What a wonderful read! I have had this one on my shelf for some time but finally picked it up. Fitz is the bastard son of a prince who doesn't remember his mother and doesn't know his father. His grandfather took him to the castle saying it was time his father took care of him. When his father learns of his existence he abdicates his right to the throne and lives a quiet life until someone assassinates him. Fitz's grandfather, the king, mandates that Fitz be adopted into the royal household to be educated as a royal son should be, bastard or no. The master of horse, Burrich, whose bond with Fitz's father is obligated to care for Fitz. His talent for going into the minds of animals makes him unacceptable to any who learn of it, especially Burrich. Encountering the younger princes, Fitz is resented by one and treated gently and respectfully by the other. When Fritz learns he is to be trained to be an assassin, he works hard to meet the expectations of his teacher and the king. Meanwhile the kingdom is threatened by raiders who kidnap residents and turn them into emotionless beings. The only defense the kingdom has is those who have a talent called skilling whereby they can influence the actions of others by entering their minds. The story is complex and fascinating and Fitz escapes death several times as he begins to understand the political impact of what he must do. This is the first of the Farseer trilogy written by Robin Hobb (Margaret Atwood). Next in the series is Royal Assassin.

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If you previously have ignored this book because it's classified as a young adult novel, stop! It is far superior to many adult fantasy novels, and I'm really not sure why this isn't stocked among them, unless its because there's no sex. (The word "catamite" is mentioned once, but I guess that isn't enough.) Even the writing is more sophisticated and challenging than many adult books (including "Mistborn"). The characters have depth, the plot is unpredictable and suspenseful, and the intermittent dark malice and cruelty should be enough to disturb most readers. There is a lot going on in this story and the author manages all elements of her tale very skillfully.

I finished the book last night and am picking up the sequel from the library today. Assuming the rest of the series is as good as the first book (and I have a hard time seeing how it couldn't be), Robin Hobb will join Joe Abercrombie, Greg Keyes and Scott Lynch as one of my favorite fantasy serialists.

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