Jun 30

Jun 30 Assassin's Quest (The Farseer Trilogy, #3)

About the book

Author: Robin Hobb
Publisher: Harper Voyager

More info:
The StoryGraph | Goodreads
Note: Content and trigger warnings are provided for those who need them at the bottom of this page. If you don’t need them and don’t want to risk spoilers, don’t scroll past the review.

Buy and support indie bookstores (+ I earn a small commission):
Bookshop.org (print or ebook) | Libro.fm (audio)

My Review

Assassin’s Quest is the third book of Robin Hobb’s Farseer trilogy, published in the 90s and comprised of the first three books of a total of 15 set in her larger The Realm of the Elderlings series. I’m going to attempt to quickly review this particular book and also the Farseer trilogy as a whole, all without spoilers.

I was a bit nervous heading into Assassin’s Quest for two reasons: first, it’s 850 pages, and the first two books showed me that Robin Hobb tells stories epicly but slowly; second, I’d read in a review that AQ is many people’s least favorite Farseer book. Fortunately, my experience could not be more different. Yes, this book is a long adventure that takes its time, but I sank in and never felt frustrated by its pace (you cannot rush it; that is critical). I also think this was my favorite Farseer book; the scope of the world and the story expanded so much! After all, this universe is called The Realm of the Elderlings, and I didn’t even know what an Elderling was until the second half of AQ. My heart soared and ached alongside these characters the whole way, leading up to an excellent ending.

I’m so glad I picked this trilogy up; it’s not going to be for every reader (if you need a fast-paced plot to stay engaged, be warned), but it was definitely for me. Hobb’s ability to create an entire world filled with excellent characters, human and animal alike, is truly elite. I can only imagine how much more expansive that world will become.

I can’t wait to continue with the next trilogy in a month or two!