Reddit mentions of Assassin's Apprentice (The Farseer Trilogy, Book 1)

The Farseer Trilogy - The Liveship Traders Trilogy - The Tawny Man Trilogy - The Dragon Keepers by Robin Hobb.

10/10

Fantasy

Four trilogies that are loosely related. The overall arc of the stories are basic fantasy tropes (eg, royal bastards, being trained to be an assassin, magic, etc.) turned inside out into something very original. Hobb's characterization is awesome - her characters are very human and make many mistakes (and subsequently pay for them). Very solid prose, at times poetic. A lot of philosophical insights. The Liveship Traders has a couple of main characters from the Farseer and Tawny Man trilogies as secondary characters. The Dragon Keepers trilogy has some of the main characters from Liveship Traders as secondary characters.

Link to Assassin's Apprentice, the first book of the first trilogy.

Every time I see someone looking for something to read after GRRM, I suggest Robin Hobb. The storytelling is more compelling, and the number of books she has written, all within the same universe, far surpass GRRM. You can get deeply involved in her world, and learn about it from a dozen different perspectives.

Start with Assassin's Apprentice. After that trilogy, read Ship of Magic. When you're done with that, try Fool's Errand: Tawny Man. When you've read that trilogy, red eyed and late into the night, Dragon Keeper will be waiting for you.

Hobb has a new book in the works now. It's totally worth diving into her writing!

Your best bet on this is Robin Hobb's Farseer novels, beginning with.
Assassin's Apprentice

http://www.amazon.com/Assassins-Apprentice-Farseer-Trilogy-Book/dp/055357339X

Helpful term for you: bildungsroman, which is the "making of the man," and is often applied to training the hero stories.

Some fantasy bildungsromans you haven't named:

• Eragon by Christopher Paolini (farm boy finds a dragon, takes on evil empire). Gets a lot of hate for being so derivative, but obviously some people liked the escapism and easy reading.
  
• Mistborn trilogy by Brandon Sanderson (abused orphan finds out she has all the rare powers, gets involved in a coup). This one either fits your list perfectly or you'll hate it. I had trouble keeping the secondary characters straight and one of the later arcs is purely political.
  
• Night Angel trilogy by Brent Weeks (abused orphan trains to be an assassin)
  
• Ranger's Apprentice series by John Flanagan (boy trains to be a ranger). These are more like children's books.
  
• Protector of the Small series by Tamora Pierce, where a girl trains to be a knight. It's marketed for girls, but every boy I've made read these books has loved them. (Inching towards children's books also.)
  
• Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb, about a king's bastard trained to be an assassin. Probably the best on this list for writing mechanics.

http://www.amazon.com/Assassins-Apprentice-Farseer-Trilogy-Book/dp/055357339X here you go, enjoy

ugh i've finished everything worthwhile in my local library been reading e-books but running low on those as well

heres some off the top of my head.. be warned these are more character driven then anything else... I hate books with a giant cast of characters ( though malazan was an exception )

Old Shit:
The Fionavar Tapestry (fantasy)
http://www.amazon.com/Summer-Tree-Fionavar-Tapestry-Book/dp/0451458222/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1279523697&sr=1-2

Farseer Trilogy (fantasy)
http://www.amazon.com/Assassins-Apprentice-Farseer-Trilogy-Book/dp/055357339X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1279523843&sr=1-1

New Shit:
First Law Trilogy (fantasy)
http://www.amazon.com/Blade-Itself-First-Law-Book/dp/159102594X/ref=pd_sim_b_1

The Name of the Wind (fantasy)
http://www.amazon.com/Name-Wind-Kingkiller-Chronicles-Day/dp/0756405890/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1257193424&sr=1-1

Codex Alera (fantasy)
http://www.amazon.com/Furies-Calderon-Codex-Alera-Book/dp/044101268X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1279524012&sr=1-1

Anything from the Realm of the Elderlings series by Robin Hobb (Farseer trilogy, Liveship Traders trilogy, Tawny Man trilogy, Rain Wild chronicles). Start with this one.

Even on a re-read I'm dead to the world reading this series. Hobb is magnificent. George R. R. Martin says her books are 'diamonds in a sea of zircons'.

Fun fact: when the English first saw a platypus, they thought the Australians were playing a prank on them by stapling the bill and feet of a duck onto a beaver.

cool book

In roughly recommendish order:

http://www.amazon.com/The-Name-Wind-Kingkiller-Chronicle/dp/0756404746

http://www.amazon.com/Mistborn-Trilogy-Boxed-Hero-Ascension/dp/076536543X/

http://www.amazon.com/American-Gods-Neil-Gaiman/dp/0380789035

http://www.amazon.com/Assassins-Apprentice-Farseer-Trilogy-Book/dp/055357339X/

http://www.amazon.com/Dragon-Prince-Book-Melanie-Rawn/dp/0886774500/

http://www.amazon.com/The-Way-Shadows-Night-Trilogy/dp/0316033677

I kind of got a bunch of books at once, but they are all within a series, so I'll combine them.

The Raven's Shadow books (Blood Song and The Tower Lord) by Anthony Ryan are my most recent read. I read them back to back in less than a very busy month. It's the fastest I've read a book in a long time. I love the other books I've read recently, but these books have truly been the highlight of my 2014 reading list.

Why did I read it? It seemed to be the top of the underrated fantasy list and seems to be quickly growing to the respectable position it deserves as an incredible series.

The Broken Empire by Mark Lawrence. The more I think on them, the more I like them. I wish I had spaced them out a bit, as reading them back to back was a bit much. It's not that there's something wrong with the books, it's just that I think they are best read not-one-after-the-other (sorry, that's wordy, I know). These were really good, well worth the read.

Why did I read it? As a writer ('aspiring,' is perhaps more honest as I have yet to complete anything publishable save one short story), I wanted a story where I rooted for the bad guy. I also wanted to support Mark Lawrence because he frequents /r/fantasy and /r/fantasywriters and I wanted to give back by buying his books. In giving back, I received three really great reads.

Robin Hobb's Assassin's Apprentice is currently being read. I'm a chapter in, so I can't say much about it. I'm intrigued and the prose is impressive, so I look forward to getting into this one. The covers are truly atrocious, so this is a trial in me not judging a book by its cover. Like I said, it's off to a very good start.

Why did I buy it? I saw an interview of her with GRRM, and she seems to have a more-than-good reputation around here. Figured it was high time I give it a shot.

1. The first book I read from cover to cover after my brain surgery: Flex by Ferrett Steinmetz.
   
   
2. Start with Robin Hobb's Assassin Apprentice, fall in love with her world, and then read the rest of her books set in that world.
   
   
3. Norrell and Strange; I just couldn't enjoy it.

I don't see Assassin's Apprentice on this list, that's also good.


Or if you want sci-fi: WebMage is great

Kate Elliott - Crown of Stars series (12 books), Crossroads (trilogy), Spiritwalker (trilogy, YA, last book comes out in June)

Robin Hobb - Farseer series (12 books)

David Eddings - Belgariad (10 books +2 prequels) and Sparhawk series (6 books)

Holly Lisle - Secret Texts (trilogy +prequel)

You might like the Dragonbone Chair by Tad Williams also, it has harsher realism to it's fantasy, if that makes any sense. It's a trilogy. It's enjoyable.


Also Assassins-Apprentice-Farseer-Trilogy has politics and intrigue it's also a trilogy. Different anyway! :)

Hmmm... Terry Brooks is a lengthy writer of the 'epic fantasy' subgenre, similar to Tolkien in that regard. He has written multiple trilogies within the same world, and following the same decedents. If that's your cup of tea, I'd have no problem recommending him, although it is quite the lengthy starting point, and only if you don't mind the typical epic trilogy template. The original series is The Sword of Shannara Trilogy

George R.R. Martin is widely considered to be one of the most revolutionary fantasy writers of our time. His A Song of Ice and Fire series has rightfully won many awards. It is gritty--sometimes vulgar--brutally realistic fantasy. Each chapter is told from a different character's point of view, and he rotates these viewpoints to advance the story across the world he has created. This series is also long, but absolutely worth the read at some point. He has published 4 out of his intended 7 books of the series, and the 5th should be coming up soon (although he's been working on it for about 5 years, ugh!). The series starts with A Game of Thrones. His subtle plots and back stories make for a wonderful trip into an action-packed adventure and deeply political world. I would very tentatively compare it to the tv show Lost, because it keeps you guessing in a very good way and gives you dynamic, complicated characters without constant flashbacks. I easily consider this to be the best fantasy I have ever read.

Anne Bishop is an interesting author. I categorize her as a particularly indulgent pleasure of mine, as she tends to focus a lot on the romantic relationships of her characters. While it does get sappy at times (and maybe a bit cliche), I would argue that she manages to capture the more primal nature of humanity in a hyperbolic sort of way. All that being said, she definitely thought up an amazingly creative world and cast in The Black Jewels Trilogy, and I have read it through on several occasions (and yes, it makes me shed a few tears every time), although its eventual squeals and her newer work are pretty bad IMO. If you decide to give the trilogy a shot, I'd just recommend to stick with it, as a lot of confusion that I had when I started it my first time through eventually got cleared up, and it has won an easy place in my heart (and is also pretty popular). If you read this trilogy and enjoy it, then read her standalone book from the same world titled The Invisible Ring

As for Robin Hobb, it's been a while since I've read her first couple trilogies, and don't remember much other than how much I enjoyed them. The first book of the first trilogy is Assassin's Apprentice. That's about all I can give since I don't remember much, but it definitely is not the cliche epic.

You simply can't go wrong with any of those authors or books, and I think they give you a wide enough variety of types to choose from. It's tough, though, because good fantasy pushes the boundaries of how you define the genre. Maybe my advice isn't the best, as I'm not quite sure what qualities are desirable for 'starters' in the genre. I started with Tolkien before jumping right into Brooks, so I went right off the epic deep end. That held my attention for quite a while, but it gets old eventually. I think Martin does it best with an epic feel, but not forced or cliche. Bishop, as I said, is innovative and sentimental to an extent, but does not shy away from celebrating sexuality and including some very disturbing elements. If you decide to give any of these a shot, definitely let me know! I would be very curious to hear your thoughts on any of them as someone not used to the genre.

"Assassin's Apprentice (The Farseer Trilogy, Book 1)", by Robin Hobb.

https://www.amazon.com/Assassins-Apprentice-Farseer-Trilogy-Book/dp/055357339X

Hm, here are some recommendations of my favorite Dark/Gritty Fantasies that immediately come to mind:

Joe Abercrombie is one of my favorite new authors, his books are incredibly gritty dark and original, but the characters are simply amazing. The best starting place is The Blade Itself, but you can read his two other books that aren't part of the trilogy and can be read without losing too much, though they are in the same world and there's more to like about it if you already read the First Law Trilogy. Out of his two stand alone books I'd recommend Best Served Cold which is a Fantasy revenge story in the vain of Kill Bill.

One really good book I read recently is Daniel Polansky's Low Town which is a really cool gritty noir fantasy novel. Where the main character is a former detective for a Fantasy city, but at the beginning of the book he's a drug dealer. Then when murders start to occur, he gets drawn back into the politics of the city, resulting in a great story and multiple plot twists and revelations.

One of my favorites books I've read recently has to be Brent Week's Black Prism. It has some really unique world building, where the magic powers are based on light/colors, and the different magic users have different really unique powers based on their color wavelength. His previous work, the Night Angel Trilogy is also great and it's a little more gritty, with the main character being an assassin.

Next I'll go a little indie here, with the author Jon Sprunk's Shadow's Sun. It features an assassin with slight magical powers and the conscience of a beautiful invisible woman (a real imaginary friend) that is always following him around. There's a lot of things to like in this book, even if they are a little shallow.

Two books from different authors (both of which I really loved) that have kind of similar settings featuring thieves running amok in the underbellies of fantasy cities with a decent amount of grit (without being too dark) are The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch and Doug Hulick's Among Thieves.

There's also Ari Marmell's [The Conqueror's Shadow] (http://www.amazon.com/The-Conquerors-Shadow-Ari-Marmell/dp/0553593153/ref=la_B001JSDH98_1_20?ie=UTF8&qid=1340785404&sr=1-20), the main character is a former evil warlord who gave it all up to live a mundane life with a woman he kidnapped. He then has to put back on his fear inducing armor, when someone else is out in the world impersonating him. There is no evil force in this book, and there's a lot of interesting stuff here, the guy actually has a demonic amulet as a partner that provides him with magical abilities, and the demon is hilarious.

The next series isn't too gritty but it's awesome, so I'd still recommend the author Michael Sullivan, a DIY author that was so successful Orbit picked up his 6 book series to release as three larger books (he's also done some great AMA's on Reddit), the first of which is Theft of Swords. The characters in his book are absolutely superb. It's about these two master thieves that are brought into the conspiracy that they wanted no part of, but will see it to the end no matter what the cost.

Robin Hobb technically isn't real gritty, but she is one of my favorite authors, and in her books serious and horrible things can happen to the characters at times, but the endings of some of her trilogies are some of my favorite endings I've ever read. You could start with her first book about the bastard son of a king (that can bond with animals) being trained as an assassin, Assassin's Apprentice, or my favorite trilogy of her's set in the same universe but a different continent, Ship of Magic that has some awesome pirate settings, talking ships, and dragons. I also love one of her other trilogies set in a different universe than the rest of her books, Shaman's Crossing, the first book has kind of a Harry Potter-esque academy setting without the magic, and the rest of the trilogy gets into some really interesting stuff that's too weird to attempt to explain.


I think that's all I got, and you wouldn't go wrong reading any of these books, all of the pages I linked to are the book's Amazon page, so you can read further descriptions that I'm sure are better than mine. :)

I haven't read anything good in years and the things I have read are usually due to finding new books for my kids or reading the books that have been adapted to tv/film.

One of my all time favorite series was from Robin Hobb. Starting with Assassin's Apprentice. This was a difficult read for me at the time, but I loved the story behind the characters.

I started reading less fantasy after reading Stieg Larsson's The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo Millennial Series. I read these after watching the original films. It is fantastic. Just don't buy the fourth book, it wasn't even written by him as he has been dead for a while now.

A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin. I didn't start reading those until Game of Thrones premiered on HBO.

Now for some really old school, Dragonlance by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman. The fourth book came out years later and was fantastic. I have read more than a few of the side stories, but the main books are the best in my opinion, probably would not hold up well today.

Currently, I have The Martian by Andy Weir and Promise of Blood by Brian McClellan waiting for me to read.

The Five People You meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom is a book that I consider a must read. I don't consider it a spiritual book, but it did change my perspective on how I view my life in this world.

Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb is exactly what u are looking for.

http://www.amazon.com/Assassins-Apprentice-Farseer-Trilogy-Book/dp/055357339X/ref=sr_1_7?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1332345775&sr=1-7

Fantasy books, specifically from first person (she liked hunger games). She would enjoy Alexey Pehov's work. Chronicles of Siala is a great place to start.

I can't comment on how good the translation is, but Pehov is one of the best russian fantasy authors (really popular here). So if they did a decent job at translating his books - the stories will go great with her.

Also from a first person perspective (and really good) are the Chronicles of Amber by Roger Zelazny. Although this one might be a bit too dated for todays youth. A lot of characters smoke in it (I think all main ones smoke) and some of the descriptions are vague and abstract (almost surreal like) while others are clear and vivid.

And lastly (but not leastly?) I would recommend The Farseer Trilogy by Robin Hobb. First person perspective, fantasy, rich world, with a lot of intrigue. This might the most appropriate book, because even though the protagonist a boy, the novels were written by a woman (it has that vibe about them, a feminine quality). Also has a lot about interaction with animals if she's into that sort of thing (like certain people being able to communicate with them etc). Has a lot of romance elements too (not with animals, don't worry). I'm sure you can figure out if a book is appropriate by reading the synopsis.

I hope this helps. Have a glorious day!

I'll second your first mention; the Farseer trilogy.

http://www.amazon.com/Assassins-Apprentice-Farseer-Trilogy-Book/dp/055357339X

Take a look at the reviews for yourself.

It shares plenty of the things that made ASOIAF great - a cast of intriguing and well-written characters, excellent and extremely readable writing style, plenty of political play, an author unafraid to veer away from the 'standard' fare in terms of story...

It strikes me as bizarre I don't hear more about it around here, especially considering its popularity IRL.

Certainly a notch or two above the Kingkiller Chronicles in my book, although Name of the Wind was well worth a read.

You might like the Farseer trilogy by Robin Hobb. The main character is a lawful good ranger/assassin with animal companions. Quite good IMO.

http://www.amazon.com/Assassins-Apprentice-Farseer-Trilogy-Book/dp/055357339X/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_c

In the not quite fantasy department, I recommend the Grail Quest trilogy by Bernard Cornwell. Totally kick-ass archer main character in the gritty world of the hundred years war. Best archery porn evar.

http://www.amazon.com/Archers-Tale-Grail-Quest-Book/dp/0060935766/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1318509234&sr=1-2

Robin Hobb's Farseer trilogy is pretty good:
http://www.amazon.com/Assassins-Apprentice-Farseer-Trilogy-Book/dp/055357339X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1318436605&sr=8-1

I recommend The Farseer Trilogy

After these three there is a follow up 3 'The Tawny Man'

The Robin Hobb series Assassians Apprentice, etc are

http://www.amazon.com/Assassins-Apprentice-Farseer-Trilogy-Book/dp/055357339X