Free (Kindle UK) Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb [Epic High Fantasy]

[ATDrake]

Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb (ISFDB, Wikipedia) is the 1st novel in her Farseer Trilogy which kicks off the epic high fantasy world known as the Realm of the Elderlings, free courtesy of publisher HarperCollins' Harper Voyager imprint.

This is technically a repeat freebie, as once upon a time this was an offering from Random House's Del Rey imprint. But that was 5 years ago, the Suduvu Free Library is sadly no more, and an entirely different publisher holds the rights to this in the UK and has never given it out before IIRC, so I'm going to consider this as a new freebie for the purposes of the daily thread-count unless something really compelling pops up in the next few hours.

Also, not that a book which begins a series this popular needs the additional boost, but this was a multiple Best Novel nominee for the Locus, Compton Crook, and August Derleth Fantasy Awards when it first came out, according to ISFDB. And we've also previously been given another book in a different trilogy in this universe which you may have in your archives if you've been on MR a while (and were willing to circumvent geo-restrictions): Dragon Keeper

(ETA: there's a BookD podcast where Hobbs talks about DK, available via Audible & another one where she talks about the overall Assassin books @ iTunes, if you're interested.)

Currently free @ Amazon UK. Will probably also drop after a day or two @ B&N UK, & Kobo (most likely only available to the UK), if the pattern established by recent HarperCollins UK freebies hold.

(ETA: This is actually being price-matched to an Apple promotion, and thus free @ iTunes UK.)

This one won't be crossing the pond, as Random House holds the rights to most versions of it outside the UK, as far as I can tell.

And this has been the 3rd selected (non-repeat, kind of) free ebook thread of the day.

Because it's really nice to get epic series-starting fantasy novels, even if we're kind of doing it again over the course of half a decade and a continent away.

Enjoy!

Description
The kingdom of the Six Duchies is on the brink of civil war when news breaks that the crown prince has fathered a bastard son and is shamed into abdication. The child’s name is Fitz, and his is despised.

Raised in the castle stables, only the company of the king’s fool, the ragged children of the lower city and his unusual affinity with animals provide Fitz with any comfort. To be useful to the crown, Fitz is trained as an assassin; and to use the traditional magic of the Farseer family.

But his tutor, allied to another political faction, is determined to discredit, even kill him. Fitz must survive: for he may be destined to save the kingdom.

[DrNefario]

I'm pretty surprised to see this free, the normal pattern for the big pubs is to go to £1.99, but I won't argue. It will free up another inch or two of shelf space. Thanks.

[scottken]

That's a great book to get for free. A wonderful read

[badgoodDeb]

Yes. Get it. You will then be obliged to get at least the next 2 in the series (and you will be glad of this). I didn't move into the other related serieses, but I did adore this one!

[ATDrake]

Turns out this is free not because it's a regular HarperCollins multi-store promotion, but because it's being price-matched to a special iTunes store promotion.

Free @ iTunes UK.