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  • Assassin’s Apprentice

  • The Farseer Trilogy, Book 1
  • By: Robin Hobb
  • Narrated by: Paul Boehmer
  • Length: 17 hrs and 18 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (1,648 ratings)

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Assassin’s Apprentice

By: Robin Hobb
Narrated by: Paul Boehmer
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Publisher's Summary

The first volume in Robin Hobb’s internationally bestselling Farseer series.

In a faraway land where members of the royal family are named for the virtues they embody, one young boy will become a walking enigma.

Born on the wrong side of the sheets, Fitz, son of Chivalry Farseer, is a royal bastard cast out into the world, friendless and lonely. Only his magical link with animals - the old art known as the Wit - gives him solace and companionship. But the Wit, if used too often, is a perilous magic, and one abhorred by the nobility.

So when Fitz is finally adopted into the royal household, he must give up his old ways and embrace a new life of weaponry, scribing, courtly manners; and how to kill a man secretly, as he trains to become a royal assassin.

©2012 Robin Hobb (P)2012 HarperCollins Publishers Limited

Critic Reviews

“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)

“In today’s crowded fantasy market Robin Hobb’s books are like diamonds in a sea of zircons” (George R. R. Martin)

What listeners say about Assassin’s Apprentice

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Embark on a journey of adventure, magic and fate!

Set aside plenty of free time because once you tuck in your headphones you won't be able to put them down! This engaging story is narrated exceptionally well by Paul Boehmer who gives voice to the personality behind each character.

Follow the journey of a young boy from the moment he is abandoned by his mother and discovered to be the bastard son of the heir to the Farseer throne. The shame upon learning of his bastard causes King in Waiting Chivalry to abdicate and flee the castle. Now abandoned by both his parents, the boy, referred to simply as the Fitz, struggles to find his place in the world.

By virtue of his royal bloodline Fitz has inherited not only the royal Skill magic but also the hated and feared animal magic called the Wit. Perils abound from both his magics as discovery of the Wit could mean execution while the addictive nature and the brutal teaching of the Skill can hold death in their own right.

All the while Fitz trains in the skills of an assassin in order to become a useful tool to his grandfather, the King. He becomes tied up in many perilous situations from attacks by mindless Forged ones, devoid of all emotion and soul, to the machinations of his uncle Prince Regal.

If you are after a brief adventure with a simple plot line this isn't the book for you. This story is delicious in its detail, drawing you into every situation and moment until you become a part of the narrative.

Should you fall as much in love with this story as I have, don't fear! This book is the first in a brilliant trilogy which is followed by several other trilogies detailing further escapades of the characters that you come to know and love. You will be enmeshed in this world for months.

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26 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

chasing the mic

Would you try another book written by Robin Hobb or narrated by Paul Boehmer?

im going to try to persevere listening to find out

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

strapped the mic to the narrator

Who might you have cast as narrator instead of Paul Boehmer?

anybody who can speak consistently into the microphone. this performance makes me imagine a guy pacing around the room orating turning unpredictably here and there whilst a little sweaty man runs around after him struggling to keep the mic in front of his face

Any additional comments?

ill keep listening maybe he will get tired and sit down and the sound will level out

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24 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Worst narrator ever!

I really, really wanted to hear this book. But the narrator is terrible. The accent is pretentious and intrudes on all attempts at character voices.

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9 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great Story and Great Narrator

I had read this book several years ago and have always loved it. I find it an amazing story to listen to and you can get so lost in the world. The narrator is also very good. He has a great tone and brings emotion to the words that is just amazing.

Not an issue with the audiobooks but rather with the book itself is that the chapters are very long (around an hour long) so it can be difficult if you like to only listen to the end of the chapter.

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9 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Too slow for me

I spent the whole book waiting for something to happen. I recommend this book to people who don't like fast paced action books.

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5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

The narrator keeps.pausing mid sentence

The narrator is driving me bonkers. He keeps pausing every 3-4 words. Gah. I don't think I can keep listening.

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

a a a a a

w a s d e d d f t t e d f g g

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Bad narrator in my opinion. Just so boring.

The narrator just had no personality. Made it hard to get into the book. Might get the papperback

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Enthralling

This book starts slow and then feeds you bits of information slowly. Before you know it you are hooked on the boy's story. Incredible.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
  • Joe
  • 12-05-2017

ok story. mid tier voice acting.

The novel itself is quite pleasant, if a little simply written and lacking in some ways. Its appropriate for teenage audiences but lacks the incredible writing of the stormlight archives and such. what more let this novel down though was the voice acting which I found to be alright a lot of the time but the airyness of his voice and often softly spoken tone didnt accurately reflect the scene at all and often took away from the experience

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2 people found this helpful

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