The Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb

Book 1 of The Farseer Trilogy

Rating: 4 out of 5

Bastard sons of kings. How many times have we read fantasy stories about them? Well, Fitzchivalry isn't exactly a bastard son of a king, he is a bastard son of the king's heir. Sent away by his maternal grandfather, he finds himself being taken by the royal household who can't really afford to totally acknowledge him, since his mother was lowborn. He is taken under the care of the heir's stablemaster and is taught to tend to the horses.

That by itself should have been the end of the story. But Fitzchivalry's (or more commonly "Fitz") seemingly harmless arrival into the castle sets in motion a chain of events that shakes the foundation of the succession and unknowingly puts his life in danger. He discovers he inherited strange powers from his father's lineage, is secretly sent under the tutelage of one of the royal advisors, Chade, and is taught to become an assassin in order to become a pawn of the king. Meanwhile, the realm itself is threatened by foreign raiders and in their wake they leave a horror more horrible than any wanton destruction they could possibly leave behind, of which no answer has yet been found.

It is difficult to pinpoint why this book captures the attention of the reader as soon as they open the first page. It may be the writing of the author, Robin Hobb; or it maybe the boy, Fitz, whose story draws people in. Hobb in some way attracts sympathy towards the main character and keeps readers coming back to the story. Which is amazing because her style is simply... simple. It isn't articulate like Tolkien, or lyrical like Herbert. Her story isn't mind-boggling like Mielville, or doesn't have the gritty realism of Martin, or the vast overwhelming scope of Erikson.

Her characters, if one looks closely, with a few exceptions, are just like any other character from any other fantasy book. Yet they stand out. There isn't a great warrior, or that cool sneaky dude. It isn't even action-filled. For all intents and purposes, this book should have been boring. Yet still, Robin Hobb draws us in. Maybe because she also breaks a lot of standards that have come before her that the story comes out interesting. Maybe it's the uniqueness of the plot and the setting (even though the world-building hasn't really been extensive).

Whatever it is, it says a lot about Robin Hobb. The Assassin's Apprentice (and its series) has been a favorite for many for years now, and its not because of the usual things fans love about speculative fiction. This book is liked mainly for its story, and the way it has charmingly wormed its way into the hearts and minds of its readers, proving once and for all that all a story needs, really, is simply good story-telling. And, thankfully, this is just the first Robin Hobb has to offer. Lucky for us, there's more.