Assassin’s Fate by Robin Hobb – First Impressions NO SPOILERS

April 30, 2017

Those of you who follow my blog will know that Robin Hobb’s Realm of the Elderlings series is one of my all time favourite fantasy series and that the relationship between Fitz and the Fool is one of my most invested in fictional relationships.  Further, you will know that May 9th marks the release of Assassin’s Fate, the final book in the Fitz and the Fool trilogy, and the apparent conclusion of the 16 book Realm of the Elderlings series.  

Assassin’s Fate is one of my most anticipated and yet dreaded releases of this year, so you can imagine my pure delight when yesterday I received an email advising me that I’d been approved for an early e-galley of said book and that I could download my copy now.  Thank you so much Random House!  I immediately put everything else on hold and have sped read through it already and am here to give you my first impressions, spoiler free.  I intend to do a more spoilery review once I have reread it.

The first question I had going into this book was, would Hobb provide an ending worthy of Fitz and the Fool, and I can say without a shadow of a doubt that yes, she does, and how.  She completely knocks it out of the park.  It is not, perhaps, the ending I would have wished for for Beloved and his Fitz, but it is appropriate, beautifully written and altogether perfect. As promised, Hobb has brought to a conclusion many of the storylines across all four of her series set in the Realm of the Elderlings.

Secondly, if you have any investment at all in these characters (and how could you not, given Hobb’s skill in character development?) be aware that this book will really hit you in the feels.  In terms of emotional impact there are scenes in this book that rank right up there with Frodo’s departure from the Gray Havens, Harry’s final walk through the Forbidden Forest or Game of Thrones’ Hold the Door.

What I love most about Hobbs’ books are the characters and their relationships.  In Assassin’s Fate these shine as brightly as ever.  Hobb has a true knack of writing characters who change and develop as a result of the events of the books and what has happened to them.  The dynamics between them also are ever changing and it’s beautiful to read.

There’s little more I can say without going into spoiler territory, so I’ll leave things there.

Naturally, I gave Assassin’s Fate five stars out of five.

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