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tayanapier's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
This book was good but also not great. The beginning of the novel starts straight away after the events of books 2 ending and it’s a great start to the novel. Fits is going through ALOT. However the rest of the novel (like 500 pages) is of him on a journey and there is not much destination happening. And THEN for the last 100 pages we finally get some actual action and magic but the ending is over very quickly. The final ‘battle’ is very short and not very detailed. Also why does every new female chapter Hobb introduces want to sleep with Fitz. they were not the most well written characters, especially after how brilliantly written Krettian and Lady Patience are in the novels (would have loved to see more of their journey in the novel as they are bad bitched that don’t mess around).
HOWEVER, saying all of that what we did get of the magic of the world was very interesting. The relationship Fitz has with Nighteyes and the Fool, chefs kiss. Would literally die for those two. The dynamic that these 3 characters had with each was definitely one of the most enjoyable parts of this book.
Overall this I think was the weakest novel in the trilogy in regard to plot, the writing and pros however is definitely the strongest out of the three.
I would still definitely recommend this series as it is mostly very enjoyable and i think sets up the stage for the following novels in the world.
HOWEVER, saying all of that what we did get of the magic of the world was very interesting. The relationship Fitz has with Nighteyes and the Fool, chefs kiss. Would literally die for those two. The dynamic that these 3 characters had with each was definitely one of the most enjoyable parts of this book.
Overall this I think was the weakest novel in the trilogy in regard to plot, the writing and pros however is definitely the strongest out of the three.
I would still definitely recommend this series as it is mostly very enjoyable and i think sets up the stage for the following novels in the world.
Content Warnings
Minor: Child death, Death, and Violence
kaziaroo's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, Animal death, Blood, Death, Drug use, Grief, Medical content, Murder, and Violence
Moderate: Alcoholism, Child death, Drug abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, and War
Minor: Homophobia, Infidelity, Outing, Rape, Pregnancy, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Transphobia
kabrahams's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.5
(Upgraded to 4.5 on reread)
The beginning was a bit slow to me. Fitz wanders about and meets a lot of people but none of them matter until meeting Starling and Kettle (who are both great). When he finally reunites with the Fool to find Verity is when the plot finally gets moving and stuff gets interesting.
Definitely the best part is the waking of the dragons. I would've loved more time with them and to see them in action and hope we get this in future trilogies. I have a feeling that will happen. Learning more about the Skill, the Wit, and Forging was amazing. Definitely a series with an amazing magic system and world-building!
Also loved the flirtations between Fitz and the Fool. The Fool is such an interesting character with unknown origins and gender. Would love to know where he/she is from but I hope they keep the gender a mystery!
Once again, a sad ending. This one a bit bittersweet since there is some happiness, but not so much for Fitz. Molly and Burrich thinking him dead is so heartbreaking, although since I accidentally read this books out of chronology, I know he ends up with Molly. I'm scared to find out what happens to Nettle.
While this was my least favorite of the trilogy, I still loved it, especially the attention to detail and focus on characters and atmosphere instead of plot. I'm excited to start the next trilogy!
The beginning was a bit slow to me. Fitz wanders about and meets a lot of people but none of them matter until meeting Starling and Kettle (who are both great).
Definitely the best part is the waking of the dragons. I would've loved more time with them and to see them in action and hope we get this in future trilogies. I have a feeling that will happen. Learning more about the Skill, the Wit, and Forging was amazing. Definitely a series with an amazing magic system and world-building!
Also loved the flirtations between Fitz and the Fool. The Fool is such an interesting character with unknown origins and gender. Would love to know where he/she is from but I hope they keep the gender a mystery!
Once again, a sad ending. This one a bit bittersweet since there is some happiness, but not so much for Fitz. Molly and Burrich thinking him dead is so heartbreaking, although since I accidentally read this books out of chronology, I know he ends up with Molly. I'm scared to find out what happens to Nettle.
While this was my least favorite of the trilogy, I still loved it, especially the attention to detail and focus on characters and atmosphere instead of plot. I'm excited to start the next trilogy!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Minor: Rape
adeliab's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Murder, Drug use, Gore, Death, Violence, and Abandonment
Moderate: Miscarriage, Sexual content, Suicide attempt, and Rape
Minor: Pregnancy, Addiction, Alcoholism, Cursing, Death of parent, Abortion, and Infertility
maira_h's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
3.5 stars!
This was a good ending to the trilogy. I still really love FitzChivalry. But I got to admit this was one difficult book to read. The slow pacing, I had already expected. But I didn't think a fantasy book could be this emotionally draining. No, no one of importance died in this book. But I ache for the characters all the same, especially for our main character, Fitz. He is the epitome of loneliness. I read this book and the whole time I witness his ordeals, all I wanted was for him to just find his happiness. It was hard to the point I took a break after reading halfway through the book because I felt sorry for FitzChivalry, I felt sorry for the characters. After reading this trilogy, I know Robin Hobb's endings are usually very satisfying. But I would also admit that they also end in a very melancholic note.
If you want a character driven high fantasy trilogy with characters who have very human emotions, this is the trilogy for you because damn this characters are incredible. You don't necessarily stay for the action-packed plot but you stay for the characters.
This was a good ending to the trilogy. I still really love FitzChivalry. But I got to admit this was one difficult book to read. The slow pacing, I had already expected. But I didn't think a fantasy book could be this emotionally draining. No, no one of importance died in this book. But I ache for the characters all the same, especially for our main character, Fitz. He is the epitome of loneliness. I read this book and the whole time I witness his ordeals, all I wanted was for him to just find his happiness. It was hard to the point I took a break after reading halfway through the book because I felt sorry for FitzChivalry, I felt sorry for the characters. After reading this trilogy, I know Robin Hobb's endings are usually very satisfying. But I would also admit that they also end in a very melancholic note.
If you want a character driven high fantasy trilogy with characters who have very human emotions, this is the trilogy for you because damn this characters are incredible. You don't necessarily stay for the action-packed plot but you stay for the characters.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Sexual violence
grets_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Love this book. Can get lost in it for hours.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Toxic relationship, Violence, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Blood
Moderate: War, Miscarriage, Sexual violence, Torture, Terminal illness, Suicidal thoughts, Pregnancy, and Addiction
Minor: Abandonment, Ableism, and Infertility
kirstym25's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Death, Murder, and Rape
Moderate: Miscarriage
bluejay21's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, Drug use, and Violence
Moderate: Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Miscarriage, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Xenophobia, and Pregnancy
lizziestudieshistory's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
2021 Update - This book is A LOT better on a reread with the wider RotE as context. Moving my rating from 3 to 4 stars.
I wasn't as disappointed in the end as many people have been with The Farseer Trilogy. I thought the actual climax to the story was okay and, while not what was expected, suited Hobb's writing and storytelling style.
However, this book suffered with the awful pacing! The first half drags with all the travelling of LotR put into one novel. This led to a repetitive cycle of events (Fitz travels, is recognised, gets caught by Regal's men in an impossible-to-escape situation, Fitz escapes - bonus points for Nighteyes' help). The pacing really needed to be a bit faster. I love the slower, sprawling nature of Hobb's descriptive writing, but this was too much and there needed to be more variety of action to make the 800 pages of travel worth it.
I also struggle to re-read Assassin's Quest because of the new characters that are introduced, especially the women, which is really disappointing and makes the book a slog to get through. I've adored the women in the series before - particularly Lady Patience, Lacey, and Kettricken. The only women I've actively disliked is Molly. Yet Honey, the Caravan girl (her name escapes me), and Starling are all incredibly annoying, shallow, or contradictory in their actions. All the characters but the Fool and Nighteyes suffered in this installment - they made some really weird choices in places - but the new characters were too much and to have three very similar (any annoying) women was unnecessary!
Saying this I did enjoy this book, and Hobb is a wonderful fantasy author. Her world is as rich as ever and benefits a lot from taking the time to show Fitz wander around the Six Duchies! I really enjoyed seeing the dwellings of the Elderlings and the lost city in the mountains - these details are a lot richer the second time round!
I also loved seeing the Fool and Nighteyes more! They are two of the most beloved (sorry) characters in the series and their presence really helps the poor pacing of this book in the second half.
(Didn't proof read this... Sorry)
I wasn't as disappointed in the end as many people have been with The Farseer Trilogy. I thought the actual climax to the story was okay and, while not what was expected, suited Hobb's writing and storytelling style.
However, this book suffered with the awful pacing! The first half drags with all the travelling of LotR put into one novel. This led to a repetitive cycle of events (Fitz travels, is recognised, gets caught by Regal's men in an impossible-to-escape situation, Fitz escapes - bonus points for Nighteyes' help). The pacing really needed to be a bit faster. I love the slower, sprawling nature of Hobb's descriptive writing, but this was too much and there needed to be more variety of action to make the 800 pages of travel worth it.
I also struggle to re-read Assassin's Quest because of the new characters that are introduced, especially the women, which is really disappointing and makes the book a slog to get through. I've adored the women in the series before - particularly Lady Patience, Lacey, and Kettricken. The only women I've actively disliked is Molly. Yet Honey, the Caravan girl (her name escapes me), and Starling are all incredibly annoying, shallow, or contradictory in their actions. All the characters but the Fool and Nighteyes suffered in this installment - they made some really weird choices in places - but the new characters were too much and to have three very similar (any annoying) women was unnecessary!
Saying this I did enjoy this book, and Hobb is a wonderful fantasy author. Her world is as rich as ever and benefits a lot from taking the time to show Fitz wander around the Six Duchies! I really enjoyed seeing the dwellings of the Elderlings and the lost city in the mountains - these details are a lot richer the second time round!
I also loved seeing the Fool and Nighteyes more! They are two of the most beloved (sorry) characters in the series and their presence really helps the poor pacing of this book in the second half.
(Didn't proof read this... Sorry)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Sexual violence
ismendes's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, Emotional abuse, Grief, and Murder
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Child death, Infertility, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, and Violence
Minor: Slavery and Suicidal thoughts