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mightyjor's review against another edition
4.0
Overall great story. I’d probably put it around a 4.5 if I could, though there’s a few things about it I also don’t like very much.
The plot:
I’ve heard a lot of people complain about a slow pace when discussing this series but that wasn’t really an issue for me. For starters, it’s not terribly long I’d say the pace is speedy compared to something like ASOIAF. There’s not really a plot either or an end goal, other than a constant tension that at any point the king could die and Regal could end Fitz. To me, that was enough to leave me feeling like we had a complete story, though there were a number of points where I thought what they were doing was a bit pointless. Without having read the third book, I’d say this feels more like the first 2/3rds of a single book rather than 2 out of 3 books in a trilogy.
That said, I really enjoy the plot, as simple as it is. Fitz is a great character and there’s some great moments.
The characters:
Here’s where I have a few real complaints but it’s only because the good characters are great, but the bad ones soured a lot of the rest.
Fitz: I find him both a great character and a really stupid one. Like, for real, you didn’t think Regal would have a little girl be a spy? Didn’t Chade train you better than that? But I love his sincerity and his loyalty to the King and Verity and Kettrican.
Nighteyes: amazing. I really love every time his voice pops up. The moments when he’s accompanying Fitz while he’s courting Molly are genuinely hilarious. It’s also great to have a couple characters in this book that you know without a doubt are incapable of ever betraying Fitz.
Burrich: in book 1 I immediately hated Burrich for “killing” Nosy, and finding out he hadn’t really done that at the end wasn’t enough for me to start liking him again. I also didn’t understand his reaction to Fitz and the wit and why it was so extreme, but I think this book does a good job explaining that his hatred is something he’s had to teach himself in order to deal with his own Wit. I also had some time between books to move past what I thought he had done with Nosy and that helped a lot. Overall I really loved his character here and the ending was great for him.
Chade: I was sure Chade was a hallucination from Fitz being skilled by Regal’s coterie for most of the book (which would explain why no one had seen him and why his secret door had no way to open it), but the ending dashed that theory. He’s a great character though and is a neat window into what Fitz might one day be, and the sacrifices that might be required to stay loyal to your king. Burrich shows a lot of this too, though I think Burrich shows emotional sacrifices, Chade the physical ones.
Regal: I kept worrying he’d do something smart and be a really dastardly villain, but honestly he’s kind of a moron. It was laughable the number of times he would burst into a room partway through Fitz trying to accomplish something. He also did a few things in the story that really made me struggle to suspend my disbelief that he wouldn’t immediately be exiled or executed by the king. For one, where is all the money going from him plundering BuckKeep, the kings fortress? Is there no one besides him who looks over a failing treasury? It was also silly to see his smirk every time he’s being manipulated by Fitz into thinking he’s doing something that benefits himself. The one time I was really worried was when Fitz and the Queen rode off to stop a Red Ship raider attack with most of the warriors, ships, and horses in Buck Keep. I thought for sure that would be when Regal would strike at the king without any opposition from Verity or those loyal to him. But no, he just waits patiently for our heroes to return so he can twirl his mustache at them before his elaborate plan goes off. I kept thinking we’d get a reveal, like that Will was controlling him with the skill and he was Will’s puppet. But no. They’re all dumb.
Molly: in my opinion, the entire romance with Molly is just bad and kind of worthless. There’s some sweet moments between them that I enjoyed, but every time they fight it either makes me hate Fitz for being such an idiot or Molly for being a Psycho, and there’s not really much in between. For one, Molly is so upset near the beginning of the book because Fitz did “nothing” and wouldn’t even try to pursue her. Doesn’t matter that he has other important duties to the king or anything. Yet, when he tries to pursue her later as she’s walking away, she decks him right in the face hard enough to draw blood. To a guy who is trying to protect her. Maybe other romance readers are used to loving couples smacking each other around, but I don’t like it one bit. We don’t even get an apology from her for it, only Fitz mumbling about all the things he’s done wrong that might have made her so upset. Dude, Fitz, you’re in an abusive relationship. Get out. Molly is not that great. Move on. I’d much rather he end up with Celery (or whatever her name is). I know next to nothing about her, except she’s polite and kind and doesn’t seem to be completely crazy. Also, Molly’s speech at the end about having someone else who she loved at the end that she needed to dedicate herself to was a bit too corny for me, and so annoying that Fitz didn’t immediately realize she was pregnant. Like, obviously she’s pregnant dude. Did you learn nothing from when she ran off with her cousin and you gave up on her in book 1? It just irritates me how irritating both these characters are when they’re around each other and manufacturing drama.
All the other characters are great. I love Verity and his wife. I love that even though Queen Kettrican is clearly smart, strong and capable, she’s still kind and never condescending. She’s also a bit too reckless sometimes and is still learning the kind of power she can wield as a queen, which is far greater than her physical strength. Modern Hollywood could learn a lot from her. And while I love Verity, though his trek to find the Elderlings better yield some results. Leaving the way he did was really dumb, knowing he would probably die, his king and his wife would be likely murdered, and his evil brother would take over the throne and the kingdom would crumble. I could have done with a bit of resolution at the end for Verity’s plot line, but again, it’s just one of those things that makes it feel like it’s not a complete book.
I loved all the members of the Coterie, though I wanted to see more of them. I would have loved to see them slowly being taken out one by one. They’re a cool force of villains. Maybe they’re saving this for book 3. It felt great to see a few of them die at the end though.
So overall, I really enjoy the book, but there’s also things I don’t like. I’m excited to see where it goes in the third book. I feel like there was a huge improvement between books 1 and 2 in the way the story was told, especially that we don’t all of the sudden cut away from important things which was my biggest problem in the first book.
Can’t wait to read book 3!
The plot:
I’ve heard a lot of people complain about a slow pace when discussing this series but that wasn’t really an issue for me. For starters, it’s not terribly long I’d say the pace is speedy compared to something like ASOIAF. There’s not really a plot either or an end goal, other than a constant tension that at any point the king could die and Regal could end Fitz. To me, that was enough to leave me feeling like we had a complete story, though there were a number of points where I thought what they were doing was a bit pointless. Without having read the third book, I’d say this feels more like the first 2/3rds of a single book rather than 2 out of 3 books in a trilogy.
That said, I really enjoy the plot, as simple as it is. Fitz is a great character and there’s some great moments.
The characters:
Here’s where I have a few real complaints but it’s only because the good characters are great, but the bad ones soured a lot of the rest.
Fitz: I find him both a great character and a really stupid one. Like, for real, you didn’t think Regal would have a little girl be a spy? Didn’t Chade train you better than that? But I love his sincerity and his loyalty to the King and Verity and Kettrican.
Nighteyes: amazing. I really love every time his voice pops up. The moments when he’s accompanying Fitz while he’s courting Molly are genuinely hilarious. It’s also great to have a couple characters in this book that you know without a doubt are incapable of ever betraying Fitz.
Burrich: in book 1 I immediately hated Burrich for “killing” Nosy, and finding out he hadn’t really done that at the end wasn’t enough for me to start liking him again. I also didn’t understand his reaction to Fitz and the wit and why it was so extreme, but I think this book does a good job explaining that his hatred is something he’s had to teach himself in order to deal with his own Wit. I also had some time between books to move past what I thought he had done with Nosy and that helped a lot. Overall I really loved his character here and the ending was great for him.
Chade: I was sure Chade was a hallucination from Fitz being skilled by Regal’s coterie for most of the book (which would explain why no one had seen him and why his secret door had no way to open it), but the ending dashed that theory. He’s a great character though and is a neat window into what Fitz might one day be, and the sacrifices that might be required to stay loyal to your king. Burrich shows a lot of this too, though I think Burrich shows emotional sacrifices, Chade the physical ones.
Regal: I kept worrying he’d do something smart and be a really dastardly villain, but honestly he’s kind of a moron. It was laughable the number of times he would burst into a room partway through Fitz trying to accomplish something. He also did a few things in the story that really made me struggle to suspend my disbelief that he wouldn’t immediately be exiled or executed by the king. For one, where is all the money going from him plundering BuckKeep, the kings fortress? Is there no one besides him who looks over a failing treasury? It was also silly to see his smirk every time he’s being manipulated by Fitz into thinking he’s doing something that benefits himself. The one time I was really worried was when Fitz and the Queen rode off to stop a Red Ship raider attack with most of the warriors, ships, and horses in Buck Keep. I thought for sure that would be when Regal would strike at the king without any opposition from Verity or those loyal to him. But no, he just waits patiently for our heroes to return so he can twirl his mustache at them before his elaborate plan goes off. I kept thinking we’d get a reveal, like that Will was controlling him with the skill and he was Will’s puppet. But no. They’re all dumb.
Molly: in my opinion, the entire romance with Molly is just bad and kind of worthless. There’s some sweet moments between them that I enjoyed, but every time they fight it either makes me hate Fitz for being such an idiot or Molly for being a Psycho, and there’s not really much in between. For one, Molly is so upset near the beginning of the book because Fitz did “nothing” and wouldn’t even try to pursue her. Doesn’t matter that he has other important duties to the king or anything. Yet, when he tries to pursue her later as she’s walking away, she decks him right in the face hard enough to draw blood. To a guy who is trying to protect her. Maybe other romance readers are used to loving couples smacking each other around, but I don’t like it one bit. We don’t even get an apology from her for it, only Fitz mumbling about all the things he’s done wrong that might have made her so upset. Dude, Fitz, you’re in an abusive relationship. Get out. Molly is not that great. Move on. I’d much rather he end up with Celery (or whatever her name is). I know next to nothing about her, except she’s polite and kind and doesn’t seem to be completely crazy. Also, Molly’s speech at the end about having someone else who she loved at the end that she needed to dedicate herself to was a bit too corny for me, and so annoying that Fitz didn’t immediately realize she was pregnant. Like, obviously she’s pregnant dude. Did you learn nothing from when she ran off with her cousin and you gave up on her in book 1? It just irritates me how irritating both these characters are when they’re around each other and manufacturing drama.
All the other characters are great. I love Verity and his wife. I love that even though Queen Kettrican is clearly smart, strong and capable, she’s still kind and never condescending. She’s also a bit too reckless sometimes and is still learning the kind of power she can wield as a queen, which is far greater than her physical strength. Modern Hollywood could learn a lot from her. And while I love Verity, though his trek to find the Elderlings better yield some results. Leaving the way he did was really dumb, knowing he would probably die, his king and his wife would be likely murdered, and his evil brother would take over the throne and the kingdom would crumble. I could have done with a bit of resolution at the end for Verity’s plot line, but again, it’s just one of those things that makes it feel like it’s not a complete book.
I loved all the members of the Coterie, though I wanted to see more of them. I would have loved to see them slowly being taken out one by one. They’re a cool force of villains. Maybe they’re saving this for book 3. It felt great to see a few of them die at the end though.
So overall, I really enjoy the book, but there’s also things I don’t like. I’m excited to see where it goes in the third book. I feel like there was a huge improvement between books 1 and 2 in the way the story was told, especially that we don’t all of the sudden cut away from important things which was my biggest problem in the first book.
Can’t wait to read book 3!
kat7890erina's review against another edition
4.0
If you can handle Fitz's teen-brain and a bit of an action slump while the intrigue builds, then push on! The series keeps getting better.
jayluke92's review against another edition
4.0
I'd say on a whole this book was better than the first one, there was just one story thread I wasn't super jazzed on that keeps it from being a five! Still, loved it, it's great, onto the next one!
pocketardis's review against another edition
dark
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
brookehally's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
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
3.5
karlynng's review against another edition
4.0
Oh my GAWD. Can I just start of by saying, F**K YOU REGAL!
Hobb just continues to be phenomenal at character work. Royal Assassin is definitely a slower build than Assassin's Apprentice, and at times has you questioning where the plot is going. But the pay off is well worth it!
Fitz develops so much as a person and how he grows as a man in such a politically charged position has you gripped through the entire book. His relationship with Verity continues to be my favorite through this book, even though Verity can be extremely frustrating.
The introduction of Nighteyes just made my heart so happy! He is my favorite animal companion, period.
I LOVED this book but I only gave it 4 stars because I loved the first book a bit more. Though Robin Hobb continues to show that she is a true master of fantasy.
Hobb just continues to be phenomenal at character work. Royal Assassin is definitely a slower build than Assassin's Apprentice, and at times has you questioning where the plot is going. But the pay off is well worth it!
Fitz develops so much as a person and how he grows as a man in such a politically charged position has you gripped through the entire book. His relationship with Verity continues to be my favorite through this book, even though Verity can be extremely frustrating.
The introduction of Nighteyes just made my heart so happy! He is my favorite animal companion, period.
I LOVED this book but I only gave it 4 stars because I loved the first book a bit more. Though Robin Hobb continues to show that she is a true master of fantasy.
mojo_jojo722's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
4.25
ldillaway's review against another edition
4.0
Im so glad I picked up Realm of the Elderlings this year, I’m really enjoying it. This book did drag a bit in the middle but the ending more than made up for it, and Hobb’s prose continues to be fantastic.
searobin's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-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? It's complicated
5.0
I am in love with this series, it is fantastic, and hits just right for a reader like me (it would hit even better if it were queer, but I can forgive it that)