Book description
The triumphant conclusion to our three thrilling fantasy series, from
the author of the bestselling Farseer and Liveship traders trilogies.
The moving end to the tale of the Farseers, in which kingdoms must
stand or fall on the beat of a dragon's wings, or a Fool's heart.
A small and sadly untried coterie - the old assassin Chade, the
serving-boy Thick, Prince Dutiful, and his reluctant Skillmaster, Fitz -
sail towards the distant island of Aslevjal. There they must fulfil the
Narcheska's challenge to her betrothed: to lay the head of the dragon
Icefyre, whom legends tell is buried there deep beneath the ice, upon
her hearth. Only with the completion of this quest can the marriage
proceed, and the resulting alliance signal an end to war between the two kingdoms.
It is not a happy ship: tensions between the folk of the Six Duchies
and their traditional enemies, the Outislanders, lie just beneath the
surface. Thick is constantly ill, and his random but powerful Skilling
has taken on a dark and menacing tone, while Chade's fascination with
the Skill is growing to the point of obsession.
Having ensured that his beloved friend the Fool is safely left behind
in Buckkeep, Fitz is guilt-stricken; but he is determined to keep his
fate at bay, since prophecy foretells the Fool's death if he ever sets
foot on the isle of the black dragon. But as their ship draws in towards
Aslevjal a lone figure awaits them… 'Hobb is one of the great modern
fantasy writers… what makes her novels as addictive as morphine is not
just their imaginative brilliance but the way her characters are
compromised and manipulated by politics.'
The Times
Assassin's Apprentice:
'A gleaming debut'
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Assassin's Quest:
'Assassin's Quest achieves a bittersweet, powerful complexity rare in
fantasy' LOCUS
'Robin Hobb writes achingly well'
SFX
Praise for The Liveship Traders series:
'Even better than the Assassin books. I didn't think that was possible'
George R R Martin
'Hobb is a remarkable storyteller.'
Guardian Robin Hobb was born in California in 1952 and majored in
Communications at Denver University, Colorado. Assassin's Apprentice was
her first novel, and was followed by the equally successful Royal
Assassin and Assassin's Quest. She lives outside Seattle, Washington.
