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I finally read Assassin’s Apprentice by Robin Hobb—the book that everyone on BookTok and BookTube seems to love. And I went in with high expectations. A fantasy classic? Deep characters? A compelling story? Count me in.

And then… well, let’s just say my experience was very different from the glowing reviews I had read.

Here’s the gist: The story follows Fitz, a royal bastard trained as an assassin in a kingdom full of political intrigue. He has a magical ability to bond with animals (which is apparently frowned upon), and he’s caught between duty, rejection, and his own lack of agency.

Sounds interesting, right? Except… the book barely delivers on that premise.

Here’s why I struggled with it:

• Fitz is frustratingly passive. Things happen to him, but he rarely does anything.
• The pace is slow—painfully slow. Very little action, lots of talking.
• The magic system is bland. Bonding with animals could be cool… but it never really matters.
• The title is misleading. Assassin’s Apprentice sounds like we’d get intense training, secret missions, and political drama. Instead, we get a lot of aimless conversations and… not much else.
• The audiobook didn’t help. The narrator’s monotone delivery made an already slow book feel even slower.

I kept waiting for the moment when I’d get the hype. It never came. And with two more books in the trilogy, I have to ask—does it ever get better? Because right now, I’d honestly rather re-read Fourth Wing, and that’s saying something.

So, if you’ve read Assassin’s Apprentice and think I should stick with it, tell me why! I need convincing.