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    The Farseer: Assassin's Quest
    The Farseer: Assassin's Quest
    The Farseer: Assassin's Quest
    Audiobook37 hours

    The Farseer: Assassin's Quest

    Written by Robin Hobb

    Narrated by Paul Boehmer

    4.5/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    From an extraordinary voice in fantasy comes the stunning conclusion to the Farseer trilogy, as FitzChivalry confronts his destiny as the catalyst who holds the fate of the kingdom of the Six Duchies...and the world itself.

    King Shrewd is dead at the hands of his son Regal. As is Fitz-or so his enemies and friends believe. But with the help of his allies and his beast magic, he emerges from the grave, deeply scarred in body and soul. The kingdom also teeters toward ruin: Regal has plundered and abandoned the capital, while the rightful heir, Prince Verity, is lost to his mad quest-perhaps to death. Only Verity's return-or the heir his princess carries-can save the Six Duchies.

    But Fitz will not wait. Driven by loss and bitter memories, he undertakes a quest: to kill Regal. The journey casts him into deep waters, as he discovers wild currents of magic within him-currents that will either drown him or make him something more than he was.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherTantor Media, Inc
    Release dateAug 3, 2010
    ISBN9781400184361
    The Farseer: Assassin's Quest
    Author

    Robin Hobb

    Robin Hobb was born in California but grew up in Alaska. It was there that she learned to love the forest and the wilderness. She has lived most of her life in the Pacific Northwest and currently resides in Tacoma, Washington. She is the author of five critically acclaimed fantasy series: The Rain Wilds Chronicles (Dragon Keeper, Dragon Haven, City of Dragons, Blood of Dragons), The Soldier Son Trilogy, The Tawny Man Trilogy, The Liveship Traders Trilogy, and The Farseer Trilogy. Under the name Megan Lindholm she is the author of The Wizard of the Pigeons, Windsingers, and Cloven Hooves. The Inheritance, a collection of stories, was published under both names. Her short fiction has won the Asimov's Readers' Award and she has been a finalist for both the Nebula and Hugo awards.

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    Reviews for The Farseer

    4.5/5

    267 ratings67 reviews

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    • 4/5
      It was a wonderfully satisfying ending to the first trilogy by Hobb. Fitz suffers so many things and sacrifices so much for the good of the kingdom and family. I suspected who the Elderlings are, and I do like being right. I am so glad I picked up this trilogy and will have no qualms choosing the next Robin Hobb trilogy in the world of the Elderlings. What's not to love? I got magic, animal companions, found family, and in the end, legendary mythical creatures!
    • 4/5
      A fitting end to the trilogy. After a few detours, Fitz journeys into the mountains to find Verity and help save the Six Duchies.While I still enjoyed this book very, very much, I did find that it lagged at times. The characters and their struggles were still engaging, but there were a number of sequences that felt a bit too dreamlike for my liking. Things were happening, but I felt divorced from the action. One of the things I liked best about the first two books was how connected I felt to the story; when that connection faded, my attention waned. The book always bounced back, (often in a way that brought tears to my eyes), but those segments made portions of it something of a chore to read. I think perhaps the editors relaxed a little with this installment; there were also a few places where I thought the writing wasn’t as tight as it could’ve been.That said, though, this really was a great ending. Everything fit. The series’ main concerns were resolved very nicely, and the characters all found their niche. (I particularly liked how Regal ended up). I find that I actually miss everyone now that it's over. I was very pleased with it, overall, and can’t wait to read more from Robin Hobb.
    • 4/5
      Despite its rather depressing ending, the book carries the reader well throughout the story events. I feel satiated, though a little unhappy.
    • 4/5
      The story should be retitled the tragedy of the Assassin. It was good. I enjoyed it. But if I ever meet Ms. Hobb I should like to slap her for all I went through, reading all the character went through. If you like tragedies this is top notch.
    • 3/5
      Book 3 of a series in which the main character was abused as a child (in book 1) by being trained as an assassin at age 12. I kept listening because of the excellent narrator, and hoping main character would eventually mature or at least develop some self awareness but no. The ending was very random as if the editor said "you still need to tie up a, b, and c" and so it all got chucked into the last few chapters. This volume also contained some very scary ideas "Making a new truth is more important than the facts" iirc. The editors of Time magazine said much recently.
      If you don't like to think about what you read this will be a great series.
      I highly commend the narrator Paul Boehmer and will look for more of his work, the author? meh.
    • 1/5
      I found myself hating these books, but so invested in them I had to finish. The whiny self-absorbed protagonist was like nails on a chalk board after a while. I found myself skipping chapters of introspective dialogue. Ugh! The torture is over!
    • 5/5
      Wowee wowee wow. I just finished Assassin's Quest by Robin Hobb, the last book in the Farseer trilogy. I totally loved this series and adamantly recommend it to everyone. I had no idea that any current author was writing fabulous science fiction tales. Why hasn't this gained the same popularity as the works of Tolkein and Rowling? Am baffled at this because Hobb truly belongs in the upper most echelon with them.

      I have read several reader reviews that complain of the story, and especially this last book. I think their primary complaint stems from this story not taking the obvious route to the expected closure of a typical science fiction novel. However, this is what I enjoyed most about this series. The world and the characters Hobb created had me mesmerized from start to finish. The end of this book had me speed-reading as fast as I possibly could because I absolutely had to see how the final events were going to unfold as quickly as possible. I was not disappointed.

      I the other complaint I've read from readers is of our hero, Fitz. I think Fitz is the best protagonist I've ever read in science fiction. I find it extremely boring to read about perfect people who always make the best choices; what's interesting reading about somebody doing something that's easy for them? In this story, Fitz tries throughout his life to do the right thing, to be a "king's man." But his mistakes, misjudgments and wrong assumptions combined with his constant struggle to do what he wants versus what he should, shape him into such a robust character that, by the end of the series, I was breathing each breath with him and hoping his same hopes and fearing his same fears.

      This was an incredible series. I can't wait to read other books of Hobb's. She has written two more trilogies in this same world she created in the Realm of the Elderlings, as well as other books outside of this universe. Check back to my blog in the future for postings on all of these books, which I will surely read.
    • 2/5
      As short of a version as possible: Fitz is the single most inept protagonist I have ever known. This is not a happy book, and the only thing Fitz is good at is pushing away the people who care about him. This is the most character driven story I've ever read, and one where the characters themselves are insufferably frustrating.

      Longer review:
      I very much enjoyed the plot, that which was relevant. The issue is I loathed the character telling it. Fitz is forgetful and bad at everything he tries to do. The only thing he is halfway decent at for the first 34 hours(of 37) of the book is being needlessly cruel to those who care about him. Unfortunately it can be best described as an idiot plot. The characters kept secrets and left things unsaid for no purpose other than to prevent the plot from developing further until they were inevitably dragged out because *something* had to continue the story along. Worse, Fitz, and therefore the reader, was told the same things upwards of 3 to 5 times before he would even begin to grasp or accept them. Worst of all was that Fitz himself repeatedly had "I need to grow up and accept this" moments that never seemed to stick.

      I really, really wanted to like this book. And I enjoyed the last 12 hours or so of it. Getting to the point where the actual plot that had any consequence was brutally unpleasant.
    • 2/5
      This is an agonizingly slow end to a series that dragged on too long.It's a common problem in the fantasy genre that authors add useless padding to increase the word count or to stretch a simple story into a trilogy or series. I think Robin Hobb's Farseer trilogy could have made a decent single book, but each of its three volumes was instead padded far too much, with this third volume being the worst offender.There are good segments in all three volumes. This third volume starts off fairly promising with an effective first act. Fitz's recovery from his torture at Regal's hands is very effective, with some chilling moments and questions of just how much of his humanity Fitz was able to recover. Unfortunately this theme of wrestling against animal instincts does not effectively carry through the rest of the book, and after the first act the narrative just drags.The middle act involves a lot of mostly pointless wandering, and you being to ask just how many times Fitz can be captured by his enemies before escaping.But the worst is the final third, which grinds to a halt and forces you to read through over a hundred pages of moody introspection. Every character in this section is aggravatingly obtuse. In fact Hobb almost makes fun of that, with Fitz exclaiming that nobody could give a straight answer to anything. Ultimately there just aren't any likeable characters in this story. Fitz especially is moody, passive, and weak-willed, and overall not a protaganist that can give us anything to cheer for.Like the rest of the series, the prose throughout is often clunky and melodramatic. Its deus ex machina climax is lacklustre and feels contrived and utterly unsatisfying. I spent the final third of the book counting the pages remaining and looking forward to starting something new.
    • 5/5
      Great narrative and world building. I’ve reread it three times over the years and enjoy it every time.
    • 4/5
      Final installment--each entry independently intelligible--of Hobb's stunning fantasy trilogy (Royal Assassin, 1996; Assassin's Apprentice, 1995) about the beleaguered Six Duchies and their Farseer kings. Months ago, King Verity vanished into the far mountains in search of the semi-mythical Elderlings, whose help he must have in order to defeat the rampaging Red Ship Raiders, leaving his murderous, venal, and insanely ambitious brother, Prince Regal, to dispose of Verity's last few loyalists at his leisure--including narrator, spy, and assassin FitzChivalry. Poor Fitz, unable to contact his beloved Molly (she thinks he's dead) and daughter (by Molly) for fear of exposing them to Regal's attentions, uses his magic Skill to locate Verity and receives an imperious summons: ``COME TO ME!'' So, abandoning his plan to assassinate Regal, Fitz enters the mountains with a small band of helpers. Eventually, having evaded Regal's minions, Fitz comes upon Verity Skill-carving a huge dragon out of black rock; nearby stand other lifelike dragon-sculptures that, to Fitz's animal-magic Wit, seem somehow alive. Are these eerie sculptures what remain of the Elderlings? Yet, for all his Skill, Verity cannot bring the dragons to life; and soon Regal will arrive with his armies and his Skilled coterie. An enthralling conclusion to this superb trilogy, displaying an exceptional combination of originality, magic, adventure, character, and drama.
    • 4/5
      Slow very slow 80 % of the way through but Robin Hobb's writing kept me going and made me love this series.
    • 3/5
      Best of the series, but not great. Enjoyable, certainly. Satisfying ending.
    • 5/5
      Tremendous ending to the Farseer trilogy. I had some doubts about the first two books but this third book is outstanding.
    • 3/5
      Parts of the book were long and tedious but I did enjoy it
    • 5/5
      I've read a lot of fantasy, but this was probably the most epic conclusion to a series I've ever encountered. What a fantastic ending.
    • 4/5
      For me there's always a lot of pressure on the third book in a trilogy to wrap everything up in a way that's neither a happily-ever-after cliche nor a complete downer. This conclusion does a good job of striking that balance -- maybe a little more on the downer side, but it helps to know some characters reappear in future books where they may get a chance to improve their situations. This story is less about politics and more about questing, and I liked the chance to see the characters taking on some new challenges. Fitz finally learns more about his abilities and the history of his world, although it leads him and his crew to some strange and dangerous places.

      Some of the things I disliked about the previous books were improved upon as well. We learn more about Regal's backstory and motivations, making him seem less like a stock villain, and surprisingly I was impressed with the conclusion of the bland romantic subplot. Some may find the pacing slow, since it involves a lot of walking through the woods, but I don't mind a focus on atmosphere and mental challenges when it's done well. I do wish there had been a way for Fitz to be involved more in the events of the climax, since as a result we receive only a brief secondhand account of the most exciting thing to happen in all three books.

      As for this series overall, I'd recommend it to anybody who's looking for a solid comfort food fantasy trilogy. There's nothing about it that really stands out as excellent or innovative, but the story has a simple richness to it and all of the characters have interesting arcs. Possibly I'll continue with the next set of books someday -- there are still a few things I'm curious about -- but if not I'm content with this as a pretty good stand-alone trilogy.
    • 4/5
      I have enjoyed the series. this book did get a little dry about 3/4 of the way. But I'm glade I pushed through and finished it.
    • 4/5
      An epic trilogy comes to a satisfying conclusion. The denouement and conclusion of Fitz's story raised the rating for me by a full star. It is both heartfelt and heartbreaking at the same time. While I have a few quibbles with some of the story details, overall, these books are an enjoyable and immersive read and are well worth diving into.
    • 4/5
      In this final chapter of the first trilogy in the series, the protagonist Fitz is flawed. Maybe a little too flawed. There are certainly fantasy novels where the protagonist is too amazing at everything they do, and that can be overkill, yet here, in Assassin's Quest, Hobb makes Fitz the complete opposite. He doesn't seem to be very good at anything anymore. He's certainly a horrible assassin. While, there is some logic behind his dwindling skillset, (He basically died in the last book and had to re-learn how to become a person again), it still is a hard sell after two full books of diligent training, and build up. The book is called Assassin's Quest, I was hoping to read about an Assassin. Aside from Fitz being the worst at everything, the story does feel like a good conclusion to the trilogy. It's a natural and strong progression from book one and two, and the novel moved a great pace. Slowing down when it needed to, and picking up just when I was worried it was getting too slow. Hobb is a fantastic story teller and one hell of a writer. Her prose are fantastic, and on par with any of the great fantasy writers out there. Other great elements of the book were Nighteyes and The Fool. Both characters that are unique and written well, that they add to the narrative and the excitement of the story every page they are on. They certainly help to keep the book feeling fresh and exciting when other less fleshed out characters are trying to bring it down.Characters like Starling and Kettle. Try as I might, I could not stand these two additions to the story. I wanted to, but for all of Hobb's great writing and amazing character development in the first two, these two women just drove me nuts. Compared to female characters like Patience and Kettricken, they felt rushed, absurd, and downright annoying most of the time. I found there to be no reason at all for Kettle to be so secretive and cruel. I was waiting for some big reveal as to why she needed to remain the way she was, literally putting everyone in danger by not speaking up, and when the "reveal" happened, there was still no excuse. A let down that only made me hate the character even more. While this was certainly not the strongest book of the three, as mentioned, I still enjoyed it. I thought the final portion of the book was exciting and interesting, and kept me turning page after page, which is always a good sign. While I may have not loved all the characters, and may not have loved Fitz fall from grace, I did like the overall story and writing, and try to look at it more as a whole with the other two then a one off book. In this, it feels stronger. I am excited to continue reading on in the series, and to explore the next trilogy in this overarching story.
    • 4/5
      You know, I may have read a book where the author puts the hero through more traumas and trials than Hobb puts FitzChivalry through in this series... but I really can't think of one offhand. The guy really just does not get a break!

      This installment takes more of the classic fantasy quest format, as Fitz, whom everyone thinks is dead, sets off on a quest to travel beyond the mountain kingdom and find the rightful king, Verity. Hotly pursued by Regal and his coterie of Skill-wielders who wish to kill him, he is plagued by his own uncertain use of the Skill, which is a vulnerability, but which shows him visions of his love, Molly, and the child he has never seen - which may be the heir to the Farseer bloodline.
      Along the way, he is joined by the minstrel, Starling, who seeks fame and fortune by attaching herself to those who may do songworthy deeds; the old pilgrim woman, Kettle, who seems to know more of both history and magic than one would guess, the enigmatic Fool, the Queen Kettricken, seeking her husband...
      Will they find Verity? Will Verity have found the mythical Elderlings, and/or a way to save the Six Duchies from both the Red-Ship Raiders and Regal's treachery? Will Fitz ever be able to have the simple life that he yearns after?

      Quest fantasy has been done to death, but this book doesn't feel formulaic at all... definitely entertaining! On to the second trilogy!
    • 4/5
      It's always hard to finish a saga. it usually ends up being a little too long and wordy.In addition, trying to explain everything that was a mystery up to this book (over more than a 1000 pages) will always be a little bit of a let down since the biggest part of the fun is the mystery.However, this book explains everything in a very satisfactory manner, save for the red ships that just become a slight non-issue.
    • 1/5
      The torture never ends! Every time Fitz picks himself up he gets knocked down, punched in the face, and then trampeled by wild horses for his trouble.
    • 5/5
      WOW. Hobbs wraps up her first Six Duchies trilogy with a satisfying conclusion that ties up a lot of loose ends without feeling pat or forced. The protagonist-narrator, Fitz, has grown and changed a lot over these three books, and here we finally see him come into his own: into adulthood, and into an understanding of his place in the world. The supporting cast are just as fascinating (or more so -- e.g., The Fool, who gets his own, later, trilogy) and just as fully realized. I can't quite put my finger on the techniques that Hobbs uses to balance character with plot, but it's brilliantly accomplished. Rare is the traditional (!) fantasy novel that does so -- much less maintains that approach over a series. I am left with that most enjoyable of sensations: Satisfaction in the story told here, but eager to revisit the Six Duchies for more.
    • 4/5
      Assassin's Quest is the last volume of the Farseer trilogy. I gave both Assassin's Apprentice (The Farseer Trilogy, Book 1) and Royal Assassin (The Farseer Trilogy, Book 2) glowing reviews, but didn't enjoy this one quite as much.I don't want to say too much about the specific plot points since it's the third book of the series, and this blog is for general audiences. However, this book is quite different from the other two. As should be obvious from the name, this book involves a quest (started in Royal Assassin). The atmosphere in this book is more of an adventure, seeking the unknown. The previous books were set in known territory and involved a lot of political intrigue and court plots. All of this has now been resolved.Most of our favourite characters from the previous books return, sometimes in unexpected places. Some characters have undergone a bit of an unexpected metamorphosis, which is pretty interesting.I didn't expect the book to be as sad as it was. Even though everything ends satisfactorily, Fitz is still in the shadows, and still melancholy. As per general fantasy tropes, I expected him to end up the Farseer king with Molly at his side. This didn't happen. The book ended realistically, but not extremely happily.I really enjoyed the two new main characters - Kettle and Starling. They had interesting stories and motivations, and made great additions to the story.I wish the Red Ship Raiders had been explored more. Their motivations were explained in one of the chapter-prologues, but given the prominence of their threat, I expected them to play a bigger role.Overall, a decent but somewhat unsatisfying end to the trilogy. Luckily, there are a few more trilogies in this world, and Fitz features in one of them!
    • 4/5
      Robin Hobb breaks my heart with her books, and I loved the first few hundred pages because Fitz's situation was just so relatable. Then it slowed down a bit too much for my taste, and it took quite a while to get going again. Hobb's writing is almost literary. The focus is on Fitz more so than plot. Character development is front and centre. I do enjoy that, but it also ruined the pacing of the book.The conclusion is wonderful and bittersweet. I recommend the entire trilogy to fantasy fans who don't mind a single point of view character, a story told in first person and a lot of the mundane.This almost makes it sound like I didn't like it. Don't get me wrong, I loved the trilogy. I just feel like the book didn't need to be 800 pages long.
    • 5/5
      I loved this trilogy and, as with all good books, I didn’t want this to end. It’s rare to find a book where you care about so many characters, but most were so richly drawn, it wasn’t difficult to fall in love them. There’s a tendency for fantasy to lack depth but not here. The books explore the meaning of sacrifice, love, and maturity. I’ll definitely be seeking more books by Robin Hobb.
    • 4/5
      By reading this novel from beginning to end in three weeks, I complete this epic trilogy. The timeframe rightly suggests that I find the story compelling and looking forward to resolution; the resolution is creative and dynamic. The characters are believable and have depth. I found the repeated plot reminders and foreshadowing a wee bit redundant and acknowledge that someone who read less quickly might find these more helpful. At some point, I will begin the next series by Robin Hobb. Well worth my attention.
    • 3/5
      I have a love/hate relationship with this book. I believe the first time I started this book was over 5 years ago. I got about 70 pages in and put it down until last month...the writing is just waaayyy too descriptive and it takes forever for anything to happen. Pages are spent on the most mundane things, and I could not give a crap. The overall plot of the novel was great! I really enjoy Fitz, and the Fool, and their story, but my god did it take forever to just fucking get there. I was finally able to finish this by listening to the audiobook - it was my saving grace. I don't think I could have physically read the book and not DNF'd it. The world Robin Hobb has created is so intricate and really interesting. The land has vivid descriptions, and you can clearly picture it in your head, which is great, until you get pages upon pages of them walking down a goddamn road. The characters were also great. I really liked how we got multi-faceted characters from Fitz's descriptions of them, and they felt so layered. Robin Hobb does a great job with all of her characters. One gripe I have is the "harem" aspect of these books. Almost every freaking woman Fitz meets wants to bang him. It grated on me. I just lost some respect for these characters, and Fitz just appalled me. Ugh.Overall, great story, and characters, but overly long descriptions and writing just bogged me down.
    • 3/5
      As an ending to the series, this was quite satisfying, but at nearly twice as long as the first book and 25% longer than the second, it was slow to start and then dragged through the middle and late acts before a really late climax. This could have been 5 stars if it were 30% shorter.