Reviews with content warning for Physical abuse - Assassin's Apprentice

The prose was nice. Found the world-building a bit boring in a way that it's a very box set medieval European fantasy. Nothing much happens except for like last 50 pages, we're just following main characters growing up.
I'm also pretty sure this book fails the Bechdel test (I only started actively looking for examples halfway through but yeah... It's visible it was written a while ago). There are hints at a queer character and a character with nonconfirmed gender.

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briely's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious reflective tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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poison_frogs's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional reflective tense slow-paced

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

4.0

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dezzella's review against another edition

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informative mysterious slow-paced

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

2.5

I think I was overhyped for this book. I saw so many people who love it and. for them after reading it, it became one of their favourite series. So I was excited going in. It's a slow paced book, not too much happens until the very very end. I found it a bit drawn out/slow.

I did think it was interesting this is epic fantasy with first person perspective. Also the magic elements were interesting. There was some things that happened (and fair warning to those out there, there is pet death in this book), but the years of training and the main character just kinda felt like he was just watching things happen and didn't really do a lot himself. I know part of that is because he was a child for a portion, and perhaps he gets better in the future, but over all very underwhelmed. I'll still give future books a chance (I read this because people said to read this trilogy before the ship of magic book which was first to catch my eye by this author) so I guess we'll see if it gets better from here. I certainly hope that Fritz gets better going forward.

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moonlitreading_'s review against another edition

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adventurous dark informative relaxing 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

“So, was there anything to me, other than being a spy or assassin?”

The one thing I regret about reading Assassin’s Apprentice is that I didn’t start it earlier!!!! This book is slow paced, but Robin Hobb writes so well that I didn’t mind it. This book gives off an autobiographical feel and it’s more character-driven than plot-driven.

Speaking of characters, there were a lot that I liked. Even though everything is told from Fitz’s POV, the other characters still managed to stand out. Apart from Fitz, my favorite character is The Fool. I don’t know, I just feel like I want to be friends with him.

It was interesting to see Fitz’s character developing from when he was six until his mid(?) teens. But it’s crazy to think that everything that happened in this book was before Fitz became an adult. FitzChivalry Farseer you poor traumatized child.

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