Am I reading Hobb wrong?

[-putawaythosepliers-]

Ok, well im not unknowingly reading it back-to-front or anything, but I'm midway through Assassins Apprentice and I'm not really getting into it at all. I was just interested in people's opinions as to whether I should give up or if it's really a book worth reading. Perhaps I'm just not appreciating The Hobb properly....
ps. im at about the bit where he's looking after that grumpy old woman and he has to clean out her chamber pot.... lol hope that helps. does it get much better after that?

[jackokent]

It sounds like you've started with the first one so I don't really know what else you should do. Whether you get into a book will depend on your taste. There are a lot of threads about Hobb on this site and many people don't get on with her. My personnal view is that the whole series is brilliant and well worth the effort but others don't rate it at all.

If you want an opinion I'd say you've got this far, at least finish the book.

Welcome to Chronicles by the way.

[Trey Greyjoy]

LOL, youll see soon why he's been charged with the car of the old lady.

To me the Hobb books read best as an arc. The first does feel a bit like a partial work. I really enjoyed it.

Its not the most...how shall I say..."feel-good" fantasy novel you'll pick up, thats for sure. A lot of people, including myself, turned to Hobb after becoming entranced with George RR Martin's work and appreciate Hobb's sense of characterization.

[MJRevell]

I, too, failed to get into her work.. although this is the only novel i have attempted. It was a long time ago though, so perhaps i should try again. I can't even remember why i didn't like it..

[SkywardShadow]

I adored the books right off, but I too read them after reading GRRM's A Song of Ice and Fire.

[Teir]

I really think that the full effect from Hobb comes from reading the books as a series. I think that being the first book in a set of what could be said is nine books, Assassin's Apprentice is responsible for laying alot of the ground work and introducing the characters. - This may be why its taking some time for you to warm up to it.
When all the pieces fall together the story is amazing so please do at least finish the book and hopefully move on to the next as the tale gets under way

lol...does it get much better after that? * Farseer Trilogy flashbacks*
I say yes

[GOLLUM]

Farseer is highly overrated IMO, but then I'm not a Hobb fan, she's a competent enough writer but I've just never been able to see what all the fuss is about.

Still one member's meat is another member's poison...

[the_faery_queen]

i really enjoyed the farseer triliogy. i like her characterisation, but if it doesn't work for you, there's no reason to keep going. i don't like lord of the rings, or potter. not everyone likes the same thing

[lea27]

I too found it hard to get into that book. however, it does pick up about 3/4 in so persevere would be my advise. I have actually just finished this book and about to begin the second and I nearly stopped reading it half way through but now I have finished it I see now that it was pretty fantastic.

But obviously not on the scale of A song of Ice and Fire.

[the_faery_queen]

nothing is

[lea27]

i quite agree!

[lea27]

**SPOILERS**

Im a little confused also be Rurisk's death. Did he drink the poison in the glass that Fitz put in? And because the wine itself was poison does that mean therefore he drank double the amount of poison?
As your reading it it looks like Rurisk and Fitz are joking about dying in front of Kettricken and Rurisk even jokes 'he put it in my wine. That's why im drinking his.' So Fitz was drinking his own poison!? So did they both drink the poison wine to commot suicide rather than face death another way, very confused!

please help!

[Teir]

Originally Posted by lea27

**SPOILERS**

Im a little confused also be Rurisk's death. Did he drink the poison in the glass that Fitz put in? And because the wine itself was poison does that mean therefore he drank double the amount of poison?
As your reading it it looks like Rurisk and Fitz are joking about dying in front of Kettricken and Rurisk even jokes 'he put it in my wine. That's why im drinking his.' So Fitz was drinking his own poison!? So did they both drink the poison wine to commot suicide rather than face death another way, very confused!

please help!

SPOILERS<*><*><*>
Someone who remembers in more detail might have to jump in here but....
Fitz basically had planned for rurisk not to be poisoned. Rurisk and Fitz both knew what Fitz was there for and Fitz had made it clear that he wasn't going to go through with it. (i read this bit a long time ago peoples so if I'm straying way off track please please correct me). Fitz didn't think that what they were drinking would kill either of them and neither did rurisk but unfortunately Regal had stepped in and contributed to the content of the glasses, hence rurisk actually dying and Fitz feeling not too well

OK this is how i remember happening but as i said ...read a long time ago and i could be just making this up *rolls eyes*. If I am I'm sure someone will say something

[lea27]

erm...but Fitz actually did put the poison in Rurisk's wine and watch it dissolve and handed it to the Prince. So do we assume that it wasn't actually poison that he put into the Prince's glass?! Also Rurisk said he had been drinking from Fitz glass anyway, which we know also contained poison anway. So was Fitz drinking then from the glass with his own poison in without knowing it?!

I guess my main question is - did Fitz actually put poison in the wine in the Prince's cup and give that one to him the actual intention of killing him?! Like Rurisk said he was a Sacrifice.

[Teir]

OK! GOT IT!!!!!!!!

When in doubt, read the book in question

SPOILERS

Fitz tells rurisk about the plot to kill him and they discuss regals part in it and what he would gain...fitz shows rurisk the poison and puts it into the glass.....this is when kettricken bursts in with her warning....rurisk tells her that he knows that fitz was supposed to kill him and then he...pours another fresh glass of apple wine and downs that glass....fitz apparently has some too
Unbeknown to them, regal hasn't trusted Fitz to give the poison to rurisk and has poisoned the entire carafe of wine.
does that make any sense? rurisk doesn't drink the wine Fitz put poison into