Robin Hobb

[Nomi]

Probably my favourite fantasy books of all time, The Farseer trilogy and the Tawny Man trilogy, both by Robin Hobb.

They are beautifully written, and the characters are very engaging and...real. No archetypal fantasy cliches going on, thank the gods. The relationship between Fitz and the Fool is especially touching (and might be of interest to non sex-oriented yaoi fans)

I'll not go into the plot, as it spans about 30 years and it impossible to describe without giving away too much, but I'll say it follows the life of Fitz (it's written from his perspective) and the trials of being a royal bastard and the King's assassin.

Fitz possesses two strains of 'magic' - the Skill, which is considered a royal magic, and is basically a form of telepathy; and the Wit, which is similar, but the bond is between man and animal. The Wit is considered a taint, and practitioners of it are executed if discovered.

Aside from all this, he is the catalyst, the 'changer' for the White Prophet, one who foretells the future and seeks to guide it through Fitz - the king's Fool.

Thre's an excerpt here, though I'm not sure how much sense it will make to anyone, since its from the last book ;p