How highly do you rate Hobb?

[Lacedaemonian]

I have just bought the Farseer books. Can any of you please give me a little feedback on Hobb's works?

[hodor]

Hobb is very good. If you have just picked up the first trilogy (The Farseer Trilogy) then you will most likely come to like it. I must say that if you decide it is a bit under par you can not stop there, you must continue on next to her Liveship Traders trilogy (which is connected and imperative you read next instead of the tawny man). I found the Liveship Traders to be better than the first series but others have felt otherwise. The Tawny Man trilogy (imo is the best of the three) continues the sage into conclusion and you must refrain and read this series after The Liveship Traders lest you miss things that are really important to the time and storyline.

Altogether you should really enjoy this series based on the character depth if not the plot. The first series has to be the weakest but yet still ranks up there with some of the best that I have read.... enjoy mate.

[Lacedaemonian]

Thanks mate. Is the entire series written in the first person? Anyway I will probably read all of his books as I am fast running out of good fantasy books to read.

[hodor]

Pretty much so... btw Hobb is a woman. LOL

[dwndrgn]

Originally Posted by Lacedaemonian

Thanks mate. Is the entire series written in the first person? Anyway I will probably read all of his books as I am fast running out of good fantasy books to read.

All are first person, but quite often in the second and third sets the actual first person changes.

Running out of good fantasy books to read? Goodness, contact rune immediately for help. That can't be good

[hodor]

Originally Posted by dwndrgn

All are first person, but quite often in the second and third sets the actual first person changes.

Running out of good fantasy books to read? Goodness, contact rune immediately for help. That can't be good

Hmmm... I can't agree with all of Rune's choices but I definitely agree with her on Jordan... and the poor thing actually bought the book .

[rune]

Originally Posted by hodor

Hmmm... I can't agree with all of Rune's choices but I definitely agree with her on Jordan... and the poor thing actually bought the book .

I'm still crying over that mistake

I really like Hobb, I think (for an epic writer) she has a good mix of detail and action. I will say that I think Tawny Man is better than the Farseers series, but you really do need to read the Farseers to be able to make any sense of Tawny Man

There were times whilst reading Tawny Man series that I felt quite choked up, Hobb made such a good job of showing the emotion in that series

[hodor]

I fully agree with rune on the fact that the Tawny Man is better than the Farseer Trilogy. However, I am standing firm in the opinion that one must read The Farseer Trilogy, The Liveship Traders, and then The Tawny Man in that particular oder. I particularly enjoyed The Liveship Traders. Hobb has an odd was of arranging her epics but nonetheless they work very well for her.

[Drachir]

Superb. I agree with Hodor that all of the nine books must be read. Finishing with the Farseer Trilogy would leave you feeling incomplete. You will see what I mean when you get to the end of the third book.

However, my favourite of the series is the Liveship Trilogy. It is quite incredible how Hobb actually follows eight main and subsidiary characters and actually makes the reader care about all of them. The character development in this series is excellent and the books are full of surprises.

Read all nine - You won't be disappointed.

[Mark Robson]

Brilliantly written, but I gave up after The Mad Ship because I realised that Hobb was never going to give any of her characters a happy ending. I know life can be tough, but IMO people read fantasy to escape from the more depressing elements of life, not to read a whole mire of other peoples woes, which in the case of Hobbs' characters only ever seem to sink deeper and deeper into despair and tragedy.

[hodor]

It is too bad you never finished the epic then Mark. You would have enjoyed the ending. However, I agree with you in the fact that most her writing seems to bring her characters into a depressing state; although the ending surely takes the committed reader into fulfillment.

[rune]

I've read other readers of Hobb mention they think her work is depressing. I've read other authors I think have more misery in their books than Hobb. One such author is Charles De Lint, he tends to include abusive relationships and depressing situations for his characters.

I would say that Hobb puts her characters through the mill. They suffer a bit, but there is always that hint of hope underneath it all that makes her stories bearable

[hodor]

Aye Rune. Plus, with all the odd twists and angles the story and characters go in, I always found myself itching to see how the writer would bring in all together in the end. IMHO she did a very good job bringing it all to a nice close with The Tawny Man... in fact, even up to the last book, I wasn't exactly sure how she was going to do it all.

[Drachir]

You should have kept reading, Mark. Hobb's magical series ends quite satisfactorily for those who like happy endings.

[rune]

Not just a happy ending, well reasonably happy considering they dont all stick together, but I also think it's an Open ending