It seems that this is done for, and that the assassin Royal series belongs to the BCF ("Big Commercial Fantasy"), subgenus despicable for pure and hard enthusiasts. Certainly. Above all, especially lorsquon not part of diehard fans, we can read a nice narrative dintelligence lesson able to resume the kind of a code and without necessarily renew them, arrange them in one way that gives pleasure which is not given to everyone. Without engaging in outrageous comparison, we can think also all evil quon wants of the oeuvre by Dumas and even despise, this detracts from its effectiveness or the pleasure felt at reading; ditto for oeuvre by Hobb.
LApprenti Assassin, the first volume of the series Royal assassin as lindique its title, is primarily a dapprentissage novel: that of a bastard brought by his maternal grandfather to the fortress of Castelcerf, the capital of the Six Duchies, during his sixth birthday. For one who has no name, which is torn from a childhood which he retains virtually no memory, begin discoveries and various adventures. First of under the aegis of Burrich, the master of the stables, formerly close Knighthood, the father of the bastard who gave up the throne because of him, he has to make his way in this little kingdom, and especially to be named: in this universe , names have performative value, and it's not for nothing that the king sappelle Subtle or quun his son sappelle Truth. For the boy, it will FitzChevalerie, the "bastard of Chivalry," a name earned over time, while saffirme more resemblance to his father.
Then he will have to follow a dual apprenticeship, on the order of the Subtle: First with Umbre, which makes him a murderer, that is to say, a diplomatic murderer can kill sil necessary that we should; then with Galen, the master of the art which, although reluctant because of the illegitimate birth of Fitz must teach this kind of telepathy that goes beyond simple communication to be an instrument to influence the thoughts dautrui or to tap the energy of another practitioner art
This "art" is practically the only magical aspect of this story, with the "Vivid" (the ability to communicate with animals, owned Fitz) and "forgisation" (the transformation of people without any moral beings or consciousness) . But unveil their operation and their utility in the story would spoil some of the fun of the potential reader By cons, it quon may announce, this is a geo-political vision rather fine, allowing complex diplomatic games between nations with traditions. Political tensions, internal and external to the Six Duchies, sajoute a real threat, the "Red Pirates" (those "forgisent" abducting people and then issuing the ultimatum: "pay the ransom or we make them hostages alive"). And these aspects encompassing, we can add beautiful pages on childhood and the discovery of the world, even if it is limited to First of Castelcerf and the small port town adjacent to the Bourg-de-Castelcerf where there is a childrens band Fitz who will be "New".
Dun strictly narrative point of view, the story is told in first person by Fitz, character around which many voltage nodes, so that the reader discovers along the narrator current events, with its point view and finely necessarily limited. Except that each chapter is preceded dun opening words in italics, written by Royal assassin in his middle age, evoking a particular aspect of the kingdom Six Duchies with dhistorien point of view, without any affect, allowing the reader to better understanding of the situation faced by the young Fitz in the chapter.
The whole forms a narrative that na lampleur certainly not the Iron Throne, but reads with great pleasure, and thus generating envy to know further the adventures of the Royal Assassin, which is well quon saperçoit is standing at their true threshold at the time of closing this makes Apprentice Assassin figure beautiful beginnings.
