Fair warning: I might’ve written an essay about this book because I loved it so much? I could’ve kept gushing but I tried for a bit of control, lol.

TL;DR: TL;DR: What if I said just read this (right now!) because every wonderful thing you have heard about it is incredibly true, as I have just experienced it for myself? Can I just leave my tl;dr at that? 😂 I’m really kind of tempted to because there’s nothing I can say about this book that other people haven’t already—after all, their words of praise is what convinced me to start reading it. The moment I picked this up I could already feel how this was the beginning of an epic journey. The more I immersed myself in this world and became invested in the characters’ lives, the more I wanted to stay in these pages because the storytelling is exceptional. This might not be a fast-paced read, but it is an action-packed, intense, and heartfelt journey, and I can’t wait to continue the series. I’ve found another new favourite!

Towards the end of 2025, I’d seen so many people on various social media platforms talking about this series that it felt like a universal push for me to start reading it, and I’m so glad that I listened! For me, the writing in this book is the kind that inspires obsession because it’s not only extremely well-written, but there’s such a comforting and welcoming quality to it that you can’t help but want to sink into the story and immerse yourself in this fantastical world. While this is far from fast-paced, it didn’t feel like a slog to get through because of how Hobb creates such a vast and richly detailed world to explore and characters whose stories you become completely invested in. This has a ‘slice-of-life’ quality to it because we experience the every day moments through the first-person perspective of our main character, Fitz.

As we go through the every day motions alongside him, we learn a great deal about the realm of the Elderings and the Six Duchies. Through Fitz’s writings and his own learnings as a young boy, we are guided through the history of the realm, from the establishment of the Six Duchies, the story of the “original settlers”—the Farseers from the outislands, lore about the Elderlings and tales of the magic we come to know as the Skill and Wit, and so much more. We experience court, palace, and town life in the kingdom’s capital, Buckkeep, but we also explore the complex political situation between the Six Duchies, and learn about the economy, trade, social and cultural customs, and religious practices worshipping Eda and El. There is a lot to take in but surprisingly, it’s not very difficult to understand or keep track of who’s who and what’s what because it’s woven so naturally into the storytelling, and there’s no information dumping at all.

There was a bit of a ‘surreal’ quality to the writing at the beginning—almost like a ‘foggy’ or ‘blurry’ quality in the narration that gradually shifted as Fitz grew, and I’m curious to see if or how that changes the more he experiences. I can already feel Fitz becoming one of my all-time favourite male characters because he is given such an incredible arc and already, the growth he experiences is just mind-blowing. I’m so glad that in this first book of the series, we get a very in-depth and personal recounting of his childhood and coming-of-age, and all of the horrors and wonders that entailed. I am so ready to throw down for Fitz because that young man deserves every bit of compassion and solidarity he can get!

While there is a certain ‘chosen one’ energy to him—because why else would we be following the bastard son of the former favourite king-in-waiting—his journey is far from easy and there are no “quick and easy wins” for him. He goes through incredibly traumatic and heartbreaking experiences and just when you think it can’t get any worse, it does. I loved his character so much because despite being treated like his life was worthless by the vast majority of people he’s surrounded by, he still radiates hope, appreciation for the good people and experiences, and he has an overall aura of goodness that makes it easy to root for and empathize with him. I honestly wished that I could’ve reached through the pages to comfort him with a hug, to tell him that he’s not alone, and that his life is worth so much! What Fitz experiences through the hands of The Scum of Buckkeep™️ was beyond infuriating! 😤 Seriously, I ran out of words to describe the boiling hatred, loathing, and absolute fury I felt towards characters like Regal, Galen, and their lackeys who chose to bully, harm, and try to unalive a child for no other reason than his existence. *deep breath* I’m not one for violence (mostly), but any suffering they endured wasn’t nearly enough! 🤭

There were thankfully more tolerable and even loveable secondary characters who also become part of Fitz’s story. A character who I respect but have a serious love-hate relationship with is Burrich. He’ll do something that’s so kind one moment and then completely turn the next only to really hurt Fitz and it frustrated me so much! I understood why he did what he did, but at the same time, I wanted to shake him to be kinder. 😂 Characters who surprisingly grew on me were Verity and the Fool—I didn’t think that I’d come to appreciate them so much and neither did I think I’d be so curious about them, but I really hope we get to see and learn more about them as the series continues. There are definitely a whole bunch of other characters I won’t mention due to spoilers, but I mostly liked them too! Other than the people, animals were also a huge part of the story, especially dogs! I both loved and hated that for reasons that I will not spoil but yeah, there were some great happy and heartbreaking moments experienced with these furry companions. However, I would check the content warnings before diving in!

Overall, let’s just say that one book in and I feel like I’ve already found a new favourite fantasy series. I completely understand why this is so well-loved and how these books feel like a staple of the genre. There’s really something in the quality of Hobb’s writing and characters that make this feel extra special and standout in a sea of plenty. I honestly just want to gorge on this world and characters because it’s so compelling and I don’t want to stop devouring these pages! I’m so glad that not only do I have two more books in this trilogy, but so many more to explore in the entire Realm of the Elderlings.

Have you read Assassin’s Apprentice or is it on your TBR?

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