Reviews tagging 'Drug use'

Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb

40 reviews

thoseoldcrows23's review against another edition

adventurous emotional 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

5.0

      I've been meaning to read this for a long time, and I'm so mad at myself for having put it off. I suspected that I would enjoy Robin Hobb's work, and I had hoped that The Realm of the Elderlings would someday come to be one of my favorite series. This first book has convinced me that my hope was not in vain. 

     I can understand why this book may not be for everyone. It's slow, and much more character focused then plot driven. However, it gives me the same vibes as Tamora Peirce gave me when I was a kid just dipping her toes into fantasy. I was a little nervous going in because I had heard several people say that this book was dense, and I was concerned I would be too stupid to get it, but reading this book felt like sinking into a warm bath. I didn't find it difficult at all, only rich and layered. The character work is excellent, and I found myself caring deeply for Fitz before the first chapter was done, and the writing is beautiful. I'm so excited to continue this trilogy and The Realm of the Elderlings over all.
     If you, like me, have been putting this book off for whatever reason I encourage you to bite the bullet. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Violence, Grief, Animal death, Child abuse, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Pregnancy, Bullying, War, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Death, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, and Blood

Minor: Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Addiction, Ableism, Drug use, and Infidelity

plume_de_renarde's review against another edition

adventurous emotional slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Abandonment, Alcoholism, Animal death, Emotional abuse, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Drug use

Minor: Injury/Injury detail and Gaslighting

angstifies's review against another edition

adventurous challenging tense

• 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

4.25

i have a personal dislike for fantasy books written in first person narration but this book is absolutely the sole exception. i’ve heard tons of praise for Robin Hobb’s writing and man were they right, her characters are brilliant i loved reading about them.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Physical abuse, Animal death, Emotional abuse, and Violence

Moderate: Alcohol, Suicidal thoughts, Confinement, Gaslighting, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Blood, Death, Drug use, and Abandonment

Minor: Cursing, Suicide attempt, Vomit, Death of parent, Infertility, Misogyny, and Infidelity

lotten4's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny hopeful tense fast-paced

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

5.0

The characters were very lovable

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Abandonment, Animal death, Death, Death of parent, Murder, Suicidal thoughts, Injury/Injury detail, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Alcoholism, Blood, Alcohol, and Animal cruelty

mokka's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Child abuse, Grief, and Infidelity

Moderate: Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Drug use, Animal death, Murder, Cursing, Violence, War, Suicide attempt, and Abandonment

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

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

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

prairieraven's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious fast-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

Adventure fantasy right from the start. A full cast of interesting characters and a plot that twists into the next books. I would not say that the characters are not overly diverse but easily could have been. I love that dogs have been given depth in this book as their own characters. I haven't found too many fantasy novels as enjoyable to read lately as this series.  It has been a fun escape getting into this set of books. 

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Content Warnings

Minor: Violence, Toxic relationship, Physical abuse, War, Injury/Injury detail, Emotional abuse, Drug use, Drug abuse, Bullying, Animal death, and Addiction