Locus Award nominee 1997.
The legend continues...
Regal's treasonous attempt to usurp the Six Duchies throne from his half-brother Verity has been foiled; but Fitz has been left prone to bouts of trembling and faintness as a result of the foul poison administered to him
One night, Fitz has a dream: of Red-Ship Raiders sacking a coastal village, leaving not a single man, woman or child alive or unForged, including, it seems, a familiar dark-haired woman sheltering two children in a fisherman's cottage. Was it Molly he saw in his dream? Is she still alive; or worse, has she been Forged? Tortured by this terrible vision and by his physical traumas, Fitz returns to the Six Duchies court. Where all is far from well.
Despite a marriage designed to stabilize the kingdom, the Mountain Princess, Kettricken, finds herself sadly neglected by King-in-Waiting Verity, who spends all his time in his tower-room, attempting to Skill storm and poor navigation upon the Red-Ship Raiders. It seems that nothing can stop their terrifying marauding. Frustrated in all his efforts, Verity makes what appears to many an insane plan: to seek to awaken the mystical Elderlings in defence of the kingdom.
With King Shrewd struck down by a mysterious sickness, Verity's departure leaves Regal free to pursue his evil plottings; and Fitz, friendless but for the wolf Nighteyes, rescued from a market-trader's cage, and the King's Fool, who torments Fitz with his cryptic prophesies: "Keystone. Gate. Crossroads. Catalyst. All these you have been, and continue to be. Whenever I come to a crossroads, whenever the scent is uncertain, when I put my nose to the ground, and cast about and bay and snuffle, I find one scent. Yours. We are here Fitz, you and I, to change the future and the world..."
Hobb covers portrayed here are from UK editions, by John Howe.
Rate this book
Robin Hobb
Robin Hobb is alias for Margaret (Megan) Lindholm Ogden. She also writes as Megan Lindholm.
Hobb was born in 1952 in California, US. She is married with sailor Fred Ogden and they have four children and grandchildren. She lives in Tacoma, Washington with her cats and youngest child.
For most of her teen years Hobb lived in Fairbanks, Alaska. She majored in Communications at Denver University, Colorado. She worked as a journalist in Kodiak and wrote fairy tales to children's magazines. She has always been a keen reader and already knew as a child that she wanted to be an author. She sold her first story when she was 18. In 1971 she started writing as Megan Lindholm. Her first book as Lindholm came out in 1983.
The Farseer
Series contains 3 primary works and has 3 total works.
The Farseer Trilogy follows the life of FitzChivalry Farseer, a royal bastard and trained assassin, in a kingdom of The Six Duchies while his uncle, Prince Verity, attempts to wage war on the Red-Ship Raiders from The OutIslands who are attacking the shores of the kingdom.
Main series The Realm of the Elderlings
Community Reviews & Rates
260 reviews
3604 posts
Royal Assassin continues the story of Fitz, a royal bastard. I started reading Royal Assassin when I finished reading Assassin's Apprentice and I was impressed by its quality, depth and style - this book was much better than the first part. The ending of this book is unique and quite memorable. I highly recommend this book to everybody, who wants to read good and entertaining fantasy.
