Fantastic! Such an excellent, straightforward fantasy. If your complaint about [b:Assassin's Apprentice|77197|Assassin's Apprentice (Farseer Trilogy, #1)|Robin Hobb|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1464570795l/77197._SY75_.jpg|171715] was that not enough happened, but otherwise enjoyed the characters and worldbuilding, then this will be your bag. There is plenty of action, sea battles, axe fighting, berserker rage, and romance. This last... is not my preferred thing, and I dreaded that this was inserted merely as another complication to plague young Fitz, but in truth it becomes integral to the story and Robin Hobb captured the desperation of teenage first love authentically, and wrote perhaps the loveliest emotional account of lovemaking in fantasy history.

What does it say about me that I chose the word "lovemaking"?

Also: the book features a sexy wolf. Note that there is no getting around the fact that

Spoiler

the wolf banged Fitz's girlfriend for him while Fitz was unconscious

. Axe fighting is rad too.

My only complaint is that the villains of the piece were so darned obvious in their machinations (not entirely true as the book plays out, but not negligible either), but no one would do anything about it because of royalty and obligation and what-not. As the reader, I found it hard to accept reasons why the "good guys" didn't just march in and put a solid halt to all of it.