Assassin’s Apprentice, by Robin Hobb
Book Review - Assassin's Apprentice By Robin Hobb
Assassin’s Apprentice is the first book of one of the first fantasy series I can remember reading; the Farseer Triology, by Robin Hobb. It is a first-person narrative following the young life of Fitz – the bastard child of a prince who is raised by Burrich, master of animals. As he grows and lives amongst the animals, Fitz discovers he possesses a special talent for communicating with creates – the Wit (something that disgusts Burrich and ruins the relationship between the two). When the Kingdom comes under threat, Fitz moves away from Burrich into the caste and takes an oath to serve his King.
Before long Fitz finds himself under the command of Chade, the Master Assassin, who teaches Fitz the ways of his trade and allows the young man to undertake the Kingdom’s dirty work. Fitz is also made part of a group who are being taught the magical Skill – an ability that is similar to the wit, but allows the users to share thoughts and strength. As the story progresses, Fitz learns to balance his special abilities and training with his duties to the King and constant battle against enemies both outside and inside the castle walls.
As an introduction to the genre, Assassin’s Apprentice is a wonderful book and leads on very nicely to second and third books in the series. Engaging enough for younger readers, yet interesting enough for older fans of the genre, the series does nevertheless suffer for an element of repetition, as Fitz does seem to be forever recovering from some form of attack!
