Adventure. That is what comes to mind when you mention Robin Hobb. Her stories are chalk full of the very essence of fantasy—the journey of both world and self-discovery that is as fun as it is dangerous and scary.

One would be remiss to consider Robin Hobb as just an adventure writer, however. The characters in Assassin's Apprentice are so properly fleshed-out that they will become a permanent part of you . . . that goes for the horrible villains as well. The world they inhabit is as well-described as any, leaving you with the true sense that you have visited there after you are forced to put down the book and eat.

This is a series that should be read both by serious fans of the genre, and by those who just want to enjoy a fun book, with no real caveats.

Young Fitz is the bastard son of the noble Prince Chivalry, raised in the shadow of the royal court by his father?s gruff stableman. He is treated as an outcast by all the royalty except the devious King Shrewd, who has him secretly tutored in the arts of the assassin. For in Fitz?s blood runs the magic Skill—and the darker knowledge of a child raised with the stable hounds and rejected by his family.

As barbarous raiders ravage the coasts, Fitz is growing to manhood. Soon he will face his first dangerous, soul-shattering mission. And though some regard him as a threat to the throne, he may just be the key to the survival of the kingdom. More on Goodreads.