★★★★☆.5 promising start to the series! I am excited to keep reading.
What’s the book about?
In the kingdom of the Six Duchies, the Farseer family rule at Buckkeep and they are on the brink of a civil war, and the last thing they needed was Fitz, a bastard son of the King-in-Waiting who then promptly abdicates his right to the crown and leaves with his wife. Fitz, who is raised in the stables of Buckkeep and finds solace in very few places, one being his affinity with animals, is despised by those at the keep. He could also be a problem to the crown one day, so he is taken under the wing of the royal family and taught the ways any young noble boy should be taught. He is also taught to be a weapon for the royal family, and tutored by Chade in the artistry of killing, and in the traditional magic of the Farseer family. With the weight of the royal family on his shoulders, Fitz must survive even when the odds are against him.
All events, no matter how earthshaking or bizarre, are diluted within moments of their occurrence the the continuance of the necessary routines of day-to-day.
My thoughts
It took me a long time to read this (partly because I set it aside for a month to buddy read Red Rising), but boy did I love this book. It reminds me of no other, it’s rife with stunning world-building and backstory. Hobb has found a way to set the scene without info-dumping, but completely immersing you into the world. Each chapter starts with a tidbit of history of their world, and these sections explain customs, laws, political intricacies and everything else you could need to understand the events of the novel without just dumping all the info on you at once. It is gradually divulged to the reader in a sophisticated and completely engrossing way. Hobb’s writing style is beautiful and unique, it’s complex, it’s gritty. She describes. the good and the bad in a way like no other author I have experienced. I am completely invested in the world she has invented, and much of that is due to her writing style. One thing I loved about this world is the custom of naming in the royal family based on the virtues or characteristics they embody. Without knowing anything about a character, you can still get a feel for the type of person they are, and I love it.
Fitz is a liminal character, existing on the boundaries of the lowest of society, whilst simultaneously existing in the world of the royals. In such a structured and political environment, he is an outcast, and he could be deadly. This book not only sets up for greater political intrigue and subterfuge in the coming books, but it is very much a coming of age story for Fitz. He grows from a young child to a young man, he develops from a boy who barely speaks to an articulate and witty character, and he goes from being a bastard, to an indispensable assassin for the royal family. This book isn’t what you may think when you hear ‘secret assassin for the royal family.’ There is very minimal action, it’s a gradual buildup to the last 100 pages where the pace picks up and the stage is set for the next book. The book is nuanced with political intrigue, and there is so much that is yet to be revealed that you just have to keep reading. It was definitely a character-driven story, dotted with an underlying magical element which I am looking forward to learning more about in coming books. Have you read this book, this series or anything by Robin Hobb? What did you think? Let me know in the comments or over on my Instagram @kell_read ✨
Most prisons are of our own making. A man makes his own freedom, too.