***
please note, this review may contain spoilers***
Summed
up in a sentence? "
A must for all of those too scared to jump into fantasy – a nice,
steady paced novel that isn't too overpowering with the
Sci-Fi/Fantasy elements!
SYNOPSIS
Young
Fitz is the bastard son of the noble Prince Chivalry, raised in the
shadow of the royal court by his father's gruff stableman. He is
treated like an outcast by all the royalty except the devious King
Shrewd, who has him secretly tutored in the arts of the assassin. For
in Fitz's blood runs the magic Skill--and the darker knowledge of a
child raised with the stable hounds and rejected by his family. As
barbarous raiders ravage the coasts, Fitz is growing to manhood. Soon
he will face his first dangerous, soul-shattering mission. And though
some regard him as a threat to the throne, he may just be the key to
the survival of the kingdom.
MY
OPINIONS
So after putting this book off for months, I
finally picked this up at the back end of the Christmas period (yes,
I am so
late to this review) and finished it in the New Year. I absolutely
loved this book. Usually I dont enjoy world-building in novels, I
tend to find them difficult to get through as they tend to be so
long, but this managed to just captivate me in a way that left me
wanting more.
The
character develepments in this novel were brilliant. They allowed so
much to happen, yet left a lot of the plot lines open for development
in the future novels (this is the first in a number of trilogies that
all link together). I particularly enjoyed the relationship journey
between Fitz and the Fool, going from this odd, awkward jumble of
actions and emotions, to two people who actually come to rely on
eachother for the sake of their own sanity, and most likely their
lives.
Now,
we discover through the book that Fitz has something called 'The
Skill'. This allows him to connect with animals through a link in
their minds, amongst other things that Fitz has to get to grips with
during this first novel. I really do hope he manages to develop the
Skill throughout the future novels.
MY
RATING
Overall, I
am rating this book 5 out of 5 stars. I tend to say I am strict in my
five star handouts (this is in fact a lie, I tend to hand them out
like cake at a birthday party), but this is one novel I feel has
truly deserved it. I never usually go for these kind of books, but
Hobb has allowed me to feel like I can break that streak. A must for
all of those too scared to jump into fantasy – a nice, steady paced
novel that isn't too overpowering with the Sci-Fi/Fantasy elements!
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