Book 3, Assassin's Quest: The Farseer Trilogy

an excellent and timeless read, this is not a happy book but it is a gripping saga with well developed characters set in a rich tapestry of culture, history and politics. I found I was intrigued by the plot and often was surprised at the direction and evolving of events. Fritz is almost an anti-hero at times and the his behaviour and decisions are more attuned to a book exploring human frailty and the repercussions of the unintended consequences.
this sets the scene for whole series which stays true to style and narrative. I would recommend this to any fantasy reader who is looking for absorbing and evolving characters.

The Farseer Trilogy quickly became one of my favorite of all time. Read it if you like fantasy.

I find it interesting because the setting seems life-like to a medieval Englishesque nation. There is a mix of life-like and magic. The magic in the setting is taboo. and while pivotal to the plot, does not over power the book.

Regal is one of the most evil antagonists I have ever had the pleasure of experiencing. Ms. Hobb did an excellent job of creating interest and conflict. You grow to love the protagonist, Fitz.

The best part about this series is that it is part of a trilogy of trilogies. The reading pleasure goes on and on.

All this being said, I have not finished Assassin's Quest yet, and it is very different from the previous two. It is sort of difficult to get interested in it. The reason of this is a major spoiler.

I spent a most enjoyable week reading the Farseer Trilogy. The ending however has much to be desired. Surely Fitz deserves a much better ending after all his sacrifices and struggles. And there are loose ends which I find irritating. The only reason I am ignoring the frustrating ending and still rate the trilogy 5 stars is because I hope that Hobb will redeem herself with the follow-up trilogy, "The Tawny Man". Except for the ending, which is the spoiler, the Farseer Trilogy is a beautifully written and spell binding series. Hobb is a luminous and gifted writer. Thus it is a very rewarding experience to read The Farseer Trilogy from the first person perspective. It is easy to feel deeply for Fitz, be captivated by his colourful adventures and be sadden by his struggles through his young and painful life. As I hate to be left "hanging" in any series, I will start the Tawny Man after the whole trilogy is published. I do hope "The Tawny Man" will not end in a sour note for Fitz.

I really hated this tale. The interesting bits were peppered too generously with needlessly mundane descriptions of task that were repeated throughout the trilogy in a fashion that I found absolutely mind numbing. The premise of the story was engaging but I thought the execution was poor. The voice chosen for this book was awkward and I felt like the passages of him writing were clumsy. My main issue would have to be the main characters unbelievable denseness. It went from great potential for suspense to this painful waiting for the main character to catch up to the reader and all the other people in the story who all seemed to be more aware than him. The connections and memories you'd think would be forefront in the characters mind at each juncture in the story were inexplicably lacking. Making all the "big reveals" lack any impact whatsoever because the reader already realized it and it was just an exercise in frustration watching the main character bumble through life and just...The ending is ok but the journey to get there was a plodding emotional miasma of idiocy filled with black hole passages with little meaning to the overall story. I didn't like it.

Overall, this was one of the best fantasy series ive read in some time. The character development and relationships were excellent and made the story come to life. This series started out slow, but as this book progressed it got harder and harder to put down or predict where the plot may go. My only real complaint is with the ending of this book. Simply put, it was rushed. An entire book's worth of material was crammed into 2 or three chapters at the end! Not only that, but the ending it gave didn't even seem to fit the character's personalities and was in general would have turned out very differently if she had put the time and effort into doing it properly. I like the fact that is was probably more realistic than most fantasy series and i could even live with a depressing ending if was well though out. To sum up; this was an excellent series and i look forward to starting her next one, but be prepared for an unsatisfactory ending.

Great book in a great trilogy. Brighter and lighter (ish) than her more recent work, that may be due to the boyish flair of the protagonists but it still feels more hopeful, even when it's bleak (it's Robin Hobb, there's lots of bleak!) :) Can be read out of sequence but will make a lot more sense if you read them in order. Read it!

Typical Robin Hobb! Great writing, impeccable writing! Hobb has the talent to really draw you into the tales and characters. I am so glad there are a number of other books with these settings and characters. It's even better that after 20 years, Hobb has written more about all of our favorite character, Fitz.

While Robin Hobb has developed some interesting characters and plot lines, this book is way longer than it needs to be. There seems to be too much un-necessary waffle as if the author feels the need to over justify the actions of the characters. For example, the repetitive musings about why Fitz can't/won't see Molly again or Nettle for the first time were not needed and simply seemed to drag out the plot line. My other criticism is that the book ends with Fitz thinking about how the 'skill' is calling him - shades of Bilbo and Frodo being called to join the elves and co - very Tolkienesque.

Great story. Looking forward to reading more about Fitz and the Fool in the next Trilogy by Robin Hobb. I highly recommend this series to those who enjoy this genre. The characters were captivating and I found I could t wait to read the next chapter.

Don't let the simple titles fool you... Robin Hobb is masterful in her Farseer Trilogy. Definitely recommend for fans of Patrick Rothfuss's (these books helped me through my Kingkiller Chronicles withdrawal). The story is at the same time fantastical, intriguing, and familiar, as we experience an extraordinary life through the eyes of Fitz, who doesn't find himself to be all that extraordinary at all.

I really liked this series, although this book I thought was the weakest of the three. About 60% of the book is filled with repetitive traveling which I didn't care for. The ending was disappointing and bittersweet. Regardless, I liked it and will read more

I've just finished the Farseer Trilogy, and this review serves as a cumulative review of the trilogy and Book 3.

First off, I was a little hesitant even starting the series. Unfamiliar with Hobb's work, but looking for something now, I picked up Assassin's Apprentice based on the good reviews. My hesitancy came simply from reading the intro to the book. The names of the characters made the work sound like some children's fairy tale, but I preferred the grittier adult fantasy I'd been accustomed to reading for some time. Nevertheless, I began reading and quickly found this not the case, as the Hobb's prose is excellent and the series, while not as graphic or as gritty as some works I've read, is certainly not fiction for a child.

I was instantly grabbed by the story and the characters. FitzChivalry, the Bastard, and main character of the trilogy is someone one can easily relate to, sympathize with, and root for. It's an underdog story of the trials and tribulations of a boy born into a great line of reigning nobility, yet due to being born a bastard, there is never an easy path for Fitz, and he is shunned by many who should love and support him. Still, he does find friends and support along the way.

From the start - the trilogy is first person from Fitz's view - the story is very character driven. Much plot does with the overarching enemies to the realm, both within and without. But I feel foremost, this story is driven by the path of Fitz as a character. A path that starts when he is introduced from the very first page at just 6 years of age. This is both a boon and a bust for the series. The main antagonists in the trilogy -with to some degree an exception for his evil uncle - are never given full measure or weight. We understand the threats to Fitz and the Six Duchies, but never truly know the enemy.

The struggle, the main conflict, is much or more within the mind of Fitz, rather than usual conflict of sword against sword, or magic against magic or sword. These elements do exist, of course, but the story is less about the face of war and more about the facing of one's own demons. We are drawn into the evolution of Fitz's character, and those closest to him. There is much failure, disenchantment, unfulfilled expectations and losses- even up until the end. And for that reason, some may not find the it a very satisfying conclusion or really the series as a whole satisfying.

I think one of the main issues, at least for me, is throughout the process, Fitz never truly seems to master himself. He is not your typical hero. He is gifted with both the the described magics of this world (apparently there are other magics, but those are only alluded to), and receives some training in certain arts, obviously one art serves the title. Moments exist where he achieves success early on with these arts, but he never truly excels at any one thing and encounters many failures. in many cases, victory or supposed victory achieved more as a result of the unpredictable nature of is gifts, or in other cases with help of others, directly or indirectly. Fitz in definitely not the White Knight come to save the day and vanquish all foes, nor is this Hobb's intent. I recall at the moment to remember similar characters of fiction, but Fitz primarily serves as a Catalyst to events - and this is clearly detailed in the books as well.

A state all this so as to temper future reader's expectations. It's not meant to persuade one way or another toward the merit of reading the trilogy. i for one truly enjoyed reading the series. I was engaged throughout and had many a night reading beyond normal hours. Sometimes reading a story is the "process" itself just as much as the result. The conclusion of this story left me a bit unsatisfied for sure I know there is more to the story of Fitz. I have not read beyond Assassion's Quest, and apparently the next trilogy in the series deals with him not at all. But there are at least two more series it appears that deal with him directly and indirectly, at least, so I look forward to those eventually, and hopefully a more satisfying resolution to all that makes Fitz Fitz. I think Hobb's initially wrote the Farseer Trilogy as stand-alone to some extent, and in that respect there is much left lacking at the conclusion. If you are like me, you may say 'this is all we are left with?".

These books are spell binding! I was so excited to read that she has written 4 connecting trilogies about this world and each book is 700-900 pages so if your a reading junky like me you can really get your fix! The world is fascinating and the characters are people you want to0 spend all of you days with. Great author and a fantastic adventure.

This has been my favorite trilogy fantasy to date. Robin Hobb has found a new fan. I never had enough time to read and couldn't wait to gt back to the book. The author does a phenomenal job developing the characters and making you care about them. I had planned to move to a different book series but I am back reading the next trilogy.

i had started another series by robin hobb and did not get into it. i really liked this series and highly recommend it to any one. i really enjoyed the characters and wanted to know what happened to them. excellent books

This series gets better with every book. Robin Hobb unerringly created a character in Fitz that i wish were real because I feel as if I know him so well. By the end of the first trilogy he is man in his mid twenties and the development he went through from the age of 6 to current was cunningly wrought.

I really liked the character development in all three books. The large number of characters kept the multiple plots connected and the action moving. These books are a smaller version of Games of Thrones!

This installment of the Farseer Trilogy probably could've been a bit more lean, but it was exciting and satisfying in the end. Really, I'd read about 1200 pages to get to this book and I wanted to get to the denouement. All in all a fine series. Among the best fantasy I've read since Lord of the rings. Not as good, but nothing ever will be in this genre.

Not many books leave me thinking about it after I'm done with them. But this one left me thinking a lot. The Fitz did everything for his King like he was asked and in a way did give his life. But at the end he lost everything he cared about. The ending actually depressed me and I just about cried for the guy. Overall this book was excellent a little slow in couple of parts but the rest made up for it. Read the series and it will prove to you that you don't need a happy ending to have a great series. I think I would rank this one in the top 5 of the series I have read.

Just finished reading this book and have moved on to the next trilogy! I could not put the book down towards the end! I will say that this one started off a bit slower than the first 2 but it was SO worth it in the end!

Loved this whole series. Could not put them down from start to finish. Robin Hobb is an amazing writer, I loved her choice of words (obviously the Kindle was needed) I was completely absorbed into the tale. I would very much recommend.

This is my favorite series of the thousands of books I've read. It is easy to get lost with Fitzchivalry and every character in this book. I have read them 3 times and would read them again. I absolutely love this book!!

Robin Hobb offers a satisfying resolve to the Farseer trilogy. This is not some saccharine fantasy, but one profoundly rooted on the themes of loyalty, sacrifice, & duty. I applaud Hobb for not taking the easy path that would give a predictable, feel-good resolution, but, instead, offered a finish that had me grinning at times, tearing up at others, and contented that I made the journey into the world of FitzChivalry!

Robin spins a great tale with a good underlayment of character development. There are a few threads from the prior two books that were not fully developed or felt a bit rushed. I honestly did not miss them, I only wish that those threads had not been foreshadowed so that I was not looking for resolution.

Third in a great series, this book slows way down. The story could have been told in 200 pages rather than 750, or those extra pages could have been used to lay more of a background for all the twists and turns at the end. Still, I'm glad I finished the series.

This trilogy mixes the elements of fantasy writing in a perfect blend. So much so that I found myself wanting to get back to it whenever I possibly could. My only criticism would be that the final book had more than its share of unnecessary and slow-moving middle chapters. Overall, however, this is a must read for anyone who enjoys the fantasy genre!

Once again, Ms Hobb graces the page so lightly you scarcely see her hand. In this final book of the Farseer Trilogy, we follow Fitz and Regal's embittered struggle to its end.

As always, her words unearth a wellspring of emotion within me, and with this latest book, she has told me exactly where I can place them.