I kept hearing about this book on repeat for a week before I saw it in a charity shop and decided that was a sign from the universe that I should read it. I guess the universe was correct, because I loved every moment spent following Fitz as he grew up in the castle and trained in the arts of assassination and magic, learning the customs of the royals and servants alike.

Although this is a slower paced book, there's still a lot happening. We're following Fitz through years of his life as he becomes a teenager, and is challenged by the royals who see him as a potential threat to throne. There's a colourful cast of characters, all with their own agendas, and I could almost see the pieces shifting around the board, leading up to the events in the final chapter.

Although Fitz has magical abilities, and starts to learn how to use them in this book, a bigger focus is given to his assassin training, which I found more interesting. This training helped place him in pivotal moments of this world's history, and you see it happening through his eyes, as he tells his story.