Assassin's Apprentice
1995
Fitz, bastard of the Six Duchies royalty, is trained as a royal assassin.
Realm of the Elderlings Book Order
Robin HobbComplete16 books
Realm of the Elderlings is best read in publication order: all 16 Realm of the Elderlings books, from Assassin's Apprentice (1995) to Assassin's Fate (2017). Open Assassin's Apprentice and keep going. Start the Farseer trilogy before Liveship Traders or Rain Wilds.
Updated August 2026
Best read in publication order
- Farseer Trilogy
Assassin's Quest
1997
Fitz pursues a quest that will reshape the Six Duchies and his own fate.
- Liveship Traders
Ship of Magic
1998
The liveship Vivacia awakens as Bingtown faces economic and political crisis.
The Mad Ship
1999
Althea and Kennit struggle for Vivacia while Fitz's world connects to Bingtown.
Ship of Destiny
2000
The Liveship Traders trilogy concludes as dragons and traders collide.
- Tawny Man Trilogy
Fool's Errand
2001
Fitz returns to service as the Fool brings news of danger to the new queen.
- Rain Wild Chronicles
Dragon Keeper
2009
Thymara and Alise join a expedition to return dragons to the Rain Wilds.
Dragon Haven
2010
The dragon expedition searches for Kelsingra in the toxic Rain Wild jungle.
City of Dragons
2011
Dragons and keepers reach ancient dragon city ruins and face new threats.
Blood of Dragons
2013
The Rain Wild Chronicles conclude as dragons and humans forge a new future.
- Fitz and the Fool
Assassin's Fate
2017
Fitz and the Fool journey to Clerres for the saga's far-reaching climax.
How Realm of the Elderlings is structured
Farseer Trilogy · books 1–3
Follows Fitz from royal bastard to assassin across the Six Duchies.
Liveship Traders · books 4–6
Shifts POV to Bingtown traders and living ships; connects back to Fitz's world.
Tawny Man Trilogy · books 7–9
Fitz returns older, serving the new queen alongside the Fool.
Rain Wild Chronicles · books 10–13
Follows dragon keepers in the toxic Rain Wild jungle.
Fitz and the Fool · books 14–16
Fitz in retirement, then hunting for his stolen daughter.
Before you start
Realm of the Elderlings is Robin Hobb's long interconnected saga: FitzChivalry Farseer, royal bastard trained as an assassin, then the Liveship Traders of Bingtown, the Rain Wild jungle, and later returns to Fitz older and more battered. Sixteen main novels through Assassin's Fate close his arc. It is character work that rewards patience.
Publication order through those sixteen is the path most readers swear by. Hobb plants payoffs across sub-series that hit harder when you meet them in the order she released them. The Soldier Son trilogy is a different world; leave it off this shelf. Optional shorts like The Willful Princess and the Piebald Prince and The Inheritance fit after Liveship or before Tawny Man; not required.
Start with Assassin's Apprentice and expect to feel things. A Fitz-only path exists (Farseer, Tawny Man, Fitz and the Fool) but skips Liveship and Rain Wild; not recommended for a first read. Bring tissues and a willingness to sit with people who make terrible choices for understandable reasons. That is the Hobb deal.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many Realm of the Elderlings books are there?
Sixteen main novels through Assassin's Fate.
Where should I start with Realm of the Elderlings?
Assassin's Apprentice, first Farseer novel.
Can I skip the Liveship Traders trilogy?
Strongly no for a first full run. Liveship builds wizardwood, dragons, and characters the later Fitz books lean on.
Can I skip Rain Wild Chronicles?
More debatable than Liveship. Completists read it before Fitz and the Fool; Fitz-focused readers sometimes skip and meet consequences in the finale.
Is the Soldier Son trilogy related?
No. Different world, different series.
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