Just started Royal Assassin
 

Royal Assassin and Assassin's Quest came in the mail. I was reading the text on the back covers, and the stuff on the back of Quest really gives a lot away about what happened in Royal Assassin.

If I worried about spoilers I'd have been ticked off.

Anyways. Royal Assassin started off a bit slow. The prologue was a bit wordy and Fitz is being pretty whiny, but then the actual story starts and wow, there's Fitz in Shrewd's head and we're all in Siltbay. Outstanding.

I'm tickled pink about these books.


**MOD EDIT**

CARE, there are plenty of spoilers to follow in this thread...

Thanks, Juzzza

I like Royal Assassin best because it deals with intrigue more. Regal is a very cool antagonist, fun to hate, but he's also understandable, not evil.

I dunno, he's pretty evil so far. I can understand Regal trying to take over if he thinks Verity won't do a good job or that Verity would be bad for the Duchies, but so far, all I'm getting is that he's ambitious.

I do like a good villain though, especially if he's not totally bad. :)

Well, it's not that he thinks he can do better, it's that he's a spoiled brat and he believes he is more regal. He thinks he's of better blood than his brothers, and his mother drilled it in his head that this was so. Also(Not sure if this happened in AA or RA), he believes his father killed his mother, but really she just killed herself with herbs.

His mother babied him, and he truly thought his father killed her, so of course he's going to try and get back at his dad and brothers.

I got the impression from AA that maybe there was some foul play involved in Regal's mother's death.

Early on, they're saying she did it to herself, but there was a hint later that someone may have helped her along, given her stuff that was too powerful.

I guess it doesn't matter which is true, as long as that's what Regal thinks. More motivation there.

If it did, it either wasn't explained in latter books, or I might have missed it. Fitz also tells you several times during the trilogy that he believed she killed herself with her indulgence to herbs.

Talan, it could have been the way I read it too. Probably one of the characters said they were suspicious about her death, and I took it from there.

I loved Royal Assassin! I think it was my favorite of the three, although Assassin's Quest is not far behind!

I liked RA because of the court intrigue, and just the general setting of buckeep, good characters, awesome ending, all good!

And yes, spoilers on the back of the books are incredibly annoying. In a review or a forum is one thing, but they should definitely avoid putting it right on the book! I think that happened to me as well, something about King Shrewd (although I saw it coming). I actually try never to read those blurbs on the back, they don't add anything to the book for me, and they usually take something away.

Anyway, all this talk is making me want to try re-reading the farseer books! I miss Fitz in his youth! Happy readings auntie pam!

I like the first person narrative with Farseer. Are Liveship and Tawny Man done in first person too?

One reason I like first person is that we learn things along with Fitz -- we only know what he knows.

I also like how Hobb grows Fitz's character. With some writers, it just happens, and sometimes it isn't very logical.

I thought it was brilliant how Hobb used Fitz's stay at Jhaampe, a place where he was treated with respect -- Fitz goes back to Buckkeep with a different idea of himself and people respond to it, and Fitz can't help but change.

Royal Assassin is a bit wordier than Apprentice, but that doesn't bother me. More time with these characters is just fine with me! :)

Tawny Man is also in 1st person, but I don't think Liveships is (I didn't read it. Shame on me.).

I'm wondering something. The biggest reason that I loved the Farseer trilogy so much was Fitz' relationship with Nighteyes. Maybe that's because I am an animal lover (My wife and I have 2 cats.). I haven't really seen any posts about Nighteyes at all. Does anyone else think along these lines, or am I the only weirdo who does?

Yes, the Tawny Man picks up Fitz's story so is in the first person, but the liveship traders has a much larger cast of characters and so isn't in the first person.

Spears&Buckler - I don't like animals but I love Nighteyes. How can you not, he is such a faithful companion.

It's wonderful to see these books get more avid readers. The more I read, the more I consider Hobb the finest published writer of fantasy. I enjoy many other authors a great deal......Douglas, Marillier, Martin, Carey, among others.......but there is just something about Hobb's world and characters that resonates more deeply with me.
Maybe I just have a hopeless "crush" on FitzChivalry Farseer (blush). :o :p

Is Nighteyes the wolf? I'm at the part where Fitz is caring for him, but he hasn't given the cub a name yet.

While I'm here, I gotta say it's great that you guys are here too. It's making the books even more enjoyable for me, your insights and stuff. :)

Yes, Nighteyes is Fitz's wolf, the animal he has bonded with. I love his sense of humor, and the wisdom he often shares with Fitz.

You'll have to keep reading about the cub to find out, it's not him though, he dies before he can get very big. Fitz finds another wolf though, later in the story, his name is Nighteyes because he can see really well in the dark.