In this book we continue to follow Sharantyr's adventures as she battles the Malaugrym, a.k.a. the "Shadowmasters" as they once again seek to enter the Realms to pillage and destroy it for their own purposes. They've never had much luck against the archmage Elminster in the past, but now they have the brilliant plan of weaving a magical cloak that shields them from detection against Mystra's Chosen (foremost of whom is Elminster). However, things do go exactly according to plan and the Malaugrym experience a number of setbacks thanks to the meddling of Sharantyr and other Knights of Myth Drannor. Now Sharantyr and her two ranger companions storm the citadel of the Malaugrym to send a message once and for all: DON'T F*CK WITH THE REALMS!

During the Time of Troubles, the gods walk the Realms in physical form, denied the cosmic powers they once commanded because two of the gods were foolish enough to steal from the Overgod AO. The chaos caused by their banishment from the outer planes keeps Elminster very busy as he tamps down numerous hot spots in the Realms. Eventually he is caught up in a magical blast as the avatars of the god of strife, Bane, and the goddess of magic, Mystra, annihilate each other, leading to the rumor that Elminster has been killed once and for all. Not the first time this has happened, but it does mean that numerous evil factions, including the Shadowmasters, the Malaugrym, once again seek to infiltrate the Realms and pillage them. Once again, the Knights of Myth Drannor and the remaining Chosen of Mystra must defend the Realms against cataclysmic forces seeking their destruction.

Part of the fun of reading these books (IMHO), is that because they are based on characters created for Advanced Dungeons and Dragons, it's possible to look up the statistics of the characters in these stories. Sharantyr, for instance, is canonically a 2nd-level ranger in 2nd Edition AD&D, though she's certainly leveled up a few times by the end of these novels. Endless waves of mooks are slaughtered by her and her companions. These books read a lot like a group of characters going on a grand campaign, which is no doubt Ed Greenwood's intent. Entertaining if you like that sort of story and have experience in role-playing games.

This is one of those books that's endlessly pimped on BookTube videoes. Robin Hobb's Realm of the Elderlings series is often touted as one of the best fantasy series of all time.

I'll give credit where credit is due. Hobb does a very good job of presenting a character study of a young man who is trained to be an assassin for the royal court. He wrestles with the moral dilemmas that comes with the territory of obeying his King and performing his duties while seeking to find alternatives if he feels that his King is asking him to perform a task that may be dishonorable. Fitz is caught up in the intrigue of the royal court as well, thanks to his heritage of being the bastard son of the King's first son, Chivalry. Most of the characters are presented as morally complex individuals with their own agendas. Fitz may be an assassin, but he is not an evil man, nor are those who have trained him. We do see evil in the form of the King's youngest son, Regal, who clearly seeks the throne for himself and attempts to use Fitz towards his own ends.

Is this the best fantasy ever written? No, not even remotely. I'd rate it as upper mid-tier fantasy, but well below the likes of Tad Williams or P.C. Hodgell, who can tell similar stories far better than Hobb. Her world-building in the first novel is somewhat rudimentary at best. It's a fairly generic medieval fantasy kingdom with traditional English-style medieval civilization. The magic system is only moderately interesting, but for now it's definitely a low-magic setting.

The first book is good enough that I immediately started reading the second book (see below), which continues the story of Fitz after his first real mission as the King's assassin.

In Royal Assassin, Fitz is bitter and broken after being betrayed by Prince Regal, vowing to stay away from Buckkeep. However, he's pulled back into the intrigue of the court if only to verify that the young woman he fancies, Molly, is OK. Fitz has a vision of her being attacked by the Red-Ship Raiders, who kidnap the folk of the Six Duchies, then return them without souls, for reasons only they understand. Fitz will do anything to protect the people he cares about. He also learns to harness the powers he's been blessed/cursed with as a result of his Farseer heritage. Prince Regal is still scheming to claim the throne from his aging father and his weakened brother...

King Shrewd is dead, killed by his own son Prince Regal. FitzChivalry also died (temporarily) but was able to escape permanent death through a minor miracle and his own unique gifts. Now he's revived, leaving his former life behind as the King's royal assassin. He has one mission--avenge his former king by claiming the life of his murderer. He's accompanied by Nighteyes, the young wolf whose life he rescued and with whom he shares a mystical bond. Will he succeed in his quest? Or will he finally be broken once and for all by the challenges and choices he now faces?