The Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb - 3.5

This is a strong fantasy, and I can absolutely see why it’s considered such a king in the genre. The writing is really good, rich, immersive, and clearly very well thought out, especially when it comes to the politics of Buckkeep. I haven’t really dabbled in political-heavy fantasy before, but I can appreciate how well it’s done here.

We follow Fitz, a royal bastard, from six to about fourteen, and somehow it doesn’t feel like there are big time jumps at all. But this is a very slow book, and I think that’s where it lost me a bit. I just wasn’t prepared for that pacing, and I was ready to be obsessed.

I also couldn’t fully get a grip on Fitz, he felt quite bland to me, especially compared to characters like Burrich and the Fool, who completely carried their scenes.

There’s barely any action until the last 100 pages and it doesn't pay off in the end.

That said, there’s still so much to admire here. I’m definitely continuing the Farseer trilogy, I just hope Fitz gets more interesting as he grows.