Assassin’s Apprentice by Robin Hobb

A Fiction, 1995 by Spectra, 435 Pages 

What I Didn’t Like:

• Slow start. This is the first in a trilogy and the world building will likely be essential to the rest of the series, but it takes a long time between any action sequences and that world building makes it very slow paced. 
• There’s a lot to keep track of. This one boasts a large cast of characters, a family tree that you may need to keep track of to understand the ruling lineage in the world, and even talk of another country they were trading with. It’s a lot of detail to keep track of. 
• The title feels like a big promise. In reality, Fitz didn’t spend much of the beginning of the book having anything to do with an assassin or being an apprentice. It took quite a while before that kicked in. But I suppose Prince’s Bastard didn’t quite have the same appeal. 

What I Did Like:

• Ending. This one wraps up with a pretty intense final 75 pages or so. That makes me think the next book in the trilogy could be even better. 
• The link between the character and animals, which is highlighted, is fascinating. I’m assuming this particular skill will make a comeback in the rest of the series. I enjoyed reading about that. 
• Character development. There’s no doubt the author put a lot of love and time into creating Fitz into a character you’d feel like you know. We know everything about him and we have spent what feels like a lot of time with him. He’s well written and very well fleshed out. 

Who Should Read This One:

• High fantasy fans who love to get lost in new worlds. This one is immersive and loaded with new characters. I will say you have to be a fan of world building and not necessarily of dragons and mythical creatures. This one sticks to humans and their gifts/abilities. 

My Rating: 3 Stars

For fans of the genre, this isn’t a bad one. I hear the trilogy only gets better so I may have to give the second one a go!