Book · 1995
Assassin's Apprentice
by Robin Hobb
A royal bastard trains as the king's poisoner and assassin, and readers fifteen books later still call the ending emotionally devastating.
What does Reddit think of Assassin's Apprentice?
Over 10,000 of the 15,684 recognized mentions sit in r/Fantasy alone, and its top comment (↑1652) doesn't hedge: fantastic prose, the best-written characters the poster has read, you will be emotionally destroyed and the destination is worth it. That's the median tone here. But r/Fantasy also carries the pushback (↑680), someone protesting that Farseer's protagonist murders a few people yet still doesn't feel like an assassin, a genre-label complaint the thread never resolves. Reddit treats this less as a single novel than as an entry point into something enormous. The beginners-versus-veterans list (↑615) files it under veterans, alongside The Black Company and Discworld, not the starter shelf. An r/suggestmeabook reply (↑675) tells readers to check the free sample before buying, which is not exactly a ringing endorsement of accessibility. It even turns up in the same r/Fantasy thread ranking the longest works in SFF by word count (↑995). Memes about the premise (↑542) suggest the fandom is in on the joke too.
Community feedback & reader fit
Themes
- · A palace bastard trained as a covert assassin
- · Prose and character work praised well past the first book
- · Series length as its own topic of discussion
- · Where it sits on beginner-versus-veteran fantasy lists
Common praise
- + The top r/Fantasy recommendation (↑1652) calls the prose and character work the best the poster has read, no qualifiers attached.
- + It gets filed onto 'veteran' fantasy lists next to The Black Company and Discworld (↑615), not the beginner shelf.
- + Fans keep turning the premise into memes (↑542) instead of getting tired of re-explaining it.
Common criticism
- − One r/Fantasy commenter says the assassin framing doesn't land, murders aside it 'doesn't feel like an assassin' (↑680).
- − An r/suggestmeabook reply (↑675) tells you to read the free preview first, before committing money to it.
- − It keeps surfacing in word-count-ranking threads (↑995), a sign the sheer length is part of the conversation whether you asked or not.
Who it's for
Commit here if 'emotionally destroyed but worth it' (↑1652) sounds like a feature, not a warning label. Veteran fantasy readers get pointed toward this ahead of newcomers, r/Fantasy's own tier list (↑615) puts it next to The Black Company, not Mistborn. If the word 'assassin' in the premise matters to you literally, know that at least one reader on r/Fantasy didn't think the label fit the character (↑680). And if you tend to bail on long series three books in, read the sample first, that's what one r/suggestmeabook commenter suggests (↑675) before you're committed to something this size.
Mentions over time
Top subreddits
- r/Fantasy 10,234
- r/suggestmeabook 3,472
- r/booksuggestions 1,702
- r/printSF 143
- r/YAlit 86
- r/RomanceBooks 34
- r/horrorlit 8
- r/TrueLit 6
Which Reddit comments matter for Assassin's Apprentice?
The most relevant excerpts across the subreddits where this book is mentioned — opinionated, argued takes first, then top-upvoted mentions. Click through to read the full thread.
“I am sorry to do this to you but it is exactly what you've asked for. Fantastic prose, the best written characters I've ever read and incredible character arcs. The Realm of the Elderlings by Robin Hobb. You will be emotionally destroyed but the journey (and the destination) is worth it. Amazing…
“I really know what you mean! I have the same problem. Farseer that has been mentioned here for example. Yes he murders a few people. But it really doesn‘t feel like an assassin.
“Just... be sure to read the free preview before committing to a purchase please. The New Wine by Matthew Douglas Pinard Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb
“Standard disclaimer, read whatever you like, etc etc etc. Here are my suggestions: Beginners: * Mistborn * Howl's Moving Castle * The Hobbit Veterans: * The Black Company (ideally the first three at minimum) * Any discworld book * Assassin's Apprentice (and the rest of the series too maybe)…
“Realm of the Elderlings my friend. You are looking for the works of Robin Hobb.
“Farseer Trilogy by Robin Hobb
“> Progression fantasy of a nobody rising to prominence and skill/power. Oh boy. I can see how that would lead to misaligned expectations. Farseer isn't a progression fantasy. It's about the empathy and emotional trauma of watching a deeply damaged child be failed by every single adult in his life a…
“> What I do know is what matters most to me: characters Read Robin Hobb, start with Farseer Trilogy.
“The Farseer Trilogy is probably the best example of what you're looking for.
“I feel like farseer is the least assassin-y assassin book I’ve ever read besides maybe throne of glass lol
“I feel like a lot of people aren't reading the post beyond the title and just mentioning a series they hate or otherwise do not want other people to read. I'd strongly recommend against reading the Farseer series since the MCs self doubt and angst is one of the most important aspects of it.
“By God, this is Robin Hobb's music! Seriously, if you want to see decent people making plausible mistakes and going through an awful lot as a result of that, **Realm of the Elderlings** might right up your alley. Of course, sometimes she goes too far and the mistakes start looking like plot induced…
“Try Realm of the Elderlings by Robin Hobb. Sixteen books long, divided into five smaller series. Dragons, very realistic characters, strong female characters. Might not tick/avoid all your points, but many of them.
“For me, Robin Hobb's Realm of the Elderlings has a very realistic world. The various cultures and locations are super fleshed out and feel lived in. I really enjoyed that series. Nothing has hit the same since.
“The Farseer trilogy. To me it’s too sad and Fitz is too unhappy for me to enjoy the books. I’ve stopped reading halfway through the second book twice, the second time was because I realized the book was affecting my mood in the rest of my life, I just felt blue while reading it and I low-key dreaded…
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Readers also mention
All books like Assassin's Apprentice →Books that share discussion threads with Assassin's Apprentice — counted from the comments, not curated.
Guides featuring Assassin's Apprentice
Ranked best-of lists and editorial guides where this book's tracked mentions place it.
Assassin's Apprentice — frequently asked
Is Realm of the Elderlings worth the time commitment, according to Reddit?+
Mostly yes, with a caveat. The top-voted r/Fantasy take (↑1652) is unambiguous: best prose and characters the poster has encountered, you'll be emotionally destroyed and it's worth it anyway. But an r/suggestmeabook reply (↑675) tells prospective readers to check the free sample before buying, which reads less like enthusiasm and more like managing expectations for something long.
Does Assassin's Apprentice actually feel like a book about an assassin?+
Not to everyone. One r/Fantasy commenter (↑680) says outright that despite the character killing people, the book 'really doesn't feel like an assassin' story, and the thread doesn't push back on that read. So the premise and the felt genre may not match what the title promises.
Is Realm of the Elderlings a good starting point for new fantasy readers?+
Not according to the r/Fantasy beginners-versus-veterans breakdown (↑615), which slots it firmly into the veteran tier alongside The Black Company and full Discworld, while Mistborn and The Hobbit get the beginner recommendation instead. Reddit's own sorting suggests newer fantasy readers start elsewhere first.
Why do people compare Realm of the Elderlings to the longest books in SFF?+
Because the series is enormous, and it surfaces in an r/Fantasy thread (↑995) built specifically to rank the longest works in the genre by word count, alongside oddities like Varney the Vampire and Atlas Shrugged. The comparison is about scale, not quality, but it signals what a full read-through actually requires.