I love this series. I want to put that up front. It is outstanding, all three books. It is also heart wrenching. In this final installment of The Farseer Trilogy, the question is whether prophecies and destiny will be fulfilled, and if so, at what cost? FitzChivalry Farseer, bastard son of the man who was meant to be king but never would be, has been through horrifying, brutal, traumatic experiences. His maternal grandfather forced him from his mother and dumped him with his uncle at a remote military outpost when he was 6 years old. His childhood at Buckkeep palace was spent with both common folk and courtiers, under the tutelage of both his father’s former right-hand-man Burrich and King Shrewd’s assassin Chade. While recognized as having royal blood, Fitz would never ascend the throne due to his illegitimacy but the king recognized his value. Unfortunately, one of his uncles sees him as a threat. Fitz has been trained as the King’s assassin, possesses the Farseer magical ability called Skill (a kind of telepathy) as well as The Wit — another form of magic that allows one to bond with animals. The Wit is seen as a dirty, evil magic that should be punished with death. Fitz has kept the Wit a secret and has bonded with a wolf named Nighteyes; as a result, they can communicate with each other via thought and over distances. At the end of the previous book, Royal Assassin, Fitz and the kingdom were in peril. Prince Verity, the King in Waiting, who is a good and noble man, has gone to the land beyond the mountains to seek the aid of the legendary Elderlings in the fight against outside raiders. King Shrewd’s health is failing, and Verity’s wife Kettricken is pregnant. While Verity is away, Prince Regal (a nasty piece of work and Fitz’s enemy) works behind the scenes to undermine the King, Verity and anyone who stands between him and the throne. Fitz is at the top of that list, and at the end of Royal Assassin, Regal triumphs. He has captured Fitz, had him tortured and has left him for dead.
When Assassin’s Quest opens, Fitz has been rescued thanks to Burrich, Nighteyes and Chade. The world thinks he is dead, because he was. The story of how he manages to live is very clever, but what is even more moving is Hobb’s way of showing how Fitz has changed and what it is like for him to live as a man again. The teenager who was so angry and bold, a formidable fighter, is now suffering from PTSD. His memories of what happened to him are traumatic, as is the knowledge that most everyone in Buckkeep now knows of his Wit ability and believes his death was just. He is cut off from his great love Molly, who was angry with him before they parted ways and who was keeping a secret of her own. Fitz is weak both physically and mentally, and his memories and fear threaten to incapacitate him. His relationships with Burrich and Chade deteriorate, and he finally decides what he must do: first, he wants to kill Regal and second he wants to find Verity and help him. Verity has been able to reach out to him via the Skill and while one part of Fitz knows that helping Verity should be priority #1, his personal hatred of Regal wins out. Fitz and Nighteyes, begin the long journey inland to find Regal and Verity, and along the way there is high adventure, violence, and danger. Yet there is also growing maturity, the rediscovery of old friends and the forging of new friendships.
This is a long book, and I understand that some people feel that it plods along at times. That was not my experience. I loved all the adventures that Fitz and Nighteyes faced together. Fitz’s personal journey toward maturity and responsibility is well told. He becomes part of a band of people trying to find Verity and bring about the fulfillment of old prophecies. Everyone has an important role and everyone has something that acts as an impediment to their success. Throughout the books, much is made of “sacrifice.” The leaders of the Mountain folk never refer to themselves as kings or queens but rather as sacrifices for their people. The Farseer Trilogy is the story of the battle between selfishness and selflessness, and in such a story, some people will make painful sacrifices. I kind of knew from the beginning of this book that certain sacrifices that I definitely did NOT want to happen were probably going to happen. To her credit, Hobb makes those sacrifices meaningful. But I was still heartbroken.
Now that I have finished the trilogy, part of me wants to reread it and part of me is still sort of grieving. I believe Hobb has written a series of other novels set in the same world as The Farseer Trilogy and with some of my favorite characters. I still want to know what happens to them so I look forward to reading on.