Phil in SF reviewed Assassin's Quest by Robin Hobb (The Farseer Trilogy, #3)
King Shrewd is dead at the hands of his son Regal. As is Fitz—or so …
Bogged down by the mechanics of magic
2 stars
Content warning mild spoilers, although not much more than can be gleaned from reading the chapter titles
Waking up from the dead, Fitz vows to kill Regal, the would-be king who had him arrested and tortured, and who has usurped the throne of the Six Duchies.
There's an overlong journey to the new capital of the Six Duchies, a visit with the Old Blood (aka others who can talk to animals like Fitz) that feels shoehorned in so that some of the later magic doesn't feel as rough around the edges, way too many heel turns by new characters, and finally many many chapters in the realm of the Elderlings where the characters have to figure out how Elderling magic works.
This book needed to be about half as long as it was.