Royal Assassin... any good as a stand alone book? - Page 2

lilac_jive · 02-06-2009, 10:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Over

Lol, no thank you. I believe in your word:

Ahh yes, that was mine

This book brought out the snark in quite a few reviewers.

llasram · 02-06-2009, 10:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

It's a series that I very much enjoyed myself. I'd certainly recommend it - it's a very good story, and that (for me) is the most important aspect of any book.

Indeed. I thought the ending was a touch weak, but that the second book in particular was exceptional. My answer to the OP is definitely to go back to book 2 -- some parts are spoiled because you know what happens at the end, but I don't think that should detract too significantly.

Laz116 · 02-06-2009, 10:46 AM

I thank the Coterie for its well placed advice... I have now started reading Royal Assassin.

In regards to the discussion about the trilogy being overly descriptive, I think it's a somewhat valid point. The series is definitely not as fast paced as some other fantasy books. The positive aspect of that is that the characters are quite well developed.

And I do think it would be a shame to dismiss the trilogy on behalf of the few first pages. It's a kind of a prologue and therefore not much is going on. I kind of find the trilogy mixing between longer passages of character development and shorter bursts of furious action. I think that works quite well. But if you're an action junkie then the trilogy is probably not for you. Go read some David Eddings instead.

Edit: Could it be a dislike of the first person narrative, which often seems to take some of the pace out of literature, that make people find it too slow? I guess most fantasy books are written from a all knowing third person perspective.

Over · 02-06-2009, 10:52 AM

ONe thing is an overdescriptive book. Another one is a slow book. I don't mind to take time to know the characters and even some trivia... If well done.

Peter Hamilton's books are BIG and many say BLOATED, but I loved it.

But I read a book by Ricardo Pinto (The Chosen) and I did have to struggle to finish it. So when lilac mentioned too much description in the book, my "The Chosen" flag went up.

Buy I already bought the first book in this trilogy, so I guess I'll give it a try. But I'll put it in the bottom of the pile.

wayspooled · 02-06-2009, 02:30 PM

Everyone has different tastes in writing styles.

I thought the whole trilogy was excellent and quite recommend it.

Amalthia · 02-06-2009, 02:45 PM

I personally loved Royal Assassin and to me it added a lot more depth to book 3 and is a great book. now for anyone that thinks Robin Hobb is "descriptive" obviously they had not tried reading Tad William's Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn trilogy. Loved those books but wow is there a lot of description...it really does put things in perspective. However, I will say lately many fantasy books feel kind of shallow? Not a lot of imagery or character development...though I'm sure there are a few out there that break the mold but I haven't found anything that's high fantasy on the level of the Farseer trilogy in ages.

lilac_jive · 02-06-2009, 02:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Amalthia

I personally loved Royal Assassin and to me it added a lot more depth to book 3 and is a great book. now for anyone that thinks Robin Hobb is "descriptive" obviously they had not tried reading Tad William's Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn trilogy. Loved those books but wow is there a lot of description...it really does put things in perspective. However, I will say lately many fantasy books feel kind of shallow? Not a lot of imagery or character development...though I'm sure there are a few out there that break the mold but I haven't found anything that's high fantasy on the level of the Farseer trilogy in ages.

I'm not trying to dissuade anyone from reading the books, I kinda wanted to see if anyone agreed or if I was just being a baby

Heck, I read George RR Martin. If I can read that...

pippin65 · 02-07-2009, 08:49 PM

The Assassin series was thoroughly engrossing. And as a treat, the Tawny man series is a continuation of the Farseer (assassin series) Six books worth every penny if you ask me. Robin Hobb's Soldier Son series is also wonderful. Her Liveship Traders series is good. I have recently read Patrick Rothfuss' The Name of the Wind: The Kingkiller Chronicle: Day One and eagerly await its sequel. One of the problems with serialized Fantasy is the WAIT between books! ughhh... That said, I hope all of you fantasy fans have read GRRM's books --- a veritable feast for fantasy fans. Tyrion is one of my favorite characters of all time.

lilac_jive · 02-07-2009, 09:21 PM

On a kind of side note, I haven't read fantasy in a while (used to read it all of the time) but I'm going to make two purchases soon. Trudi Canavan has a new series coming out (based years before her first series). It's coming out in hardcover this month. Wee! And also a Karen Miller book will be $1 for the orbit promo in March. I read her Innocent Mage books, they were stellar.

And now I just remembered that I have the third Kristen Britain book languishing in my closet. I need to read that!

Idoine · 02-09-2009, 08:44 PM

English is not my mother language, but I really loved the Farseer Trilogy, and the Tawny Man Trilogy as well ! Didn't finish the Liveship Traders one, maybe because the characters aren't the same...

The descriptions didn't bother me at all, I need to read them another time with that point of view in mind, to see...

Another trilogy is really great for me, the Quickening from Fiona McIntosh (Myrren's Gift, Blood and Memory, and Bridge of Souls).
And another one, the Second Sons trilogy from Jennifer Fallon (The Lion of Senet, Eye of the Labyrinth, and Lord of the Shadows) : I was a little wary in the begin of my reading, as I usually don't stick at books where high politic is involved (except for Farseer, but there Magic is dominating ...

), and so I spent many near-to-sleepness nights with these books !

... As a matter of fact, it seems these trilogies were the ones that prevented me the more to sleep, you know, when you decide to stop, turn off the light, and after some toss and turn, switch on the light and continue the reading !

PS : All these books are paperback (1rst buy), I like book as object, and when I have an ebook I love, I usually buy it on paperback !

S.Canton · 02-09-2009, 11:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wayspooled

Everyone has different tastes in writing styles.

I thought the whole trilogy was excellent and quite recommend it.

Agreed, I was pretty happy with it as well, as were a few of my friends who picked the books up after I did.

volwrath · 02-12-2009, 10:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pippin65

The Assassin series was thoroughly engrossing. And as a treat, the Tawny man series is a continuation of the Farseer (assassin series) Six books worth every penny if you ask me. Robin Hobb's Soldier Son series is also wonderful. Her Liveship Traders series is good. I have recently read Patrick Rothfuss' The Name of the Wind: The Kingkiller Chronicle: Day One and eagerly await its sequel. One of the problems with serialized Fantasy is the WAIT between books! ughhh... That said, I hope all of you fantasy fans have read GRRM's books --- a veritable feast for fantasy fans. Tyrion is one of my favorite characters of all time.

Read Liveship Traders before Tawny Man too

I also love GRRM, but can't stand the waiting for A Dance of Dragons! GRRM is the king of character development and descriptions

deety · 02-13-2009, 01:43 AM

I loved Hobb's Fitz books and the Liveship series, and I also liked the books that she wrote as Megan Lindholm (at least the ones that I've managed to find).

But I was really disappointed with the Soldier Son trilogy. Some aspects of the first one were really great, especially the main character's interactions with the other students. But I wasn't too crazy about the end of the first book and the whole thing went downhill from there. The second book ripped away almost every single thing I liked about the first one, some of the characters seemed like entirely different people, and most of them became completely unlikeable. It didn't help that there were a lot of really interesting hooks from the first book that were completely abandoned.

I've read some reviews that thought the Fitz books were too bleak. But even when things were at their worst, there were always a few moments of lightness and motivation to keep him going. The reader understood Fitz's sacrifices and the reasons behind them. The second Soldier Son book seemed to have none of that sense of hope or purpose, and it took the plot in a direction that I hated. Maybe the third book ended the series on a high note, but I didn't bother finding out because I was sick of the character.

I think her next book is supposed to be out in the summer, and it's a standalone set in the Rain Wilds (from the Liveship books). Hopefully things will lighten up just a bit in that one.

02-06-2009, 10:46 AM	#18
Laz116 Guru Posts: 640 Karma: 12129 Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Denmark Device: Sony PRS-700	I thank the Coterie for its well placed advice... I have now started reading Royal Assassin. In regards to the discussion about the trilogy being overly descriptive, I think it's a somewhat valid point. The series is definitely not as fast paced as some other fantasy books. The positive aspect of that is that the characters are quite well developed. And I do think it would be a shame to dismiss the trilogy on behalf of the few first pages. It's a kind of a prologue and therefore not much is going on. I kind of find the trilogy mixing between longer passages of character development and shorter bursts of furious action. I think that works quite well. But if you're an action junkie then the trilogy is probably not for you. Go read some David Eddings instead. Edit: Could it be a dislike of the first person narrative, which often seems to take some of the pace out of literature, that make people find it too slow? I guess most fantasy books are written from a all knowing third person perspective. Last edited by Laz116; 02-06-2009 at 10:51 AM.

02-09-2009, 08:44 PM	#25
Idoine Which book will be next ? Posts: 661 Karma: 2172 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: France Device: Cybook Gen3 1.5, Sony PRS 600 RC, Samsung Omnia...	English is not my mother language, but I really loved the Farseer Trilogy, and the Tawny Man Trilogy as well ! Didn't finish the Liveship Traders one, maybe because the characters aren't the same... The descriptions didn't bother me at all, I need to read them another time with that point of view in mind, to see... Another trilogy is really great for me, the Quickening from Fiona McIntosh (Myrren's Gift, Blood and Memory, and Bridge of Souls). And another one, the Second Sons trilogy from Jennifer Fallon (The Lion of Senet, Eye of the Labyrinth, and Lord of the Shadows) : I was a little wary in the begin of my reading, as I usually don't stick at books where high politic is involved (except for Farseer, but there Magic is dominating ...), and so I spent many near-to-sleepness nights with these books ! ... As a matter of fact, it seems these trilogies were the ones that prevented me the more to sleep, you know, when you decide to stop, turn off the light, and after some toss and turn, switch on the light and continue the reading ! PS : All these books are paperback (1rst buy), I like book as object, and when I have an ebook I love, I usually buy it on paperback ! Last edited by Idoine; 02-09-2009 at 09:17 PM. Reason: For PS !

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Royal Assassin as EPUB anywhere?	jbjb	Reading Recommendations	3	02-26-2010 05:58 PM
The Assassin--$1.99	Rye James	Deals and Resources (No Self-Promotion or Affiliate Links)	2	01-09-2010 06:24 PM
Poll: Do you use a book stand?	HarryT	Sony Reader	34	05-16-2008 11:50 AM
Mystery and Crime Souvestre, Emile: FANTOMAS-A Royal Prisoner [#5], v1, 02 April 2008.	Dr. Drib	BBeB/LRF Books (offline)	0	04-02-2008 09:24 PM
Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Mystery	Domokos	Reading Recommendations	0	01-29-2006 09:34 PM

02-06-2009, 10:52 AM	#19
Over Wizard Posts: 1,462 Karma: 6061516 Join Date: May 2008 Location: Cascais, Portugal Device: Kindle PW, Samsung Galaxy Note Pro 12.2", OnePlus 6	ONe thing is an overdescriptive book. Another one is a slow book. I don't mind to take time to know the characters and even some trivia... If well done. Peter Hamilton's books are BIG and many say BLOATED, but I loved it. But I read a book by Ricardo Pinto (The Chosen) and I did have to struggle to finish it. So when lilac mentioned too much description in the book, my "The Chosen" flag went up. Buy I already bought the first book in this trilogy, so I guess I'll give it a try. But I'll put it in the bottom of the pile.

02-06-2009, 02:30 PM	#20
wayspooled Crab In The Dark Posts: 486 Karma: 2328180 Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Virginia Device: Tablet PC until a 10" comes out that I like	Everyone has different tastes in writing styles. I thought the whole trilogy was excellent and quite recommend it.

02-06-2009, 02:45 PM	#21
Amalthia Wizard Posts: 1,158 Karma: 32196 Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Anchorage, AK Device: Sony Reader PRS-505, PRS-650, PRS-T3, Pocketbook HD2	I personally loved Royal Assassin and to me it added a lot more depth to book 3 and is a great book. now for anyone that thinks Robin Hobb is "descriptive" obviously they had not tried reading Tad William's Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn trilogy. Loved those books but wow is there a lot of description...it really does put things in perspective. However, I will say lately many fantasy books feel kind of shallow? Not a lot of imagery or character development...though I'm sure there are a few out there that break the mold but I haven't found anything that's high fantasy on the level of the Farseer trilogy in ages.

02-07-2009, 08:49 PM	#23
pippin65 Enthusiast Posts: 47 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Fl Device: Kindle2	The Assassin series was thoroughly engrossing. And as a treat, the Tawny man series is a continuation of the Farseer (assassin series) Six books worth every penny if you ask me. Robin Hobb's Soldier Son series is also wonderful. Her Liveship Traders series is good. I have recently read Patrick Rothfuss' The Name of the Wind: The Kingkiller Chronicle: Day One and eagerly await its sequel. One of the problems with serialized Fantasy is the WAIT between books! ughhh... That said, I hope all of you fantasy fans have read GRRM's books --- a veritable feast for fantasy fans. Tyrion is one of my favorite characters of all time.

02-07-2009, 09:21 PM	#24
lilac_jive Grand Sorcerer Posts: 5,870 Karma: 27376 Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Pennsylvania Device: PRS-505	On a kind of side note, I haven't read fantasy in a while (used to read it all of the time) but I'm going to make two purchases soon. Trudi Canavan has a new series coming out (based years before her first series). It's coming out in hardcover this month. Wee! And also a Karen Miller book will be $1 for the orbit promo in March. I read her Innocent Mage books, they were stellar. And now I just remembered that I have the third Kristen Britain book languishing in my closet. I need to read that!

02-13-2009, 01:43 AM	#28
deety book geek Posts: 51 Karma: 10 Join Date: Oct 2008 Device: Kindle 2	I loved Hobb's Fitz books and the Liveship series, and I also liked the books that she wrote as Megan Lindholm (at least the ones that I've managed to find). But I was really disappointed with the Soldier Son trilogy. Some aspects of the first one were really great, especially the main character's interactions with the other students. But I wasn't too crazy about the end of the first book and the whole thing went downhill from there. The second book ripped away almost every single thing I liked about the first one, some of the characters seemed like entirely different people, and most of them became completely unlikeable. It didn't help that there were a lot of really interesting hooks from the first book that were completely abandoned. I've read some reviews that thought the Fitz books were too bleak. But even when things were at their worst, there were always a few moments of lightness and motivation to keep him going. The reader understood Fitz's sacrifices and the reasons behind them. The second Soldier Son book seemed to have none of that sense of hope or purpose, and it took the plot in a direction that I hated. Maybe the third book ended the series on a high note, but I didn't bother finding out because I was sick of the character. I think her next book is supposed to be out in the summer, and it's a standalone set in the Rain Wilds (from the Liveship books). Hopefully things will lighten up just a bit in that one.

Advert

Advert