A review by sergek94
Royal Assassin by Robin Hobb

5.0

“The exercise for centering oneself is a simple one.

Stop thinking of what you intend to do. Stop thinking of what you have just done. Then stop thinking that you have stopped thinking of those things.

Then you will find the now. The time that stretches eternal, and is really the only time there is.

Then in that place, you will finally have time to be yourself.”

Royal Assassin by Robin Hobb is the second book in The Farseer Trilogy and I had the pleasure of BR-ing it with Nicole and Milica . Make sure to read their reviews on this book as well!

After my very pleasant experience reading Assassin's Apprentice, the first book of this trilogy, I had very high hopes for the second installment. I'm not new to The Realm of The Elderlings, having read 3 books of The Rainwild Chronicles, back when I wasn't aware of the series that came before it. Therefore, I was already a fan of Hobb's superb writing before beginning my dive into The Farseer Trilogy.

Here, FitzChivalry, bastard son of Prince Chivalry who was once king-in-waiting before falling from grace and leaving this mortal world shortly after, trudges through life after the tragic incidents that took place at the end of the last book. Left almost crippled and mentally broken after his uncle Prince Regal's attempt on his life, Fitz must return to Buckkeep and continue right where he left off, living in the same place as the uncle who sadistically tried ending him and would not hesitate to do so again. He has to assist Prince Verity and King Shrewd in warding off the Red Ship Raiders, who continue terrorizing the Six Duchies and creating more and more Forged ones. Once again, we lose ourselves in the day to day routines of the royal court, seeing it all through the eyes of Fitz, and once again, Robin Hobb seems to make the most trivial details become interesting page-turners.




“The separate parts of my life became like beads and I the string that ran through them all. I believe if I had ever paused to consider the intricacy of all I did to keep those parts separate, I would have found it impossible. But I was young then, much younger than I suspected, and somehow I found the energy and time to do and be it all.”

The writing in this book is one of its strongest points. The words flow like honey, they are beautifully woven to create a great piece of literary art. In my opinion, the writing here is the top-notch style all authors of fantasy should strive for. It is completely immersive and I can physically feel myself in the environments Robin Hobb describes.



“We are pack!”

Another very strong aspect of the book is the characterization. Hobb once again excels in writing characters in vivid nuance, and she even managed to make a wolf become one of my favourite characters! Nighteyes, Fitz's new wolf companion, has conquered my heart and will definitely be one of the characters I always remember in literature. The bond between Fitz and Nighteyes is precious, and it left me longing to have The Wit myself and have such a companion. It is one of the purest loves out there and reading the development of the relationship between these two brought me so much joy, and an impending fear that it might come to an end... *cough*Nosy*cough. Yes, the trauma from the previous installment carries over to this one.



“I am the King's Fool. He is the King-In-Wating. Let him wait.”

The Fool is also one of my favourite characters. The unique mix of wit and intelligence and sensitivity and loyalty that he has makes him so precious. Every scene the Fool is in is always very interesting, regardless of how bland the events taking place are. The Fool's friendship with Fitz and his unwavering loyalty to King Shrewd are one of the many beautiful aspects of this book.



“I was amazed at how strong women were when they were angry.”

Molly, Fitz's never ending love interest, or should I say, obsession, is one of those characters I couldn't really get attached to. For most of the book, I found her to be overly naive, self-centered and temperamental. I know their story started way early on, in the last book, as an innocent friendship between two children, but I just couldn't see any true chemistry developing between the two, so their sudden transformation to "lovers" status felt a bit abrupt and weird to me. Molly's personality wasn't interesting and I had no investment in her character, and I got weary of the several times Fitz fantasized about her and her "red skirt" in his dreams. However, it's important to remember that these are teenagers, so such stories aren't that surprising.

One aspect I didn't feel very much in this book is Fitz's young age. He starts the book aged 15, but he was written in such a mature way that I always forgot he's a teenager unless I actively reminded myself of that fact. The only time he truly felt like a teenage boy was when he was swooning over Molly.






I can't end this review without mentioning some more of my favourite characters. Queen Kettricken was very well written. Her bravery mixed with her refreshing simplicity and kindness were always a breath of fresh air. Prince Verity was also one of my favourites in this book. I had not expected him and Fitz to grow so close, and Verity using the Skill on Fitz allowed for a very deep connection between the two. Patience, Chivalry's wife, was a character I really loved and hold in my top-tier list in this book, her eccentric ways mixed with her good heart and loyalty make her a precious gem. Every time Fitz knocked on her door, I always felt like I was coming home.

As talented as Hobb is in making you love some characters, her skill in making you despise some others is also formidable. Regal, our spoiled prince-ling, is someone who boils my blood, and having to read such a despicable character was nerve-wrecking, and an attestation to Hobb's brilliance.

In conclusion, this book is another masterpiece by Robin Hobb, who is definitely one of my favourite all-time authors. Her books will be ones I will want to re-read several times during my life. I had such a great time reading it, and BR-ing added more excitement to the experience! I am looking forward to reading the next book in this trilogy, and until then, I will be guarding these precious characters in my heart. 5 stars, gladly given!

“To finally confront the worst there is, to look it squarely in the face and say, "I know you. You have hurt me, almost to death, but still I live. And I will go on living.”