The Farseer Trilogy (I recommend it!) What your opinion? - Writers Forum

Shadeslayer · 10-14-2004, 03:49 PM

So far, The Farseer Trilogy by Robin Hobb is excellent. I've just started reading The Assasin's Aprentice, the first of the trilogy, and so far its really good. I'm halfway through it now, and it kept me up for three night straight. I've just finished A Fugitive Prince by Janny Wurts, but after reading this book by Robin Hobb, Janny Wurts seem so far away from my thoughts now! Yeesh! This is a really good book!

I can't wait to read the rest of the trilogy! What your opinion about The Farseer Trilogy and its author?

A_MacLaren · 10-16-2004, 05:56 AM

I remember reading the first book Assasin's Apprentice, about a year ago. I really enjoyed it at the time, but for some reason I couldn't be bothered reading the second.
It's not bad, but I didn't think it was very motivating. I didn't really care what happened to Fitz, so I didn't bother with the others.

Shadeslayer · 10-16-2004, 09:50 AM

To you, what's wrong about the book A_MacLaren?

A_MacLaren · 10-16-2004, 09:59 AM

I'm not sure...
I'm not terribly sympathetic to Fitz, for a start. I didn't really find him a particularly engaging character.
I have a lot of difficulty remembering it, which might be the problem. The story, the characters, the style; it's all a bit unremarkable. Competent, solid fantasy, but nothing special. Not special enough for me to want to continue reading past the first book.

Creative_Insanity · 10-16-2004, 08:46 PM

*nods* I agree. Assassin's Apprentice, by itself, is good, but not amazing. However, combined with the next eight books in the series, it's amazing, at least in my opinion. I guess somewhere along the nine books I just got attached the world and the characters. Though some are rather annoying (Fitz gets awfully melodramatic in the later books), they are still heartbreakingly real.

What I like about Robin Hobb's fantasy world is that, though it is fantasy, it does follow rules and logic. It is realistic . . . by the standards she set up.

In some fantasy (the bad fantasy) they take advantage of magic and use it where it's convenient for the story. But it makes no sense, because the characters only use magic in certain situations, and not in everyday life.

Realistically, if magic was that accessible, it would effect EVERYTHING, the economy, the culture, the politics. Robin Hobb does this well. Though it is fantasy, and, of course, unrealistic, it still makes sense.

Overall, I think Robin Hobb is one of the best in the fantasy genre, far superior to the big guys like Robert Jordan, Terry Brooks, and Raymond E. Feist. After reading the nine-book marathon, you just get this breathtaking feeling that Hobb knew everything from the start, from book one. With other authors, the series make you feel like they were making it up as they went along. Which isn't a bad thing, but it's nicer the other way. With Hobb, there are so many details, and everything connects, book to book, until it all makes sense.

Very impressive.

Michael · 10-22-2004, 02:16 PM

I _love_ the Farseer trilogy. Anytime I recommend a fantasy book to someone not familiar with the genre, that's where I point them. It's a great series. I never read the Liveship Trader series, and I'm 2 books into the Tawny Man series. Good stuff.

And I have to agree that Hobb is better than a _lot_ of the other fantasy writers, especially Feist and Jordan, as mentioned above. (I gave up on the Waste Of Time series at book three.)

If you really enjoy Hobb's books, you should check out Steven Brust. He writes in a more humorous style, but still deals with assassins/familiars. They actually wrote a book together, with Hobb writing under her pseudonym Megan Lindholm. It was called the Gypsy, I believe. Not the best either have ever written, but still worth picking up.

Pawn · 10-22-2004, 02:18 PM

It and the following trilogy are absolutely fantastic. Read all her books. Now.

Allusearna · 10-22-2004, 06:20 PM

Yes, yes, they are VERy good. Only be careful when you are reading them, I almost starved myself when reading the first trilogy as I read without stopping for food and sleep...

What I like is the realistic wy she builds up the characters and the plot, you get the feeling that if *this* hadn't have happened three years ago a Character would be different, then *that* wouldn't have happened just then, or that if a character evtered a room 5 seconds earlier, then *this* wouldn't have happened, so *that* wouldn't have happened, and the entire fate would have changed.

Do you get what I'm saying?

I guess the decisions the characters make, are really based on the characters and their personalities and experience.

I can't wait till her new series comes out

Shadeslayer · 10-22-2004, 10:06 PM

I will shamelessly admit that I am obsessed with Robin Hobb. *Shudders* Its almost scary.

Creative_Insanity · 10-23-2004, 12:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Michael

If you really enjoy Hobb's books, you should check out Steven Brust. He writes in a more humorous style, but still deals with assassins/familiars. They actually wrote a book together, with Hobb writing under her pseudonym Megan Lindholm. It was called the Gypsy, I believe. Not the best either have ever written, but still worth picking up.

I loved The Gypsy. The plot confused me to no end, but the horribly beautiful grittiness of the descriptions was worth every ounce of disorientation.

Michael · 10-23-2004, 04:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Creative_Insanity

I loved The Gypsy. The plot confused me to no end, but the horribly beautiful grittiness of the descriptions was worth every ounce of disorientation.

Very true. The plot was a major stumbling point for me - if it was a little clearer, I might have enjoyed it much more.

A_MacLaren · 10-27-2004, 06:56 AM

I looked at the Liveship Traders, but I wasn't sure...better or worse than The Assasin's Apprentice?

asdar · 10-27-2004, 11:01 AM

I never like to criticize published authors with a broad stroke but I'm with A_MacLaran on this one. It's ok, don't get me wrong but it never captivated me.

I think that Hobb has a series with staying power, the last books as good as the first, but I wouldn't call them the best ever.

The weaknesses I see are the absolute brutality without purpose. I like brutality, don't get me wrong. I just kept saying, blah blah blah torture and torment blah blah to myself.

Ghengis Khan was brutal but he was brutal toward a goal. The goal in Assassin's seems to be the brutality and that didn't work that well for me.

I read them all, well, I read the farseer and the Tawny man as well as the Liveship, but not Gypsy. I liked them well enough to finish them all. I liked the Wheel of Time book 1 and 2 better but from 3 on down I'd take Hobbs.

Pawn · 10-27-2004, 11:59 AM

Every one of Robert Jordan's books is exactly the same. Saying you like one more than another is like saying you prefer muffins to muffins.

The Liveship books are great too. I don't know if they're better, but that isn't really the issue. Definitely recommended.

asdar · 10-28-2004, 06:41 AM

How you can say book one is like book eight is beyond me but whatever. Everyone's got their own opinion.

Practically everyone I hear complain about Jordan has read at least 5 of his books. At least for me if I don't like someone's style of writing I stop after the second one. I think it's popular to slam him now that he does have some truly crap books out, welcome to the band wagon.