Book Reviews

[bibliodragon]

Assassin's Apprentice/Royal Assassin/Assassin's Quest by Robin Hobb
Another one where I see all of the trilogy in the charity shop but only buy the first one, only to get sucked in wanting more. Luckily the remaining books were still there next time I was there.

It's not a perfect trilogy: a slow start and stuck in first person narrative means some characters don't get much development, with the villain especially lacking depth. After three books build up the ending is rushed, and after what seemed an age of meandering to get there. But like I said, in spite of being a slow burn it did keep me turning pages wanting to find out what happens next, and the world building is good.

There's a few frustrating moments where characters are made to hold the idiot ball. And Hobb really likes to make her lead suffer. The first half of the third especially, even though you'd have thought it couldn't get any worse than what happens at the end of book 2. But she can turn a nice sentence.

There is a second trilogy, but I'm not sure if I can take more character whumping.