Assassins Quest (The Farseer Trilogy #3) by Robin Hobb

"At times plagued with a repetitive, "Get captured, escape, flee" theme, Fitz eventually finds his footing and the story really takes off. All the loose ends are, for the most part, tied up and though it does not end on the most positive note, the ending is realistic and satisfying. It was an acceptable end to a great series."

4 Stars

Pros: Nighteyes and Fitz's bond is both humorous and heartwarming/Hobb sets a good pace and though the book is long, it's engaging and you find yourself wanting to finish a chapter and leave yourself off at a good starting point, it was a classic "good read."

Cons: Fitz's constant repetition of "get caught/escape" got monotonous after awhile. The Skilling is very ethereal and Fitz's visions of Verity are just that, cerebral and rather hard to follow. It adds a depth to the book but at the same time, can leave the reader feeling a bit confused/as if they walked in on the middle of a conversation/The ending, though not overly joyous, is both sad but satisfying. It's hard to describe.

Full Review:

It is completely impossible to describe anything in this book that isn't a spoiler unless you have read Royal Assassin. Assassins Quest picks off right where Royal Assassin left off and Burrich, Chade and especially Fitz are faced with some extremely difficult decisions. And Hobb is not one to follow the easy, "let everything end happily with rainbows and sunshine" path. She hits hard and often and does not spare any characters feelings or lives. But every path that every character takes in the end, serves to bring the entire trilogy to a satisfactory, if not overly joyous conclusion.

We get to see Fitz really change as a person. He is no longer just a pawn, a tool to be used by Chade or Shrewd. He has his own agenda and plans to act on it, no matter what. But he is very often thwarted in his attempts, time and time again, much to his chagrin. There is often a repetition of "get captured, escape, flee" within the novel that at times does become tiresome. But once Fitz finds his footing and manages to make it to relative safety, the story really picks up.

We're once again joined with familiar characters but no one has been spared from suffering. The events of Royal Assassin have left everyone scarred whether it be physically or emotionally and everyone has their burden to carry. And as the novel draws to a close, all the loose ends are, for the most part, tied up. And though as I said before, it's not a "walking into the sunset hand in hand with a blissful smile" kind of ending, the ending is realistic. It makes sense and it stays with you for a long time after closing the book.

I really enjoyed this series and look forward to exploring more of Hobb's novels.

Comments

Animal Farm by George Orwell

"A blithe and scathing commentary on equality, power, corruption and how everyone is created equal, but...some are more equal than others. Orwell hit the nail right on the head with this novel and it's no wonder it's a staple for most high school curriculums. " 3 Stars. Pros: Benjamin the Donkey is the smartest animal on the farm and it would have done all the others a world of good if they had listened to him in the first place. Cons: The fact that societies like this actually do exist is nauseating and terrible. It's not a con, per se, it's just a gut wrenching fact. Full Review: When the overworked and mistreated Animals on Manor Farm decide to rise up and overthrow their cruel master, they're successful. They rebel and now find themselves with an entire Farm to run. They rename it Animal Farm and are intent on creating a paradise, where work and play are equal, where productivity is key but relaxation is a must and all the lives of all the animal...

Fantastic Voyage by Isaac Asimov

"When a scientist, Benes, who has integral and world changing information attempts to defect and join our Side, he's injured. A blood clot forms in his brain and the only way to save his life is to miniaturize the crew of the Proteus and inject them into Benes' body, so they can break up the blood clot from the inside. Of course, one thing after another goes wrong and every chapter is a new catastrophe but it was definitely a fantastic voyage. 2 Stars Pros: Grant is one dry character but he's a welcome bit of amusement in an otherwise serious and scientific novel. Cons: Grant is also SUCH a man that he spends most of the mission staring at saving the one woman board, Cora./Definitely ripe with anatomical lessons and what part of the body they were in. Since I've never been great at anatomy, a lot of it was lost on me and became burdensome near the end. Full Review: As in all things, there is a good side and a bad side. This book is very vague as...

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep by Philip K. Dick

“Rick Deckard is a Bounty Hunter who's on the trail of six "Andys" (Androids) who have come to Earth illegally. His job is to track them down and "retire" them. Something he found easy to do until he met her, Rachael Rosen. The Android that does the impossible, passes the "Voight-Kampff" test. The story quickly devolves into a slow, drawn out and frankly boring mystery that was putting me to sleep by the end." ⭐⭐ Pros: I was more interested in comparing it to the film, "Bladerunner."/At first I kind of liked the drab, dreary atmostphere but it soon became soporific. Cons: I had no real idea what was going on with Mercerism/The end there had me blinking in bewilderment, like with Herbert's 29th Dune Book/There was a lot of idle chit-chat while they were in murderous/intense situations, it just seemed odd. Full Review: Rick Deckard, a Bounty Hunter, contracted with the San Francisco Police Department hunts down and retires rogue ...

All the Books.

Search This Blog