Review: "The Willful Princess and the Piebald Prince" by Robin Hobb

As I await the release of “Fool’s Assassin,” the latest tale of Fitzchivalry Farseer from Robin Hobb, I decided to step back into that world briefly for her novella “The Willful Princess and the Piebald Prince” ($4.99, Subterranean Press).

The brief tale provides us the backstory of the Piebald Prince as told by the nanny who raised him. The history told by the victors says that Charger Farseer was a pretender to the throne who used the now-reviled Wit magic and was ousted by nobles to remove the taint from the Farseer line.

We’re assured by our narrator Felicity, though, that this is the unvarnished truth about the rise and fall of the Piebald Prince, and it tells quite a different story.

In this tale, noble jealousy rears its ugly head when Charger, a bastard son of Queen-in-Waiting Caution, is named heir to the throne, resulting in the eventual ouster and disgrace of the Piebald Prince.

Review: "Assassin's Quest" by Robin Hobb

This is a series that I hated to see end. It's been a while since a set of books captured my imagination like these three did.

This is the final installment of the story of Fitzchivalry the assassin and company, and it's also the best book in the series. Hobb creates characters that come to life on the page - characters that you know and care about.

I'm a sucker for a good wolf story anyway, but one of my favorite parts of this series is the bond between Nighteyes and Fitzchivalry. It brings needed drama and humor to the series. Hobb also takes an interesting view of dragons - another topic I'm a sucker for. Anytime an author can approach dragons from an angle I haven't seen before, as Hobb does here, I'm interested.

One word of warning to those of you who want an ending where everyone lives happily ever after. You might not want to get too involved in this one. While the ending is not exactly tragic, it's not the typical happy ending - another thing I like about it.

An excellent series. I'm looking forward to reading her new books.

Review: "Royal Assassin" by Robin Hobb

When I picked up Robin Hobb's first book, Assassin's Apprentice, on a suggestion, I was impressed. When I read this one I was astounded.

After foiling Prince Regal's plot to claim the throne, Fitz returns to Buckkeep, where he has to face his enemy on a daily basis. While he fights his own battles, the six duchies are still threatened by raiders, leaving Verity defending the kingdom, King Shrewd ill, and Regal free to plot.

Fitz meets Regal's treachery at every turn, but his ultimate treachery could be the downfall of the six duchies.

Royal Assassin does exactly what the second book of a series should, but unfortunately a lot don't. It builds on the story and the tension, making the reader want more.

The real strength of Hobb's writing is her characters, and she is in fine form in this segment of the trilogy. All of her characters are well-rounded and three-dimensional, and they pull you deeper into the story. They make you feel like you know and care about them.

This book has vaulted the third book in the trilogy, Assassin's Quest, to the top of my reading list.

Review: "Assassin's Apprentice" by Robin Hobb

Lately, I've been trying to collect a list of new authors that I might like to read. Based on other writers I enjoy, one name that kept popping up was Robin Hobb. Deciding to give her a chance, I picked up Hobb's first novel, Assassin's Apprentice. I wasn't disappointed.

Fitz, the bastard son of a prince, is given into the care of the royal house by his grandfather, which sets into a motion a chain of events that makes for a good read. Prince Chivalry relinquishes his claim to the throne in disgrace, and is later assassinated by the ambitious Prince Regal, who, although third in line for the throne, plots to take it for himself. Meanwhile, the kingdom faces a threat from outside its borders as well, as raiders attack relentlessly.

Fitz, meanwhile is given odd jobs around the palace, and is generally reviled by those in the palace. But King Shrewd sees a good use for him, as the king's assassin. His first mission is to elminate the feeble brother of the heir's bride-to-be. But when Fitz arrives, he finds the brother anything, but feeble, and uncovers a plot to overthrow the crown.

This is a promising first book with good characterization and a lot of action. The naming system, whereby royalty is named for a quality they will hopefully have, can get a little tiresome, but that's my only complaint. Overall a very good book. The second book in the series, Royal Assassin, is high in my to-be-read stack.