Still Something Missing (Royal Assassin - Robin Hobb)

Member Name: andyoz

Product:	Royal Assassin - Robin Hobb
Date:	18/07/09 (32 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Well Written, Good Characters

Disadvantages: Lacks Something

Well as I have reviewed the first book in this series I thought it only right I carry on and do the second. So this book 'Royal Assassin' follows on from where we left the story in Assassins apprentice. This is the second of three books from the Farseer trilogy written by the author Robin Hobb. This book was released back in March 1996.

I really enjoyed the first book in the series, but if you have read my review you will know that I felt something was lacking. It felt as though Hobb wasn't quite sure of herself yet and was just finding her feet in her writing.

So this story continues the story of Fitz and his life. At the end of the previous book Fitz had been poisened by his unkle Regal while he was away in the Mountain Kingdom. After Fitz recovers he returns to his home at Buckkeep and resumes his life there. But Fitz has vowed to take revenge on his evil uncle.

Anyway there is a war going on at the moment, and Fitz is sent to help out on a ship there. Fitz has the Wit which is a form of magic he can use to talk to animals but he also has 'the skill'. Which enables him to talk to certain people over long distaces, these guys had not heard of mobile phones apparently. So the story follows the events the follow Fitz in his new and exciting life.

I really enjoyed this book, but again didn't quite feel it was as good as it could have been. There was just something missing. On the plus side Hobb develops the characters very well. We meet some new characters who become major players in the series and on into the future.

Hobb is getting better at keeping the story moving along. In the previous book it was a little slow in places, however the pace in this one is faster and there is more happening. It really keeps the interest of the reader up all the way through the book and its sometimes hard to put it down.

I feel as if this book is a slight improvement on the first but when I read it I remember thinking that there was so much more to come from this exciting new author.

If your into your fantasy fiction this series of books is really for you. It's something slightly different than what we are used to and that's no bad thing. It does everything a good fantasy book should and ticks all the right boxes.

Its important to have read the first book in the series before you read this one other wise you will find it complex and not understand much of the story. And when you have finished this one you should be eager to continue the story and get in the final book of the series.

I enjoyed this book and am sure you will to, go and give it a try and see what you think.

Summary: A good follow up to the first