. He sees them all, and himself, at their worst and is saved more often that he saves. He goes into secret combat with his half brother, Regal, in order to save himself, his other uncle Verity, and his kingdom from Regal’s greed and ambition during a marriage forced on a weakening Verity by the vicious Skillmaster Galen (Who is with Regal in plotting – somewhat unwillingly as we find out at the end).
When reviewers say this novel is complex, do not mean that it is challenging to follow or understand. I was amazed by how easily I fell into the many branches of this storyline. There is so much intricate detailed poured into every moment—into every event and setting and relationship. Years go by and new knowledge, twists, and turns fill each page and never once does it become muddled or overwhelming. Hobb writes in such a way that effortlessly carries you over every single page, not allowing you to get lost along the way. So many stories and so many characters and so many twists, yet not one bit of it is left unresolved.
So while the narrative is a perfect blend of plot and world building its these marvelous, three-dimensional characters that are the driving force. Fitz is an incredibly strong lead character, someone who is easy to connect and sympathize with. His story is equal parts heart-wrenching and heart-pounding, and it is impossible not to cheer for him all the way. He faces such massive obstacles and stands up to them, persevering in the most unlikely circumstances. Fitz is not one of those flawless heroes—every aspect of his life, every success and failure, is chronicled in these pages. His growth throughout the narrative as he fights to give himself a life is awe-inspiring.
Every single character Robin Hobb creates in this story is multi-dimensional and fully fleshed out. They are all made into a significant element of the overall narrative, contributing in some way, however small, to the unfolding of the plot. I thought Hobb did a brilliant job building each and every one of her characters with care and precision.
I began reading Robin Hobb's Debut novel with some concern given the extensive praise and positive reviews and i must say my oly regret is I hadn't read it sooner, its an outstanding fantasy, a good story well told. If you don’t enjoy slow paced fantasy filled with world building this one isn’t for you. I don’t necessarily mind that and the way that Hobb built the world captured my attention. We learned the setting with Fitz. He knew very little about the world he was thrust into and so we essentially grew up with him as he learned the politics and magic systems. There wasn’t any info dumping or clunky unnecessary passages. And though it was slow paced the story moved smoothly along.
Synopsis from Grimdark magazine May 2015
" about a royal bastard named Fitz put to use by his family, and trying to survive and find happiness. Fitz is an outcast by none of his own doing. He’s a bastard. His father, Chivalry, abdicates to escape him. He’s been born with the Wit, an ability to mind meld with animals, a skill that is shunned by the nobility as an abomination which puts him off side with Burrich, his only chance at a father figure. Other members of his family have the Skill, a way to meld minds with other humans, which is a far better accepted form of magic all but restricted to royalty. One of his uncles, Regal, despises his very existence, as do most who considered themselves Chivalry’s or his wife’s Patience’s loyal subjects. Only Burrich puts up with him, reluctantly taking Fitz under his wing, though the man is constantly torn between his own agony at the loss of his lord, Chivalry, and a fatherly want to look after a young boy abandoned by all.
Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb King Shrewd (all nobility are supposedly named after a character trait they have) decides that it’s better the devil you know than to put up with a royal bastard-led uprising down the track, he decides to train Fitz as an assassin to bind the boy’s loyalty to the crown of the Six Duchies. Fitz’s world is opened to not just the sword and dagger, but to a wide range of reasons a king may need for an assassin – an illness to take a noble who may influence another at court out of the picture for a month, an injured horse to keep another at court for a few more days. Fitz is introduced to Chade, the current (though forgotten) Royal Assassin, who teaches him the ways of death and deception.
When the Red Ships begin to invade and Forge people (remove their humanity and leave them as mindless savages) before letting them loose once more in the Six Duchies, Shrewd’s kingdom begins to crumble. Fitz is pushed to do more and more for his king – for he is a King’s man – which challenges his relationships with his mentors, his friend Molly, and his family to its limits. He sees them all, and himself, at their worst and is saved more often that he saves. He goes into secret combat with his half brother, Regal, in order to save himself, his other uncle Verity, and his kingdom from Regal’s greed and ambition during a marriage forced on a weakening Verity by the vicious Skillmaster Galen (Who is with Regal in plotting – somewhat unwillingly as we find out at the end).
When reviewers say this novel is complex, do not mean that it is challenging to follow or understand. I was amazed by how easily I fell into the many branches of this storyline. There is so much intricate detailed poured into every moment—into every event and setting and relationship. Years go by and new knowledge, twists, and turns fill each page and never once does it become muddled or overwhelming. Hobb writes in such a way that effortlessly carries you over every single page, not allowing you to get lost along the way. So many stories and so many characters and so many twists, yet not one bit of it is left unresolved.
So while the narrative is a perfect blend of plot and world building its these marvelous, three-dimensional characters that are the driving force. Fitz is an incredibly strong lead character, someone who is easy to connect and sympathize with. His story is equal parts heart-wrenching and heart-pounding, and it is impossible not to cheer for him all the way. He faces such massive obstacles and stands up to them, persevering in the most unlikely circumstances. Fitz is not one of those flawless heroes—every aspect of his life, every success and failure, is chronicled in these pages. His growth throughout the narrative as he fights to give himself a life is awe-inspiring.
Every single character Robin Hobb creates in this story is multi-dimensional and fully fleshed out. They are all made into a significant element of the overall narrative, contributing in some way, however small, to the unfolding of the plot. I thought Hobb did a brilliant job building each and every one of her characters with care and precision.