Two pristine paperbacks. One bold adventurer (me) torn between which one to defile.
Join Rediscovered Realms as we size up The Assassin’s Apprentice by Robin Hobbagainst Fairy Tale by Stephen King - then help me choose which one to dive into next!
Oh - and we’re going to announce the winner of last month’s Epic Fantasy Loot Giveaway: Summer Quest 2026!
Oh, Oh (or “Oh”x2) - and a chance for readers to win a brand new set of “Book SLAYER” Bookmarks I found online last month!! (I love me a fantasy-themed bookmark!)
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The Contenders
These 2 books (like so many others in my hoard) have been calling to me for several moons now.
Summertime is drawing to a close, but there’s still enough time to go on one good adventure.
Will you help me decide?
Let’s look at the first choice:
I’ve always seen Robin Hobb’s name pop-out to me over the years within most Fantasy bookshelves. A few readers here have even recommended her to me over the years.
Seeing this cool Assassin’s Apprentice cover of the Farseer Trilogy at Barnes & Noble pushed me over the edge to pick it up.
But what’s it about?
Bastard son, Outcast, Secret assassin tutoring, Inherited magic, Barbarian raiders, Rise-from-the-ashes trope . . . this book seems to have a lot of fantasy fun to offer!
“Fantasy as it ought to be written . . . Robin Hobb’s books are diamonds in a sea of zircons.” - George R.R. Martin"
Weighing in at 438 pages and continuing into several thousand more in the rest of the series, this book is a serious contender!
Fun Facts:
*Robin Hobb is a Pen Name!
Robin Hobb is actually the pen name of author Margaret Astrid Lindholm Ogden, who had already been publishing fantasy for years as Megan Lindholm before adopting the Robin Hobb name. She continues to be associated with both names, but “Robin Hobb” became the identity behind her sprawling Realm of the Elderlings novels.
*One Apprentice Launched a 16-Book Saga!
Assassin’s Apprentice introduced FitzChivalry Farseer and began the Farseer Trilogy, but Fitz’s world eventually grew into the much larger Realm of the Elderlings, spanning multiple interconnected series. Fitz himself returns in The Tawny Man and The Fitz and the Fool trilogies, turning one assassin’s childhood into a decades-long fantasy saga.
^ Original book cover artwork by legendary Michael Whelan!
Truth be told, I’ve never read a Stephen King book.
I’ve seen plenty of his movies, though.
When I saw he had a fantasy/fairy-tale themed book come out with a cool descending-into-the-dungeon cover back in 2022, I was very intrigued.
An Amazon sale I couldn’t pass up led to this 600-pound, err, page, behemoth muscling in on the rest of my fantasy TBR pile.
Here’s what Fairy Tale is about:
Fun Facts:
*Stephen King Wrote Fairy Tale to Make Himself Happy
Early in the COVID pandemic, King asked himself a wonderfully simple question: “What could you write that would make you happy?” Almost immediately, he imagined a deserted city, shattered statues, an overturned gargoyle head, and an enormous palace whose glass towers pierced the clouds. Those images became the seeds of Fairy Tale.
*Stephen King Became One of His Own Characters
The audiobook is primarily narrated by actor Seth Numrich, but King himself performs the recorded messages left behind by the mysterious Howard Bowditch. The production went on to win the 2023 Audie Award for Best Male Narrator, making this an especially fun bit of trivia for readers who have only encountered the print edition.
Orphaned teen, Mysterious shed beholding untold secrets, Gateway fantasy, Good vs. Evil . . . color me intrigued!
Even better is this quote from Laura Miller from Slate:
“Good, Evil, a kingdom to save, monsters to slay . . . The stuff that page-turners are made from.” - Laura Miller, Slate
But I’m not super-drawn to bleak horror-type stuff, and this quote gives me a bit of pause:
“A trip to a magical, terrifying land where wonders and horrors are one. But also a trip back home - to the prose that lulled me into nightmares in my teens. The voice the King.” - Guillermo Del Toro
And that’s where you come in.
I need your help to decide.
Vote in this Poll, but please leave me some comments as to why you feel the way you do.
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Choose wisely . . . my fate is in your hands.
The Epic Fantasy Loot Giveaway: Summer Quest 2026 WINNER!
Congratulations, RobinPlays!!! I will reach out to you in email to confirm and arrange delivery.
(Drawings for Epic Fantasy Loot giveaways are available to paid members of Rediscovered Realms)
The July “DriveThruRPG DRAGON’S DRAW” WINNER!
Congratulations to:
Dan Blakely!!!
Congratulations, Dan Blakely! I will contact you through email to confirm which email address you would like to receive this prize.
(Drawings for DriveThruRPG DRAGON’S DRAW giveaways are available to paid members of Rediscovered Realms)
NOTE TO PAST WINNERS: There are a couple of you I still need to arrange delivery due to email issues (and due to Father Time beating me up around the head, neck, and shoulders over the past few months!). I will re-email you this week to arrange any lingering rewards.
Book SLAYER Bookmark Giveaway (Open to ALL subscribers)
Who here likes swords?
Who here likes to read?
Who loves cool bookmarks to put in the books you read?
Open to all Rediscovered Realms readers (free and paid tiers), I have one brand-new set (2 swords) that I will randomly give to one subscriber who Likes or Comments in this edition before September 1st, 2026.
If shipping becomes too cost prohibitive, we’ll work something out to make it fair.
I have a set of these for my own books, and they are SO COOL! They’re made from a neoprene-like flexible material that aren’t only awesome-looking inside your books . . . but are also super fun to duel your friends with!
That’s it for this week’s Rediscovered Realms edition, Adventurer. Make sure to vote for which book I should read next . . .
. . . it’s not just important to me
. . . it’s important also because my Book SLAYER sword bookmark requires a worthy sheath.
💬Tavern Talk
❓Have you read Assassin’s Apprentice or Fairy Tale? What did you think?
❓Do you like/use 3-D bookmarks like the Book SLAYERS, or do you prefer flat styles?
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I highly recommend Fairy Tale. Now that you've mentioned it, I'm going to read it again. I 'm not sure what to say without using spoilers. the majority of those who've read it, rate it very high;y and a keeper - myself included.
I highly recommend Fairy Tale. Now that you've mentioned it, I'm going to read it again. I 'm not sure what to say without using spoilers. the majority of those who've read it, rate it very high;y and a keeper - myself included.