Assassin's Apprentice
UK first edition cover (Voyager)
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| Author | Robin Hobb |
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| Cover artist | John Howe |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Series | The Farseer Trilogy |
| Genre | Fantasy novel |
| Publisher | Voyager Books (UK) & Spectra (US) |
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Publication date
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1 April 1995 (US) |
| Media type | Print (Paperback & Hardback in the UK, Paperback in the US) |
| Pages | 400 pp (first edition, hardback) |
| ISBN | (first edition, hardback) |
| OCLC | 60223865 |
| Followed by | Royal Assassin |
Assassin's Apprentice is the first novel in Robin Hobb's Farseer Trilogy. It was Margaret Astrid Lindholm Ogden's first book under this pseudonym, and was published in 1995. The book was written under the working title Chivalry’s Bastard. The stories of characters found in the Farseer Trilogy continue in the Tawny Man Trilogy and the Fitz and the Fool Trilogy. Other series, The Liveship Traders and The Rain Wild Chronicles, are set in the same world and in the same timeframe, with some crossover.
The novel covers the early life of FitzChivalry, a royal bastard living in Buckkeep Castle as he begins his training as an assassin and successfully safeguards the throne from his over-ambitious uncle Regal, almost at the cost of his life.
The story opens with six years old Fitz being marched by his maternal Grandfather to the Farseer's army base in Moonseye, the Six Duchies' outpost on the borders of the Mountain kingdom, currently under the command of Prince Verity, the second Son of King Shrewd. At the door he is given to a soldier, who is told that he is King-in-Waiting Chivalry's bastard son. The soldier brings him to Prince Verity who orders that he be given into the care of Burrich, Chivalry's own stableman and man at arms. With Burrich, Fitz travels to Buckkeep, the seat of the Farseers. In order to protect Fitz by not allowing them to be associated through contact as well as through blood, his father Chivalry abdicates from the post of King-in-Waiting and with his wife the Lady Patience retires to the royal holdings of Withywoods before Fitz arrives. Fitz never recalls that he met Chivalry, but develops a bond with his father's brother, Verity. Chivalry and Verity's younger half-brother, Regal, despises Fitz and treats him badly when he can.
Burrich, his father's right-hand man is left with the care and raising of the newly named FitzChivalry, which he does as best he is able, taking Fitz on as a stable boy. Fitz quickly learns his duties and for a year or so lives with Burrich caring for the animals in the stables. Fitz, however, is lonely, and becomes a close friend of a young dog named Nosy. Fitz possesses what is known as "The Wit," an ancient and distrusted magic which allows him to bond telepathically with animals, he 'bonds' with Nosy and the two become fast friends. Burrich, however, discovers Fitz's bond and with apparent disgust takes Nosy away, thus breaking the bond. Fitz believes him to have killed the dog, and afterwards is much more fearful of Burrich, believing his life just as easy for Burrich to take. The only other companionship Fitz finds is with children living in Buckkeep town — in particular, a girl called Molly who is two years his senior.
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