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A review by diannamorganti
Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb
4.0
I almost gave this book 5 stars, but I think my very high opinion of the second book (which I'm halfway through already) colored that. Or perhaps gave me some perspective.
I like the first book and wholeheartedly recommend it to lovers of epic fantasy. This is classic fantasy with all the important tropes, but done very well.
An unnamed boy is dropped off at a castle and declared the bastard son of the king in waiting. He is raised harshly and eventually learns a bit of magic (I'm greatly generalizing to avoid spoilers and point out the tropes), and everyone declares him rich in unmet potential. He has enemies and allies and secrets galore. The title gives away his eventual role as assassin; it goes without saying that he is a reluctant one. The fact that he didn't have, and never gets, an actual name is a fascinating piece of the story I want to think more about.
Sometimes what you want is the comfort that a book with a familiar feel can give you, but this classic fantasy Bildungsroman manages to give more than just the tropes you expect. I see a lot of Sanderson in here (though I presume it predates him, so perhaps he learned a bit from Hobb).
The hard part of a Bildungsroman is creating the compelling sequel - so far book two is even better, but that will be another review.
I like the first book and wholeheartedly recommend it to lovers of epic fantasy. This is classic fantasy with all the important tropes, but done very well.
An unnamed boy is dropped off at a castle and declared the bastard son of the king in waiting. He is raised harshly and eventually learns a bit of magic (I'm greatly generalizing to avoid spoilers and point out the tropes), and everyone declares him rich in unmet potential. He has enemies and allies and secrets galore. The title gives away his eventual role as assassin; it goes without saying that he is a reluctant one. The fact that he didn't have, and never gets, an actual name is a fascinating piece of the story I want to think more about.
Sometimes what you want is the comfort that a book with a familiar feel can give you, but this classic fantasy Bildungsroman manages to give more than just the tropes you expect. I see a lot of Sanderson in here (though I presume it predates him, so perhaps he learned a bit from Hobb).
The hard part of a Bildungsroman is creating the compelling sequel - so far book two is even better, but that will be another review.