This next book took me back to the beginning of a series that I unintentionally started in the middle. A while back I read the Tawny Man trilogy by Robin Hobb and I mentioned that it didn’t feel like it was the start of the story. Turns out I was right and that series is actually the third of five consecutive series. It really starts with the Assassin’s Apprentice which is the first book in the Farseer trilogy. The book starts out when Fitz is only about six years old and he is first placed in the custody of the Farseers when it is revealed that he is Chivalry’s bastard son. It then moves on to chronicle his life growing up in and around Buckkeep, specifically his interactions with his various family members and certain other members of court. Fitz is placed in the custody of Burrich, who used to work for Chivalry and now runs the royal stables, and is trained by Chade, the royal assassin and spymaster, and Galen, the royal skillmaster. He also becomes acquainted with a variety of people in the nearby town, including Molly.
This book was a great start to what should be an interesting series, especially considering I unintentionally read part of the later storyline, and an interesting world. Reading this, I really felt like I got to see a more complete picture of how Fitz became the person he is in the later books. The backstory that is provided here is very broad in terms of information provided. I say that because there are numerous times throughout the story where I feel like things or events were glossed over when there should have been more detail provided. Specifically in regards to his interactions with some of the other characters. There is very little information about his interactions with Chade beyond a few conversations and some minor details about what he learned but that seems to be such an important part of his background that I feel like there should have been more there. I think the same thing about his relationship with Burrich as well. This is also something that seems to have been relatively important in terms of its impact on Fitz but something that is not greatly explored in the story. I know this is not necessarily a bad thing as the story was great the way it was but I am just curious about these kinds of things. I just happen to be the kind of person who wants to know everything there is to know about a character or a world. That being said, the storyline itself was great as it covered most of his childhood, until his mid to late teens, and talks about many of the various things that Fitz experienced during that time. In doing so, it really sets the stage for the rest of the saga as it introduces many of the characters and settings that are present later. At the same time it also explains and sets up the relationships between the characters and explores how they interact with each other. A great example the different relationships Fitz has with the royal family as he interacts with and feels differently about Verity, Regal and Shrewd due to a variety of factors. I really feel like this was a great setup for the rest of the story and am really curious about how it will go from here so I am giving it four out of five stars.
This is one of those books that feels like it should have a broad age range when it comes to potential readers. It is classified as an adult book but it deals primarily with the perspective of a child or teenager. I could easily see it appealing to teenagers or young adults because of that. There isn’t any content that would make it unsuitable for that age range beyond the typical, slightly violent content that is often present in a semi-medieval fantasy setting. However, I don’t necessarily see it holding a lot of appeal for readers who don’t enjoy fantasy books, especially those books with a semi-medieval fantasy setting. If you prefer urban fantasy then you probably won’t enjoy this series. Either way, I thought it was a pretty good book and if it sounds like something you would enjoy than I suggest you consider trying it out. Feel free to let me know what you think in the comments.