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The Farseer: Royal Assassin
The Farseer: Royal Assassin
The Farseer: Royal Assassin
Audiobook29 hours

The Farseer: Royal Assassin

Written by Robin Hobb

Narrated by Paul Boehmer

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

4.5/5

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About this audiobook

Young Fitz, the illegitimate son of the noble Prince Chivalry, is ignored by all royalty except the devious King Shrewd, who has had him tutored him in the dark arts of the assassin. He has barely survived his first, soul-shattering mission, and when he returns to the court, he is thrown headfirst into the tumult of royal life.

With the king near death, and Fitz's only ally off on a seemingly hopeless quest, the throne itself is threatened. Meanwhile, the treacherous Red Ship Raiders have renewed their attacks on the Six Duchies, slaughtering the inhabitants of entire seaside towns. In this time of great peril, it soon becomes clear that the fate of the kingdom may rest in Fitz's hands-and his role in its salvation may require the ultimate sacrifice.
LanguageEnglish
Release dateMay 24, 2010
ISBN9781400184354
The Farseer: Royal Assassin
Author

Robin Hobb

Robin Hobb is one of the world’s finest writers of epic fiction. She was born in California in 1952 but raised in Alaska. She raised her family, ran a smallholding, delivered post to her remote community, all at the same time as writing stories and novels. She succeeded on all fronts, raising four children and becoming an internationally best-selling writer. She lives in Tacoma, Washington State.

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Reviews for The Farseer

Rating: 4.555282555282555 out of 5 stars
4.5/5

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  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    The action of Royal Assasin takes up right where Assasin's Apprentice leaves off. Fitz Farseer slowly recovers from the poison that nearly killed him in the first book of this trilogy. At first he vows to turn his back on King Shrewd. But the continued threat from the Raiders soon brings him back to Buckkeep. The danger to Fitz and the Six Duchies grows as Prince Verity leaves to search out the Elderlings and save his people and his younger brother Regal moves in on the throne.King Shrewd continues his steady decline. Meanwhile Prince Regal continues shows himself to be spoiled, vain and totally unsuited to a kingship. As Regal's grip on the throne tightens, Fitz finds himself with few allies. His secret of beast magic proves to be both his salvation and potential destruction. Royal Assassin is fairly action packed and perfectly sets up the third and final novel of this Farseer trilogy.

    1 person found this helpful

  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I went into this one expecting to like it more than Assassin's Apprentice, and in the first quarter of the book that seemed like it was going to be the case. But I actually really didn't like about half of the book (probably roughly chapters 9-24?). And then I thought the ending of the book was ok. It makes me extremely curious about how the end of the trilogy is going to wrap up, but not overly so.My favorite parts of this book were the characters that I actually really like: Kettricken, the Fool, Patience, Verity (for the most part), and Burrich (most of the time). But then there was the downfall... So this might have gotten 3.25 stars? It just took me forever to get through it because I often found that I wasn't interested in picking it up.

    1 person found this helpful

  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I loved this series of books, and this one in particular. Robin Hobb's character development is where she really shines, and Fitz was a character I truly cared about and couldn't get out of my head. This is a good follow up to the first book, and if you enjoyed it, then you'll enjoy this one.

    1 person found this helpful

  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    robin why must you hurt me this way

    1 person found this helpful

  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    It's a riveting story... poor Fitz... so much betrayal... I love it! Night Eyes is one of my favorite animal companions. I'm looking forward to the next book.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I was given this book as a gift several years ago and never managed to get involved in the first one (I suspect I'm just worn out on coming of age books). I picked it up again while sorting through some old books of mine and found it was a cunning, enjoyable read. You don't need the first book in the series to be absorbed.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    A deep, dark, rich book, as carefully constructed and as relentlessly grim as a Greek tragedy.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Really loving this story. Can’t get enough. There is a problem with the recording though. Like sections are missing and cut out. At one point it seemed to jump ahead then can’t back. It was distracting and I’m sure I missed something important.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Very well written, clear and vivid. Be patient with this story, though the book could be about 5-10hrs lighter without compromising the essence and captivating qualities. I’ve developed an affinity for/connection to all characters in such a way that the events affects me deeply. I’ll definitely read this series again in a year or two. Regal and Ramsey (I wonder if you will figure out who this is) are the same!
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    It's a good story about bastard prince, but I don't like the fact that the so called good guys do nothing and let the bad guys win most of the time. I feel that the other characters are overly good so to say.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This is the second book in the first trilogy set in the world of the Six Duchies and I am so very glad that there are many more books for me to read. Robin Hobb is very skillful writer, making you feel strongly about all of the main characters, even if what you feel is deep loathing for some of them. She expertly ramps up the tension in this book, leaving you wondering all the way through how it is going to end. I really did feel tense in parts, I was that involved in the story. I would recommend this to anyone who likes well-written fantasy but also anyone interested in stories that involve political intrigues, since the fantasy element is definitely secondary to the story.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The second book in Robin Hobb's Farseer Trilogy. The story of Fitz continues as he survives his first brush with death and becomes an adult. In this book, Fitz falls in love, learns to harness both of his magical strengths, and grows close to his uncle Verity.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    By reading this novel from beginning to end in three weeks, I complete this epic trilogy. The timeframe rightly suggests that I find the story compelling and looking forward to resolution; the resolution is creative and dynamic. The characters are believable and have depth. I found the repeated plot reminders and foreshadowing a wee bit redundant and acknowledge that someone who read less quickly might find these more helpful. At some point, I will begin the next series by Robin Hobb. Well worth my attention.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    Bits of this are quite good, but it's depressingly like any other fantasy book. It's quite readable all the same mind you, I was just expecting something more. A lot of the characterisation is quite deft.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    great worldbuilding. Interesting epic problems to solve. Unfortunately the main character is dumb as a stump.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The second instalment in the series and it opens with Fitz seriously debiliitated by a poison he has taken. I've been there, my poison was chemotherapy and it was pretty much like it was described in the book. Fitz is now fighting Regal more openly with the red ships preying on the kingdom. Full of interesting characters and interesting situations although it's a big book it's a quick read.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    A great conclusion to an incredible trilogy. I have not enjoyed a simple set of books as much as this in some time. While much she has written before and since dissappointed me the world of the Farseers has been a pleasure to read and enjoy.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    Disappointing ending to a solid trilogy, let down by indulgent characterisation, an unlikable main character and unfortunate gender stereotypes.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Absolutely love this series. It's also a great entry point into the vast fantasy/adventure genre for people like me who have only read Harry Potter and the stray mainstream/commercial fantasy book.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Two quick complaints. Robin Hobb's novels aren't that easy to find. She has thoroughly engaged me with her writing style and amazing, deft characterizations in her novels, but I can't find any of her works at the local bookstore. Grr. Barnes & Noble can go ride a zucchini, whatever that means. And secondly, Hobb has, possibly, the worst biographical blurb of any book I've ever read: "Robin Hobb is a writer, and lives in Washington state." Huh? Okay, I know Robin Hobb is a pseudonym, but really?OK. Now on to real things. A the end of the previous novel of the Farseer Series, Assassin's Apprentice (my review here), FitzChivalry is caught up in court intrigue, and his jealous uncle, Regal, schemes to kill the young bastard prince. He, and his caretaker, Burrich, are brutalized and nearly killed, in the capital of the Mountain Kingdom. After several months of recuperation, Fitz decides that never again will he take up the cause of the Farseer throne.Of course, you know how this sort of thing is bound to turn out. Within 150 pages, he's off and murdering a new threat, The zombie-like Forged Ones, whose souls have somehow been erased by the Out Island pirates. Can you kill a man, if he is no longer who he was? It's a question for a better ethicist than I am.FitzChivalry discovers his strong rapport with the Wit (beast magic) and, nearly against his will, bonds himself to a wolf pup called Nighteyes. If someone discovers Fitz's Wit Magic, it may be punishable by death.A second subtext running through the novel is Fitz's romance with his childhood friend, Molly. The information of him, as the king's Assassin, must be hidden from her. She knows him as an errand-boy, and he must pile secret upon secret, in order to protect her from the trouble his career would bring her. How many secrets must your bury yourself in, before you are no longer yourself? I would not be surprised if Fitz's morose questioning reminds readers of prince Hamlet. At several points, he considers suicide to escape his fate.Once again, Hobb excels at crafting a world and characters that are real and engaging. Her story is engaging, and not at all pedestrian. Her characters do not shy away from real emotions, although occasionally, you want to grab young FitzChivalry and slap him upside the head.Hobb manages something that I haven't experienced in a very long time. The characters in the novels became friends: I actually cared what happened to them. Although it's an excellent story, it's definitely a "middle" novel of a trilogy. The reader is left with the desire to scamper to the nearest bookstore and find the third book, and start it immediately. Of course, the novel, in all probability, won't be on the shelves and you'll have to Special Order the silly thing. I didn't find it at my three local bookstores in Virginia, but managed to locate the third book in a bookshop in California, a mere 3,500 miles away. Her books are the best I've read in years.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Very, very character driven. Slow storytelling over a long time, but a good story.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This volume starts off right where the first one ended: Fitz is still recovering from his poisoning experience. He is still in Jhaampe with Jonqui and Burrick (and Hands) while all others have departed weeks ago for Buckkeep. Fitz is suffering from trembling and seizures and therefore thinks he will no longer be of any use to his King as an assassin. He’s even considered never going back till he has a dream of Molly being attacked by Forged ones. Only this persuades him that he has to go back, if only to know whether or not she survived. Fitz comes back to Buckkeep and is barely recognizable. Not only because of his sickness but also because he was grown and much more resembles his father in many way (in Jhaampe he was being treated as prince regardless the fact that he was a bastard so adjustments are required) still, the character seems to have grown from the last time he were with him.This second book covers about a year and a half. The Raiders haven’t stopped their attacks, the Forged ones seem to be all converging on Buckkeep, Verity’s marriage is not exactly the fairy tale Kettricken was waiting for (she too experiences troubles adjusting to her closed life in Buckkeep and the fact that she no longer is the Sacrifice), King Shrewd is gravely sick and his new valet Wallace (or Wall’s Ass) is feeding him suspicious looking herbs. To this already complex plot a few more things come in addition to further twist it: Fitz bonds with a wolf called Nighteyes, the Fool reveals his past as well as an interesting prophecy, Molly is alive, working as Patience’s servant and very much in love with our hero, but so is another called Celerity, daughter of the Duck of Bearns. Verity’s ships are being built but things get slightly more complicated when he starts wanting to use the Galen’s coterie (who turns out being loyal to Regal and not Verity), Verity sets off on a quest to find the Elderlings as he and Kettricken believe they are the only ones capable of saving the Six Duchies from the Raiders. Fitz sees a White Ship twice when fighting the Raiders. His gift of the Skill is slowly coming together and becoming less erratic thanks to Verity’s teaching. Still as Verity leaves, he leaves the Six Duchies into the hands of Regal as Queen-in-waiting Kettricken is often set aside though she does as much as she can to hold the kingdom together (the fact that there’s a little spy among her people doesn’t quite help), and King Shrewd is invalid. In the end, King Shrewd dies using the Skill, on the day of Regal’s ceremony as King-in-waiting (the coterie says they know Verity is dead), Fitz is arrested for avenging him and killing Serene and Justin. His tortured, executed but before that, he leaves his human body behind to take shelter in Nighteyes’ and becomes a wolf. The volume ends as he comes back to life (or to his own body). We don’t know where Chade is, neither do we know where the Fool and Kettricken and her unborn baby are. Verity is alive but that’s about as much as we know.Once again, Hobb caught me as I was immediately enthralled in this exciting, page turning adventure. The romances were sweet, the characters believable, Hobb’s whole world credible… 750 pages and still wishing there was more… but hopefully there is.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Fantastic book! Had me so angry with and for the characters multiple times that I could not put it down! So well written!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The second book in the Farseer trilogy. Read for the alpha challenge, RH. I enjoyed it. This finds the son Regal using his many devious means to usurp the throne.FitzChivilry serves his king as assassin and hones his use of poisons, the skill, and wit. Excellent fantasy.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The third of nine, so it finished off a sub-trilogy at least. Pretty good, although it dragged a bit in some places (the quarry part, the wolf part at the beginning). But then, this seems to be one of those fantasy books that is largely about places, so. I liked it.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    In this second volume of Hobb's 'Assassin' trilogy, matters progress from bad to worse. As FitzChivalry Farseer recovers from the near-fatal assassination attempt on him by Prince Regal, he begins to see that Buckkeep and the Six Duchies are falling apart around him. The Red-Ship Raiders grow ever more bold, and the vicious, amoral Forged Ones that the raiders somehow create from good citizens are growing to be ever more of a problem. King Shrewd is failing, wracked by illness - and drugs. In desperation, Prince Verity goes on a quest to seek the mythical Elderlings - and in his absence, Regal seizes yet more power, disregarding the woes of the nation and partying with pomp and ceremony. Fitz believes that the Duchies' decline may be all part of a plot designed by Regal - but his mentor, Chade, seems to think that his opinion may be based on his personal (although admittedly justified) dislike of that prince.
    Can Fitz stay loyal to the royal family, balance his job as an assassin with his love of his childhood sweetheart, Molly, support Verity's wife, the foreign quuen, Kettricken, against those who would discredit her, remain friends with the stablemaster, Burrich, even though he has the illegal 'Wit' (an ability to speak with animals), and survive the various hatreds of those who are arrayed against him?
    OK, I'm still missing some of the subplots here...
    It's a complex, soap-opera-esque story with plenty of drama - pure entertainment, and executed near-perfectly! Great stuff!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The second installment of The Farseer Trilogy sees Fitz truly become a Royal Assassin as the Six Duchies is torn apart from by both external and internal forces. The majority of the book centers on Fitz's home, Buckkeep, as he assists his uncle Verity both physically and magically to help protect the common people. However their efforts are hampered by Fitz's other uncle Regal who uses the Skill-trained nobles trained by his own half-brother to disrupt communications and slowly kill his father, King Shrewd. To add to these complications, Fitz must first deal with his health, his love for Molly, and his Wit-bonded wolf Nighteyes.The various intrigues and duties Fitz must keep juggling is a realistic struggle that is the book's strongest part, however as the book continues it also burdens the narrative the closer to the end than helps. Given the style of the book, as an autobiography by an aged Fitz, the reader always has in the back of their mind that any dangerous situation that Fitz is in that he'll survive because if he dies he couldn't write the story. However Hobb uses this knowledge to have a nice twist at the end of the book help Fitz escape his predicament right after the death of his grandfather, Shrewd.Royal Assassin is a wonderful continuation of Assassin's Apprentice as Fitz grows not only as a character through struggles both personal and "professional." At the end of the book, the reader yearns to know what happens next to Fitz and all the characters Hobb peopled the fortress of Buckkeep with as the Raiders continue their campaign while the government heads inland.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    Slow start. Hoping it gets better as the books progress. Story has promise
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    The more I read of this series, the more I love it. These are good strong characters in a well-created world, living a good story. I found reading this volume hard, not because it is a bad book - indeed, the opposite is true - but because I felt such empathy for the characters, especially Fitz, and I didn't want to have to suffer through the events of the book with them. I found myself caught in that in-between place where I both wanted desperately to read more, but at the same time I was afraid of what was going to happen next. This got me thinking about trilogies. I think the second book in a trilogy has a tendency to go one of two ways. 1. The story continues but doesn't really progress so that the third book can wrap things up. I recent example of this was "Eldest" by Christopher Paolini. I loved the book, but I'm more than willing to admit that on one level, all that happened was that characters got moved around the board a few times until they were in place for the last book. 2. Things just get worse and worse with no hope of improvement, because they won't start getting better until we're heading for a resolution in book three. So book two tends to be all about reaching rock bottom. Often, you can be fairly certain that if anything good happens in the first half of book two, it's going to have to go all wrong by the end. It may come right again in book three, but there are no promises. "Royal Assassin" is a #2 kind of book. It's a fantastic book, but I hated being at the stage where I knew bad stuff was going to happen and I, as I said, I still needed to suffer through it with the characters before we could all start coming out the other side and hopefully get some kind of happy ending. This is a great book, but it is very hard on the emotions. I'm now reading the last book in the trilogy, eager to know how it is all going to work out. I happily recommend this entire series to anyone who is looking for an excellent, solid fantasy.
  • Rating: 1 out of 5 stars
    1/5
    The torture never ends! Every time Fitz picks himself up he gets knocked down, punched in the face, and then trampeled by wild horses for his trouble.