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A review by stephanieridiculous
Assassin's Quest by Robin Hobb
4.0
Whew! What a conclusion.
I have a lot of thoughts on finishing this roughly 20 years after reading it for the first time. Overall, the story is such an exciting one that it's hard to not gush about. In specifics is where we start to run into issues, though, and there are a lot of them.
I still maintain that the rarity of information about the Skill, and its lack of use before Verity's time, makes no logical sense. That being what it is, though, it's pretty ill-defined, which means it can fit any need that arises within the narrative, and occasionally I think that is too heavily relied upon.
I struggle with how many examples of powerful women we have, and the ardent affirmation that they are equal heirs, equal in matters of the military, etc. etc. but are still totally beholden to purity culture notions of virtue and shame. If a woman can be a general, if a woman can be the monarch, if a woman can own lands and own her business - why in the word does she still need marriage to avoid scandal when partaking in what her male counter parts are obviously doing with aplomb? This feels like a major shortcoming of Hobb, and it really stood out to me rereading it. So much of the minor plot and tension rides on this assumption of purity, and it's bizarre to me when in the context of the rest of the story.
There are also quibbles about pacing - so. much. happens. in the first few hundred pages, and then we have a very slow and meandering story for the remaining 500ish pages, and then a rushing finish. I love all the notes we touch on along the way, but the journey could have been smoother.
We do finally grapple with some of the darker aspects of everything going on in the background of Fitz life, especially with Starling's personal story, coming face to face with the full impact of the Red Ships and all they do. Content warnings for rape - a pretty emotional recounting, that does not pull its punch but isn't particularly graphic.
Additionally, there is a VERY QUESTIONABLE sexual interaction that absolutely does not sit well with me. Details get into spoiler territory, but you'll know it when you come to it. I struggled with this a lot as a teen, and it's a defining detail that stuck with me over the 20 years since my first read. It's relevant in future stories, but I am currently fuzzy on if it's really dealt with in later novels - but at least in this book it is not dealt with and it's hella uncomphy. (nothing graphic, it's off page, but definitely an issue of morality for those involved.)
All that said, I still think this is a 4 or 5 star book. The characters are some of my favorite across all of literature, the world building is phenomenal, and I don't think I'll ever really want to stop spending time with Fitz & The Fool, and Nighteyes. The explorations of Pack and friendship and love are all so so good.
I have a lot of thoughts on finishing this roughly 20 years after reading it for the first time. Overall, the story is such an exciting one that it's hard to not gush about. In specifics is where we start to run into issues, though, and there are a lot of them.
I still maintain that the rarity of information about the Skill, and its lack of use before Verity's time, makes no logical sense. That being what it is, though, it's pretty ill-defined, which means it can fit any need that arises within the narrative, and occasionally I think that is too heavily relied upon.
I struggle with how many examples of powerful women we have, and the ardent affirmation that they are equal heirs, equal in matters of the military, etc. etc. but are still totally beholden to purity culture notions of virtue and shame. If a woman can be a general, if a woman can be the monarch, if a woman can own lands and own her business - why in the word does she still need marriage to avoid scandal when partaking in what her male counter parts are obviously doing with aplomb? This feels like a major shortcoming of Hobb, and it really stood out to me rereading it. So much of the minor plot and tension rides on this assumption of purity, and it's bizarre to me when in the context of the rest of the story.
There are also quibbles about pacing - so. much. happens. in the first few hundred pages, and then we have a very slow and meandering story for the remaining 500ish pages, and then a rushing finish. I love all the notes we touch on along the way, but the journey could have been smoother.
We do finally grapple with some of the darker aspects of everything going on in the background of Fitz life, especially with Starling's personal story, coming face to face with the full impact of the Red Ships and all they do. Content warnings for rape - a pretty emotional recounting, that does not pull its punch but isn't particularly graphic.
Additionally, there is a VERY QUESTIONABLE sexual interaction that absolutely does not sit well with me. Details get into spoiler territory, but you'll know it when you come to it. I struggled with this a lot as a teen, and it's a defining detail that stuck with me over the 20 years since my first read. It's relevant in future stories, but I am currently fuzzy on if it's really dealt with in later novels - but at least in this book it is not dealt with and it's hella uncomphy. (nothing graphic, it's off page, but definitely an issue of morality for those involved.)
All that said, I still think this is a 4 or 5 star book. The characters are some of my favorite across all of literature, the world building is phenomenal, and I don't think I'll ever really want to stop spending time with Fitz & The Fool, and Nighteyes. The explorations of Pack and friendship and love are all so so good.