/r/Fantasy Discussion Group discussion

Let us know your first impressions of Assassin's Apprentice. You can also ask questions/make comments as you read, you just have to use spoiler tags.

I've been meaning to read this one for a while, and so I was excited to see the bookclub vote it in! I've heard so much about Robin Hobb's writing style that I didn't need any adjustment once I started. It was pretty easy to get used to the slower pace, and I'm really enjoying the retrospective feel to it.

Finished this a month or so ago, you guys are in for a treat!!

I have read this trilogy before and am looking forward to starting this one again. Happy Independence day to those in America!

Thanks from USA, Augie. Since Robin is coming out with another Fool and Fitz series, I am very tempted to read all 14 of her Realm of the Elderling books a 3rd time through. Not sure I can wait two years for the final installment of the new series. I suppose I'll have to read the Soldier Son trilogy (completely different "world" and Magic) while I'm waiting for the rest of the new series.

Since I've now given up on The Warrior Prophet I decided to finally pick up Robin Hobb. I've heard nothing but good things about the series and look forward to reading it.

After reading the first 40 pages or so, I have to say I love it so far. This is the first I've read of Robin, but it certainly won't be the last.

I started this over the weekend while traveling for the 4th of July, but am having a VERY hard time getting into it. First person is just killing me, and the contrived names of all the royals etc. I'm only 5-6 chapters in and considering stopping. If I am really struggling with the first-person aspect, is it worth continuing?

Justin wrote: "I started this over the weekend while traveling for the 4th of July, but am having a VERY hard time getting into it. First person is just killing me, and the contrived names of all the royals etc. ..."
It took me a little longer to get into than most people (probably longer than you've read so far), but it is now one of my favorite series. Soo... I can't say for sure that you'll love it like I do, but taking a little while to get into it really doesn't mean that you won't enjoy it either.

Justin wrote: "I started this over the weekend while traveling for the 4th of July, but am having a VERY hard time getting into it. First person is just killing me, and the contrived names of all the royals etc. ..."

I also had a little trouble "getting into it" when I first started reading Robin. The first person viewpoint never troubled me, and it added tremendous force to something quite unexpected that happened Fitz. But the "contrived" names did kind of drive me nuts. But the names also help serve as a framework for the history of the Realm of the Elderlings (RotE for short: the name readers have come to refer to the whole world of which Buckland is just one country. Why it's called that will become clear ... ). The Quality Names help keep track (for me, anyway) of what happened when in history. In spite of my misgivings starting out AA, I'm glad I kept going the first 70 or so pages it took me to get "hooked". Since, I've finished all 13 of Robin's RotE books, plus the Soldier's Son trilogy (a completely different world and magic). I'm actually thinking of reading the SS trilogy again, before restarting the RotE series. Perhaps the 2nd book in the new Fitz and Fool series will be about ready for publication by then, and I won't have so long to wait for the conclusion!

It also took me some time before being able to really get into this book. I think it had a lot to do with the fact that there was a lot of setup in the beginning. Once the plot started to pickup, I was hooked.

I didn't have any trouble getting into this book at all. I'm sorry others are and hope that you will work past it and continue reading. Robin builds characters better than any other author I've read. I've read this series countless times and am anxiously awaiting the release of the newest one next month.

One of the things I like are the little paragraphs in italic at the beginning of the chapters.. quite a lot of meaty information in them.. which sometimes pertains to things to come later.

Hang in there!!