I have Robin Hobb's books on my must read list. Are they any good?

[LadyKnight]

I've just learned about Robin Hobb an his books. I have added to my 'must read list' "Assassin's Apprentice", "Royal Assassin", and "Assassin Quest". Are they good? Worth putting on my list? Is there any other series of his i should read before i read these?

[Adasunshine]

Nope, The Farseer Trilogy is the first trilogy of 3!

Personally, I really enjoyed all 9 books about Fool & Fitz and would heartily recommend them to anyone interested in the Fantasy genre so if you're asking, then yeah, read them, they're well worth it!

xx

[cornelius]

I'm reading the first in the series, I like 'm

[Brys]

I think they're good, but not amazing and they're IMO overrated. Hobb's a competent writer and the Farseer trilogy does have some good aspects to it - ie Fitz's characterisation, but there are some moments which just worsen the series for me. Her worldbuilding is terrible, but that isn't a huge issue. The characterisation is on the whole good, but sometimes a bit too simplistic, the same with her plot, but of course this is all focused on Fitz. So if you like Fitz, there's a high chance you'll like the series. But a lot of the other aspects are relatively weak - and the ending of the trilogy is one of the weakest I've seen, especially for a series that otherwise was pretty good. The story is a bit dragged out beyond its natural length, and I couldn't help feeling that the end of the second book was the natural end to the series, while the third felt as if it had been written just so it was a trilogy and kept the publishers happy.

See for yourself though, because a lot of people like this series, while others don't, and there aren't really any effective generalisations you can make. It's quite a dividing series in terms of opinion, much as Donaldson's Thomas Covenant (not that the two series are particularly similar at all - just in terms of controversy).

[elvet]

I started with the Liveship Traders trilogy. I couldn't put it down. The last time I read a story that was that engrossing was Memory, Sorrow and Thorn.
I jumped right into the Farseer trilogy and have just started the 3rd book today (I've read 300 pages so far ). It doesn't seem as polished as Liveship, but it still has me hooked. I'm really looking forward to the Tawny Man series. I'm hoping that the Farseer and Liveship stories will meld together and share some characters.

[ScottSF]

First, Robin Hobb is a woman. I think Assasin's Aprentis is good as a stand-alone read. If you really like that one then keep reading. I liked all of them pretty much. I have some issues that are hard to pin down with the third books, like how things get wrapped up, but I like the characters so much it was easy to keep reading. I didn't have any issues with the Liveship Traders. It is my favorite work of hers even though it doesn't directly involve the characters from the other trilogies.

[the_faery_queen]

i like hobb. i liked her farsser stuff most of it. she is a character writer tho, not a plot one, in my opinion. the plot takes seciond place to how the characters develop and interact and how they deal with what is going on (whcih isn't that much until the third, really. that is, stuff happens, but its all personal/minor stuff. the idea of a bigger plot impacting on the world happens mostly in the third book of the farseer triliogy) george r martin likes her a lot tho, if that's anything to go by

i like hobb a fair bit. i like the idea that her stuff is character driven, not plot, because it is something i prefer. i love martin, but sometimes i feel that i am missing stuff because i can't notice the intricaies and sub sneaky plot hints. with hobb its fairly straight forward as it is character. also the fool is the BEST character ever devised

[Kettricken]

I'm a big fan of Robin Hobb! I like the way she gives characters psychological depth, I always get a strong bond with characters from her books.
I've read all 3 trilogies, can't really say which one I liked best. There was some time between my reading of Farseer and Liveships, because I couldn't imagine books about living ships could be as good as Farseer. Fortunately, I tried them, and although the style and atmosphere of the story is very different, it was very interesting. Never would have thought I would develop a strong bond with a few of the living ships themselves (especially Paragon).
The Tawny Man trilogy was also quite good, but not as a 'stand-alone' trilogy IMO. To enjoy it best, you really should read Farseer first (and Liveships, but it's not as important as Farseer for the Tawny Man trilogy).

[Void Dragon]

Originally Posted by LadyKnight

I've just learned about Robin Hobb an his books. I have added to my 'must read list' "Assassin's Apprentice", "Royal Assassin", and "Assassin Quest". Are they good? Worth putting on my list? Is there any other series of his i should read before i read these?

HER!
her real name is Megan Lindholm, she's a girl

and her books are just extraordinary good
I really felt compassion with Fitz, and I could almost feel the feelings he felt, and that happens almost never to me

[Void Dragon]

Originally Posted by cornelius

I'm reading the first in the series, I like 'm

you're reading both Feist AND Hobb: I really have a good influence on you

[Rahl Windsong]

I totally enjoyed all of her series and I do believe Robin Hobb is a very good writer, one of my favorites. Also the character I that I love the most in all of fantasy I have ever read is Nighteyes the wolf.

Rahl

[Kettricken]

Nighteyes is the best! And the dialogue (If you can call it dialogue, anyway) between Fitz and Nighteyes is the best ever written in fantasy. I like how Robin Hobb manages to nail down a wolf/dog/cat character; actually much better than some writers write about human characters...

[Space Elf]

Originally Posted by Kettricken

Nighteyes is the best! And the dialogue (If you can call it dialogue, anyway) between Fitz and Nighteyes is the best ever written in fantasy. I like how Robin Hobb manages to nail down a wolf/dog/cat character; actually much better than some writers write about human characters...

Thats was brilliantly done, it created such an intimate relationship, plus as we saw Fitz rear Nighteyes from a pup too, an extra special bond.

[the_faery_queen]

nighteyes is my second fav dude after the fool. chade is up there somewhere, i think fitz is actually nearish the bottom! i loved nighteyes. he was so vivid

[Void Dragon]

Originally Posted by the_faery_queen

nighteyes is my second fav dude after the fool. chade is up there somewhere, i think fitz is actually nearish the bottom! i loved nighteyes. he was so vivid

and now he's dead *evil grin*