The Farseer: Assassin's Apprentice

De: Robin Hobb

Narrado por: Paul Boehmer

With unforgettable characters, a sweeping backdrop, and passionate storytelling, this is a fantasy debut to rival that of Robert Jordan. Filled with adventure and bloodshed, pageantry and piracy, mystery and menace, Assassin's Apprentice is the story of a royal house and the young man who is destined to chart its course through tempests of change. Young Fitz is the bastard son of the noble Prince Chivalry, raised in the shadow of the royal household by his father's gruff stableman. An outcast whose existence has forced his father to abdicate his claim on the throne, Fitz is ignored by all royalty except the devious King Shrewd, who has him secretly tutored in the arts of the assassin. For in the young man's blood is a heritage of magic, the talent called the Skill, as well as another, even more mysterious ability.

As barbarous raiders ravage the coasts and leave behind the zombie-like husks of the townspeople to prowl the countryside, Fitz is growing toward manhood. Soon he will face his first dangerous, soul-shattering mission, a mission that poses as much a threat to himself as it does for his target---for Fitz is a threat to the throne...but he may also be the key to the survival of the kingdom.

©1999 Robin Hobb (P)2010 Tantor

Reseñas de la Crítica

“Intriguing, controlled, and remarkably assured...at once satisfyingly self-contained yet leaving plenty of scope for future extensions and embellishments.” ( Kirkus)

Great book

I'm going to be suffering from withdraw for the next 2 months while I wait for the next book in this series to come out in audio... I've been looking for a good series to start with this author, but the only one audible has had in the past is the Soldier Son series and by all reports it isn't her best work. After reading this I think it likely I will pick that series up anyway, since even this author's sub-par work is still likely to be quite good.

This book is not heavy on fight scenes, and the main character isn't even that good in a face-to-face fight when it happens. Indeed, for an assassin he manages to kill and wound very few people, and is generally quite nice and likable. The thing that makes this story so excellent is it's world-building and attention to detail, and its ability to build and sustain tension. The plot moves from point to point and as one tension eases, another takes up the slack, drawing you constantly onward and never producing a dull moment. The characters are so well done that I can think of real people who have less personality. I can see how the lack of action might deter some people, but if you enjoy detailed world-building and excellent writing, this is a book you are sure to enjoy.

Another person mentioned the "Night Angel" series, which I have personally read and enjoyed - this however, is the EXACT opposite take on a fantasy assassin series in every way I can think of (and is written far better). Also, I don't know what it is about this reader and assassin books, but he is well suited to it.

Not much of an assassin...

Is there anything you would change about this book?

For a trilogy with the word 'Assassin' in the title, it's quite deceptive. The hero is whiny and lacks courage, and the fact that he's an assassin has very little to do with the story, nor is he good at being an assassin. The story is decent but tends to drag on at times, with the hero constantly weary and in a state of woe. There are many good characters in this book, but the hero is the least inspiring. I would have given 2.5 stars if possible.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

Average and predictable.

What three words best describe Paul Boehmer’s performance?

Decent character voices.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

I would rent it, but not pay theatre price.

Any additional comments?

Be prepared to constantly expect something around the corner that never comes.

A chance to grow up alongside a young assassin.

The Farseers rule the Six Duchies and have for many generations but dire times are at hand. The Red Ships are raiding the coastal cities and the King is aging. He has many sons so the line of succession is well defined, but that doesn't exactly sit well with the son who is furthest down the line.

Sound familiar? It certainly is but Robin Hobb offers you the chance to experience it all from the perspective of a young boy who doesn't even know his name. This boy is thrust into the middle of Six Duchies intrigue and politics and his life is directed down a path dictated by others every step of the way.

You learn about the world as the boy does including the magical abilities known as the Skill and the Wit. The Skill allows individuals to share thoughts and strength over vast distances and the Wit allows people to share their minds and thoughts with animals. For me it was the concept of Wit-bonds that are formed between people and animals that got me emotionally invested in Robin Hobb's world and characters.

I found it very easy to align with the main character and I enjoyed learning about the world from his perspective. This book made me want to know what happens next in the series but it is also complete enough to stand alone. Book 2 is not that way and if you go beyond the first book you are likely in for all three as I found the end of book 2 to be thoroughly unsatisfying.

Paul Boehmer does a fine job as narrator and since he also narrates the Night Angel series it felt right at home having him read the tale of another young assassin. The two series are very different, but both enjoyable in their own ways.

Well written, but can be tiresome

I really wanted to like this book better than I did. It's well written, great descriptions and interesting characters and situations.
However, the denseness of the main character sometimes drove me nuts. I understood where that denseness came from (you'll know what I mean if you've read the book) and intellectually, it made sense, but I just couldn't get over the damage that was done. I don't want a Mary Sue, but I do want a main character who can accomplish SOMETHING, for goodness' sake!
In a way, it was very realistically done (which is why, even though I got frustrated, I gave it 4 stars). I'd like to know what happens, but I don't know if I can do it.
As an aside, I found Boehmer's voice to be a little high-brow sounding for a narrator who, in the beginning of the book comes from humble origins, but I got used to it by the end.

Great Series!

I really loved this series - could not put it down. The characters are great - immediately drawn into the story and felt connected with them. Assassins are awesome, we all know that, but this series is so much more... Extremely well written - and not...your standard, predictable story-line...

Get this one.

I was hoping for something more

This story had as a few twists and turns which I appreciated. But, overall I listened to the end hoping to be captivated. In the end, I was not.

2nd Half Winner

I think the writing style of this book is over-narrated. The writer tells way too much of the story in narration instead of just allowing the story to tell itself. Maybe it would have added a few extra chapters, but there were many times that I felt the narration should just get out of the way and let the story flow.

The first half of the book follows a fairly predictable plot if you've read more than five fantasy novels. But, much to my enjoyment, the writer really hit his stride in the second half of the book and sprinkled in several surprises as well as a good dose of action as well. The first half was "okay", but only the second half convinced me to read the next book.

I have listened to several other books narrated by Paul Boehmer and this is probably my least favorite of his simply due to the accent. It's not irritating, just overdone enough to take focus away from the story. Also, his style tends to be a little boring for my taste and the long sections without any really engaging action made me zone out while listening sometimes.

An abbreviated Harry Potter

Not a terrible story, I liked it enough to finish listening and then buy the next book in the series.

As I listened, I couldn’t help by notice the parallels to JK Rowlings books. Essentially you have an abused child who learned his parents were magicians. He tries to learn how to use the magic but is further abused by his teaches and convinced he is worthless. The grumpy old beast master takes pity on him and cares for him after some particularly abusive sessions. The aloof old wizard/monarch is kind to him but plans to sacrifice him for the good of the kingdom. He’s sent on a climatic quest where his talent and his position are both necessary for the success of the quest and the survival of the kingdom. Sound familiar?

Entry book to brilliance

If you have not read Robin Hobb then listen to her tales.
This is not a mere fantasy tale this is an epic told through the eyes of the catalyst Fitz from boy hood to man hood in the service of his king.
This is the first of 3 books, Assassins Apprentice book 1 introduces our hero as he is thrust into a life of the royal court as the royal bastard of the prince who shall be king, be prepared if you love this book with each book the tale only gets better.
Robin Hobb tells the story with a wonderful subtlety that doesn't hit you over the head with sword and sorcery but explores it through the fragility and humanity of her characters.

Be careful what you start...

What did you like best about The Farseer: Assassin's Apprentice? What did you like least?

This review is tricky for me. I have listened to the whole trilogy & I truly have a very mixed reaction. I'll start by cautioning that I am a very descriminating reader & what bothers me about this story (meaning the trilogy, not just this book) may not bother everyone-especially younger listeners (teens to twenty-somethings), but I have read some other reviews & clearly, there are others who feel the same as I do.

Hobb has great story and character development here, as usual (I recommend "The Soldier's Son" Trilogy-no such complaints there) & I give the 1st book (this review) the highest marks because she only just begins some bad habbits here, they get tougher to handle the more you get sucked into the story (books 2 & 3)...and you will get sucked onto the story if you start!

This is the beginning of a very intriguing, multi-faceted saga in a complex & well thought-out fantasy world, with a large cast of very interesting characters, some you'll love & some you'll hate! While it is a classic "good vs. evil" story, it has a good bit of mystery as to who, and even what, the bad guys actually are. And the fight is not only against a frightening enemy threatening from the shores, but there's a growing, hidden threat from within...

My criticisms are better stated in the next section, but to summarize, at critical junctions in the story, the main characters just do not act in accordance with what one would expect from someone in their position, so that a good portion of the trouble they get into is actually a result of this inexplicable decision NOT to exercise the power they already have?! The fact that this horrible trouble that plagues them for the next 2 books was at one time, totally avoidable, just really bothers me. Also, our main character Fitz spends far too much time feeling sorry for himself. It's OK to have moments of self-pitty, but this guy almost never feels anything else. He had a hard life, and he goes through a lot, but after a certain point, self-pitty becomes his default position & it's just too much. Why can't our hero have a positive attitude & look on the bright side sometimes???

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

Although this was a very entertaining story, it also had me literally yelling at it out of shear frustration.

First, there's no reason for the author to make the hero so self-pittying. It gets really bad at times. Rather than rising to the challenge in a manner the audience can respect, all too often he has an attitude of pure self pitty.Second, I do wish I could have changed the story in some key places to make it better. I imagined a better overall storyline outcome, but that's not to say this isn't enjoyable. For me personally, I just know I had imagined something better as I was making my way through this. I am glad I read this though, because I couldn't have created such a vivid & complex fantasy world as Hobb has here. This is a great start to a story, with an intriguing & dangerous mystery foe-but then your hero characters start making horrible choices, which frankly make no sense. They act as though their backs are against the wall when in fact they are in absolute power. Over & over, bad choices lead to worse cicumstances. Also, books 2 & 3 especially are just too lengthy for no real reason. The same story can be covered in a much shorter time.

Compared to other recent "listens", you do get a lot of good entertainment value for 1 credit per book. Someone who is less critical (whether by nature or by youth) may thoroughly enjoy this magical world which truly does capture young love, royal intrigue, adventure, and takes you on an epic journey you won't be able to stop once you begin.

Have you listened to any of Paul Boehmer’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Paul Boehmer's perfomance is flawless throughout the trilogy. Truly enjoyable. I'd say he's one of the best I've heard. I'm an American, and I find his British accent so enjoyable. He has incredible vocal range such that his several female, and numerous male charachters are so believable, you almost forget this is just one man doing the job! He not only tackles characters of both genders and of all ages, but differing regional accents as well. A five-star narrator!

Was The Farseer: Assassin's Apprentice worth the listening time?

I would recommend the trilogy, but with some reservations because the author unfortunately drags the story out much longer than it should be. This is not so much a factor in book 1 (this book) as it is in the other two. Overall, I'd say that while I had my issues with it, this is a story that I'm glad I listened to. I enjoyed most of it, but I can't stop wishing I'd co-authored it because I know exactly how I'd have shortened & perfected it.