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)

What... A... Series...

Anyone saying that this book is too slow or that the narrator fall short did not give it a chance (it took me a little while to get used to him, to be fair, but I think they chose the right guy). Either that, or they do not have any appreciation for world or character construction.

I am actually on book 3 now, I am just writing this to tell those who have yet to read the first, give it an honest try. I highly doubt you will be disappointed. If you are, audible has a return function.

I have thoroughly enjoyed these books. Sure, the main character has his ups and downs, but don’t we all? If you cannot empathize with the way he feels throughout the first three books, then that is not on the book or the author. This is not one of your short, action-packed 10 hour listens, but a great epic fantasy. You have to remember it starts when he is 6 years old. You’re with him through all the trials he faces as he grows into a man, and those he faces from his childhood on are grand.

The plots awesome, the world-building is awesome, and the character development is even better. You can’t help but love it.

A Great Start

This Farseer series starts here with FitzChivalry adjusting to new-found orphanage while learning the assassins trade. It is an emotionally deep story, both challenging and rewarding to read be you going to work or going to bed. The story is highly rewarding and recommended along with its 8 successors.

Lots of world building

Overall pretty good story. Lots of world building and character development so the story can seem to drag a times. But having boring parts is realistic due the framing device of an old man writing his biography.

Narrator did a really good job. I sometimes got so into it that forgot I was listening to an audiobook.

Fantastic start to this trilogy

From the jump you're set up to empathize and feel for young Fitz. You can't help but feel sorry for him and want the best for him. From one misadventure to the next you're waiting to see what will happen to him. The tales of the skill and the wit have us as readers/listeners enwrapped. The development of the characters is brilliant. Even down to the Forged ones.

One of my favorite types of magic

i liked the story, it was not as fast pased as some i have read, but i like the overall feel of the story and magic system. the narrator was good and i have no issues with his performance i just wish we could get more folks involved in these readings.

Magical

This was my first experience with listening to a favorite read and I started with some trepidation. I read all her books about twenty years ago and they are some of my favorite books. Now I will be listening to all of them - and I'm excited!

The worlds Ms. Hobbs creates are ones you live in, not just visit. Her fantasies are everything your imagination needs, so encompassing and complete it's a joy to get lost in them. Everything makes sense, the characters are richly drawn, relationships and actions are consistent.

If you like to get lost in a different world then you owe yourself at least a taste of one of her trilogies. Listening after all the years since I read them was like experiencing old friends

The reader reminds me of Hoban "Wash" Washburne...

...in a very non-funny capacity... If you were ever a Firefly fan, do you remember the line, "Yes. Yes. This is a fertile land and we will thrive. We will rule over all this land! And we will call it… this land!"
Well this reader is just like that. The end of the line is taken as the end of a sentence, a break and pause, even if it's in the middle. THE emphasis is ON the wrong words in THE sentence. He drones on and on, with very little difference, making it difficult to distinguish the changes in the dialog from one character to another. This is the sixth time I have restarted from the introduction just to try and figure out wtf is going on...unless he changes in the very near future I'm going to drop my rating another star. I live among people who speak the 'Queens English', this guys accent is just... wrong...

For Fantasy Fans

Slow at some parts, but a good setup for the remaining books in the trilogy

I'm completely sold on this series and Hobb now

I've been hungrily consuming top recommended fantasy books for the last few years now. This is my first experience with Robin Hobb's work, and I'm elated to have found such a wonderful and deep pool of fiction to explore. The writing is complex, thoughtful, and consistent. Clues to later reveals are logically hinted at throughout the book. I found the main character to be written very realistically as a kid/teen, even if he is gifted. I appreciated the realism with other characters as well. Mostly in that their lives do not solely revolve around the main character.

I forgot how good this is

It's been ten years or more since I read this series and it is still one of the best ever.