I feel super conflicted about this book. It was so so so slow to get through. I really like Hobb’s writing style but it both felt like nothing major happened until the end AND that everything that could go wrong for Fitz, went wrong. Kettricken and Patience were my absolute favorites, Kettricken because she truly embodied a queen that cares about her people, even in a foreign land and Patience because she took Fitz under her wing and cared for him as a mother even though by all rights, she didn’t need to give a shit about her husband’s bastard. Also, I know Fitz was only like 16/17 during the book; but, I hated that he made so many impulsive decisions despite being trained not to do that, and then would be all “woe is me” when it would blow up in his face. Despite all my issues, I will be reading Assassin’s Quest because I’ve heard that it’s better and because I have my attention caught again by the ending of Royal Assassin, which I would’ve never guessed while reading.