Reviews tagging 'Death'

Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb

89 reviews

claire8's review against another edition

slow-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death

Moderate: Bullying and Animal death

Minor: Death of parent

princesspumpkinhead10's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

0.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Abandonment, Murder, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Death, Animal death, Violence, Toxic relationship, Physical abuse, and Death of parent

Moderate: Alcoholism, Blood, Grief, and Domestic abuse

Minor: Excrement, Drug use, and Animal death

kelsseiff_99's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Animal death, and Blood

michellej146's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad slow-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Grief, Suicidal thoughts, Abandonment, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, and Murder

Moderate: Drug abuse, Drug use, and Gore

kaziaroo's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective 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

4.5

This book is a fantasy Bildungsroman, following the early life (ages ~6–14) of Fitz, the illegitimate son of the then-heir to the throne, the only true blemish on the Prince's otherwise perfect record and the trigger for his downfall. Without any say in the matter, Fitz is shouldered with the blame and expectations of those around him and is forced to learn to be a scribe, a soldier, a stable master and yes, an assassin, all at once. Meanwhile, the kingdom's political landscape is rocky and its people are under constant threat from the mysterious and unnatural Red Sea Traders. In these desperate times, Fitz must struggle between two magics which each threaten to destroy him.
I found the first fifty or so pages of this book hard going, but once I got into it and stopped looking so hard for the plot, and Fitz grew older, I really enjoyed it. By the halfway point I was invested in the characters which made the "main" conflict all the more satisfying. But really the story is about Fitz's loneliness and desperation to find acceptance and an end to the loneliness that overshadows his whole life, as well as the varied characters he encounters along his journey.  I'll definitely try and get hold of the sequels.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Blood, Gaslighting, Animal death, Death, Suicidal thoughts, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Emotional abuse, and Violence

Moderate: Abandonment, Alcohol, Drug use, and Infidelity

Minor: Infertility, Adult/minor relationship, Vomit, War, and Excrement

Death of multiple pet dogs

sanne_vds's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious relaxing slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I don't usually read fantasy novels. Let me start there. I started this book because it was recommended to me and I had zero to no expectations when I began reading. It took me a long time to actually finish the book - what with uni work getting in my way - but whenever I picked it up it managed to entrance me. I'd be reading on the train and almost missing my stop because I was transfixed on the story of Fitz. These last 100 pages or so enthralled me even more as the pace and mystery quickened and intensified. So, to end this little review, you did not dissapoint me in any way Robin Hobb. You only made me long for more time in your carefully created world and made me order the next 2 books before I even finished this one because I knew I'd want to read them.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Animal death, and Death

_juriireads_'s review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Abandonment, Death, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Suicidal thoughts, and Physical abuse

Minor: Ableism, Animal death, and Miscarriage

skylarkindareads's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Grief, Physical abuse, and Violence

Moderate: Addiction, Alcohol, Animal death, Classism, Death of parent, and Emotional abuse

mandkips's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark reflective tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Animal cruelty, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Death, Violence, and Suicidal thoughts

m_________'s review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense 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

4.0

This was so emotionally traumatic and there are fifteen more in this universe to go ...

I really enjoyed this book and am certainly looking forward to continuing the series.  I liked how Fitz's role as an assassin isn't quite what I've seen from other fantasy assassins, he's trained to be a lot more political and subtle. The book definitely has some hard hitting themes about loneliness, trauma, and living with trauma and I am also intrigued by certain side characters, and I already really love Fitz, of course.

Major CW for animal deaths.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Abandonment, and Grief

Moderate: War, Vomit, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Slavery, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Infertility, Gore, Emotional abuse, Drug use, Death of parent, Death, Confinement, Child death, Child abuse, Bullying, Blood, Alcoholism, Alcohol, and Addiction