A court bastard trained as a royal assassin. What an intriguing idea. I started this series with visions of clever political maneuvering and high drama. And, through the first two books, Hobb did a decent job of delivering the goods. Then came Assassin's Quest and it all disappeared.

It's a two star rating because Hobb saved a few surprises for this book. Also, she is technically a sound writer of prose, she's built a solid cast of characters, and her plot line contained such excellent potential. Alas, the potential goes mostly unrealized and this third book in the Farseer Trilogy is a big letdown.

First, Hobb abandons court intrigue, taking her characters on the road for what degenerates into an overly-long, mind-numbing quest during which very little actually happens. Political intrigue is totally abandoned and, about halfway through, all semblance of action goes with it.

Second, the "skill", which is the psi power in this world, takes on a life of its own. In earlier books, the skill was an element in the larger plot. In this book, it becomes the whole story. Fantasy writers need the sense to tread lightly when it comes to this stuff because, like their characters, they tend to become seduced by it. This story becomes engulfed in it. Hobb uses it as a crutch to close out her trilogy without any confrontation between the main characters and, hence, no action and no very satisfactory resolution of the basic conflicts she built up in the prior two books.

Third, the ending. The reader gets dragged on through several hundred pages waiting for a resolution, then left with a tidy little ending described briefly, at a distance, and not entirely satisfactorily. I, for one, wanted to see Regal and the coastal raiders get what they deserved. It was only done in passing.

If all that isn't enough, Fitz's fate was a colossal letdown, as well. Yes, there's something to be said for the idea that "they lived happily ever after" isn't how it usually goes in real life, but this isn't real life. If I want real life, I'll read the news. This is fantasy fiction. It doesn't all have to come out perfectly, but I still prefer some semblance of a happy ending, not: he slunk away quietly and was (almost)never heard of again.

I liked the first two books of the Farseer Trilogy, but as disappointing as this book was to me, I will think long and hard before reading any more of Hobb's work.
A court bastard trained as a royal assassin. What an intriguing idea. I started this series with visions of clever political maneuvering and high drama. And, through the first two books, Hobb did a decent job of delivering the goods. Then came Assassin's Quest and it all disappeared. It's a two star rating because Hobb saved a few surprises for this book. Also, she is technically a sound writer of prose, she's built a solid cast of characters, and her plot line contained such excellent potential. Alas, the potential goes mostly unrealized and this third book in the Farseer Trilogy is a big letdown. First, Hobb abandons court intrigue, taking her characters on the road for what degenerates into an overly-long, mind-numbing quest during which very little actually happens. Political intrigue is totally abandoned and, about halfway through, all semblance of action goes with it. Second, the "skill", which is the psi power in this world, takes on a life of its own. In earlier books, the skill was an element in the larger plot. In this book, it becomes the whole story. Fantasy writers need the sense to tread lightly when it comes to this stuff because, like their characters, they tend to become seduced by it. This story becomes engulfed in it. Hobb uses it as a crutch to close out her trilogy without any confrontation between the main characters and, hence, no action and no very satisfactory resolution of the basic conflicts she built up in the prior two books. Third, the ending. The reader gets dragged on through several hundred pages waiting for a resolution, then left with a tidy little ending described briefly, at a distance, and not entirely satisfactorily. I, for one, wanted to see Regal and the coastal raiders get what they deserved. It was only done in passing. If all that isn't enough, Fitz's fate was a colossal letdown, as well. Yes, there's something to be said for the idea that "they lived happily ever after" isn't how it usually goes in real life, but this isn't real life. If I want real life, I'll read the news. This is fantasy fiction. It doesn't all have to come out perfectly, but I still prefer some semblance of a happy ending, not: he slunk away quietly and was (almost)never heard of again. I liked the first two books of the Farseer Trilogy, but as disappointing as this book was to me, I will think long and hard before reading any more of Hobb's work.