Tough as it is to pick one author out of the vast multitude to call my favourite, Robin Hobb is such a fantastic storyteller that she most certainly is mine! This is the (amazing) first book in a series that I have read so many times all of my copies of the books are falling to bits. It follows Fitz, a royal bastard, from a young boy at the castle gates to royal assassin and wielder of the Wit and the Skill. Robin's books make me laugh, cry, get angry, tense, and stupidly happy. Never has an author so expertly pulled me into a story and played with my emotions, so that I almost feel I am a part of Fitz's world, and emerge, blinking, hours later, strangely bereft at having left his world. If you like your fantasy epic, or indeed any fantasy at all, please read this. You won't regret it.

This is so intricate and cleverly crafted - the worldbuilding and the writing is so rich, that I truly felt like I was right there alongside Fitz. I felt so intimidated by this book and the series as a whole - because of how long the series is and how big some of the books are. Despite how epic the scope is and the hints at the expansive worldbuilding we’re going to get as the series goes on, I still felt like this was so touching and lovely. I really loved the slow pace, and I intentionally really tried to take my time reading this because I wanted to feel the story exactly as Robin Hobb meant it. I adore Fitz and I just want to give him a hug; so much awful stuff happens to him and it’s so unfair, and I’m slightly terrified for the rest of the series. This was utterly brilliant and I’m so excited to continue my journey with the Realm of the Elderlings.

Really enjoyed this book I find it had to focus and read normally so I’m not the type to pick a book up and sit and read it in a few hours it takes me months this one however I found hard to put down the story just kept gripping me and I found myself saying just a few more lines which turned in to pages the story of fits kept me wanting more chade and burrich quickly became characters I liked along with verity and patience even the fool had an odd way of making me curious and then regal and galen had the whole bad guy thing that made you wanna not like them I love everything about the book and I’m now reading the second one and collecting the other books from the author

This is hands down the best series of books I have ever read. I read all 16 books back to back. I could not put them down.

Robin Hobb has to be one of the greatest fantasy authors of her time. Her characters are mulit-dimensional and fantastically easy for you to relate to. Hobb's intricately woven plots and beautiful descriptions will complete immerse you, making this book effortless to read. Follow FitzChivalry Farseer as he grows from a boy to a man in the vibrant town of Buckeep.