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Robin Hobb is one of my favorite authors. Her masterwork is a series of series (four trilogies and a quadrology) known as The Realm of the Elderlings. She publ

Robin Hobb is one of my favorite authors. Her masterwork is a series of series (four trilogies and a quadrology) known as The Realm of the Elderlings. She published the first trilogy, which begins with Assassin's Apprentice, starting in 1995. I saw the books when they first came out and I assumed from the title and the cover that it would be a cheesy fantasy by the numbers, so I never bought it. But I kept hearing about these books from other people who liked SFF, so I finally picked up the first trilogy. I was completely wrong. It's not at all by the numbers. While it's not trope-free (nothing is), there are all sorts of interesting ideas, from the political to ecological. As you read the later series, the world opens up quite a bit, and it gets even more interesting. The final trilogy brings so many elements together, and the ending is shatteringly powerful. While this is epic fantasy, it's _not_ at all grimdark. Bad things definitely happen, but it's more hopeful and humane than something like Malazan or Song of Ice and Fire. I can't recommend these books highly enough. Even if her writing is slowing down, I hope that she's satisfied with what she's done. This series alone is an enormous accomplishment. To build a world across so many books, across so many years, and have it come together so well in the end is massively impressive.

climb_stealth 5y ago
Aw man, I just started a comment saying how this sounds really promising and was going to ask about it. Turns out I have actually read them. I might have to read them all again. I would recommend them as well. I'm a big fan of the Malazan series as well. I still think of the hair jacket when I come across someone with a smelly jacket and it never fails to crack me up. My recommendation for epic fantasy that is a bit different and unexpected: The Dark Tower series by Stephen King. Some very powerful stories in there. The first book is pretty short so it is a good way to try it out. Though I think it hooks from the very start.
- elyobo 5y ago
  I need to revisit The Dark Tower, I last read it when it was incomplete and have never read it through. Very different to his more famous works. Thanks for the reminder.
  - climb_stealth 5y ago
    Depending on where you stopped, I feel like it is gets a little bit odd in the middle but it is very much worth reading to the end. There's also The Wind Through the Keyhole which slots inbetween the main books. Learning about this one is that made me read the whole series again only a few weeks ago. It's still as good as it ever was!
    - Andrew_nenakhov 5y ago
      Not worth reading to the end at all. King didn't even think of a proper ending, prefacing it with a suggestion to stop reading before it. The series got weaker and weaker after second book.
      - aethertron 5y ago
        The series did deteriorate, but I liked book 4. It's a romance. I recommend it to all young fools, or those who can fondly remember being such.
        Andrew_nenakhov 5y ago
        Story of young roland is... Too formulaic. Writing romance is definitely not king's forte.
        climb_stealth 5y ago
        Agreed. I feel like the whole series very much appeals to young teenage me.
- Andrew_nenakhov 5y ago
  In The Dark Tower, only first two books are good. Third is decent, the rest I've read only because I'm a very stubborn person.
  - silexia 5y ago
    Very true! King disliked this series and only finished it because of fan insistence... And the ending is a middle finger to those fans!
    - trey-jones 5y ago
      Personal opinion I guess. I really liked the whole series, including the ending.
- hutzlibu 5y ago
  "The Dark Tower series by Stephen King. Some very powerful stories in there. The first book is pretty short so it is a good way to try it out. Though I think it hooks from the very start. " I wasn't really hooked. I think it was a interesting read, but I got no motivation to read further. Might have been, because I read a note from King before, that he also did no knew yet, how the tower worked. And he just wrote freely to explore it, too. So I expected the story to have even bigger holes in the plot than his ordinary books and trouble to get the story lines together in a consistent way in the end, leaving too many logic errors. But maybe I should give the tower a second try one day.
  - climb_stealth 5y ago
    Hmmm, if the beginning wasn't convincing then I somewhat doubt that the rest of the series is going to be a much better experience. And yeah, I don't think the tower mechanics really work out in the end. But it didn't bother me personally. I haven't actually read any other books by him.
    - deleted 5y ago
      [deleted]
    - hutzlibu 5y ago
      "I haven't actually read any other books by him. " He's very good at coming up with creative plots and good storytelling - but after a while it all seems generic and kind of the same - and he is not good (or doesn't bother enough as people buy it anyway) to avoid lots of plotholes in the stories and logic gaps. Or rather to bring the story lines together in the end, he seems to use ductape. So I enjoyed his short stories much more, as they were much more consistent, than the big, blown up "masterworks" of him.
  - hijp 5y ago
    I read the first book and like you thought it was just interesting, but it was the juxtaposition of book one and two that made me go “i have to finish this”. * not really a spoiler, it happens at the very start of book two [rot13] * ==== va gur frpbaq obbx gur thafyvatre svaqf n qbbe ba n ornpu gung bcraf vagb gur zvaq bs n urebva nqqvpg ba n cynar va gur 70f. vg jnf fb qvssrerag guna nalguvat yrnqvat hc gb vg gung v jnf oybja njnl. Obbx 4 jnf bar bs zl snibevgrf, vg pbzcyrgryl chgf gur znva fgbel gb gur fvqr naq tbrf onpx gb jura gur thafyvatre jnf nebhaq 14 ba bar bs uvf svefg zvffvbaf. gur jbeyq ohvyqvat vf vaperqvoyr. ==== some bits are a drag, some are so cheezy, but you just roll with it and it’s a fun ride with some amazing high points.
- spamalot159 5y ago
  Brandon Sanderson is my go to recommendation for fantasy nowadays. Mistborn is a great place to start but The Way of Kings is the real meat and potatoes. He also links all these books together in the same universe and it's fun to notice the connections.
  - climb_stealth 5y ago
    I haven't heard of these, thanks for the recommendation! According to Wikipedia he hasn't finished writing them yet. Is it worth reading them already or does it feel unfinished? It's not clear from a quick glance, Mistborn and The Way of Kings take place in the same universe?
    - spamalot159 5y ago
      I'd say it's worth it to start now. Sanderson is writing at a blistering pace right now and doesn't seem to be slowing down. Mistborn and Way of Kings are in the same universe but separate worlds. I don't want to spoil too much but there is some crossover involved.
      - climb_stealth 5y ago
        Makes sense, thanks! I appreciate the non-spoiler. These days I don't even read the description on the back of books anymore to try and experience it openly. It just makes it a bit hard to work out where to start sometimes.
    - bhntr3 5y ago
      >Is it worth reading them already or does it feel unfinished? Mistborn is a complete trilogy although he continues to publish other novels set in the same world. Way of Kings is ongoing. It's on book four now. Each book is over a thousand pages so there's a lot there. I don't think it's a problem to start. Books 1-3 are great and stand alone pretty well. It's started to drag with book 4 in my opinion. Like so many other huge epic fantasies, it has too many characters, too many plotlines, too huge of a world, and it's difficult to maintain the epic feel with all that sprawl. I'm worried for book 5. > Mistborn and The Way of Kings take place in the same universe? They take place in the same universe (literally) but they are on different worlds. So they don't have anything (much?) to do with each other (yet?)
- oldprogrammer2 5y ago
  The Dark Tower is one of my favorites, probably because King doesn't feel constrained by convention or genre. And if you have read King's other works you will appreciate the connections to his universe throughout, particularly The Stand and Salem's Lot. Like others have said, the first 2 books are particularly good. But, be warned that the second book deals with a lot of racial and sexual issues, and King does not have a filter. The fourth book is a prequel, and really stands on its own as a novel, but really threw off the rhythm of the series for me. I had a hard time getting into it because I wanted to resume the primary storyline. The ending does come with a warning, but I think it was perfect.
- SamoyedFurFluff 5y ago
  If we’re recommending series in general, I recommend the Broken Earth Trilogy be NK Jemisin and The Poppy War series by RF Kuang. These series have a completely different approach to fantasy as a lens of society that I really adore. I’m also a big fan of the Daevabod Series by SA Chakraborty. That is also hella.
- murph-almighty 5y ago
  I fell off of Dark Tower during the flashback sequence in the 4th book, but up until that point I agree it was a solid and off-putting story.
- spyrefused 5y ago
  Of the last few years, the author I have enjoyed the most has undoubtedly been Joe Abercrombie, especially "The First Law".
  - climb_stealth 5y ago
    Ooo, thanks for the reminder! I very much enjoyed those as well and should dig them out again. Did you read any of his other books? Would you recommend them? I was a bit disappointed with the fourth book set in the The First Law universe. Possibly it was Best Served Cold but I'm not sure. It felt more like a rehash and it was missing whatever made the first books special. And it put me off trying his other books ever since.
- fredophile 5y ago
  For people who like the character driven nature of Robin Hobb's work I'd recommend the Demon Cycle books by Peter Brett. Across the series you get to see characters from a variety of viewpoints which really fleshes them out as complete people.
  - spery 5y ago
    I have such mixed feelings about the Demon cycle. I really like the characters and the first book is excellent. However it starts to be the same pattern for the later books and plot deteriorates rapidly as you near the end. Last two books ruined the series for me, I remember reading them during first lockdown last year and being super frustrated the way it ended.
gpderetta 5y ago
Can't recommend her enough as well (Currently reading the last book of the third trilogy). I didn't enjoy the first book too much, less epic scope than I was expecting and I don't like child protagonists very much. But the writing was excellent and after a year hiatus and a streak of questionably written books (Malazan was one of them...), I picked her up again. Halfway through the second book I realized I was cheering to Kettricken charge to aid Fitz and I was hooked. Since then each book has been better than the one before.
dilippkumar 5y ago
> While this is epic fantasy, it's _not_ at all grimdark. Bad things definitely happen, but it's more hopeful and humane than something like Malazan or Song of Ice and Fire. I will always read anything recommend by a person who uses Malazan as a benchmark. Purchasing this book right now.
ryantgtg 5y ago
The link isn’t loading for me right now, so I’ll just add to the appreciation for Hobb. I’m currently reading book 13 (4th in the Rain Wild Chronicles). They’re all great! I picked up The Assassin’s Apprentice while looking for something to fill the Rothfuss void. I was instantly hooked. The tone and the pace was just right for me. I really like that they are so character-driven, deeply exploring the characters’ emotions, history, flaws, etc. And she’s great at having the plot build and build until basically everything is going wrong, and then she delivers a super satisfying ending. I usually take a short break between each tril, but I might just go straight into her last batch after I finish this book.
- harveynick 5y ago
  If there's a Robin Hobb trilogy you need a break before starting it's this one. It left me a sobbing mess on more than one occasion.
elyobo 5y ago
I read the Assassin's Apprentice series through, but it didn't really satisfy, and I haven't read anything else by the author. I like the Malazan ones, and ASoIF, a lot more - partly the grimdark, but more so the overall complexity of the plot. While Hobb's work was pleasant it just didn't really engage me.
- tempestn 5y ago
  To each their own. I've found Malazan to be quite a slog. Enjoyable in parts, but too many characters, too broad in scope for me. I'm on the final book now, and am going to finish it, but I'll feel more relief than anything when I'm done! The Assassin's Apprentice series, being from the first person perspective is in many ways its polar opposite. Each style has its advantages, but I've found I prefer stories where I can really get to know a few characters, rather than necessarily needing a truly massive, sprawling world. (Kingkiller Chronicle is probably my favourite; hope I get to read the rest of it eventually.) I notice a similar trend in my enjoyment of RPGs, preferring something with a fairly linear storyline to more open world games.
  - elyobo 5y ago
    Yeah, I thought Hobbs' books were well written, just not as much to my taste. I'm less interested in individual characters, or well formed prose (although both are good to have), than plot. I don't really notice much difference in first and third person perspectives once into a book, although it's more noticeable when starting out. Second person is more jarring - I've read The Raven Tower and Harrow The Ninth recently, both being all or largely in second person. Interesting point you make with regards to RPGs - open worlds are addictive to me (I played Skyrim for many, many years - and have played almost everything in the Elder Scrolls series).
    - tempestn 5y ago
      Ha, yeah, there's definitely a parallel there. I'm much more of a fan of things like Baldur's Gate, Planescape Torment, and more recently the Dragon Age series (or at least the first couple. Undecided on 3 so far...) I tried to get into both Morrowind and Skyrim, but just didn't find they did it for me. Similar to the Fallout series (which I assume you'd enjoy as well if you haven't played them!) Re books, Character development is probably #1 for me. I like a good plot as well though, but I prefer one that focuses on fewer characters in order to move forward with them more quickly. With something like Malazan or, say, Wheel of Time (which wasn't as well written maybe, but had quite a compelling plot) I find myself spending the whole time looking forward to the 10% of the book with the characters I actually care about; the rest can start to just feel like unnecessary filler almost.
marklubi 5y ago
I recently tried to introduce my son to them, but he just couldn't get into the series as it wasn't fast paced enough for him in the beginning. Out of curiosity, and because of my praise for the series, my dad decided to give it a try... I've never in my life seen him read anything for pleasure. He's now >5000 pages in, just finished Fool's Fate, and is about to start The Rain Wild Chronicles (10th book in the series).
Benjamin_Dobell 5y ago
100% agreed. Robin Hobb (Margaret Astrid Lindholm Ogden) was without a doubt my favourite author as a teenager. Sadly, in the last 10 years, I've barely read anything. However, when The Fitz and the Fool Trilogy came out, you can bet I made time to read it!
- gwd 5y ago
  > Sadly, in the last 10 years, I've barely read anything. Try audiobooks. It's difficult for me at the moment to set aside time to curl up with a sheaf of paper bound together; but I continue to get my dose of long-form words when working out, washing dishes, mowing the lawn (and, before the pandemic, cycling to the office).
  - gpderetta 5y ago
    I look forward to my 45mins commute on the tube as it is the only time I have for reading. In fact I haven't ready pretty much anything at all on this year long lockdown and just restarted now as I went back to the office.
codeduck 5y ago
I picked up the first book of the assassins trilogy on a whim, and ended up discovering, like you, one of my all time favourite fantasy authors.
hutzlibu 5y ago
" Bad things definitely happen, but it's more hopeful and humane than something like Malazan or Song of Ice and Fire." Ok, I agree on the positive outlook in her books in general (and I have not read the other books you mentioned), but I remember, that some books ended in a very dark way, leaving also me in a very dark mood. I felt a lot with poor young Fitz and the books affected me a lot in my teenage years. But I never finished them, the last I read was Fools Fate quite some time ago ... "The final trilogy brings so many elements together, and the ending is shatteringly powerful." So this sounds very interesting and after a short research, this means I have to continue with Dragon Keeper, Dragon Haven, City of Dragons, Blood of Dragons, Fool's Assassin, Fool's Quest and then finally Assassin's Fate. Well, if I treat my own animal not too bad and my baby animals give me some rest - I might one day finish them, too.
GordonS 5y ago
I'm a fan of Robin Hobb too, getting my start with the Farseer Trilogy in the early 00's. Her work is quite unique, I think - as you say, it's epic fantasy, but with a slant I haven't seen before. I'll happily second a recommendation for fantasy readers. I hope she's doing OK, and would be very happy to read more from her, if it comes to her.
iamacyborg 5y ago
> more hopeful and humane than something like Malazan Am I missing something here? It's been a while since I read the Malazan series but hope seems to be one of the primary themes of the series, even if things are utterly bleak at times.
lta 5y ago
I entirely agree with your message and can only support the recommendation about those great books I've read countless times.
cosmie 5y ago
I concur with all of this! The way she uses perception, perspective, and cognitive biases are, as you say, shatteringly powerful. Particularly with her stream-of-consciousness writing style, where you so naturally get sucked into the character's mental framework. The final trilogy in particular that brings it all together, but even within the individual trilogies she's constantly doing it. I started reading her books back when I was still in school, and they had a fundamental impact on my life. It fundamentally altered the way I see things, and the career path I eventually took. I couldn't even articulate exactly how, until I stumbled upon the concept of systems thinking[1] a few years ago and realized that was what she had given me an awareness of. Which then led me to these[2][3], which pretty much describe how I had started seeing and approaching things after reading Robin Hobb's books. Not sure if it would have been as impactful if I hadn't read them at such an impressionable age, but I'm forever grateful that I did. And for that, Robin Hobb will always reign supreme on my favorite author list. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Systems_theory#Systems_thinking https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Systems_theory#Systems_thinkin... [2] http://donellameadows.org/archives/dancing-with-systems/ http://donellameadows.org/archives/dancing-with-systems/ [3] http://donellameadows.org/archives/leverage-points-places-to-intervene-in-a-system/ http://donellameadows.org/archives/leverage-points-places-to...

climb_stealth 5y ago

Aw man, I just started a comment saying how this sounds really promising and was going to ask about it. Turns out I have actually read them. I might have to read them all again. I would recommend them as well. I'm a big fan of the Malazan series as well. I still think of the hair jacket when I come across someone with a smelly jacket and it never fails to crack me up. My recommendation for epic fantasy that is a bit different and unexpected: The Dark Tower series by Stephen King. Some very powerful stories in there. The first book is pretty short so it is a good way to try it out. Though I think it hooks from the very start.

elyobo 5y ago
I need to revisit The Dark Tower, I last read it when it was incomplete and have never read it through. Very different to his more famous works. Thanks for the reminder.
- climb_stealth 5y ago
  Depending on where you stopped, I feel like it is gets a little bit odd in the middle but it is very much worth reading to the end. There's also The Wind Through the Keyhole which slots inbetween the main books. Learning about this one is that made me read the whole series again only a few weeks ago. It's still as good as it ever was!
  - Andrew_nenakhov 5y ago
    Not worth reading to the end at all. King didn't even think of a proper ending, prefacing it with a suggestion to stop reading before it. The series got weaker and weaker after second book.
    - aethertron 5y ago
      The series did deteriorate, but I liked book 4. It's a romance. I recommend it to all young fools, or those who can fondly remember being such.
      - Andrew_nenakhov 5y ago
        Story of young roland is... Too formulaic. Writing romance is definitely not king's forte.
      - climb_stealth 5y ago
        Agreed. I feel like the whole series very much appeals to young teenage me.
Andrew_nenakhov 5y ago
In The Dark Tower, only first two books are good. Third is decent, the rest I've read only because I'm a very stubborn person.
- silexia 5y ago
  Very true! King disliked this series and only finished it because of fan insistence... And the ending is a middle finger to those fans!
  - trey-jones 5y ago
    Personal opinion I guess. I really liked the whole series, including the ending.
hutzlibu 5y ago
"The Dark Tower series by Stephen King. Some very powerful stories in there. The first book is pretty short so it is a good way to try it out. Though I think it hooks from the very start. " I wasn't really hooked. I think it was a interesting read, but I got no motivation to read further. Might have been, because I read a note from King before, that he also did no knew yet, how the tower worked. And he just wrote freely to explore it, too. So I expected the story to have even bigger holes in the plot than his ordinary books and trouble to get the story lines together in a consistent way in the end, leaving too many logic errors. But maybe I should give the tower a second try one day.
- climb_stealth 5y ago
  Hmmm, if the beginning wasn't convincing then I somewhat doubt that the rest of the series is going to be a much better experience. And yeah, I don't think the tower mechanics really work out in the end. But it didn't bother me personally. I haven't actually read any other books by him.
  - deleted 5y ago
    [deleted]
  - hutzlibu 5y ago
    "I haven't actually read any other books by him. " He's very good at coming up with creative plots and good storytelling - but after a while it all seems generic and kind of the same - and he is not good (or doesn't bother enough as people buy it anyway) to avoid lots of plotholes in the stories and logic gaps. Or rather to bring the story lines together in the end, he seems to use ductape. So I enjoyed his short stories much more, as they were much more consistent, than the big, blown up "masterworks" of him.
- hijp 5y ago
  I read the first book and like you thought it was just interesting, but it was the juxtaposition of book one and two that made me go “i have to finish this”. * not really a spoiler, it happens at the very start of book two [rot13] * ==== va gur frpbaq obbx gur thafyvatre svaqf n qbbe ba n ornpu gung bcraf vagb gur zvaq bs n urebva nqqvpg ba n cynar va gur 70f. vg jnf fb qvssrerag guna nalguvat yrnqvat hc gb vg gung v jnf oybja njnl. Obbx 4 jnf bar bs zl snibevgrf, vg pbzcyrgryl chgf gur znva fgbel gb gur fvqr naq tbrf onpx gb jura gur thafyvatre jnf nebhaq 14 ba bar bs uvf svefg zvffvbaf. gur jbeyq ohvyqvat vf vaperqvoyr. ==== some bits are a drag, some are so cheezy, but you just roll with it and it’s a fun ride with some amazing high points.
spamalot159 5y ago
Brandon Sanderson is my go to recommendation for fantasy nowadays. Mistborn is a great place to start but The Way of Kings is the real meat and potatoes. He also links all these books together in the same universe and it's fun to notice the connections.
- climb_stealth 5y ago
  I haven't heard of these, thanks for the recommendation! According to Wikipedia he hasn't finished writing them yet. Is it worth reading them already or does it feel unfinished? It's not clear from a quick glance, Mistborn and The Way of Kings take place in the same universe?
  - spamalot159 5y ago
    I'd say it's worth it to start now. Sanderson is writing at a blistering pace right now and doesn't seem to be slowing down. Mistborn and Way of Kings are in the same universe but separate worlds. I don't want to spoil too much but there is some crossover involved.
    - climb_stealth 5y ago
      Makes sense, thanks! I appreciate the non-spoiler. These days I don't even read the description on the back of books anymore to try and experience it openly. It just makes it a bit hard to work out where to start sometimes.
  - bhntr3 5y ago
    >Is it worth reading them already or does it feel unfinished? Mistborn is a complete trilogy although he continues to publish other novels set in the same world. Way of Kings is ongoing. It's on book four now. Each book is over a thousand pages so there's a lot there. I don't think it's a problem to start. Books 1-3 are great and stand alone pretty well. It's started to drag with book 4 in my opinion. Like so many other huge epic fantasies, it has too many characters, too many plotlines, too huge of a world, and it's difficult to maintain the epic feel with all that sprawl. I'm worried for book 5. > Mistborn and The Way of Kings take place in the same universe? They take place in the same universe (literally) but they are on different worlds. So they don't have anything (much?) to do with each other (yet?)
oldprogrammer2 5y ago
The Dark Tower is one of my favorites, probably because King doesn't feel constrained by convention or genre. And if you have read King's other works you will appreciate the connections to his universe throughout, particularly The Stand and Salem's Lot. Like others have said, the first 2 books are particularly good. But, be warned that the second book deals with a lot of racial and sexual issues, and King does not have a filter. The fourth book is a prequel, and really stands on its own as a novel, but really threw off the rhythm of the series for me. I had a hard time getting into it because I wanted to resume the primary storyline. The ending does come with a warning, but I think it was perfect.
SamoyedFurFluff 5y ago
If we’re recommending series in general, I recommend the Broken Earth Trilogy be NK Jemisin and The Poppy War series by RF Kuang. These series have a completely different approach to fantasy as a lens of society that I really adore. I’m also a big fan of the Daevabod Series by SA Chakraborty. That is also hella.
murph-almighty 5y ago
I fell off of Dark Tower during the flashback sequence in the 4th book, but up until that point I agree it was a solid and off-putting story.
spyrefused 5y ago
Of the last few years, the author I have enjoyed the most has undoubtedly been Joe Abercrombie, especially "The First Law".
- climb_stealth 5y ago
  Ooo, thanks for the reminder! I very much enjoyed those as well and should dig them out again. Did you read any of his other books? Would you recommend them? I was a bit disappointed with the fourth book set in the The First Law universe. Possibly it was Best Served Cold but I'm not sure. It felt more like a rehash and it was missing whatever made the first books special. And it put me off trying his other books ever since.
fredophile 5y ago
For people who like the character driven nature of Robin Hobb's work I'd recommend the Demon Cycle books by Peter Brett. Across the series you get to see characters from a variety of viewpoints which really fleshes them out as complete people.
- spery 5y ago
  I have such mixed feelings about the Demon cycle. I really like the characters and the first book is excellent. However it starts to be the same pattern for the later books and plot deteriorates rapidly as you near the end. Last two books ruined the series for me, I remember reading them during first lockdown last year and being super frustrated the way it ended.

gpderetta 5y ago

Can't recommend her enough as well (Currently reading the last book of the third trilogy). I didn't enjoy the first book too much, less epic scope than I was expecting and I don't like child protagonists very much. But the writing was excellent and after a year hiatus and a streak of questionably written books (Malazan was one of them...), I picked her up again. Halfway through the second book I realized I was cheering to Kettricken charge to aid Fitz and I was hooked. Since then each book has been better than the one before.

dilippkumar 5y ago

> While this is epic fantasy, it's _not_ at all grimdark. Bad things definitely happen, but it's more hopeful and humane than something like Malazan or Song of Ice and Fire. I will always read anything recommend by a person who uses Malazan as a benchmark. Purchasing this book right now.

ryantgtg 5y ago

The link isn’t loading for me right now, so I’ll just add to the appreciation for Hobb. I’m currently reading book 13 (4th in the Rain Wild Chronicles). They’re all great! I picked up The Assassin’s Apprentice while looking for something to fill the Rothfuss void. I was instantly hooked. The tone and the pace was just right for me. I really like that they are so character-driven, deeply exploring the characters’ emotions, history, flaws, etc. And she’s great at having the plot build and build until basically everything is going wrong, and then she delivers a super satisfying ending. I usually take a short break between each tril, but I might just go straight into her last batch after I finish this book.

harveynick 5y ago
If there's a Robin Hobb trilogy you need a break before starting it's this one. It left me a sobbing mess on more than one occasion.

elyobo 5y ago

I read the Assassin's Apprentice series through, but it didn't really satisfy, and I haven't read anything else by the author. I like the Malazan ones, and ASoIF, a lot more - partly the grimdark, but more so the overall complexity of the plot. While Hobb's work was pleasant it just didn't really engage me.

tempestn 5y ago
To each their own. I've found Malazan to be quite a slog. Enjoyable in parts, but too many characters, too broad in scope for me. I'm on the final book now, and am going to finish it, but I'll feel more relief than anything when I'm done! The Assassin's Apprentice series, being from the first person perspective is in many ways its polar opposite. Each style has its advantages, but I've found I prefer stories where I can really get to know a few characters, rather than necessarily needing a truly massive, sprawling world. (Kingkiller Chronicle is probably my favourite; hope I get to read the rest of it eventually.) I notice a similar trend in my enjoyment of RPGs, preferring something with a fairly linear storyline to more open world games.
- elyobo 5y ago
  Yeah, I thought Hobbs' books were well written, just not as much to my taste. I'm less interested in individual characters, or well formed prose (although both are good to have), than plot. I don't really notice much difference in first and third person perspectives once into a book, although it's more noticeable when starting out. Second person is more jarring - I've read The Raven Tower and Harrow The Ninth recently, both being all or largely in second person. Interesting point you make with regards to RPGs - open worlds are addictive to me (I played Skyrim for many, many years - and have played almost everything in the Elder Scrolls series).
  - tempestn 5y ago
    Ha, yeah, there's definitely a parallel there. I'm much more of a fan of things like Baldur's Gate, Planescape Torment, and more recently the Dragon Age series (or at least the first couple. Undecided on 3 so far...) I tried to get into both Morrowind and Skyrim, but just didn't find they did it for me. Similar to the Fallout series (which I assume you'd enjoy as well if you haven't played them!) Re books, Character development is probably #1 for me. I like a good plot as well though, but I prefer one that focuses on fewer characters in order to move forward with them more quickly. With something like Malazan or, say, Wheel of Time (which wasn't as well written maybe, but had quite a compelling plot) I find myself spending the whole time looking forward to the 10% of the book with the characters I actually care about; the rest can start to just feel like unnecessary filler almost.

marklubi 5y ago

I recently tried to introduce my son to them, but he just couldn't get into the series as it wasn't fast paced enough for him in the beginning. Out of curiosity, and because of my praise for the series, my dad decided to give it a try... I've never in my life seen him read anything for pleasure. He's now >5000 pages in, just finished Fool's Fate, and is about to start The Rain Wild Chronicles (10th book in the series).

Benjamin_Dobell 5y ago

100% agreed. Robin Hobb (Margaret Astrid Lindholm Ogden) was without a doubt my favourite author as a teenager. Sadly, in the last 10 years, I've barely read anything. However, when The Fitz and the Fool Trilogy came out, you can bet I made time to read it!

gwd 5y ago
> Sadly, in the last 10 years, I've barely read anything. Try audiobooks. It's difficult for me at the moment to set aside time to curl up with a sheaf of paper bound together; but I continue to get my dose of long-form words when working out, washing dishes, mowing the lawn (and, before the pandemic, cycling to the office).
- gpderetta 5y ago
  I look forward to my 45mins commute on the tube as it is the only time I have for reading. In fact I haven't ready pretty much anything at all on this year long lockdown and just restarted now as I went back to the office.

codeduck 5y ago

I picked up the first book of the assassins trilogy on a whim, and ended up discovering, like you, one of my all time favourite fantasy authors.

hutzlibu 5y ago

" Bad things definitely happen, but it's more hopeful and humane than something like Malazan or Song of Ice and Fire." Ok, I agree on the positive outlook in her books in general (and I have not read the other books you mentioned), but I remember, that some books ended in a very dark way, leaving also me in a very dark mood. I felt a lot with poor young Fitz and the books affected me a lot in my teenage years. But I never finished them, the last I read was Fools Fate quite some time ago ... "The final trilogy brings so many elements together, and the ending is shatteringly powerful." So this sounds very interesting and after a short research, this means I have to continue with Dragon Keeper, Dragon Haven, City of Dragons, Blood of Dragons, Fool's Assassin, Fool's Quest and then finally Assassin's Fate. Well, if I treat my own animal not too bad and my baby animals give me some rest - I might one day finish them, too.

GordonS 5y ago

I'm a fan of Robin Hobb too, getting my start with the Farseer Trilogy in the early 00's. Her work is quite unique, I think - as you say, it's epic fantasy, but with a slant I haven't seen before. I'll happily second a recommendation for fantasy readers. I hope she's doing OK, and would be very happy to read more from her, if it comes to her.

iamacyborg 5y ago

> more hopeful and humane than something like Malazan Am I missing something here? It's been a while since I read the Malazan series but hope seems to be one of the primary themes of the series, even if things are utterly bleak at times.

lta 5y ago

I entirely agree with your message and can only support the recommendation about those great books I've read countless times.

cosmie 5y ago

I concur with all of this! The way she uses perception, perspective, and cognitive biases are, as you say, shatteringly powerful. Particularly with her stream-of-consciousness writing style, where you so naturally get sucked into the character's mental framework. The final trilogy in particular that brings it all together, but even within the individual trilogies she's constantly doing it. I started reading her books back when I was still in school, and they had a fundamental impact on my life. It fundamentally altered the way I see things, and the career path I eventually took. I couldn't even articulate exactly how, until I stumbled upon the concept of systems thinking[1] a few years ago and realized that was what she had given me an awareness of. Which then led me to these[2][3], which pretty much describe how I had started seeing and approaching things after reading Robin Hobb's books. Not sure if it would have been as impactful if I hadn't read them at such an impressionable age, but I'm forever grateful that I did. And for that, Robin Hobb will always reign supreme on my favorite author list. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Systems_theory#Systems_thinking https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Systems_theory#Systems_thinkin... [2] http://donellameadows.org/archives/dancing-with-systems/ http://donellameadows.org/archives/dancing-with-systems/ [3] http://donellameadows.org/archives/leverage-points-places-to-intervene-in-a-system/ http://donellameadows.org/archives/leverage-points-places-to...