Farseer trilogy
Epic fantasy trilogy following an illegitimate prince trained as an assassin.
The Farseer trilogy is a fantasy series written by American author Robin Hobb, released between 1995 and 1997. Critics often classify it as epic fantasy with a strong focus on character development and internal reflection. The story takes place in and around the fictional Six Duchies and follows FitzChivalry Farseer, the illegitimate son of a prince who receives training as an assassin. Political scheming within the royal family endangers his life, while the kingdom suffers from naval raids. Fitz has two types of magic: the Skill, a telepathic ability inherited by the royal bloodline, and the Wit, a power that allows him to bond with animals but is socially condemned. The narrative traces his efforts to bring stability back to the kingdom. The trilogy draws on motifs from Arthurian legend and is framed as a quest, but it centers on a character who, because of his birth, cannot become king and undertakes the quest without the reward of the throne. The story is told in first-person retrospective. Through the Wit—which Fitz uses to bond with the wolf Nighteyes—Hobb explores themes of otherness and ecology. Society’s prejudice against this magic forces Fitz to hide his abilities, facing persecution and shame, a situation scholars interpret as an allegory for queerness. Hobb also addresses queer themes through the Fool, the court jester whose gender is ambiguous, and his relationship with Fitz. This trilogy was Margaret Astrid Lindholm Ogden’s first work under the pen name Robin Hobb and achieved both critical and commercial success. Hobb earned particular praise for her portrayal of Fitz: the *Los Angeles Review of Books* noted the story offered “complete immersion in Fitz's complicated personality,” and novelist Steven Erikson described the first-person narrative as a “quiet seduction.” The Farseer trilogy is the first of five series set in the Realm of the Elderlings, followed by the Liveship Traders trilogy, the Tawny Man trilogy, the Rain Wild Chronicles, and the Fitz and the Fool trilogy, which concluded the series in 2017.
Quick Facts
- Italic Title
- no
- Books
- Assassin's Apprentice / Royal Assassin / Assassin's Quest
- Author
- Robin Hobb
- Cover Artist
- John Howe, Michael Whelan, Stephen Youll
- Country
- United Kingdom, United States
- Language
- English
- Genre
- Fantasy
- Publisher
- Spectra, Voyager
- Pub Date
- 1995–1997
- Number Of Books
- 3
- Followed By
- Liveship Traders
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The Farseer trilogy was Margaret Astrid Lindholm Ogden's first work under the pen name Robin Hobb. She adopted the pseudonym to brand her new style of epic fantasy and to free herself from reader expectations of her earlier work under the name Megan Lindholm. The name Robin Hobb was intentionally androgynous, chosen to match the first-person male narrative voice of the Fitz novels. Hobb publicly acknowledged her real name and the pseudonym connection in interviews and at conventions as early as 1996, rather than concealing her identity for years after publication.
The trilogy comprises Assassin's Apprentice (1995), Royal Assassin (1996), and Assassin's Quest (1997). The first book was initially titled Chivalry's Bastard. Hobb conceived Fitz's narrative as a trilogy, feeling his story was too complex for a single book. The relationship between Fitz and the wolf Nighteyes was inspired by a half-wolf named Bruno that lived with Hobb's family in Alaska in the 1970s. The enigmatic Fool was initially not a major part of the series outline but grew into a major character as Hobb wrote.
The setting of the Six Duchies resembles the US state of Alaska and the P
Reader's Guide
The Farseer trilogy met with critical and commercial success, establishing Robin Hobb as a major voice in epic fantasy. Hobb received particular praise for her characterization of Fitz: the Los Angeles Review of Books wrote that the story offered 'complete immersion in Fitz's complicated personality', and novelist Steven Erikson described its first-person narrative as a 'quiet seduction'. The trilogy is the first of five series set in the Realm of the Elderlings, followed by the Liveship Traders trilogy, the Tawny Man trilogy, the Rain Wild chronicles, and the Fitz and the Fool trilogy, which concluded in 2017. The series is noted for its introspective, character-driven approach and its exploration of queer themes through the Fool, an ambiguously gendered court jester, and through the closeted life of Fitz as a Wit user. Its motifs draw from Arthurian legend, and it focuses on a stereotypically minor character—Fitz, barred by birth from becoming king—who embraces a quest without the reward of the throne.
Did You Know?
- The relationship between Fitz and the wolf Nighteyes was inspired by a half-wolf called Bruno that moved into Hobb's Alaskan home in the 1950s.
- The first book was initially titled Chivalry's Bastard before becoming Assassin's Apprentice.
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