'Fantasy as it ought to be written' George R.R. Martin The kingdom of the Six Duchies is on the brink of civil war when news breaks that the crown prince has fathered a bastard son and is shamed into abdication. The child's name is Fitz, and he is despised. Raised in the castle stables, only the company of the king's fool, the ragged children of the lower city, and his unusual affinity with animals provide Fitz with any comfort. To be useful to the crown, Fitz is trained as an assassin; and to ...
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'Fantasy as it ought to be written' George R.R. Martin The kingdom of the Six Duchies is on the brink of civil war when news breaks that the crown prince has fathered a bastard son and is shamed into abdication. The child's name is Fitz, and he is despised. Raised in the castle stables, only the company of the king's fool, the ragged children of the lower city, and his unusual affinity with animals provide Fitz with any comfort. To be useful to the crown, Fitz is trained as an assassin; and to use the traditional magic of the Farseer family. But his tutor, allied to another political faction, is determined to discredit, even kill him. Fitz must survive: for he may be destined to save the kingdom.
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New. Glued binding. B-format paperback. Farseer Trilogy, 1. In Stock. 100% Money Back Guarantee. Brand New, Perfect Condition, allow 4-14 business days for standard shipping. To Alaska, Hawaii, U.S. protectorate, P.O. box, and APO/FPO addresses allow 4-28 business days for Standard shipping. No expedited shipping. All orders placed with expedited shipping will be cancelled. Over 3, 000, 000 happy customers.
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Fine. Glued binding. B-format paperback. Farseer Trilogy, 1. In Stock. 100% Money Back Guarantee. Brand New, Perfect Condition, allow 4-14 business days for standard shipping. To Alaska, Hawaii, U.S. protectorate, P.O. box, and APO/FPO addresses allow 4-28 business days for Standard shipping. No expedited shipping. All orders placed with expedited shipping will be cancelled. Over 3, 000, 000 happy customers.
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New. 'Fantasy as it ought to be written' George R.R. Martin Series: The Farseer Trilogy. Num Pages: 400 pages. BIC Classification: FM. Category: (G) General (US: Trade). Dimension: 197 x 130 x 25. Weight in Grams: 278. 2014. Paperback.....We ship daily from our Bookshop.
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New in new dust jacket. Brand New, We ship to PO, APO and FPO adresses in U.S.A. Choose Expedited Shipping for FASTER DELIVERY. Customer Satisfaction Guaranteed.
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New. Glued binding. B-format paperback. Farseer Trilogy, 1. In Stock. 100% Money Back Guarantee. Brand New, Perfect Condition, allow 4-14 business days for standard shipping. To Alaska, Hawaii, U.S. protectorate, P.O. box, and APO/FPO addresses allow 4-28 business days for Standard shipping. No expedited shipping. All orders placed with expedited shipping will be cancelled. Over 3, 000, 000 happy customers.
Friendly fellow fantasy fan warning: buy this book and you'll be committing yourself to purchasing not only the further two books in this trilogy, but very likely every other book in all four trilogies that have thus far been written by Robin Hobb. The characterisation, prose and plots in all of her novels are of such a high standard that it's impossible to describe how engrossing they can be until you've sampled them for yourself. Here's a list of those trilogies, just so you know what you'll be letting yourself in for...
The Farseer trilogy- Assassin's Apprentice / Royal Assassin / Assassin's Quest
The Liveship Traders trilogy- Ship of Magic / Mad Ship / Ship of Destiny
The Tawny Man trilogy- Fool's Errand / The Golden Fool / Fool's Fate
The Soldier Son trilogy- Shaman's Crossing / Forest Mage / Renegade's Magic
The first three trilogies are set in the same world, while the fourth is a stand-alone series set in a different world. Although the Liveship Traders trilogy can be read independently, as it concentrates on a different set of characters, I would still recommend reading the trilogies in order, as they each subtly tie-in with one another and build a larger story-arc in the saga of this world as events transpire. The most recently published fourth trilogy is set in a completely different world, but is perhaps best accessible to die-hard Hobb fans, as it isn't quite in the same league as her previous trilogies.
For me Assassin's Apprentice was easily the best debut from any author I'd ever read in any genre at the time and remains one of my all-time favourites. The world Hobb has crafted here is so detailed and authentic, the characters so vivid and the story so mesmerising that you'll realise you're hooked after only the first two chapters. It tells the story of a nameless boy who comes to live in Buckeep Castle under the watchful eye of stable master Burrich, who in turn bestows upon his ward the enigmatic name of Fitz. Very soon Fitz finds himself in the service of ageing King Shrewd and embroiled within court intrigue and various plays for power that are rife among the royal family. The backdrop to this domestic plotting is the invasion of the Six Duchies by a race known as the Outislanders whose method of conquest is as horrific as it is persuasive.
If it sounds in the least bit derivative so far then rest assured it's absolutely anything but! The outline may even sound like standard fantasy fare, but Hobb's storytelling abilities elevate Assassin's Apprentice far above any similar fantasy tale with familiar themes. By the end of this first story in the Farseer trilogy you'll be completely immersed in Fitz's bittersweet life and the conflicted kingdom of the Six Duchies, so much so that the impulse to read the whole of this trilogy in one sitting will be an extremely difficult impulse to deny. Magical is a term that's very often over-used to describe fantasy stories, but for Assassin's Apprentice there's no more accurate description. Enjoy my friends.
Kokayi
Jan 2, 2008
A very well-woven novel
I find it interesting that the synopsis does not mention the Apprentice. I would probably give this 4.5 stars. This is an emotion-filled, complex story about a boy thrust into a world of intrigue, betrayal, fierce loyalties, honor, war, love, loneliness, and just about everything else life can offer. And the magic is that it all holds together so well. Considering the story covers such a relatively long period of time in a child's life, and travels across two kingdoms, Hobb really does an amazing job of keeping the many disparate elements of her tale knit closely together and interesting. I am eagerly into the second book now, and i find it hard to do anything else but seek out what comes next.
pinkcricket
Sep 19, 2007
Great Series
A friend handed me the first in this series and I couldn't put it down. I ended up reading the rest in the series. Well written with exciting story. Highly recommended for those who like fantasy fiction.
