Review of Robin Hobb's "Assassin's Apprentice" (Farseer Trilogy, #1)

Beautifully written, great world-building and amazing character development. Of particular note is the use of the first person, which enables to see how the main character reflects, changes his mind, considers different alternatives, ruminates about his mistakes and indeed, evolves over time. Moreover, not unlike Game of Thrones, politics is a central theme. The reader finds himself/herself plunged into elaborate schemes, making this first book an absolute page-turner.