Jan 2026 Book Recommendation: Assassin’s Apprentice by Robin Hobb

Intro

Robin Hobb’s Farseer Trilogy—which Assassin’s Apprentice is the first book of—has been one of my favorite fantasy series for a long time. It has everything that I look for in a fantasy series: complex characters, a fleshed out world, and a plot that keeps you at the edge of your seat. It’s also loaded with secrets, mysteries, and intrigue, which I, personally, can never get enough of.

This is one of those books that I think all fantasy fans should read, for all the reasons I listed above and more. So, without further ado, let’s get into the details.

Assassin’s Apprentice by Robin Hobb Overview

Genre(s): Fantasy

Series: Book 1 of 3 of The Farseer Trilogy

POV/Tense: First-person past

Length: 464 pages

As the illegitimate son of Prince Chivalry Farseer, Fitz’s destiny has always been to live in the shadows of society, quiet and unseen. Raised by the stablemaster of Buckkeep Castle—the home of the royals who rule over the kingdom known as the Six Duchies—he lives a simple life, working at the stable and befriending the animals that live there, which he seems to have a special connection with.

But King Shrewd has other plans for Fitz. As someone of the Farseer bloodline, Fitz possesses the Skill, a form of magic that allows the user to slip into the minds of others. Shrewd intends to put that to use. Secretly, he has Fitz trained as an assassin sworn to the service of the Farseer throne.

As Fitz enters his teenage years, raiders from the islands north of the Six Duchies lay siege upon the coast, turning their victims into mindless, emotionless Forged Ones. Between the raiders’ brutal attacks and the Forged Ones roaming the countryside in search of villages to plunder, the threat to the Six Duchies grows larger by the day. It isn’t long until Fitz is called into action—or until it becomes apparent that he, with his unique talents, may be the key to saving the kingdom from the enemies that besiege it.

Personal Thoughts

When I think of character-driven books, Assassin’s Apprentice is the very first one to come to mind. While the conflict with the raiders and the Forged Ones is important, the primary focus of the book is Fitz and his personal journey. Because of the first-person narrative, you’re constantly in his head and seeing the world from his perspective.You watch him grow up through his own eyes, and you really come to understand him.

Fitz might actually be the most believable character I’ve ever read. Unlike most fictional assassins, who are all about showing off how tough and bad they are (no hate, of course; I love Celaena Sardorthien and Artemis Entreri as much as the next person), Fitz is deeply complex. He’s emotional (but tries to hide it) and awkward, and super loyal to the Farseers. He makes stupid mistakes and suffers the guilt of them. So yeah, he’s a really good character, even when you want to scream at him for doing something he shouldn’t have.

On the topic of wanting to scream at fictional characters, I’d also like to highlight how effective Hobb is at really making you feel things. Her books are always very dramatic, and reading one of them is always an emotional rollercoaster for me. Which, to me, is fiction at its finest; I know that the author did something right when I super feel for the characters and care what happens to them.

Outro

That’s all for our first reading recommendation of 2026. I hope I’ve gotten you interested in this book. Or, if you’ve already read it, be sure to look into the similar titles that I’ve listed below. Thanks for reading!