Assassin's Quest (The Farseer) [Kindle Edition]

Robin Hobb (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

In this conclusion to the Farseer saga, FitzChivalry's quest for revenge on the usurping Regal requires him to journey to the Elderlings (wise old mages in the classic mold) and afterwards to realize the emergence of his own magical gifts, at which point the quest comes to an end after a mere 688 pages. Like much high fantasy these days, the book could have been pruned more than a trifle; on the other hand, along with the extra wordage come extra measures of characterization, world building, and emotionally compelling scenes of both magic and battle. And this is definitely the end of one story, although the world Hobb has created is now sufficiently developed (even why the characters have such archetypical names is explained) to be the scene of future books. In all, this is an improvement over its predecessors that will please their readers and probably whet their appetites for more from Hobb. Roland Green

From Kirkus Reviews

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. -- Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

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Product Details

• Format: Kindle Edition
• File Size: 1242 KB
• Print Length: 757 pages
• Page Numbers Source ISBN: 0553565699
• Publisher: Spectra (November 5, 2002)
• Sold by: Random House Digital, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B000FBFMFM
• Text-to-Speech: Not enabled
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (304 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,636 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)
  • #21 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Fiction > Fantasy > Series

More About the Author

Robin Hobb lives and writes in Tacoma, Washington. Robin is best known as the author of the Farseer Trilogy (Assassin's Apprentice, Royal Assassin and Assassin's Quest.) Other works include The Liveship Traders Trilogy, the Tawny Man Trilogy, and the Soldier Son trilogy. The Rain Wilds Chronicles is now complete, published as Dragon Keeper and Dragon Haven. A story collection, The Inheritance, is now with the publishers and should appear in 2011. As of July 2010 the current work in progress is a tale another Rain Wilds story, one that continued the adventures of the Tarman Expedition. This untitled work will be published in 2012.

Robin Hobb also writes as Megan Lindholm.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A good trilogy hits its low, January 29, 2006

By 

R. Seehausen "aeroblaster2" (Cypress, TX United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Assassin's Quest (The Farseer Trilogy, Book 3) (Mass Market Paperback)

Robin Hobb's Farseer trilogy started out strong, but each of the books became slightly disappointing when compared to the last. Where the first book was almost perfectly crafted, the second book was powerful but flawed, and the third was well-written but comparatively disjointed and unmoving.

The problem with this book is that from the get-go it severs too much of its own emotional power. The main character, FitzChivalry, already believes he has lost everything at the beginning of the story, and the book's ending only confirms his belief. The first two books thrived on the familiarity of Buckkeep and the characters residing within it; it drew on both the setting and the relationships of those characters to sustain its drama and emotional resonance. In this final installment, FitzChivalry never again sets foot in Buckkeep, and those characters are not present at all for at least half of the story. When they are present, they've changed almost beyond recognition.

In that way, reading Assassin's Quest is like having the rug pulled out from under you in much the same way it was for its main character. I'm sure Hobb knew this would be the effect of her decisions, and perhaps she even strove for it. That doesn't change the fact that this story is that much less engaging and emotional than the last two.

It is a satisfying conclusion to the trilogy, though, and probably the inevitable one. Why Hobb had to tell this story, I don't know, but she accomplished what she set out to do. It's a good read and necessary if you read the preceding books. It is not, however, their equal.

44 of 49 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Gritty and heart-rending fantasy, May 22, 2000

By 

shel99 - See all my reviews

This review is from: Assassin's Quest (The Farseer Trilogy, Book 3) (Mass Market Paperback)

I had never heard of Robin Hobb until a friend recommended her. Having just finished this trilogy, I am immediately ranking her as one of my favorite fantasy authors. Her characterization of FitzChivalry is breathtaking - one of the best-written characters I've ever read. I usually don't much care for first person narratives but this is definitely the exception to that rule.

This, the third book of the trilogy, kept me turning pages at an incredible rate. However, like many of the other reviewers, I was disappointed in the ending. Not because it was depressing - on the contrary, stories in real life don't always have happy endings, so why do books always have to? - but because it seemed rushed. All of the mysteries that were built up over the course of the trilogy (the Elderlings, the Raiders and Forged Ones) were suddenly summed up and solved in just a few pages, leaving me thinking, "That was it?"

But regardless of my dislike for the ending, this trilogy was fantastic and I am looking forward to reading more of Robin Hobb's work.

25 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Realistic doesn't have to mean depressing, July 23, 2000

By 

"mabro" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Assassin's Quest (The Farseer Trilogy, Book 3) (Mass Market Paperback)

First off, I just have to say that all of Ms Hobb's books are incredibly well-written and 'Assassin's Quest' is no exception. Ms Hobb's characters are more completely fleshed out than any other authors' that I've read. My only complaints of the book are the hasty defeat of the Red Ships (a little detail would've been appreciated) and the state of mind and body that Fitz was in at the end. I'm not childish enough that I have to have the protagonists of the fantasy books I read become kings or omnipotent wizards by the end of the book but to know that Fitz's fate is that of a forgotten and unrecognized cripple is just too much. A lot of the other reviews for 'Assassin's Quest' applaud it for its realism but in my opinion making a book realistic doesn't have to mean that that book is mind-numbingly depressing. However, there is a light at the end of this tunnel- Robin Hobb is writing a sequel trilogy about FitzChivalry right now.

If you've read the first 2 books in the Farseer Trilogy I do recommend reading 'Assassin's Quest' but don't start reading it expecting a great ending to this great trilogy because there isn't one in this book. I can only hope that the next Fitz trilogy that Ms Hobb is writing will grant Fitz some of the honor that he deserves.