Rating: 
Summary: Excellent epic tale
Review: A fast-paced story which nevertheless plumbs the depths of the sub-plots, with excitement and surprises in every turn of the tale. The author writes for intelligent readers, neither giving too much away when describing characters and situations, nor putting in unnecessary explanations of motive--yet still weaves a rich tale full of emotion and adventure, giving life to the characters and depth to the kingdoms they inhabit. I highly recommend it!
Rating: 
Summary: Politics in fantasy shouldn't be like this
Review: I thought Assasins apprentice was an OK book, so I started reading this one aswell. In assasins apprentice Fitz is trained in the arts of the assasin, and is also involed in the inner fight betweem the two princes. I assumed that in this book, Fitz would get a quest, to kill someone important or something like that. But the book is really only about politics at the court. Fitz does do some assasination, but these are only told of briefly. All in all a boring book that is not worth reading, you will only get irritated at the extremly slow pace and boring plot.
Rating:
Summary: Growing pains
Review: In Assassin's Apprentice Robin Hobb created a child-adolescent character more convincing than most author's can do, particularly in the sff genre. ... are probably the only sff child characters I have read about recently which struck the same chord of realism, and even then her children were all prodigies, wise beyond their years. Fitz graduates to the ranks of adolescent-adult in this novel and though he is anything but wise most of the time he is superlatively human - his behaviour despicable at times and his motives suspect, still he remains in my mind one of the great sff characters of the 90s. I have a dislike for black and white/good vs evil literature and Robin Hobb's two recent series have well suited my tastes, where sympathy might be felt for an assassin or a pirate and distaste for a king of good character (e.g. Shrewd) or a beautiful dragon. Whilst reinventing traditional fantasy themes such as dragons (given their mystical nature i think dragons can be a theme as much as a character), Hobb also managed to include seemingly uber modern themes which I think give her an edge over most writers in this genre. The principal theme I'm thinking of here would have to be abuse, for I think that it was Hobb's treatment of the abuse that Fitz suffered that gave him life as a character. Whilst Assassin's Apprentice showed the mental and physical abuse that crippled Fitz's skill (and his character in many ways), and the excellent sequel to this series shows his abuse by fate, Royal Assassin is an often troubling account of Fitz's abuse of himself. drug/skill abuse & mental self-abasement addle Fitz's growth into adulthood and for anyone who has seen similarly young, bright minds descend into despair and irresponsibility it was just as amazing a piece of writing as more famous/mainstream tracts on drug abuse. Because Robin Hobb's novels are exceptionally great adventure stories and meet conventional expectations for fantasy trilogies, I think that her talent for writing complex human emotion is sometimes ... ....just hoping to remind everyone to think carefully about what they are reading and give this writer credit where due. It's writers like this who are raising the profile of sff.
Rating: 
Summary: Couldn't put it down until I'd finished it at dawn...
Review: Again, 4.5 Stars.I couldn't wait to begin this book after having read Assassin's Apprentice. I wasn't disappointed. This book is even better than the first, in terms of style, plot, character and overall grandeur. The plot becomes more complex and exciting, Fitz (the main character) takes on even more realism than in the first book, which is a feat in itself. In Book 2, Hobb shows more of her world and, more importantly, her system of magic. Although not "overwhelmingly unique" in the Fantasy genre, her use of magic is both subtle yet powerful - she knows where to use it and where not to use it. The relationships between the characters are well-formed and become increasingly complex in this book, as well. If you've enjoyed Assassin's Apprentice, you certainly won't be disapponted with Book 2 - it only builds on Book 1.
Rating:
Summary: Better than the first!
Review: This was the first time that I had read a book by a female author being the prejudice male that I am. For a debut trilogy in my favorite genre you have to blow my socks off, and she has. Assassin's Apprentice was great and introduced loveable characters that I could care for and follow their misadventures with an open heart. Royal Assassin was not only bigger but better. I thought that Regal would have taken a back seat to the Red Ship Raiders, I was wrong there. I thought that Molly would eventually wed Fitz, I was wrong again. So much has happened with Fitz over the cource of a few books that I thought I wouldn't be able to put the book down for fear of missing something. I finished the last half of the book just a few days ago and felt completely emmersed in the Six Duchees. I couldn't turn on the television afterwards without thinking of what is going to happen to in Assassin's Quest. Robin Hobb is totally different from conventional authors like Robert Jordan and Terry Goodkind in that she has a way of keeping you alert on every page without having to spread the good stuff thinly over 1000 pages. The Farseer trilogy will sit on my 'favorite books' shelf for years to come...and I'm not even done with the story yet.
Rating:
Summary: Awesome author and spellbinding series
Review: Fantasy fans must check out this author. Her plotting and characterization are superb and I tore through all three books in this trilogy in a weekend.
Rating:
Summary: Remarkable Second Installment
Review: With the second volume of the Farseer trilogy, Robin Hobb has certainly written a compelling saga strong on characterization. The first volume saw young Fitz growing as a boy and learning the ways around the court of Buckkeep, the capital of the Six Duchies. It seems to me that once Fitz was able to grow into his teens, the author finally has more freedom in making him the center of the happenings. Whereas Fitz was mostly a spectator in Assassin's Apprentice, he now tries to direct the action in the court; whether he is cleverly manipulated by others or truly acts on his own is an interesting question. This novel is less a novel of action or of epic proportions. It is obvious that Robin Hobb has no interest in becoming another Tolkien or Jordan. This is a novel of court intrigue, machinations, moves and countermoves. And Fitz finds himself with far more to deal with than he can chew. The characters are even livelier and interesting than in the first novel. I found it remarkable how Fitz seems to grow from page to page as he becomes more observant and active with the daily activities around him. From a boy, he becomes a man, with the unfortunate resulting consequences. The only drawback I found is that the underlying moral seems to be that the more resposibilities you shoulder upon yourself, regardless of your intentions, the more ruthless your enemies will act toward you. And, goodness, are they ruthless. Perhaps i was hoping for a traditional hero, and Fitz tries his best to be one, but Hobb yanks him back again and again.
Rating: 
Summary: Nice Stuff
Review: Good writing that keeps you interested and with numerous well-crafted twists of plot. Ending, however, felt rushed, was far too fantastical for my tastes, and was generally dissatifying. As compared to the first in the series this was so-so.
Rating:
Summary: A True Adventure Story!
Review: Robin Hobb's Royal Assassin is a wonderful example of true adventure and fantasy. Hobb has a spectacular imagination and a talent for writing. This second book in the Farseer Trilogy links the young Fitz to the new, grown up FitzChivalry. The plot is not overly intense but is full of new and unique ideas. The story is so creative that the turn of each page brings a new suprise. Hobb's style of writing really makes the reader more involved in the book. He writes not only the actions and events that occur for the characters, but the feelings and emotions as well. Each character's personality is developed enough for the reader to understand yet leaves room for the reader's own imagination. Each character is unique in it's personality making the story even more interesting. I especially enjoy the action scenes in this book. The description of what is happening flows so easily and with just the right emotion. I find myself reading faster yet understanding it all. As a reader, I am much more involved in the story and the characters. I find myself hating the antagonist, Prince Regal. I pity the honorable Burrich, the father-like stablemaster and worry about the king-in-waiting, Verity, in his struggle to save his lands from both invasion from the Outislanders and curruption from within Buckeep itself. It isn't often that I find a book that is so involved and well-written. I would also recommend the first and third books of Robin Hobb's Farseer Trilogy; Assassin's Apprentice and Assassin's Quest. Enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: A More Than Worthy Sequel
Review: Hobb has created a stunning sequel to her fantasic book "Assassin's Apprentice" that immerses the reader even further into the world of Fitz and the Fate of the Six Duchies. I found that this was my favorite (if I must pick) of the three books. The action is fantasic, new twists are added, along with more romance, but not enough to ruin the book. This is a must read-but only after the first!
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