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

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