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A review by greatgodbird
Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb
5.0
I started reading this in January 2019, which kickstarted my reading almost the entire series - over 15 books - within a year. I read perhaps the first quarter of Assassin's Apprentice digitally, when, having been struck by Hobb's (the author) incredible writing, I went out and bought physical copies of every book in the series.
This book begins the long journey of teased worldbuilding that is explored throughout the rest of the series through immaculately detailed character, plot, and environment descriptions. Fitz is introduced to us through the lenses of vulnerability and flaws - both those inherent to his character, and those that pervade in poor decision-making in this book, and in the greater story. He and Chade are gorgeously written, especially, and exude depth that provide a clear frame of reference against which the remainder of horrifying and sinister violence and politics in the series is pitted. The most driving factors for me in this book were depictions of Fitz's grief in the face of his internal struggles with being known, accepted, and loved by those who matter most to him - the starkly realistic writing of his mental state as a child are what urged me onwards through the series... and I have not been disappointed.
This book begins the long journey of teased worldbuilding that is explored throughout the rest of the series through immaculately detailed character, plot, and environment descriptions. Fitz is introduced to us through the lenses of vulnerability and flaws - both those inherent to his character, and those that pervade in poor decision-making in this book, and in the greater story. He and Chade are gorgeously written, especially, and exude depth that provide a clear frame of reference against which the remainder of horrifying and sinister violence and politics in the series is pitted. The most driving factors for me in this book were depictions of Fitz's grief in the face of his internal struggles with being known, accepted, and loved by those who matter most to him - the starkly realistic writing of his mental state as a child are what urged me onwards through the series... and I have not been disappointed.