I love epic fantasy, and this book is the epitome of all that is good in fantasy! It has everything a good book should have - diverse characters, unique magic system, action, suspenseful plot, danger, intrigue, and of course, wonderful character development.

I was enchanted with the entire story, and immediately fell in love with Fitz! His unique perspective on the world of the Six Duchies and the royal court was exciting to read about. All those secrets and dastardly plots kept me wondering who was really loyal to whom, and what could poor Fitz do stuck in the middle of it all?! Seeing Fitz connect with other characters, growing into his own person, making enemies and friends in unlikely places, and realizing the fabric of his world is so fragile, really drew me in to his thinking and his heart.

The writing is absolute perfection! Plot, pacing, development: it's all there with a fresh voice and a beautiful prose that paints the scene for you, and makes you forget you are reading "just a book". One of the best things about the writing is that there are so many threads to the story line that all weave together eventually; political alliances affecting personal relationships, the pirate raids affecting the entire nation and Fitz personally, Fitz's magical abilities both hindering and helping him, enemies creating friends and vice versa, poison that saves a life or takes a life. Nothing is ever quite what it seems, and the smallest details end up changing everything.
It's all so massive in scope and expertly woven together for an engaging and entertaining story!

I can't wait to read the rest of the books in this trilogy, and everything Hobb has ever written! I'm hooked!