I am such an indecisive person and to prove this I will tell you what I absolutely loved about this book: The writing and what stopped me from giving this 5 stars... The Writing. LOOK I DONT WHATS UP WITH ME EITHER but that's a later thing to deal with. 
 The writing that comes from Robin Hobb is pure Fantasy, everything you want and expect from a high fantasy story. Amazing and detailed world building, an awesome description of the Royal family and surrounding town, a bastard child of the would be next in line, a kid with no name trained to become an Assassin for his king. The narration describes all that's happening around Fitz with such detail it's hard not to see this as a movie playing in my mind. The character relationships Fitz makes are all so well done and unique I never felt a side character was there for no reason. Fitz himself was a great protagonist, a little dull in the start but c'mon how much can we expect from the ages of 6-11 XD 
 The thing that kept me arms length from becoming a fangirl is the narration... which I KNOW I just said I liked but being in the style of an older Fitz telling his story make me instantly know everything's going to be semi ok, I mean being a series I already know our MC isn't going to drop dead but I like the option ya know? It just took the edge out of certain situations. 
 I really enjoyed the conflicts and didn't mind that a lot of the problems weren't solved, the hint of mystery around the Red Ship Raiders and the forged makes me want the next book asap. 
 Really the last 100 pages made the book for me but without the other 400 or so I wouldn't have been so immersed in the world. 
 The side characters, the animals, Fitz growing into himself and his skills is an adventure in itself but teamed with townsfolk being turned (fast)Zombie-ish minus brain eating forged and the Red Raiders wanting to over through the Duchies and Royals I can't wait to see where Fitz journey takes me next.