Monday, 2 February 2026 04:59 pm
Book Review: Royal Assassin
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deckardcanineAfter nearly six years, I still remembered Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb pretty well. The main hole in my memory pertained to Fitz's condition at the end of the novel: bedridden and having lost the independent use of the psychic Skill, thanks to an abortive attempt on his life. His illness dominates the early chapters of the second volume, until he finds the strength and courage to return to the royal palace after months.
I say courage because Prince Regal, who ordered the teen assassin's assassination, is still unpunished. Indeed, King Shrewd prompts Fitz to swear he won't harm any family member. Perhaps Regal made his own oath. But the younger prince remains as ambitious and amoral as ever, and for all his impatience and immaturity, he can be slyly charismatic. As Shrewd wastes away and becomes inconsistently attentive (still not as senile as the king in The Blade Itself), and as King-in-Waiting Verity is too busy doing whatever he can to hold off the Red Ship Raiders, Regal sees the opportunity to seize power for himself.
OK, there is another factor for Regal to consider: Queen-in-Waiting Kettricken, who is frequently just called a queen, perhaps because she acts so impressive despite being a foreign fish out of water. Verity rarely has time for her, leaving Fitz to give her enough company to make Fitz nervous about scandal rumors. Nevertheless, she gets pregnant by Verity, which makes her no less inclined to put herself in harm's way for heroic purposes.
Yes, there are several action scenes for Fitz. His assassin training is most useful against the Raiders and their brainwashed, seemingly soulless victims, known as the Forged. As far as we can tell so far, the Raiders are like Heath Ledger's Joker, interested only in destruction and corruption. And somehow the Forged have learned to work together. Regal, in charge of finances, claims no money for the Six Duchies' defense but still hosts galas. Does he not care about anyone other than himself, or is he that broadly vindictive?
Not everything's going badly for Fitz. More people are willing to call him FitzChivalry rather than "the Bastard," partly because he's grown tall and carries himself a lot like his departed father. Those who were relatively close to him before have grown friendlier if not more familial; the Fool even talks more plainly to him than ever before. His commoner friend, Molly, comes back into his life and sometimes agrees to be more than a friend to him. He secretly buys captive wolf Nighteyes out of pity and, against his intentions, forms a long-term bond via "the Wit," unwittingly becoming a bit lupine himself. Nighteyes features prominently on the cover and helps the Fool with our comic relief.
But I knew that Fitz couldn't be remotely content for long. This isn't that kind of fantasy. He might be even worse off on the last page than on the first.
If I hadn't found the threequel in a Little Free Library, I probably wouldn't plan on reading it. Instead, I expect to in a few years.
After those 675 pages, I feel like reading something shorter. That'll be H. Beam Piper's Cosmic Computer.
I say courage because Prince Regal, who ordered the teen assassin's assassination, is still unpunished. Indeed, King Shrewd prompts Fitz to swear he won't harm any family member. Perhaps Regal made his own oath. But the younger prince remains as ambitious and amoral as ever, and for all his impatience and immaturity, he can be slyly charismatic. As Shrewd wastes away and becomes inconsistently attentive (still not as senile as the king in The Blade Itself), and as King-in-Waiting Verity is too busy doing whatever he can to hold off the Red Ship Raiders, Regal sees the opportunity to seize power for himself.
OK, there is another factor for Regal to consider: Queen-in-Waiting Kettricken, who is frequently just called a queen, perhaps because she acts so impressive despite being a foreign fish out of water. Verity rarely has time for her, leaving Fitz to give her enough company to make Fitz nervous about scandal rumors. Nevertheless, she gets pregnant by Verity, which makes her no less inclined to put herself in harm's way for heroic purposes.
Yes, there are several action scenes for Fitz. His assassin training is most useful against the Raiders and their brainwashed, seemingly soulless victims, known as the Forged. As far as we can tell so far, the Raiders are like Heath Ledger's Joker, interested only in destruction and corruption. And somehow the Forged have learned to work together. Regal, in charge of finances, claims no money for the Six Duchies' defense but still hosts galas. Does he not care about anyone other than himself, or is he that broadly vindictive?
Not everything's going badly for Fitz. More people are willing to call him FitzChivalry rather than "the Bastard," partly because he's grown tall and carries himself a lot like his departed father. Those who were relatively close to him before have grown friendlier if not more familial; the Fool even talks more plainly to him than ever before. His commoner friend, Molly, comes back into his life and sometimes agrees to be more than a friend to him. He secretly buys captive wolf Nighteyes out of pity and, against his intentions, forms a long-term bond via "the Wit," unwittingly becoming a bit lupine himself. Nighteyes features prominently on the cover and helps the Fool with our comic relief.
But I knew that Fitz couldn't be remotely content for long. This isn't that kind of fantasy. He might be even worse off on the last page than on the first.
If I hadn't found the threequel in a Little Free Library, I probably wouldn't plan on reading it. Instead, I expect to in a few years.
After those 675 pages, I feel like reading something shorter. That'll be H. Beam Piper's Cosmic Computer.