From the description at amazon.com:

Young Fitz is the bastard son of the noble Prince Chivalry, raised in the shadow of the royal court by his father’s gruff stableman. He is treated as an outcast by all the royalty except the devious King Shrewd, who has him secretly tutored in the arts of the assassin. For in Fitz’s blood runs the magic Skill - and the darker knowledge of a child raised with the stable hounds and rejected by his family.

As barbarous raiders ravage the coasts, Fitz is growing to manhood. Soon he will face his first dangerous, soul-shattering mission. And though some regard him as a threat to the throne, he may just be the key to the survival of the kingdom.

Praise for Robin Hobb and Assassin’s Apprentice

"Fantasy as it ought to be written... Robin Hobb’s books are diamonds in a sea of zircons." - George R. R. Martin

"A gleaming debut in the crowded field of epic fantasies... a delightful take on the powers and politics behind the throne." - Publishers Weekly

"This is the kind of book you fall into, and start reading slower as you get to the end, because you don’t want it to be over." - Steven Brust

From the Paperback edition.

From the description at amazon.com:

King Shrewd is dead at the hands of his son Regal. As is Fitz - or so his enemies and friends believe. But with the help of his allies and his beast magic, he emerges from the grave, deeply scarred in body and soul. The kingdom also teeters toward ruin: Regal has plundered and abandoned the capital, while the rightful heir, Prince Verity, is lost to his mad quest - perhaps to death. Only Verity’s return - or the heir his princess carries - can save the Six Duchies.

But Fitz will not wait. Driven by loss and bitter memories, he undertakes a quest: to kill Regal. The journey casts him into deep waters, as he discovers wild currents of magic within him - currents that will either drown him or make him something more than he was.

Praise for Robin Hobb and Assassin’s Quest

"Fantasy as it ought to be written... Robin Hobb's books are diamonds in a sea of zircons." - George R. R. Martin

"An enthralling conclusion to this superb trilogy, displaying an exceptional combination of originality, magic, adventure, character, and drama." - Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"Superbly written, wholly satisfying, unforgettable: better than any fantasy trilogy in print—including mine!" - Melanie Rawn

From the Paperback edition.

In the second breathtaking volume of Robin Hobb's Liveship Traders trilogy, a new tide of glory and terror sweeps forward the story of the Vestrit clan, their liveship Vivacia, and all who strive to possess her.

As the ancient tradition of Bingtown's Old Traders slowly erodes under the cold new order of a corrupt ruler, the Vestrits anxiously await the return of their liveship - a rare magic ship carved from sentient wizardwood, which bonds the ships mystically with those who sail them.  And Althea Vestrit waits even more avidly, living only to reclaim her lost inheritance and captain her on the high seas.  But the Vivacia has been seized by the ruthless pirate captain Kennit, who hold Althea's nephew and his fahter hostage.  Althea and her onetime sea mate Brashen resolve to  liberate the liveship - but their plan may prove more dangerous that leaving the Vavacia in Kennit's ambitious grasp....

"A TRULY EXTRAORDINARY SAGA... THE CHARACTERIZATIONS ARE CONSISTENTLY SUPERB.  AND [HOBB] ANIMATES EVERYTHING WITH LOVE AND KNOWLEDGE OF THE SEA.  IF PATRICK O'BRIAN WERE TO TURN TO WRITING HIGH FANTASY, HE MIGHT PRODUCE SOMETHING LIKE THIS.  KUDOS TO THE AUTHOR AND ENCORE!"
-Booklist

From the description at amazon.com

Fitz has survived his first hazardous mission as king’s assassin, but is left little more than a cripple. Battered and bitter, he vows to abandon his oath to King Shrewd, remaining in the distant mountains. But love and events of terrible urgency draw him back to the court at Buckkeep, and into the deadly intrigues of the royal family.

Renewing their vicious attacks on the coast, the Red-Ship Raiders leave burned-out villages and demented victims in their wake. The kingdom is also under assault from within, as treachery threatens the throne of the ailing king. In this time of great danger, the fate of the kingdom may rest in Fitz’s hands—and his role in its salvation may require the ultimate sacrifice.

BONUS: This edition includes an excerpt from Robin Hobb's Assassin's Quest.

Praise for Robin Hobb and Royal Assassin

"Fantasy as it ought to be written . . . Robin Hobb’s books are diamonds in a sea of zircons." - George R. R. Martin

"[Robin] Hobb continues to revitalize a genre that often seems all too generic, making it new in ways that range from the subtle to the shocking." - Locus

"[Royal Assassin] reaches astonishing new heights.... The Farseer saga is destined for greatness - a must-read for every devotee of epic fantasy." - Sense of Wonder

In the powerful conclusion to the Liveship Traders trilogy, Robin Hobb weaves the spellbinding story of a once-thriving city on the brink of ruin, a glorious and mythic species on the edge of extinction, and the Vestrit clan, whose destiny is intertwined with both.

As Bingtown slides toward disaster, clan matriarch Ronica Vestrit, branded a traitor, searches for a way to bring the city's inhabitants together against a momentous threat. Meanwhile, Althea Vestrit, unaware of what has befallen Bingtown and her family, continues her perilous quest to track down and recover her liveship, the Vivacia, from the ruthless pirate Kennit.  Bold though it is, her scheme may be in vain. For her beloved Vivacia will face the most terrible confrontation of all as the secret of the liveships is revealed. It is a truth so shattering, it may destroy the Vivacia and all who love her, including the boy-priest Wintrow Vestrit, whose life already hangs in the balance....

"In today's crowded fantasy market, Robin Hobb's books are diamonds in a sea or zircons."
-George R. R. Martin

"A truly extraordinary saga... the characterizations are consistently superb.  And [Hobb] animtes everything with love and knowledge of the sea.  If Patrick O'Brian were to turn to writing high fantasy, he might produce something like this.  Kudos to the author and encore!"
-Booklist

"PROMISES TO BE A TRULY EXTRAORDINARY SAGA... THE CHARACTERIZATIONS ARE CONSISTENTLY SUPERB.  AND [HOBB] ANIMATES EVERYTHING WITH LOVE AND KNOWLEDGE OF THE SEA.  IF PATRICK O'BRIAN WERE TO TURN TO WRITING HIGH FANTASY, HE MIGHT PRODUCE SOMETHING LIKE THIS.  KUDOS TO THE AUTHOR AND ENCORE!"
-Booklist

Bingtown is a hub of exotic trade and home to a merchant nobility famed for its liveships - rare vessels carved from wizardwood, which ripens magically into sentient awareness. The fortunes of one of Bingtown's oldest families rest on the newly awakened liveship "Vivacia."
For Althea Vestrit, the ship is her rightful legacy unjustly denied her - a legacy she will risk anything to reclaim. For Althea's young nephew Wintrow, wrenched from his religious studies and forced to serve aboard ship, "Vivacia" is a life sentence.  But the fate of the Vestrit family - and the ship - may ultimately lie in the hands of an outsider. The ruthless pirate Kennit seeks a way to seize power over all the denizens of the Pirate Isles... and the first step of his plan requires him to capture his own liveship and bend it to his will....