Listen free for 30 days
-
Assassin's Quest
- The Farseer Trilogy, Book 3
- Narrated by: Paul Boehmer
- Length: 37 hrs and 35 mins
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wish list failed.
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Buy Now for $57.01
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Buy it with
-
The Farseer: Assassin's Apprentice
- Written by: Robin Hobb
- Narrated by: Paul Boehmer
- Length: 17 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
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.
-
-
you really can't judge a book by its cover
- By John on 2017-10-21
Written by: Robin Hobb
-
Ship of Magic
- The Liveship Traders, Book 1
- Written by: Robin Hobb
- Narrated by: Anne Flosnik
- Length: 35 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Bingtown is a hub of exotic trade and home to a merchant nobility famed for its liveships---rare vessels carved from wizardwood, which ripens magically into sentient awareness. The fortunes of one of Bingtown's oldest families rest on the newly awakened liveship Vivacia. For Althea Vestrit, the ship is her rightful legacy unjustly denied her---a legacy she will risk anything to reclaim.
-
-
Slow start, gets way better!!
- By Amazon Customer on 2019-10-30
Written by: Robin Hobb
-
Fool's Errand
- The Tawny Man Trilogy, Book 1
- Written by: Robin Hobb
- Narrated by: James Langton
- Length: 25 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For fifteen years FitzChivalry Farseer has lived in self-imposed exile, assumed to be dead by almost all who once cared about him. But now, into his isolated life, visitors begin to arrive: Fitz's mentor from his assassin days; a hedge-witch who foresees the return of a long-lost love; and the Fool, the former White Prophet, who beckons Fitz to fulfill his destiny. Then comes the summons he cannot ignore. Prince Dutiful, the young heir to the Farseer throne, has vanished.
-
-
Fantastically immersive.
- By Amazon Customer on 2021-02-28
Written by: Robin Hobb
-
Fool's Assassin
- Book One of the Fitz and the Fool Trilogy
- Written by: Robin Hobb
- Narrated by: Elliot Hill
- Length: 27 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
FitzChivalry - royal bastard and former king’s assassin - has left his life of intrigue behind. As far as the rest of the world knows, FitzChivalry Farseer is dead and buried. Masquerading as Tom Badgerlock, Fitz is now married to his childhood sweetheart, Molly, and leading the quiet life of a country squire. Though Fitz is haunted by the disappearance of the Fool, who did so much to shape Fitz into the man he has become, such private hurts are put aside in the business of daily life, at least until the appearance of menacing, pale-skinned strangers casts a sinister shadow over Fitz’s past...and his future.
-
-
Addictive story with unique protagonist
- By John N. on 2022-10-11
Written by: Robin Hobb
-
Royal Assassin
- The Farseer Trilogy, Book 2
- Written by: Robin Hobb
- Narrated by: Paul Boehmer
- Length: 29 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Young Fitz, the illegitimate son of the noble Prince Chivalry, is ignored by all royalty except the devious King Shrewd, who has had him tutored him in the dark arts of the assassin. He has barely survived his first, soul-shattering mission, and when he returns to the court, he is thrown headfirst into the tumult of royal life.
-
-
Not as good as the first book
- By Debbie Krueger on 2023-01-17
Written by: Robin Hobb
-
Dragon Keeper
- Rain Wilds Chronicles, Volume 1
- Written by: Robin Hobb
- Narrated by: Anne Flosnik
- Length: 20 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For years, the Trader cities valiantly battled their enemies, the Chalcedeans. But they could not have staved off invasion without the powerful dragon, Tintaglia. In return, the Traders promised to help her serpents migrate up the Rain Wild River after a long exile at sea - to find a safe haven and, Tintaglia hopes, to restore her species. But too much time has passed, and the newly hatched dragons are damaged and weak, and many die.
-
-
Ending????
- By LMOttawa on 2023-01-18
Written by: Robin Hobb
-
The Farseer: Assassin's Apprentice
- Written by: Robin Hobb
- Narrated by: Paul Boehmer
- Length: 17 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
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.
-
-
you really can't judge a book by its cover
- By John on 2017-10-21
Written by: Robin Hobb
-
Ship of Magic
- The Liveship Traders, Book 1
- Written by: Robin Hobb
- Narrated by: Anne Flosnik
- Length: 35 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Bingtown is a hub of exotic trade and home to a merchant nobility famed for its liveships---rare vessels carved from wizardwood, which ripens magically into sentient awareness. The fortunes of one of Bingtown's oldest families rest on the newly awakened liveship Vivacia. For Althea Vestrit, the ship is her rightful legacy unjustly denied her---a legacy she will risk anything to reclaim.
-
-
Slow start, gets way better!!
- By Amazon Customer on 2019-10-30
Written by: Robin Hobb
-
Fool's Errand
- The Tawny Man Trilogy, Book 1
- Written by: Robin Hobb
- Narrated by: James Langton
- Length: 25 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For fifteen years FitzChivalry Farseer has lived in self-imposed exile, assumed to be dead by almost all who once cared about him. But now, into his isolated life, visitors begin to arrive: Fitz's mentor from his assassin days; a hedge-witch who foresees the return of a long-lost love; and the Fool, the former White Prophet, who beckons Fitz to fulfill his destiny. Then comes the summons he cannot ignore. Prince Dutiful, the young heir to the Farseer throne, has vanished.
-
-
Fantastically immersive.
- By Amazon Customer on 2021-02-28
Written by: Robin Hobb
-
Fool's Assassin
- Book One of the Fitz and the Fool Trilogy
- Written by: Robin Hobb
- Narrated by: Elliot Hill
- Length: 27 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
FitzChivalry - royal bastard and former king’s assassin - has left his life of intrigue behind. As far as the rest of the world knows, FitzChivalry Farseer is dead and buried. Masquerading as Tom Badgerlock, Fitz is now married to his childhood sweetheart, Molly, and leading the quiet life of a country squire. Though Fitz is haunted by the disappearance of the Fool, who did so much to shape Fitz into the man he has become, such private hurts are put aside in the business of daily life, at least until the appearance of menacing, pale-skinned strangers casts a sinister shadow over Fitz’s past...and his future.
-
-
Addictive story with unique protagonist
- By John N. on 2022-10-11
Written by: Robin Hobb
-
Royal Assassin
- The Farseer Trilogy, Book 2
- Written by: Robin Hobb
- Narrated by: Paul Boehmer
- Length: 29 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Young Fitz, the illegitimate son of the noble Prince Chivalry, is ignored by all royalty except the devious King Shrewd, who has had him tutored him in the dark arts of the assassin. He has barely survived his first, soul-shattering mission, and when he returns to the court, he is thrown headfirst into the tumult of royal life.
-
-
Not as good as the first book
- By Debbie Krueger on 2023-01-17
Written by: Robin Hobb
-
Dragon Keeper
- Rain Wilds Chronicles, Volume 1
- Written by: Robin Hobb
- Narrated by: Anne Flosnik
- Length: 20 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For years, the Trader cities valiantly battled their enemies, the Chalcedeans. But they could not have staved off invasion without the powerful dragon, Tintaglia. In return, the Traders promised to help her serpents migrate up the Rain Wild River after a long exile at sea - to find a safe haven and, Tintaglia hopes, to restore her species. But too much time has passed, and the newly hatched dragons are damaged and weak, and many die.
-
-
Ending????
- By LMOttawa on 2023-01-18
Written by: Robin Hobb
-
Shaman's Crossing, Book One of the Soldier Son Trilogy
- Written by: Robin Hobb
- Narrated by: John Keating
- Length: 24 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Hugo and Nebula Award finalist Robin Hobb crafts intricate fantasy tales featuring larger-than-life characters and exotic landscapes. Nevare Burvelle was born to be a soldier in the Gernian army. But as Nevare's career takes off, his worldview alters considerably. Corruption and nepotism reign, and now Nevare questions his own ideals, wondering why he continues fighting for the empire.
-
-
More fantastic prose from my favourite fantasy writer
- By M.P. on 2023-02-03
Written by: Robin Hobb
-
The Black Prism
- Written by: Brent Weeks
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 21 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Guile is the Prism. He is high priest and emperor, a man whose power, wit, and charm are all that preserves a tenuous peace. Yet Prisms never last, and Guile knows exactly how long he has left to live. When Guile discovers he has a son, born in a far kingdom after the war that put him in power, he must decide how much he's willing to pay to protect a secret that could tear his world apart.
-
-
Awesome!
- By Tristin on 2017-12-09
Written by: Brent Weeks
-
A Little Hatred
- Written by: Joe Abercrombie
- Narrated by: Steven Pacey
- Length: 20 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On the blood-soaked borders of Angland, Leo dan Brock struggles to win fame on the battlefield, and defeat the marauding armies of Stour Nightfall. He hopes for help from the crown. But King Jezal's son, the feckless Prince Orso, is a man who specializes in disappointments. Savine dan Glokta - socialite, investor, and daughter of the most feared man in the Union - plans to claw her way to the top of the slag-heap of society by any means necessary. But the slums boil over with a rage that all the money in the world cannot control.
-
-
found my new favorite author
- By Anonymous User on 2019-10-28
Written by: Joe Abercrombie
-
The Rage of Dragons
- Written by: Evan Winter
- Narrated by: Prentice Onayemi
- Length: 16 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Omehi people have been fighting an unwinnable fight for almost 200 years. The lucky ones are born gifted. One in every 2,000 women has the power to call down dragons. One in every 100 men is able to magically transform himself into a bigger, stronger, faster killing machine. Everyone else is fodder, destined to fight and die in the endless war. Young, giftless Tau knows all this, but he has a plan of escape. He's going to get himself injured, get out early, and settle down to marriage, children, and land. Only, he doesn't get the chance. Those closest to him are murdered....
-
-
Rage of meh
- By James on 2019-08-23
Written by: Evan Winter
-
Malice
- Written by: John Gwynne
- Narrated by: Damian Lynch
- Length: 23 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Banished Lands has a violent past where armies of men and giants clashed in battle, but now giants are seen, the stones weep blood, and giant wyrms are stirring. Those who can still read the signs see a threat far greater than the ancient wars. For if the Black Sun gains ascendancy, mankind's hopes and dreams will fall to dust....
-
-
Great narrator in the fight scenes.
- By David on 2020-04-27
Written by: John Gwynne
-
The Final Empire
- Mistborn Book 1
- Written by: Brandon Sanderson
- Narrated by: Michael Kramer
- Length: 24 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For a thousand years the ash fell and no flowers bloomed. For a thousand years the Skaa slaved in misery and lived in fear. For a thousand years the Lord Ruler, the "Sliver of Infinity," reigned with absolute power and ultimate terror, divinely invincible. Then, when hope was so long lost that not even its memory remained, a terribly scarred, heart-broken half-Skaa rediscovered it in the depths of the Lord Ruler's most hellish prison.
-
-
Flawed but entertaining
- By Anonymous User on 2019-07-13
Written by: Brandon Sanderson
-
The Lies of Locke Lamora
- Written by: Scott Lynch
- Narrated by: Michael Page
- Length: 21 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
They say that the Thorn of Camorr can beat anyone in a fight. They say he steals from the rich and gives to the poor. They say he's part man, part myth, and mostly street-corner rumor. And they are wrong on every count. Only averagely tall, slender, and god-awful with a sword, Locke Lamora is the fabled Thorn, and the greatest weapons at his disposal are his wit and cunning. He steals from the rich - they're the only ones worth stealing from - but the poor can go steal for themselves.
-
-
Twists and Turns.
- By Enn on 2019-01-28
Written by: Scott Lynch
-
The Jade Setter of Janloon
- Green Bone
- Written by: Fonda Lee
- Narrated by: Andrew Kishino
- Length: 4 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The rapidly changing city of Janloon is ruled by jade, the rare and ancient substance that enhances the abilities and status of the trained Green Bone warriors who run the island’s powerful clans. Pulo Oritono is not one of those warriors. He’s simply an apprentice jade setter with dreams of securing clan patronage and establishing a successful business. His hopes are dashed, however, when a priceless jade weapon is stolen from the shop where he works. Now, Pulo has three days to hunt down the thief, find the jade, and return it to its rightful owner.
-
-
More of what I LOVE
- By Anonymous User on 2022-06-07
Written by: Fonda Lee
-
The Name of the Wind
- Kingkiller Chronicle, Book 1
- Written by: Patrick Rothfuss
- Narrated by: Nick Podehl
- Length: 27 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This is a tale of sorrow, a tale of survival, a tale of one man's search for meaning in his universe, and how that search, and the indomitable will that drove it, gave birth to a legend.
-
-
My Absolute Favorite!!!
- By Kitty_Kittenator on 2019-01-19
Written by: Patrick Rothfuss
-
The Emperor's Blades
- Chronicle of the Unhewn Throne, Book 1
- Written by: Brian Staveley
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 19 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The emperor of Annur is dead, slain by enemies unknown. His daughter and two sons, scattered across the world, do what they must to stay alive and unmask the assassins. But each of them also has a life-path on which their father set them, destinies entangled with both ancient enemies and inscrutable gods.
-
-
Had to stop too cruel
- By Sophia Kelly on 2022-09-15
Written by: Brian Staveley
-
Perfect Shadow
- A Night Angel Novella
- Written by: Brent Weeks
- Narrated by: James Langton
- Length: 2 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For the first time as an Orbit special edition, Brent Weeks's blockbuster novella Perfect Shadow tells the origin story of the Night Angel trilogy's most enigmatic character: Durzo Blint. Gaelan Starfire is a farmer, happy to be a husband and a father; a careful, quiet, simple man. He's also an immortal, peerless in the arts of war. Over the centuries, he's worn many faces to hide his gift, but he is a man ill-fit for obscurity, and all too often he's become a hero, his very names passing into legend.
-
-
Don’t change a narrator
- By adam renaud on 2020-01-03
Written by: Brent Weeks
-
The Blade Itself
- The First Law: Book One
- Written by: Joe Abercrombie
- Narrated by: Steven Pacey
- Length: 22 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Inquisitor Glokta, a crippled and bitter relic of the last war, former fencing champion turned torturer, is trapped in a twisted and broken body - not that he allows it to distract him from his daily routine of torturing smugglers.Nobleman, dashing officer and would-be fencing champion Captain Jezal dan Luthar is living a life of ease by cheating his friends at cards. Vain and shallow, the biggest blot on his horizon is having to get out of bed in the morning to train with obsessive and boring old men.
-
-
A slow burn, but a good one
- By Amazon Customer on 2020-04-11
Written by: Joe Abercrombie
Publisher's Summary
From an extraordinary voice in fantasy comes the stunning conclusion to the Farseer Trilogy, as FitzChivalry confronts his destiny as the catalyst who holds the fate of the kingdom of the Six Duchies...and the world itself.
King Shrewd is dead at the hands of his son Regal. As is Fitz - or so his enemies and friends believe. But with the help of his allies and his beast magic, he emerges from the grave, deeply scarred in body and soul. The kingdom also teeters toward ruin: Regal has plundered and abandoned the capital, while the rightful heir, Prince Verity, is lost to his mad quest - perhaps to death. Only Verity's return - or the heir his princess carries - can save the Six Duchies. But Fitz will not wait. Driven by loss and bitter memories, he undertakes a quest: to kill Regal. The journey casts him into deep waters, as he discovers wild currents of magic within him - currents that will either drown him or make him something more than he was.
What the critics say
Featured Article: The Best Audiobooks like
The Witcher For Dark Fantasy Fans to Explore
For fans of dark fantasy looking for collections of short stories and epics like Geralt of Rivia in The Witcher, finding a new adventure to get swept up in once again can be challenging. Whether you binge-watched the Netflix series or devoured every incredible book in Andrzej Sapkowski’s series, we’ve compiled a fantastic list of audiobooks that will return you to the world of The Witcher and keep you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end.
More from the same
What listeners say about Assassin's Quest
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Aaron J.
- 2022-06-20
A slow but beautiful burn till the end.
While this story does not end with a grand climax like other reviews have noted, it concludes itself gently and predictably but no less lovely for it. Would recommend.
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- arcstriker
- 2022-05-18
long and boring
I was so looking forward to this book, almost 40 hours....sadly I thought the last hour was the only good part.
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- G smith
- 2023-01-05
Awesomely captivating
Love everything all the characters can wait for more thank you so much for this
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Amazon Customer
- 2023-01-03
enjoyed it
great way to end the trilogy but a tad bittersweet. can't wait to read the rest of the series
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Melody
- 2022-06-16
Gift wrapped fantasy
Robbin hobb is an absolute mastermind when it comes to developing characters and a world in which you will never want to leave
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- C.Pom
- 2022-04-07
Great read
It was good. Best in the series. I give it five starts and 15 words.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Russell Stirling
- 2021-08-16
Some great aspects held back by main character
fascinating magic system but we just barley dip our toes into the details of it. The plot as a whole is also a great story but I became tired of the story due to the main character Fitz. First he's incredibly oblivious to (insert spoilers here) that are hinted at so heavily and so many times I want to jump into the book world just to shake Fitz and ask how he hasn't figured this out yet. Second, the amount of angst and self pity he wallows in gets frankly repetitive.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Anonymous User
- 2021-08-03
So bad
Such a bogus build up for such a disappointing ending. The first two books are amazing, last book blows chunks. Wouldn’t suggest finishing it
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- A Net In Time
- 2021-02-13
sad but fitting end
well written, enjoyed the narration, easy to follow.
I wish fitz could have had more but he had enough
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Mike
- 2020-12-06
Turned the main character into Luke Skywalker
The reading was excellent but the story was mediocre, which is sad because I really liked the first 2 books. He created storylines by making the main character stupid and whiny which is a cheap way to go about it. It really took away from a good story. The ending was lame as well.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Holly Helscher
- 2013-11-04
I Weary of a Stupid Hero
By the end of Robin Hobb's Farseer trilogy, I see that he takes a page from the Wheel of Time's reluctant hero, Rand. Except Fitz is far more than reluctant hero. He is just stupid. In the first two books I could forgive it because he is just a teenager. But as he ages, and even admits understanding and takes on new resolves, he immediately forgets them the next day in some fit of anger or his misguided sense of justice. If I'm going to dedicate 39 hours of my life to a third book, I expect some personal growth from the main character. Even the wolf has better sense.
Having said all that, Hobb is masterful in making me care! So in spite of all the tedium and lack of ongoing personal, sustained understanding by the main character, I cared what happened to Fitz and all the other characters. Hobb does a good job of developing all of them, and even getting right to the heart of the feelings of the female characters. He pulls together all the story lines and resolves them. I laughed out loud at the resolution of one of the tiniest story lines that I would have expected to be dropped out sight.
I was ready for the end but was vastly disappointed in that Fitz finally achieved what he wanted. A life of his own choosing. But his decision about what to do with it continues his reign of stupidity. I could have sat there at the end of the audio and picked through how everyone else chewed him up and spit him out for their own gain, blaming them for his final decision. But then I remember how the "catalyst" created every situation all by himself. The ending is, indeed, tragic. And because Hobb somehow made me care, I cried.
Boehmer is a good narrator and makes the characters easily understood.
If you have read the first two books, you will want to read the last one. And there is no place within it I can say, "you can skip all this and go right to here." You'll have to slog through. Focusing on the Fool will get you through it.
35 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- JCH
- 2019-03-23
How To Ruin A Series
Long, painful, and frustrating, with an unbelievably unfulfilling ending.
Book 1 was good. Book 2, ok fine. Book 3....dear god it was like one long train wreck, with a crying baby and someone scraping their nails across the chalkboard the whole time. By the end, you are just praying for the final explosion of the train to be big and glorious, hopefully incinerating you and everyone else. But instead the train derails into a swamp, slowly rolling to a stop, with your cabin mostly submerged, leaving you to die a slow and bitter death, drowning in the muck that is the sad and pointless ending to a sad and pointless book.
27 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Jim "The Impatient"
- 2014-04-24
JUST BECASE A MAN CAN DO A THING
DOES NOT MEAN A MAN SHOULD DO A THING
This is getting a five star rating, because the first time I read it that is how I felt. I must admit that listening to it after reading it was tedious. Don't get me wrong it had nothing to do with the narrator, he was good. It is just not a good reread.
SHE OFFERED ME NO MORE SOLACE THEN A MAN MIGHT FIND IN HIS OWN HAND.
This just went on to long. Usually in a trilogy the second book is the stretched out book. This time it is this the third book. Most of the book is run across the country, get captured, escape. Once would have been fine, but more then once was over kill. This was like a travel log with no plot.
STOP WHINNING ABOUT IT AND JUST DO IT.
Fritz is a lot more whinny in this and it is pretty long winded. If you have not started the trilogy yet, let me say that I liked the Live Ship Trader series best, starting with Ship of Magic. I am also really liking this Dragon Series that I am three books into right now, but the series is already four books long and may go longer.
22 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- John
- 2011-12-29
Story Became More Irritating
After great start with first 1.5 books of trilogy, the last 1.5 books became never-ending situations of ineptness and self-loathing for the main character.... leading to cycle after cycle of running, capture, torture and escape. Since the main character is "writing" the story down as the narrator, it's sort of stupid to send him through so many beat-down situations - you know he lives.
The plot sets up situations you can see a mile away, but the stupidity of the "hero" leaves you shaking your head. It's just hard to grasp that the villain has ZERO consequences through 3 books until the last few pages. His plots are known by everyone at the end of book one and there were no consequences???
The one bright spot was Paul Boehmer - one of the best jobs I've ever listed to.
21 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Gregory H.
- 2013-09-15
Makes you hate the protagonist
What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?
Characters keep secrets for no reason and generally do not act like people. The main character who is lovingly humble in the first book comes off as winy and miserable to the point of being EMO in this one. With little to no catharsis in the ending it is my recommendation that if you enjoyed the first two of the series, do not pick up the last one.This would have been infinitely better if the author had not tortured his character constantly without it really forwarding the plot its a bit weird to be honest...
What could Robin Hobb have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?
Even out the good with the bad. Its fine having a character go through hardships that they overcome but this guy doesn't ever seem to overcome anything. He just gets mangled and eventually saved by someone else and he is usually not bettered by the experience.
Would you listen to another book narrated by Paul Boehmer?
Yes. Paul Boehmer was great.
You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?
the first book.
17 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Joe Kraus
- 2018-03-24
Solid, But Full of Digressions
I guess it’s a reflection of the low-bar I have in mind for “high fantasy” work that this strikes me overall as pretty solid work. I continue to be impressed with Hobb’s ability to paint a scene from her imagined world with the kind of relevant detail that makes it seem to come to life. Even at her worst – and this is the worst of the four Hobb books I’ve read – she has a gift for solid writing that puts her in the forefront of this genre.
I have long complained about the slowness that grips her work – I can’t believe a good editor couldn’t cut out 30 to 50 percent – but until now she has avoided the writerly sin that plagues others I’ve read in this vein. (I’m tempted to call it “Jordaning” after Robert Jordan who swelled his promising Wheel of Time stuff from what should have been a 1200-page book – still quite long – to 12 novels of 800-1000 pages each. Yeah, I jumped off that wheel, but not without the frustration that he had a shot at something as excellent as Dune, the first one, if only he’d had a clue how to stay focused.)
That is, she pursues tangents to the central story line that serve little purpose in moving the plot forward but that certainly thicken the spine of the published book. Here, she sends Fitz off on a “fool’s errand” to kill Regal. It takes up about the first quarter of the book, and it proves both fruitless and pointless. SPOILER: By the end of the book, we learn that keeping Regal alive and skilling him into submission is a far better revenge and a far more responsible move. Well before the end, we discover that Fitz should be on his way to find and serve Verity; anything else is self- and nation-destructive. I can see that from page one, and Fitz sees it eventually, but we have to go through 200 pages before he gets it.
That kind of digression – and it’s the longest but not the only, there are all sorts of 20-page experiences where they explore inconsequential places or build-up to events that aren’t worth the attention when they do occur – hurts the narrative, but it also hurts the premise. I don’t enjoy feeling “Jordaned” (in one book, he spent hundreds of pages marching an army across his continent only to have them get to the end and turn around – and they were an army so much less powerful than the forces of the world that it never made sense in the first place why they were involved) as a reader, but, more subtly, I find myself questioning the otherwise dependable perspective of Fitz. I like that he’s flawed, that he doesn’t understand other people and that he lets his passions get him into trouble, but I trust he is still bottom-line smart enough to get the big things right. In the first quarter of this, though, he’s just so foolishly caught up in his plan that I want nothing to do with him. If I hadn’t already invested 1100+ pages in him, I’d have bailed. (I might have bailed anyway if not for Hobbs’s generally fine writing at the basic sentence level.)
Alongside that core flaw there is the further frustration that this becomes increasingly a kind of “Deliverance meets the Lord of the Rings.” Fitz or Night Eyes endures terrible beatings all the time. We get arrows in the back, beatings to unconsciousness, and grievous loss of blood and strength. Our main characters come within millimeters of death every couple hundred pages, but they always rally. Hobb tells us about their suffering and maiming in gruesome slowness, but then, without any comparable attention to their recovery, they pull off feats of deep endurance the next time they’re called to do so.
I’ve led mostly with the complaints. In the end, I do think Hobbs’s vision has some compelling elements. SPOILER: Her notion of what it means to wake a dragon grows thoughtfully out of the theme she’s been pursuing throughout the trilogy: the challenge to find a way to connect with others. The magics of the skill and the wit accomplish some of that, but the work of opening up to someone else is itself a powerful magic. (The scene where he connects with Kettle, opening the burn of her skill-mind, is one to think about. In the end, beyond the magics in play, Fitz has to be able to hear a frightened other in order to bring her around.) One wakens a dragon then, by giving up ones entire humanity. You put your life – not your strength but your memories, joys, and hopes – into something inert and that quickens it. The process isn’t all positive. It means dying. It means, as we see from the resting place of the older dragons, turning eventually to a kind of stone that hungers for more life.
(A further SPOILER complaint: since it turns out to be so easy to wake the other dragons – to put blood on them and use some fire or some fairly simple combination – why does Verity have to sacrifice himself to become a new one? I get that it makes for a better story, but it’s a narrative clumsiness Hobb falls into. As a free editorial suggestion, wouldn’t it work to require a new dragon to wake the old ones?)
Anyway, it staggers me to think there are another nine or twelve after this one. I’ve enjoyed these three enough to finish them – and that’s no small matter given how long and sometimes tendentious they are – but I can’t see going on. I might take 15 minutes some time to read a few reviews and see what I missed, but I’m done. It’s a shame that Hobb, who really does seem more talented than the others in this genre, is invited to write such long works. I feel as if her work, and the whole genre, would be better served with tighter writing and a commitment to better editing.
14 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- BazaarPatron
- 2013-06-12
Bland to the end
Despite my thorough disappointment at the first two books, I completed this series on a recommendation. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice...
Needless to say, there was no payoff in the end.
10 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Shelleyaw
- 2011-12-06
Sci-Fi Fantasy doesn't get much better than this
What made the experience of listening to Assassin's Quest the most enjoyable?
The characters, Ms. Hobb has created a great group of living, breathing, flawed, and unforgettable characters.
Who was your favorite character and why?
Trying to pick a favorite character between Fitz and Fool and Nighteyes is like having to decide which child is your favorite, to pick one is impossible.
What does Paul Boehmer bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?
He does a great job, he doesn't over power the story with his voice, he brings it to life. Not once I did think about the narrator as anything separate from the story.
Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
Impossible to say without spoiling the story for others
Any additional comments?
Please bring the Tawny Man series to Audible.
8 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Kevin Stokes
- 2014-10-06
Held my interest, but had ridiculous ending
I enjoyed this book. Fitz makes a long journey, traveling as a peasant that seems real. Hobb does a great job relating the adventure in a believable way. The interaction of Fitz, Burrich, and the Fool was quite excellent.
I give the story three stars because the climax was very silly. It was a resolution that reminded me of a children's book. The defeat of the seemly unstoppable red ship raiders was barely mentioned, and the explanation of the great mystery of forging was glossed over in a couple sentences.
7 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Katherine
- 2012-05-05
Glory and Heartache
FitzChivalry Farseer???s life keeps getting worse. He has once again barely ??? and I mean just barely ??? survived Uncle Regal???s machinations. As Assassin???s Quest, the third book in Robin Hobb???s FARSEER trilogy, opens, Fitz???s situation seems hopeless. Only a couple of people know he still lives and Molly is not one of them. She???s gone, and it seems safest for Fitz to let her live in ignorance.
Meanwhile, Fitz???s uncle Regal has declared himself king in the Six Duchies. He demands exorbitant taxes, has abandoned Buck Town and left Buckkeep in the hands of a foreigner, and has in essence given up the area to the Red Ship Raiders. Not only has Fitz suffered at Regal???s hands, the coastal duchies suffer too.
Once Fitz is standing on his own two feet again, he decides to get revenge for what Regal has done to him personally and to the Six Duchies. But Regal is protected by a coterie of skillers and some rather nasty soldiers. As Fitz tries to hunt down Regal, Prince Verity begins skilling to Fitz and asking for help. Fitz is the only person who knows that Verity still lives, but it???s not long before Regal discovers that both of his worst two enemies, FitzChivalry and Verity Farseer, are alive. Of course, Regal wants to get them before they get him.
Assassin???s Quest takes a while to really get going, and there???s some rehearsal of old events, but I think it had to be that way ??? Fitz???s recovery must be slow, or it wouldn???t be believable. Hobb puts this time to good use, though. We learn about Burrich???s childhood and grow to love him even more for what he sacrificed for Fitz. Molly also becomes even more admirable as we see her trying to make the most of her unfortunate circumstances.
Once Fitz is able to travel ??? and there is a lot of traveling ??? the pace is still slow, but by now the reader is so devoted to FitzChivalry Farseer and his wolf that it feels more like we???re spending time with old friends than trying to get through a novel. Along the way we meet a few new characters, most notably the minstrel Starling and a mysterious old lady, and eventually Fitz falls back in with some characters who we already love and have been missing. Besides the slow pace, which I really didn???t mind too much, my only complaint is that I had a hard time believing that Fitz doesn???t want Molly to know he???s alive. This felt like it was contrived to break my heart, but I must say that it worked.
In the end there is some glory for Fitz and the Six Duchies, but it???s accompanied by much heartache. This isn???t one of those fantasies where everyone lives happily ever after. Readers should know that though this is the end of the FARSEER trilogy, Fitz???s story continues in Robin Hobb???s next trilogy, THE TAWNY MAN. I???ve been listening to Tantor Audio???s excellent version of FARSEER and so far they have not put TAWNY MAN on audio, but they do have LIVESHIP TRADERS, a related trilogy on audio. I hope we???ll be seeing TAWNY MAN in audio sometime soon because audio readers are not going to want to wait for it. Originally posted at Fantasy Literature.
7 people found this helpful