Young Fitz, the illegitimate son of the noble Prince Chivalry, is ignored by all royalty except the devious King Shrewd, who has had him tutored him in the dark arts of the assassin. He has barely survived his first, soul-shattering mission, and when he returns to the court, he is thrown headfirst into the tumult of royal life.
With the king near death, and Fitz's only ally off on a seemingly hopeless quest, the throne itself is threatened. Meanwhile, the treacherous Red Ship Raiders have renewed their attacks on the Six Duchies, slaughtering the inhabitants of entire seaside towns. In this time of great peril, it soon becomes clear that the fate of the kingdom may rest in Fitz's hands—and his role in its salvation may require the ultimate sacrifice.
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"What a fantastic book! I couldn't put it down. The character development is wonderful. The plotting is unique and exciting. And you are kept guessing as to how everything is going to come out until the very end. Can't wait to read the third and final book of this trilogy."
— Diane (5 out of 5 stars)
Another spellbinding installment, built of patient detail, believable characters, and mature plotting.
— Kirkus" This is the second book of the three, I only purchased this book because I could not get it for free but it has been one of the best if not the best audio books I have ever listened to. Great story and great narration. "
— Conrad , 8/17/2017" I enjoyed this book following Fitz threw his life and it's a very intestine life. "
— Jacob, 2/20/2017" I agree with many of the above reviews, both positive and negative. On the positive side, the characters are very well written. Robin Hobb's writing is vivid and engaging. But the story is, as others have said here, depressing, emotionally draining and 90% of it consists of a great and extremely slow and relentless building up of angst. I'm currently on the third-last chapter (Ch 31) and it is a real slog to get through. I'm going to need to see a shrink after this one - it is that depressing. There are very few triumphs in the story so far, and each one comes at a greater price. There is always some disaster following a victory that sinks the reader into a deeper state of despair. Every time I feel like this is it - this is as low and depressing as it can get - something worse happens. I think it will be a VERY long time before I try to take up the third book to complete the story. And then, only because I'm a bit obsessive about finishing what I've started. To be honest, the reason I came searching for reviews was to see if there were others that shared my opinion. I can't understand why so many of the reviews are positive. "
— PK, 7/20/2016" A must-read, and back in print!! "
— Mary, 2/17/2014" I'm speechless. While the whole book was great, the ending was nothing sort of magnificent. I can't wait to read the final book of the series! "
— Fani, 2/5/2014" one of the best fantasies i've ever read! "
— Shirin, 1/16/2014" Damn the wolves. "
— Chitra, 1/14/2014" ...and the series continues strong and fabulous! "
— April, 12/31/2013" This book was really depressing, I had to stop reading it and read another book because it was to depressing. I was enjoying the book but it became to much for me to take and had to stop. It seem like it was just one bad thing after another and nothing good ever happen. "
— Derek, 12/12/2013" this series is so amazing. I love these characters! "
— Jule, 9/20/2013" Engaging, well-balanced plot. Interesting solutions to the Chinese box narrator institute. Very enjoyable travel and thought trough a landscape of imagination and human relationships. "
— Lauma, 7/31/2012" my high school libray had an editors edition and noone else has heard of these i will read more "
— Lobo, 2/21/2012" An interesting story line, though frustrating and a bit lengthy in parts. I really want to find out how it ends but find myself annoyed at how long its dragging out. "
— Kathy, 1/12/2012" Story is very interesting. Good characters, and nice pace. I'm not a first person type of fan, but the story was so good I had to keep reading anyway. "
— James, 1/9/2012" These books are so addictive. They're not very good but I can't seem to stop reading anyway! "
— Flik, 8/15/2011" Less interesting than the first, and less exciting than the third, Hobb fleshes out the characters in this but it was pretty boring - FitzChivalry is still immature and if anything seems to have stepped backwards from who he was becoming in the first book. "
— Alex, 7/12/2011" Read this immediately after the first book, Assassin's Apprentice, and indeed it just felt like an extension to the first story. Definitely read the first book first. It's addicting enough that if you make it to the end, you'll probably end up reading this one as well. "
— Jon, 5/14/2011" More like the first..not much to say here except excellent!! "
— Shane, 4/5/2011" A must-read, and back in print!! "
— Mary, 4/2/2011" Robin Hobb is an excellent writer and does an excellent job creating the characters plot lines. I thoroughly enjoy reading his books. "
— Kevin, 3/28/2011" Really enjoyed this book. Great plot and brilliant characters! A joy to read! "
— Dan, 3/26/2011" Such a great book. Before reaching the last chapter, I went out and got the 3rd book so that I could readily continue without experiencing any signs of withdrawal. If only I could put aside the rest of my life and finish this series. "
— Simplenothing, 2/25/2011" A great follow up of the story set in the first book and, I hope, a good start point for the last book in the trilogy so it can be all wraped up. <br/> <br/>It is, though, 700 pages fo evolving angst that left me a little bit emotionally exhausted. "
— Victoria, 2/20/2011" This is another great book in the series. The end is very surprising and awesome. I cant wait to start the next one!!!!! "
— Claudia, 2/13/2011" I liked it even more than book 1. Great plot, memorable characters. On to the final book! "
— Moritz, 2/8/2011" I lost interest early on and got on a Jack Vance kick instead... and, well, my library ebook expired. I enjoyed Assassin's Apprentice well enough, but I don't think I'll continue on with the series. "
— C.E., 2/1/2011Robin Hobb was born in California but grew up in Alaska, where 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 the Rain Wilds Chronicles, the Farseer trilogy, the Liveship Traders trilogy, and the Tawny Man trilogy. Her books under the pseudonym Megan Lindholm include Wizard of the Pigeons, The Windsingers, and Cloven Hooves. She is also the author of The Inheritance, a collection of stories written under both names. Her short fiction has won the Asimov’s Readers’ Award and been a finalist for both the Nebula and Hugo awards.
Paul Boehmer is an American actor best known for his numerous appearances in the Star Trek universe, in addition to Frasier, Judging Amy, Guiding Light, and All My Children. He is a 1992 Masters of Fine Arts graduate of the Professional Theater Training Program at the University of Delaware. As a narrator, Paul has won several AudioFile Earphones Awards as well as an Audie Award.
Paul Boehmer is an American actor best known for his numerous appearances in the Star Trek universe, in addition to Frasier, Judging Amy, Guiding Light, and All My Children. He is a 1992 Masters of Fine Arts graduate of the Professional Theater Training Program at the University of Delaware. As a narrator, Paul has won several AudioFile Earphones Awards as well as an Audie Award.