Book Series Review: The Farseer Trilogy

I am not an avid reader, but I do go through a book whenever I can make time for it. The last audiobook I finished listening to, was the third book in the Farseer trilogy: Assassin’s Quest by Robin Hobb. All three books have the word “assassin” in the title, so at first, a reader might think that the books are about a guy who goes around murdering people. That would not be entirely untrue, but there is so much more to the series than that.

The story revolves around a young boy, Fitz, who is the illegitimate son of the heir to the throne of the Six Duchies, and how he grows up to protect the realm. He is given an opportunity to serve his grandfather, the King, and he takes it, not fully knowing the extent of what he has sworn. From a young age he is trained to be the King’s secret weapon, dispatched wherever and whenever he is needed. The question often comes up: “How many would one kill to protect the kingdom?” He is taught that the number will be as many as necessary, but he is also taught the value of a life.

The magic systems introduced in the series involve the “Skill,” which can be used to communicate with other humans over long distances through the mind, and the “Wit,” which is similar to the Skill, but used generally on animals.

Robin Hobb brings the medieval world to life through the interactions of the main characters with others using these abilities, and it is interesting to observe the inter-species interactions throughout the story, especially as mythological creatures are introduced into the mix.

The political structure and chaos are fleshed out, where multiple chess pieces are at play. Fitz is but a pawn in the game, where he is forced to make tough decisions, to put his King’s interests above his own, and to prioritize the throne over his own life, on multiple occasions.

Through hard work and dedication, he gains the respect of the King, bit by bit, but he also endures the pain of losing a great deal throughout the story. If the political intrigue is not Hobb’s best aspect, it certainly is the physical and emotional pain that Fitz has to endure time and time again. It is not only him — the people around him go through a lot of emotional pain as well.

A unique aspect of the book is that it is written in the first person, as a kind of memoir by the main character, which is difficult to pull off but is great when executed well. To my joy, I recently discovered that there are more books set in the same universe, which I am now going to devour, because I cannot get enough of it.  Onwards, to the next adventure.

Andalib Rahman

Graduate Research Assistant

The University of Tennessee-Knoxville

andalibrahmanqpm@gmail.com