Assassin's Apprentice
by Robin Hobb · first published 1995
41% recommend29% neutral29% critical
Why HN recommends it
Character-driven first-person fantasy with a grounded, realistic tone and a strong sense of community and hardship. It serves as an entry point to Robin Hobb's longer Realm of the Elderlings series.
Common criticism: Some find the story slow and the protagonist's struggles hard to enjoy.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
Young Fitz is the bastard son of the noble Prince Chivalry, raised in the shadow of the royal court by his father's gruff stableman. He is treated like an outcast by all the royalty except the devious King Shrewd, who has him secretly tutored in the arts of the assassin. For in Fitz's blood runs the magic Skill--and the darker knowledge of a child raised with the stable hounds and rejected by his family. As barbarous raiders ravage the coasts, Fitz is growing to manhood. Soon he will face his first dangerous, soul-shattering mission. And though some regard him as a threat to the throne, h
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The link isn’t loading for me right now, so I’ll just add to the appreciation for Hobb. I’m currently reading book 13 (4th in the Rain Wild Chronicles). They’re all great! I picked up The Assassin’s Apprentice while looking for something to fill the Rothfuss void. I was instantly hooked. The tone and the pace was just right for me. I really like that they are so character-driven, deeply exploring the characters’…
on “The Animal Is Tired” ↗Robin Hobb is amazing, her books which begin with Assassin's Apprentice really helped me through extremely stressful periods of life being able from time to time to escape from reality and into another world and then return.
on “Tell HN: Don't put your status page on the same domain as your app” ↗Robin Hobb is amazing, her books which begin with Assassin's Apprentice really helped me through extremely stressful periods of life being able from time to time to escape from reality and into another world and then return.
on “The Animal Is Tired” ↗…the time of Augustus Caesar - The Red Threads of Fortune / The Black Tides of Heaven by Jy Yang - Two paired novellas! - The Craft Sequence by Max Gladstone -- Law = Magic! Extremely well written - Assassin's Apprentice (The Farseer Trilogy) by Robin Hobb -- One of my favorite series of all time.. I cried! - Amberlough by Lara Elena Donnelly -- A spy thriller set in a Vaudeville-era secondary world. Burlesque! Spies!…
on “Top Fantasy Series to battle quarantine boredom” ↗Robin Hobb is one of my favorite authors. Her masterwork is a series of series (four trilogies and a quadrology) known as The Realm of the Elderlings. She published the first trilogy, which begins with Assassin's Apprentice, starting in 1995. I saw the books when they first came out and I assumed from the title and the cover that it would be a cheesy fantasy by the numbers, so I never bought it. But I kept hearing about…
on “The Animal Is Tired” ↗…quite a slog. Enjoyable in parts, but too many characters, too broad in scope for me. I'm on the final book now, and am going to finish it, but I'll feel more relief than anything when I'm done! The Assassin's Apprentice series, being from the first person perspective is in many ways its polar opposite. Each style has its advantages, but I've found I prefer stories where I can really get to know a few characters, rather…
on “The Animal Is Tired” ↗I actually got "Assassin's Apprentice" for free via Kindle (which is still available: http://www.amazon.com/Assassins-Apprentice-ebook/dp/B000FBFM...). The book was great, and touched off a whirlwind reading of the whole trilogy. Great series,…
on “Free e-copy of Robin Hobb's Assassin's Apprentice” ↗Best thing I've ever read. Based on the title, "Assassin's Apprentice", I would never have picked it up. It's on the "realism" side of fantasy. The protagonist is not having a good time, at all. Hobb excels at writing about communities.
on “Ask HN: Post Burnout Ideas” ↗…Ian MacDonald. Delivered From Distraction by Edward Hallowell. Eye Mind: The Saga of Roky Erickson and the 13th Floor Elevators, the Pioneers of Psychodelic Sound by ???. Elantris by Brandon Sanderson. Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb. Shadow Chaser by Alexey Pehov. Masters of Doom by ???. An Unquiet Mind by Kay Redfield Jameson.
on “Ask HN: What are you reading?” ↗…flawless character who becomes a master in anything he partakes in, from acting to thievery to magic, and all before his teenage years... Totally ridiculous, in my opinion. I had a similar reaction to "Assassin's Apprentice" by Robin Hobb; although not as perfect as Kvothe, her Fitz has all the possible talents in one place, from the Wit to the Skill etc. On the other hand, Hobb's Liveship Traders amazed me with the complexity…
on “Sci-Fi Novels You Should Read” ↗Elantris by Brandon Sanderson, Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb, Shadow Chaser by Alexey Pehov
on “Ask HN: What are you reading?” ↗My queue for the month is 1. Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb (which I'm about 15% of the way through) 2. The World We Make by N.K. Jemisin 3. The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida by Shehan Karunatilaka (last year's Booker prize winner) 4.…
on “Lex Fridman's Reading Plan in Numbers” ↗…Surviving Medieval England" Re-reads (mostly on audio for dozing off, but then got hooked .. again): - James S.A. Corey "Caliban's War" & "Cibola Burn" - George RR Martin "Game of Thrones" - Robin Hobb "Assassin's Apprentice"
on “Ask HN: What did you read in 2025?” ↗…discussing its humor and depiction of the human condition. Other Notable Duplicates Apple in China: Cited three times for its insights into the relationship between the tech giant and Chinese manufacturing. Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb: Featured in both re-read lists and debates about its emotional intensity. Permutation City by Greg Egan: Highly recommended by sci-fi fans for its "stimulating" concepts regarding digital…
on “Ask HN: What did you read in 2025?” ↗Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb
on “Ask HN: Which book are you reading these days?” ↗