Why You Should Read Robin Hobb
It’s always difficult to tell exactly how popular a fantasy author is. Fantasy is already a niche genre, and the big names tend to overshadow everyone else in the popular consciousness. Everyone knows Game of Thrones and Harry Potter, but far too few people have heard of names like Peter S. Beagle, Sherwood Smith, or Robin Hobb.
A quick glance at Amazon reveals that Assassin’s Apprentice by Robin Hobb has 1,414 ratings, which seems good to me. I’ll be beyond thrilled if my first published book gets half that many.
For comparison’s sake, genre titan Name of the Wind clocks in at a whopping 6,139 ratings. Close behind is Brandon Sanderson’s ever-popular The Way of Kings with 4,799 starred reviews.
According to author Seth Dickinson (via Reddit) when asked the best way to support his work:
“The best thing you can do — no matter how you buy it — is to leave me a rating on Goodreads and especially Amazon! Even if it’s a single sentence. The algorithms care about the number of ratings more than anything else.”
So, if you love an author, go out there and throw a good rating their way. (I’m looking at you, Jonathan Strange fans!)
Anecdotally, nobody I’ve told about Robin Hobb has heard of her. These are people that read a fair amount of fantasy, or at the very least have read the genre’s biggest hits. It seems Hobb occupies a niche within a niche.
She deserves more recognition.
It’s easy to see why her books don’t have more traction. Her titles are simple to the point of being uninviting — titles like Assassin’s Apprentice, Ship of Magic, and Fool’s Quest. These aren’t attention-grabbing titles like The Lies of Locke Lamora or A Darker Shade of Magic. Instead, they are spare and straight to the point, much like Hobb’s writing itself. The simple titles hide an enormous amount of heart and depth.
Hobb’s books differ from the genre norm in scope. The majority of her Farseer Trilogy focuses on one castle and its small cast of characters, all from the point of view of one character. These are not vast, action-packed epics with casts of thousands. You won’t be seeing hordes of orcs or stunning displays of magic. Hobb’s books are zoomed-in, adult fantasy.
The tight focus allows her characters to shine. You will find some of the most memorable, realistically flawed people in the genre. These are not Mary Sue’s who can solve any problem thrown their way. Our hero Fitz blunders more than he succeeds, and is ruled by love and rash anger rather more than reason.
Every character that surrounds Fitz’s life is equally interesting and flawed. Fitz, the bastard of an absentee prince, is given over to be raised by a man named Burrich, the stable master of the castle. He later becomes the apprentice of the castle’s assassin, Chade, as well as assisstant to his uncle Verity. We get to see how each father figure impacts Fitz’s growth into a man, and how he begins to adopt some of their individual strengths and weaknesses.
It’s rare to see complex relationships like this in Fantasy. Hobb doesn’t shy away from realistic depictions of abuse and alcoholism, and how those traits can manifest in intelligent, redeemable parental figures. She shows, with great tenderness and care, how those types of relationships can damage a child, and shape his future. Fitz develops a soulfulness and depth that few other genre heroes can match, and it all feels real rather than contrived. Hobb is clearly someone with a keen eye for human behavior, and understands how good people hurt one another without intending to.
If character relationships are your thing, don’t hesitate to go pick up Assassin’s Apprentice.
The magic present in these books ties into this focus on relationships. There are no fireballs or levitation spells here — instead, the magic is a form of communication between individuals with a strong bond that allows them to connect with each other across great distances. It’s like being the only people in the world with a smartphone, while everyone else is stuck in the middle ages. It’s fantastic, and has far more depth than I can convey here.
To say any more would be to spoil the fun. I fear I’ve already said too much. Discover the rest on your own, and I promise you won’t be disappointed.
Robin Hobb’s books kick off with the Farseer trilogy, starting with Assassin’s Apprentice. After that, read everything in publication order for maximum enjoyment!
-Nate
