Assassin's Apprentice
by Robin Hobb
- Series
- Book one of the Farseer Trilogy
- Genre
- Epic fantasy
- Age
- ages 14 and up
About the book
Fitz is six years old when he is left at the castle of Buckkeep as the illegitimate son of Prince Chivalry. The prince withdraws in disgrace, and the boy grows up in the stables under Burrich, the stablemaster. He has no real place in the family or at court.
The king still sees a use for him. In secret, Fitz is trained by the mysterious Chade to become the king’s assassin. At the same time he discovers that he has two kinds of magic: the Skill, which the royal family uses, and the Wit, a bond with animals that people fear and hate.
Fitz tells the story himself as an adult. It is quiet and sorrowful, and it stays very close to him. It is the first part of a long run of books set in the same world.
The books in the series
- Assassin’s Apprentice (1995; Danish title: Snigmorderens lærling)
- Royal Assassin (1996; Danish title: Kongelig snigmorder)
- Assassin’s Quest (1997; Danish title: Snigmorderens kald)
My thoughts
I’ve read it, and it is quieter than a lot of fantasy. Fitz is lonely from the first page, and the whole book is built on that feeling. It’s a story about belonging, and it hurts in the good way.