My Farseer Trilogy Review – One of My Favorite Reads of 2024
After I finished reading all the Cosmere books I could get my hands on, I was desperately in search of my next epic fantasy read. I kept coming across the Farseer Trilogy by Robin Hobb on BookTok, but I shied away from it because the series is nearly 30 years old and I thought the content would be too “old school” for my tastes.
Finally, after being assured by my favorite BookTokers that it was one of the best series in existence, I finally read Assassin’s Apprentice when my mom gifted me a copy of the hardcover illustrated edition for my birthday (and I have already written a review for that.) But I have since devoured the rest of the trilogy and realized I need to spread the word about it because it is phenomenal.
If you need more details to convince you to read it, here is my in-depth, spoiler-free, Farseer Trilogy review.
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Series Overview
5 Stars
Subgenre: Epic high fantasy
What is the Farseer Trilogy and Realm of the Elderlings?
The Farseer Trilogy by Robin Hobb is the first three books in the Realm of the Elderlings universe written between 1995 and 1997. It was followed by four more series of books that take place in the same world for a total of 16 books. However, the Farseer trilogy can be read and enjoyed on its own without having to commit to all the books. (Although once you finish the trilogy, you’ll no doubt be eager to continue your journey!)
The complete series of the Realm of Elderlings (and the order in which you should read them) is:
The Farseer Trilogy
Liveship Traders Trilogy
The Tawny Man Trilogy
The Rain Wild Chronicles
Fitz and the Fool Trilogy
Read if You Like
Damn good writing
Character-driven stories
Detailed, immersive world-building
Medieval style setting
Telepathic magic systems
Pass if You Don’t Like
Slow-paced plots
Dense, descriptive paragraphs
My Review
Overall Reading Experience
This is hands down one of the best fantasy series I have ever read (second only to Brandon Sanderson’s Mistborn Trilogy and Stormlight Archive.) We follow Fitz throughout the early formative years of his life into adulthood, and it’s one of those series that sucks you right in so that you aren’t just reading about him, you feel like you’re living it with him.
That said, it did take me a little bit of time to get into the first book, Assassin’s Apprentice. I took my time getting through the first book, but by the time I got to the last chapter, I had decided I would definitely continue the series. The second and third books were mind-blowing and I tore through them in less than two weeks each.
I invested in the illustrated anniversary hardcover editions, and I highly recommend them. Not only are the covers and pages beautiful and in full color, but each book also includes ten, draw-droppingly gorgeous illustrations by Magali Villeneuve.
Here’s where you can buy the hardcovers separately:
I haven’t even read the rest of The Realm of the Elderlings, but this trilogy has already solidified Robin Hobb as one of my favourite authors of all time. (Right up there with Brando Sando!)
Plot
This trilogy follows young Fitzchivalry Farseer, the royal bastard son of the king-in-waiting to the farseer throne, Prince Chivalry. Fitz’s existence is made known to the royal family when he is just six years old, but as an illegitimate son, he is not in line for the throne. Instead, when he is brought to Buckkeep castle, his grandfather King Shrewd, gives him a place in his court – as an assassin’s apprentice.
Meanwhile, the coast cities of the Six Duchies are seized by the red ship raiders, and the king’s people start falling victim to their attacks, the outcome worse than death.
On the surface, the overarching plot is about political intrigue in the Six Duchies and war against the red ships. But there is far more focus on Fitz’s character development and how he navigates the world. It follows him from the time he is six years old and he is around 19/20 when the third book ends.
Because it is so character-focused – and all from Fitz’s perspective – many people find the story to be slow-paced. But I love character-driven plots, so for me, it wasn’t so much slow as it was immersive.
Characters and Character Development
The characters are arguably the best thing about this trilogy. Fitz is a flawed but lovable character and you feel like you’re living the world through his eyes, from the time he is a young boy to a young man. But there are so many other characters I adored in these books, and Hobb does a masterful job of giving them depth despite the story being told from one POV.
Burrich, Verity, Kettricken, Nighteyes, and The Fool were my favorite characters and each has their own goals and subplots. Even Prince Regal, Fitz’s uncle and main adversary, is an interesting character in that he is not so much evil as he is narcissistic and paranoid.
Hobb weaves each character’s story with Fitz’s in a seamless way that is extremely compelling.
Writing Style
As an aspiring author myself, reading Robin Hobb was like a masterclass in writing. The way Hobb writes is poignant, poetic, and yet not at all difficult to follow. She might be one of the best writers of our time in terms of sheer wordsmithing skill.
The books are all told in first person. Normally, I am not a huge fan of this narrative in epic fantasy because you are limited to experiencing the world through one character’s eyes. Also, a lot of first-person tends to read younger or YA style. However, this trilogy proves that first person can be done in a mature, compelling way that still includes plenty of detail and insight into other characters.
Themes and Motifs
In many ways, the Farseer Trilogy is a coming-of-age story, but more than that it’s a fascinating look at human nature and the consequences of difficult decisions. Fitz constantly wrestles with the friction between his sense of duty and loyalty and his own goals and wants.
World-Building and Magic System
The Farseer trilogy features two different kinds of magic systems, both of which center around telepathic abilities. The two main types are:
Skill
Inherent to those born of the Farseer line, the Skill allows users to see through the eyes of other people and communicate with other people who have the Skill. It can also influence users to do things – even if they don’t want to do them – without their knowing it. True to its name, the Skill takes a lot of practice to master.
Wit
The Wit is kind of like the Skill, except it enables telepathic communication and bonding with animals. The Wit is something you’re either born with or your not, and those who have it are shunned, as it is considered a perverse type of magic. It is said that some people lose themselves to the minds of the animals they bond with and become little better than animals themselves.
Our dear protagonist, Fitz, has both the Skill and the Wit!
So it’s not the kind of story where people are shooting fireballs at each other, and the cerebral nature of the magic system speaks to the themes and style of the book itself. I found it fascinating and loved learning more about Skill and Wit throughout the series.
Series Review by Book
Overall this is a five-star series, but not all of the books get the same rating. It’s worth breaking down my review by book, which will give you an idea of what to expect.
Assassins’ Apprentice – 4.5 Stars
Again, I have written a full review of this book already, but to recap, it is a very good start to the series. It does take some time to get into it, and to be honest reading about six-year-old Fitz was a bit slow going. But the writing is on point and after the halfway point, I was fully invested.
For many people, this first book is their favorite in the series, but for me, it is actually my least favorite of the three.
Royal Assassin – 6 Stars
Many trilogies suffer from “second book syndrome,” where there is a lot of developmental/filler content that is less exciting than books one or three. That is not the case with Royal Assassin. In fact, it is easily my favorite of the three books, achieving the rare, coveted six-star status, and becoming one of my top ten favorite books of all time.
It follows Fitz into young adulthood as he navigates the complexities of life at court and finds his place within it.
What makes this book so special? Mostly it’s the characters introduced in this book, specifically Nighteyes, if I’m honest. His dynamic with Fitz just makes the book for me. But also we get to see more of Kettricken and Prince Verity and their dynamic, as well as a strong romantic subplot in Fitz’s life. The writing in this book is so gorgeous that I routinely went back and reread sections of it as I was reading through it.
And the ending… I still think about this ending all the time! It’s a masterfully written book that makes the series.
Assassin’s Quest – 5 Stars
As the title suggests, this book involves a long journey, although the quest Fitz starts out with is not the same one he ends up finishing. Fitz fails to get his revenge on Regal and is instead compelled to find Verity.
He makes some new friends along the way – and re-meets some old ones. Without going into spoilers, a new dynamic between two of the secondary characters develops and this subplot is one of my favorite aspects of the book. I also love the Fool in this book!
Finally learning what the Elderlings are and what happened to them was unexpected and interesting. Truthfully, this book does run a little longer than it probably needs to. But I didn’t mind it because the writing was just so good!
What I appreciated most about this final book is it didn’t end how I was expecting. It’s gritty, real, devastating, bittersweet, and satisfying all at once.
Final Thoughts
Hobb’s books are among the best I have ever read inside or outside of the fantasy genre. If you want characters and a world that are so real you feel like you’re living there with them, and you enjoy introspective, character-driven stories, you will adore this trilogy as much as I did, and you will be sad it’s over when you finally reach the last page!
As for me, I’m off to read Mad Ship next! And you can get I will post a review of the second trilogy once I have finished it.
FAQ
How good is Farseer trilogy?
It’s only one of the best fantasy books of all time! However, it is not an action-packed book. It’s very introspective and heavily focuses on the characters’ day-to-day. Some people find it slow-paced. I find it utterly immersive.
Is Farseer Trilogy easy to read?
Yes, although Hobb’s prose is quite poetic at times, it is not difficult to understand or follow in the least.
Can I skip the Farseer Trilogy?
Technically you can. You should be fine for the Live Ship trilogy and the Rain Wild Chronicles, but the Tawny Man and Fitz and the Fool feature characters from the Farseer trilogy and will probably be easier to understand if you’ve read the first trilogy.
Is Robin Hobb any good?
Yes, she has my favorite writing style of all time. As a writer myself, reading her work is like a masterclass in prose.
Is there romance in Assassin’s Apprentice?
There isn’t a whole lot in the first book at all, as the main character is quite young. But there is quite a bit more in the later books, particularly Royal Assassin. Even then, it is not the main focus of the book but is a prominent subplot.
