The Sword and Laser discussion

Bigger and better I think.
My review of Royal Assassin http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

I can't wait. Finished Ass App yesterday and will grab Royal Ass off the shelf the second I get to work today (I work in a library).

Kwinks wrote: "I can't wait. Finished Ass App yesterday and will grab Royal Ass off the shelf the second I get to work today (I work in a library)."

That's handy. So you get to jump the queue then?

I liked the first book better. The emo is up to 11 in the second book.

I'm also guessing the problem is that it's the second book... usually not my favorite.

I do agree that the size was nicer, the first book did feel a bit rushed at points.

David Sven wrote: "Kwinks wrote: "I can't wait. Finished Ass App yesterday and will grab Royal Ass off the shelf the second I get to work today (I work in a library)."

That's handy. So you get to jump the queue then?"

I'd be really surprised if there was much of a queue on a 16-year-old book that doesn't have a movie adaptation coming out.

I think each book is "better" in the same way each season of, say, Buffy is better than the last. You have that groundwork and backstory to build off, and you become more and more invested in the characters as the books continue.

I liked the second book much more than the first. The plot seems tighter in the first, but that is because book 2, unlike 1, does not finish or wrap anything up. You move straight onto 3.

I found the second book along with the second book in the Tawny Man trilogy, faster and better than the first book in both trilogies.

The third book is the killer in this series (and the main reason I'm not rereading Assassin's Apprentice this month).

In Assassin's Quest (view spoiler)[ the protagonists spend so much time on the way to and in that damn quarry that I nearly couldn't finish the book ... and that's after two brilliant books beforehand. (hide spoiler)]

I loved the first too books but I couldn't stand Fitz in the third. He was meant to be a grown man but it didn't seem as though he had matured at all.

Robin Hobb is pretty amazing at ending her stories though that makes me want to continue onto the next series. I remember all through the first book thinking it was pretty average and then the ending came and I couldn't stop talking about how brilliant it is.

Charlotte wrote: "Robin Hobb is pretty amazing at ending her stories though that makes me want to continue onto the next series. I remember all through the first book thinking it was pretty average and then the ending came and I couldn't stop talking about how brilliant it is.
"
That's good to read. On about page 100 of the third book now, Fitz is more annoying than ever. It's like we have to start over with each book.

Ulmer Ian wrote: "Charlotte wrote: "Robin Hobb is pretty amazing at ending her stories though that makes me want to continue onto the next series. I remember all through the first book thinking it was pretty average..."

I am just over halfway through the third, but ...

(view spoiler)[He is, but remember he did die...and come back to life after being tortured for over a month. (hide spoiler)]

(view spoiler)[I understand the reason he is annoying, but that doesn't change the fact he was annoying. :) (hide spoiler)]

But now I'm nearing the end of book 3. I think it's my favorite!

I am nearing the end, and so far I like it, but I think 2 is my favorite. I like this series, and I wish I remembered more of the first (I found it hard to read at times), but I don't have time to re-read books.

I think I like the Liveship Traders series a bit more, but it was LONG.

Book 2 is also still my favorite after many re-reads.

I also loved the Liveship Traders (though I didn't expect to) but the Farseer trilogy is still on top. Book 2 is definitely worth picking up.

I don't know.. book 2 felt almost like a let down for me... I didn't enjoy it as much as the first; it was as if it lost it's way and innocence in the telling. Book three however redeemed the trilogy for me. - M.

I feel like the first book suffered massively from being the one that was forced to establish the world- which is weird, because half the time the world-building was really subtle and awesome (viz the brief hints to the broader world that you get in Fitz' itallicized sections) so I'm pretty excited to start the second.

meagh wrote: "I don't know.. book 2 felt almost like a let down for me... I didn't enjoy it as much as the first; it was as if it lost it's way and innocence in the telling. Book three however redeemed the trilo..."

Ok glad to see I'm not the only one. I don't understand what people like about book 2. :)

Ulmer Ian wrote: "glad to see I'm not the only one. I don't understand what people like about book 2."

I am about 500 pages into book 2 and I'm greatly enjoying it.

The pace seems faster to, and I'm both loving and hating everything that's happening.

meagh wrote: "I don't know.. book 2 felt almost like a let down for me... I didn't enjoy it as much as the first; it was as if it lost it's way and innocence in the telling. Book three however redeemed the trilo..."

Book 2 is certainly "different" to book one. I think there was a lot more picturesque world building in book one while book 2 a lot of the story is centered around the intrigue within the keep. Spy vs spy sort of. I actually enjoyed that more than the first book. The scenery is not changed drastically from the first book and the world is not re-described with the same imagery used in book one. So I can understand people may feel differently about that.

I'm 35% into the third book and I think its different and better again so far as we explore more of the world. He's more "assassin like" so far as well. The body count is mounting.

The end of Assassin's Quest (book 3 of the trilogy) ruined the entire series for me.

The books were written very well. Each of the characters were interesting and well-developed. The plot was inventive and kept my attention. I even liked most of the trilogy's resolution--even the sad parts--except how things ended up for (view spoiler)[ Fitz. It just didn't sit right with me that after all that Fitz went went through--after he (and everyone else that helped) was able to to save the Six Duchies--he ends up isolated, alone, and ridiculously depressed. I don't mind sad endings, but this seemed over the top. It felt unfair that Fitz didn't at least find a modicum of comfort in his life after all he had been through. (hide spoiler)]

Because of that, it tainted my opinion of the whole trilogy. I really wanted to like these books because Robin Hobb is obviously a very good writer, but that ending was too depressing and now I am hesitant to read anything else by her.

If you think I'm wrong in my judgement of Assassin's Quest, I'd like to her why. I'd like to be proven wrong.

Rachel wrote: "The end of Assassin's Quest (book 3 of the trilogy) ruined the entire series for me.

The books were written very well. Each of the characters were interesting and well-developed. The plot was in..."
I didn't even get that far, I read the first two books and enjoyed them. Got a third of the way into book three and found it different and hard to get through.

Jack wrote: "I think each book is "better" in the same way each season of, say, Buffy is better than the last. You have that groundwork and backstory to build off, and you become more and more invested in the c..."

Completely agree with this.

Just finished book 3, I can totally see where Rachel is coming from, though I didn't really have such a negative reaction myself.
(view spoiler)[It did quite annoy me that all the fun action with dragons vs red ships happened off-stage.

I thought it was pretty messed up that essentially Fitz's adoptive father hooked up with Molly.
(hide spoiler)]

Rachel wrote: "The end of Assassin's Quest (book 3 of the trilogy) ruined the entire series for me.
."

Well, and I understand you might not want to give Hobb another chance, but Fitz's story continues in The Tawny Man trilogy.

Spoilers for Assassin's Quest:
(view spoiler)[I like sad endings, and I liked the idea that Fitz's sacrfice for his King and his family had completely broken him. It's not something you (would want to) see very often, but it felt sort of right. (hide spoiler)]
Spoilers for Fool's Fate
(view spoiler)[I'm ambivalent about the ending of Fool's Fate, sometimes it strikes me as too neat and sweet, sometimes it feels right. The fact that Fitz and the Fool never see each other again always wrecks me. (hide spoiler)]

Rachel wrote: "The end of Assassin's Quest (book 3 of the trilogy) ruined the entire series for me.

The books were written very well. Each of the characters were interesting and well-developed. The plot was in..."

Maybe you're not wrong in your judgement, (though I didn't mind the sad ending, I thought it fitting for the story), but you should definitely read the Tawny Man's trilogy. It continues Fitz' and Fool's story and may alleviate some of your feelings. :)

For me Book 2 was better than book 1. It was better paced, better structured, and just felt and read better.

Maybe it was because the first book was setting everything up and the second you knew the main characters it did have to tell you about them. The 3rd book however hmm .. I read it and kinds enjoyed most of it but the last say third of the book it lost me a little. Overall a very good trilogy and I would recommend it.