Assassin's Apprentice Paperback - 1996
by Robin Hobb
About this book
In a faraway land where members of the royal family are named for the virtues they embody, one young boy will become a walking enigma.
Born on the wrong side of the sheets, Fitz, son of Chivalry Farseer, is a royal bastard, cast out into the world, friendless and lonely. Only his magical link with animals - the old art known as the Wit - gives him solace and companionship. But the Wit, if used too often, is a perilous magic, and one abhorred by the nobility.
So when Fitz is finally adopted into the royal household, he must give up his old ways and embrace a new life of weaponry, scribing, courtly manners; and how to kill a man secretly, as he trains to become a royal assassin.
Reader reviews for Assassin's Apprentice
Review summary
Readers widely praised the novel’s exceptional character work and relationships—especially Fitz and the Fool—alongside immersive, elegantly crafted prose and grounded, medieval-tinged worldbuilding. Many emphasized that it’s a foundational, coming?of?age story with a deliberate, slow burn and relatively sparse action; some found the middle draggy, dense, or the protagonist too passive, while others valued the atmosphere, emotional heft, and court intrigue. The twin magics (the Wit and the Skill) and the social constraints drew strong interest, and the final stretch delivers a satisfying uptick in pace. Overall, it’s regarded as a modern classic for character?focused fantasy, though not ideal for readers seeking nonstop momentum.
Readers say this book is:
slow burncharacter-drivenlyrical proseimmersiveemotionally resonantrelationship-focusedlow on actiondenserewarding climaxcoming-of-ageWrite a review for this book
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From the publisher
First line
First edition identification
Harper Voyager published a First UK Edition, First Printing hardcover in London, 1995.
Details
- Title Assassin's Apprentice
- Author Robin Hobb
- Binding Paperback
- Edition Reprint
- Pages 480
- Volumes 1
- Language ENG
- Publisher Voyager, London, United Kingdom
- Publication date March 18, 1996
- ISBN 9780006480099 / 0006480098
- Dimensions 7.01 x 4.37 x 1.3 in (17.81 x 11.10 x 3.30 cm)
- Category Fiction - Fantasy
- Dewey Decimal Code FIC
More Copies for Sale
Assassin's Apprentice (The Farseer Trilogy - Book 1)
by Hobb, Robin
- Used
- Very good
- Paperback
- Condition
- Very good
- Binding
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- ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
- 9780006480099 / 0006480098
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- 2
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A$7.67A$16.47 Delivery to USA
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Assassin's Apprentice (The Farseer Trilogy, Book 1)
by Hobb, Robin (Megan Lindholm)
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A$11.00A$29.27 Delivery to USA
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Assassin's Apprentice
by Hobb, Robin
- Used
- Paperback
- Condition
- Used
- Binding
- Paperback
- ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
- 9780006480099 / 0006480098
- Quantity available
- 1
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A$41.89Free Delivery to USA
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Assassin's Apprentice
by Hobb, Robin
- Used
- Good
- Paperback
- Condition
- Good
- Binding
- Paperback
- ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
- 9780006480099 / 0006480098
- Quantity available
- 1
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A$44.70Free Delivery to USA
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Assassin's Apprentice
by Robin Hobb
- Used
- Good
- Paperback
- Condition
- Good
- Binding
- Paperback
- ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
- 9780006480099 / 0006480098
- Quantity available
- 1
- Seller
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A$65.60Free Delivery to USA
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Assassin's Apprentice
by Hobb, Robin
- New
- Paperback
- Condition
- New
- Binding
- Paperback
- ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
- 9780006480099 / 0006480098
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A$130.54A$8.53 Delivery to USA