April in the US. Bantam stylized the US titles in the form of The Farseer I: Assassin's Apprentice; Voyager marketed the UK editions as part of the Farseer trilogy, and also as The Farseer Trilogy. The Bantam covers of the first two books were created by Michael Whelan, and the third by Stephen Youll. John Howe illustrated the Voyager editions of all three books. Setting The geography of the Six Duchies resembles the US state of Alaska and the Pacific Northwest, where Hobb lived for several years. Hobb's initial sketches of the setting were inspired by the panhandle of Alaska, and the Six Duchies resembled Kodiak Island, her residence following her marriage, but the final commissioned maps bore a greater similarity to an upside-down Alaska than she had intended. Hobb would write four other series using the same setting, referred to along with the Farseer trilogy as the Realm of the Elderlings. The society of the fictional universe is comparable to Western feudalism, with nobility owing allegiance to a monarch, and with distinct social stratification, although commoners retain some basic rights. The ruling Farseer line were once raiders, who chose to settle in the kingdom of Six Duchies; the royal family has a tradition of taking allegorical names. The novels' primary society resembles medieval Europe in its technology, following a Tolkienian tradition, but departing from it in depicting far greater gender equality. A few other kingdoms exist that resemble non-Western societies. As the series begins, the Six Duchies is under assault from the "Red-ship Raiders", whose raids bear resemblance to Viking invasions. Two magical powers exist: the Skill, which allows humans to communicate at great distances and for one person to impose their will on another; and the Wit, which allows a bonding without dominance between humans and animals. The former is passed on through the royal bloodline of the Six Duchies; the latter is viewed with revulsion and its practitioners are persecuted. Plot Assassin's Apprentice The narrative begins with the protagonist, aged six, being brought from his mother to the royal family of the Six Duchies. He is given the name Fitz, meaning an illegitimate son; he learns that his father is Prince Chivalry Farseer, heir to the throne. The shame of fathering a bastard leads Chivalry to relinquish his position and retreat to the countryside: he dies a few years later, without ever meeting Fitz. Chivalry's brother Prince