The Farseer: Assassin's Apprentice

By: Robin Hobb

Narrated by: Paul Boehmer

Length: 17 hrs and 18 mins

Publisher's summary

With unforgettable characters, a sweeping backdrop, and passionate storytelling, this is a fantasy debut to rival that of Robert Jordan. Filled with adventure and bloodshed, pageantry and piracy, mystery and menace, Assassin's Apprentice is the story of a royal house and the young man who is destined to chart its course through tempests of change. Young Fitz is the bastard son of the noble Prince Chivalry, raised in the shadow of the royal household by his father's gruff stableman. An outcast whose existence has forced his father to abdicate his claim on the throne, Fitz is ignored by all royalty except the devious King Shrewd, who has him secretly tutored in the arts of the assassin. For in the young man's blood is a heritage of magic, the talent called the Skill, as well as another, even more mysterious ability.

As barbarous raiders ravage the coasts and leave behind the zombie-like husks of the townspeople to prowl the countryside, Fitz is growing toward manhood. Soon he will face his first dangerous, soul-shattering mission, a mission that poses as much a threat to himself as it does for his target---for Fitz is a threat to the throne...but he may also be the key to the survival of the kingdom.

©1999 Robin Hobb (P)2010 Tantor

Critic reviews

“Intriguing, controlled, and remarkably assured...at once satisfyingly self-contained yet leaving plenty of scope for future extensions and embellishments.” ( Kirkus)

If you are patient, it is worth it.

It was a good start but then most of the book was character and world development. If you are patient you will not be disappointed at the end. I am looking forward to the next two books/

Slow story but good read

There's so much here but it takes such a long time to get going. Be patient. It gets better.

ups and downs but memerable

the characters are what drives the story but it is difficult to follow at times with very little dialog as the main character is recalling his childhood. intriguing magic system and a very good performance made this very enjoyable.

wonderful!

I love the series! the three books take you on a wondrous journey! Read them all!

Intriguing characters and great story

Hobb delves into the characters and attracts the reader to their stories. By the end, the reader is so invested he hates the tale ending. I can’t wait to pick them up again in the next book. It is the mark of a great book and a truly talented author.

A most enjoyable story

I find it interesting how certain aspects of this world are not well formed at this point (like information about the Elderlings being rather vague. But it is an enjoyable jaunt and well crafted.

Great story line. Narrator took a while to get use

Great starter book for a series. lots of intrigue. It did take a little to get into the book but once in I was in.

Very eloquent.

I found the story, as well as its narration, to be quite captivating... Though it did seem a bit scattered at times (when it came to the plot). Also, while I do understand the macabre nature inherent in a book with the word "assassin" in its title, it would be really nice if the next installments in this series actually manage to inject a modicum of happiness into all of the dreary overtones and depressing atmosphere; a scenario in which our beloved mc has something go right in his life, instead of horribly wrong... a solid win, as it were.
Regardless, Assassin's Apprentice was truly a very eloquent and intriguing introduction to author, Robin Hobb, and his work; and I look forward to embarking on the mysterious new journey that has fallen, so unexpectedly, into my lap.

Good book

This is a good story. Good narrator. I really wish it would have went into more detail about "The Skill" and "The Wit" but thats what you get with character driven stories.
Its a good book. This next bit has a complaint that isn't important but is a kind of spoiler so don't read any further if you haven't read the series.

Spoiler....






Dear author... I'm going to read book 2. If you kill another dog in it ill never read another thing you put out ever again. Yeah they were both selfless and did something great when they died but you're killing dogs man. what the hell? Finally gets one back then.... Nope. Dead. It's bullshit. So find another sacrifice or let the MC heal the next dog you try killing off. sigh... Doubt audible will even let me post this. I doubt half of my reviews even get posted.

Incredible

I only purchased this book through one of Audibles 2-for-1 deals, as not much else in that particular selection interested me. BEST AUDIBLE DECISION IVE MADE. This tale is incredible, written in layers with intrigue. Actions, words, and characters build on each other cleanly to weave a great tale. The story is easy to follow, yet complex enough to keep you thinking about what may happen later on. Are these words related to what was said previously? Is the motivation behind this related to another? The answers are always addressed, leaving few cliffhangers, but offering intrigue and wonderment along the way.

The tale leaves you satisfied and wanting for more. I found myself looking up characters and other topics on the internet, careful not to spoil any future works.
The narration is superb. (I found 1.1x speed perfect.)

I will 100% be purchasing the rest of this series. If you’re a fan of this style of story, I’m sure you will be just as excited to see what happens next in the world of FitzChivalry Farseer. I absolutely recommend this title for a great fantasy realm story.