I wasn't sure if I should read this after Assassin's Apprentice, but I wanted to see where the story went. I wish I hadn't.

95% of the book is (once again), our unwilling protagonist being beset upon by everyone around him, including misery imposed on him by his few so-called friends. He suffers near constant abuse, and since he is unable to act on it, very little else happens during the majority of the book. It's very much like the first book in this regard. Lots and lots of nothing but abuse of the protagonist, and then one or two brief action sequences, which, of course, the protagonist REALLY suffers for.

The name, "Royal Assassin" is even more of a misnomer than the first book. It should be called "Poor Bastard", as that's what it's really about. A bastard-born man, dragged unwillingly into political intrigue, and who has no power or free will, is hated and treated badly by everyone. There isn't even any relief to his privations to do what the title implies. It's frustrating and endlessly depressing.

The plot elements remain the same as in the first book. It's the same old enemies, doing the same horrible stuff as before. And,as before, our hero can still do nothing about it without breaking the rules, and he doesn't want to break the rules.

I will not be reading the third.
I wasn't sure if I should read this after Assassin's Apprentice, but I wanted to see where the story went. I wish I hadn't. 95% of the book is (once again), our unwilling protagonist being beset upon by everyone around him, including misery imposed on him by his few so-called friends. He suffers near constant abuse, and since he is unable to act on it, very little else happens during the majority of the book. It's very much like the first book in this regard. Lots and lots of nothing but abuse of the protagonist, and then one or two brief action sequences, which, of course, the protagonist REALLY suffers for. The name, "Royal Assassin" is even more of a misnomer than the first book. It should be called "Poor Bastard", as that's what it's really about. A bastard-born man, dragged unwillingly into political intrigue, and who has no power or free will, is hated and treated badly by everyone. There isn't even any relief to his privations to do what the title implies. It's frustrating and endlessly depressing. The plot elements remain the same as in the first book. It's the same old enemies, doing the same horrible stuff as before. And,as before, our hero can still do nothing about it without breaking the rules, and he doesn't want to break the rules. I will not be reading the third.