Royal Assassin (Part 1)

Synopsis

Back at Buckkeep after a mission that nearly killed him, Fitz discovers a court in decay. King Shrewd is wasting away, Prince Verity exhausts himself fending off the Red-Ship Raiders through the sheer force of his Skill, and Prince Regal spins his web in the shadows. At the heart of this storm, Fitz discovers love with Molly, friendship with the Fool, and the burning loyalty of a wolf named Nighteyes. But each step brings him closer to a deadly trap.

Convalescent and scarred by his trials, Fitz returns to Buckkeep where the Red-Ship Raiders continue their terrible work: forging coastal villagers, tearing their humanity from them. Verity, the crown prince, is being consumed by his use of the Skill to defend the realm. Regal, ambitious and treacherous prince, spins his own plans, while the new Queen Kettricken, princess of the mountains with a pure heart, tries to adapt to a foreign and hostile court. Fitz is torn between his love for Molly, his duty to the crown, Chade's secret teaching, his growing bond with the wolf Nighteyes and a strange friendship with the mysterious Fool. A pivotal volume of the trilogy, Royal Assassin lays the groundwork for a drama that will culminate in blood.