rg9400 's review for:

Assassin's Quest by Robin Hobb

2.0

challenging slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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I am sorry, but I think I hated this book. Initially, it starts out really strong. Actually, the first few chapters are the best in the entire trilogy I think. It was the first time I really felt a connection to Fitz, his frustration palpable. However, the book quickly shifts gears. It becomes a journey book, which is already my least favorite type of fantasy story. More frustratingly, it isolates Fitz. One of the strongest aspects of the prior two books, and the part I liked the most, was how side characters were developed and how their dynamic with Fitz was built up. In this book, most of the best characters are almost completely absent. Multiple of them. Some only show up in passing. And the book is noticeably worse off because of it. Instead, what we get in the first half is an incredibly circular and repetitive plot. There is a plot setup at the start of the book that is quickly undone, then re-established, then undone again, then re-established. It was very frustrating to read. However, it was nothing compared to the second half, which gets mired in mysticism that seems so divorced from the intimate political intrigue from the prior books. This all culminates in one of the most rushed endings I have ever read, with a sudden deluge of events happening in the span of a short chapter to try and resolve and tie up all the loose ends. I found this painful because I had to go through a book that was incredibly long (almost double the length of the first book) and boring and could have easily put a lot of that plot resolution throughout.

To be brutally honest, this book was an absolute chore to get through. At times, I hated reading it. And despite all the positive things I've heard about the series as a whole and the next set of books, I can't help but feel less interested in continuing. I do plan on continuing, but it definitely bumped Liveship down on my TBR. Really disappointed overall