by Robin Hobb
- Fiction
- Fantasy
- Magic
This is the third and final instalment in the Farseer Trilogy, following FitzChivalry, a young bastard boy who now becomes a man—overcoming his literal ‘death’ from his previous life, and navigating the quest to find the rightful king and save the duchies from his brother.
This instalment picks up immediately after the second book, Royal Assassin, which ended on a major cliffhanger with FitzChivalry dying and becoming one with his wolf. We follow the story as Fitz becomes part of his body once again and has to learn how to be human again. Once returned to himself, he sets out on a quest to kill the false king, King Regal. After nearly being caught and murdered once more, he is summoned by the rightful king and sets off to find him.
In another story filled with twists, turns, and unbelievable injuries that should kill any man, Fitz takes it all in stride. The story begins in a strange way—with the man-wolf combination—and then slows down as we follow him travelling and attempting different things. It feels much like a travelling scene in a D&D game—not quite all the drama. However, within the last ten chapters or so, the narrative shifts completely and builds to its climax.
Hobb is a fantastic author, and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed these books. They’re a little slow in places—but what novel doesn’t have those moments? I really enjoy Hobb’s subtle use of magic, and although it’s a high fantasy series, it also carries a strong historical feel—just set in a fantasy land.
This was a really nice final book for the Farseer Trilogy and written in a way I wasn’t expecting, making it a fantastic story. It’s been wonderful seeing these characters develop across the three books—a young bastard boy working in a barn becomes the secret saviour of the duchies; a working girl becomes a lady’s maid and then a single mother supported by a friend; a soldier becomes a stablemaster and father figure in hiding—and so many more. The world itself also develops beautifully: from a simple stable life, to threats from foreign islands, to internal collapse. The way this trilogy unfolds is fantastic.
I’d recommend reading this final instalment only after reading the first two books—Assassin’s Apprentice and Royal Assassin—especially if you love high fantasy.
