Royal Assassin
core novel 1996 Realm of the Elderlings
Record
| First published | 1996 |
|---|---|
| Original language |  EN |
| Work type | novel |
| Canon status | core |
| Reader rating | 4.30 (267,033 ratings, collected 2026-09-11) |
| Page count | 675 |
| First-edition ISBN | 9780553573411 |
Synopsis
Having survived a poisoning attempt at the close of the previous book, FitzChivalry returns to Buckkeep Castle, drawn back in part by fears for his love, the tradeswoman Molly. There he is pulled deeper into court intrigue as the aging King Shrewd suffers a mysterious wasting illness that leaves him increasingly unable to rule, Prince Verity struggles to defend the Six Duchies from worsening raids by the Red-Ship Raiders using his exhausting Skill magic, and the ambitious Prince Regal maneuvers ever more openly for power. Caught between loyalty to a crown that treats him as a disposable tool and his own growing convictions, Fitz must decide how far he will go to protect the people and the kingdom he serves.
Where it sits
- Universe: Realm of the Elderlings
- Series: Farseer Trilogy core; position 2 of 3 in the series' recorded order
- Author: Robin Hobb
Neighbouring works
Publication order and internal chronology are tracked as two separate orderings and are never conflated: a book's place in one says nothing about its place in the other.
- Publication order, within the series Farseer Trilogy: position 2 of 3: previous Assassin's Apprentice (1995) · next Assassin's Quest (1997)
Sources
← Realm of the Elderlings dossier · All universes
Part of the Library. Fields without an identified source are omitted, never guessed.