The Farseer Trilogy is fantasy series written by Robin Hobb, one of the few successful female fantasy authors. It consists of the novels Assassin’s Apprentice, Royal Assassin, and Assassin’s Quest.
It is a pretty classic story with a hero who at first is quite insignificant and becomes more and more important but it is written well and has original elements, which is why it is in my list of favorite fantasy series.
Story
The series tells the tale of a nameless, young boy, the bastard son of Prince Chivalry, who gets the name Fitz (or FitzChivalry). He makes a pact with his grandfather, king Shrewd, to get shelter and safety in turn for absolute loyalty.
Fitz is taught the ways of an assassin and puts his telepathic Skills to use by defending the kingdom of the Six Duchies throughout the three novels against the Red-Ship Raiders and political ploys at the court.
Style & Themes
Robin Hobb, perhaps because she is a woman, puts a lot of emotion in her writing and the main characters in her books really come to life and develop themselves throughout the series. I believe this is one of the main reasons why her books are that popular and why she is on the list of best fantasy authors.
The story does contain action and magic but is also very much focused at political ploys and intrigues. The focus on character building and the relatively minor role of magic clearly makes The Farseer Trilogy as a more low fantasy series than a high fantasy one.
Conclusion
The Farseer series may not be very action-oriented, but it is well written, has great story lines and plot twists and very solid character building. Hobb has written several other major series like The Liveship Traders Trilogy and The Tawny Man Trilogy but The Farseer Trilogy remains my favorite.
Tags: Fantasy Series, Robin Hobb, The Farseer Trilogy
