Assassin's Quest
Ratings494
Average rating4.2
This book is very, very long. You'll read 100 pages about Fitz walking up a road. But if it hits you right, you'll love it.
Hobb's character work is beyond good. She is able to elicit tension, grief, jealousy and every other emotion under the sun with her writing. She also manages the first ever strong climax in this series, ending on a real high note.
I really struggled with either a 4 or 5 star rating here. While this is definitely a fantastic book I would recommend to anyone with the patience for it, I do feel it meandered a tiny bit more than Royal Assassin and that brought it down to 4 stars for me.
Hobbs prose still remains amazing in this final instalment, however the middle portion of the book becomes repetitive and pretty useless to the story. The trilogy is ended off at a nice place, especially as you see fitz' and fools relationship explored more, however I was just not a fan of starling at all and it took a bit away from the ending. The Series as a whole was still amazing and I can't wait to finish the story.
a BEHEMOTH of a book. truly felt like i was swallowed whole by a whale.
this one is both less emotional but much more sad than the previous books. fitz has lost so much and loses more and more buckkeep, patience, molly, burrich, verity, all he puts in girl-on-a-dragon, his dream for a kind of a life, his drive and his ease. he is also verrrry buffy s6-coded in both a good and painful way.
nighteyes remains a star. may he live forever. and the fool!!!!! the fool<3 they are pack!!!
It’s hard to put my finger on why this isn’t a 5-star book. It might just be in comparison to how good books 1 and 2 were that made this one feel slightly off. Regardless, an extremely satisfying conclusion to the trilogy and an enjoyable read. As a whole, the trilogy is certainly worth reading!
Robin Hobb is truly a master at storytelling. The pace of this book is definitely slow; maybe a bit faster than Royal Assassin but still slow, but I feel like she makes it all worth it. It's impossible to read one of her books and not feel fully immersed in the world and connected to the characters to the point that you not only sympathize with them but you feel what they feel.
Fitz only becomes nearer and dearer to me with each passing book and I can't wait to get to the next trilogy where he's the main POV again, even though I'm not sure how far away that is. These books I feel are mostly character-driven, even when the plot is technically the driving force. In every important moment you know why the characters make the decisions they do and what drives them to do so. She takes you in so close that you can really feel the heart of all the characters, even though you're only in Fitz's POV the whole time.
I've absolutely fallen in love with this world. I can't wait to continue the series.
I disliked the first half of the book, tolerated the next 10%, and was obcessed with the last 40% of Assassin's Quest, enough that I'm still going for the 5 stars.
I'm exhausted and as emotionally drained as if I was forged, but this trilogy will remain imbued in me as one of the best, and favorites, fantasies of all time.
Robin Hobb is a terrific writer, particularly in what concerns character development. I would have preferred less suffering overall, but I'm very satisfied with all the personality layers created for both main and secondary characters. There is just so much going on with all of them!
Some complaints: the gaslighting borders on too much and the twists were very predictable (to me), leaving me abashed with Fitz stupidity. Still, Nighteyes, Fitz, Fool and Verity will remain forever in my heart!
In my mind, all stories about history repeating itself need to circle back, and this was wonderfully done.
I'm definitely going to continue with The Real of the Elderlings but only after some book candy. My heart can only take so much.
Assassin's Quest was not a perfect book, but was the perfect ending to the trilogy and left me feeling extremely satisfied with the time I spent with Fitz, Nighteyes, and all the rest. Starting with the good, I love the quest aspect of the second half of this book. It had a sort of Fellowship of the Ring feel to it and I felt a genuine connection to the mission and all of the characters on it. There were real stakes, suspense, and growth for that portion of the book. The final part in the quarry(and beyond) was where the real payoff came. I won't spoil anything, but the ending put each character(except for Regal, I didn't love his ending) in the place that I felt they were meant to be all along. The bad part of this book, was Fitz and Nighteyes' solo travel in the first half. It wasn't all bad, but it felt like a tv show where they have to put some kind of action in each episode to make people watch, but none of it is particularly relevant to the main story. That can be entertaining, but in this case it felt repetitive with Fitz essentially getting his ass kicked every time. The poor guy just couldn't catch a break and I didn't feel like that was necessary. Overall, just like in the first two books, the strength of this book is Fitz. He was a character I thoroughly enjoyed spending a couple of months reading about and the reason I would certainly recommend this entire series.
I'm so emotional right now! Like what is this ending? My poor Fitz only knows suffering.
I'm glad there are more stories in this world because I honestly can't get enough.
Robin Hobb you mad woman! This trilogy was so good. I don't think I've ever felt so strongly for a character as I do about Fitz. That pathetic man is my friend! I almost don't want to read the Liveship trilogy because I know I'm gonna miss Fitz so much but I trust this series is probably way too good not to finish.
I really loved the series, but this book is the weakest of the three. It’s overlong in the middle but has a wonderfully satisfying conclusion. Hobb is a master of prose and character, and even the parts that were too long were beautiful and enjoyable. The series is well worth your time.
I'm so happy to say that the last book of the triology is my favorite one.
It was everything the last books where but perfectioned, so much happened and the journey was so “journeylike”, you don't just get the highlights you get everything, but when things could feel a chore you get the big character moments that may happen during some mundane stuff but it is so well written and it feels so real that it explains the characters so well in that.
I also love the reveals and how the magic ended playing out in this one and also how Hobb writes it entangled with emotions and feelings is brilliant.
The character interactions and plotlines and how they resolve feel so realistic I can't explain how but it just feels like a reflection of real life and not something that's written for the sake of telling a story.
9/10
MILD SPOILERS I guess but if you thought this book was gonna have a big battle in the end you weren't paying attention.
It's hard to explain just how much I loved this trilogy, yet am so emotionally taxed by it. It's so profoundly sad. Yet, I am so happy to have taken this journey with these characters.
Robin Hobb has made a world and cast of characters I'm now so deeply invested in. I'm appreciative at the depth of her characters, the rich descriptions of their travels, and the history of the world. I want to keep living in it. I can't stop thinking about it.
Wow what a ride. It got sloggy a times but the ending was good. I thought I had read this one before, but it wasn't on my Read shelf so I'm entering it now.
This series was amazing but has the most annoying ending. Fitz goes through all this BS his whole life for Verity just to end up sacrificing his love and his Godfather and all of his friends. Some people don't know he lives and some people don't care enough to come see him. He's only left with an adopted child, an old wolf and woman who passively shares his bed that he doesn't truly care about...wtf
All that being said this one of the most entertaining series I've ever read with outcomes you'll never predict and also a very unique portrayal of dragons. I'm down for more Hobb but hopefully she won't rip my heart out in the very end again.
I didn't like this that much as a book, and I actively disliked it as the end of a trilogy. I can't imagine reading this in 1997 when it was first published and people didn't know there would be 13 more Elderlings books.
I could excuse the long journeying and meandering, and lack of important characters for large chunks of it, but the conclusion is just so unsatisfying for me. I thought the big reveal about what the point of the quest was, was silly. I was like
I am really torn by this final book, but I think the first trilogy is well wrapped up and we have no loose ends.
But it was soooooo sloooooow. That is why it looses 1 star for me. Could have been -200 pages and being perfect.
4.75 - just when you couldn't think it could get any worse for Fitz, Hobb finds a way. there was a scene towards the end that literally made me cry, because of course. but how could anyone be blamed?