Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

“They’re the ones who’ll hate you / When you think you’ve got the world all sussed out”

Assassin's Apprentice (1995) by Robin Hobb

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He goes by ‘Boy’ for his first years, then ‘Fitz’ and ‘Bastard’, then FitzChivalry Farseer, illegitimate son of Chivalry Farseer, son of the enigmatic King Shrewd. This is for the Bingo Family square; Fitz has a family, a name, a legacy–but he never knew his own father, his grandfather buys his loyalty rather than offering him affection, and one of his uncles wants him humiliated at best and dead at worst. I read Robin Hobb’s Farseer trilogy when I was a teen with the time […]

Expansion of Serpent Lore

Mad Ship by Robin Hobb

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cbr17bingo: green  This book took me on an emotional ride that was worth every moment. We continue to spend time with the same characters as the first book—the Vestrit and Haven families, Kennit, and Brashen—plus one of the Rain Wilders and a Companion of the Satrap. We also get more time with Amber and Paragon, which I loved. The characters are adjusting to the new and evolving situations in which they find themselves. Malta remained intensely frustrating for a large chunk of the book, as […]

Are All of Robin Hobb’s Books a Masterclass in Writing?

Ship of Magic by Robin Hobb

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While I don’t mind multiple POV books, I generally prefer single POV. This book, though, masterfully demonstrates just how useful multiple POV can be. It was so different from the Farseer trilogy in which we’re always in Fitz’s head, and the emotions are unrelenting. In Ship of Magic, when you need a break from the drama with one character, there’s a different character whose drama you can jump into! It’s written in the 3rd person, but don’t expect that to spare you from the author’s toying with your […]

My 2025 Robin Hobb journey continues

Assassin's Quest by Robin Hobb

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This was my beach vacation read and I have to say I’m on the fence about it. That’s not to say that  I did not stay up way past bedtime to finish this (I did) or that I’m disenchanted with Hobb (not in the least).  I just felt that it wasn’t quite as strong as the second book and not as enchanting and well-paced as the Liveship Trilogy. A high bar, to be sure, but there we are. I have some notes! I will try […]

For Those Who Like Their Fantasy Slow and Emotional

Assassin's Quest by Robin Hobb

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This was an excellent book that I’m not likely to ever re-read, and I imagine I’ll say that about the other books in the Realm of the Elderlings series. Robin Hobb can tell a great story and an emotional story. The Farseer trilogy has evoked a lot of depressed and anxious feelings from me. They’re emotional, heartbreaking books, which is why I say I probably won’t re-read them. But they are masterfully told, which is why I will be continuing on with the rest of the […]

A Pirate’s Life for Me

Ship of Magic by Robin Hobb

The Mad Ship by Robin Hobb

Ship of Destiny by Robin Hobb

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So, I’m a little late to the Robin Hobb party. My first experience with her work was when I read the first book and a half of her Soldier Son trilogy, sometime around 2008. I remember thinking the first book was okay, but I bounced pretty hard off of the second, and it left a bad enough taste in my mouth that I didn’t feel any particular need to pick up any of the rest of her works until recently (plus, I now know that […]



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