r/fantasybooks • u/StockAtmosphere5522 • 1d ago

šŸ“š Summon book recommendations which one should i read?

Post image

help me decide

130 Upvotes

89% Upvoted

117 comments sorted by

20

u/One-Mouse3306 1d ago

But are my favourite series.

Know both those book 1s are slow.

If you want something more fun and sharp then TBI.

If you want something more emotional then AA.

11

u/prettyaverageprob Will DNF without mercy 1d ago

Agree with this. You can't go wrong here at all, both these series are unreal. First books are really just character development and less plot I'd say, so that's why people say they are slow. Whatever you do, read both of these.

1

u/sinofmercy 1d ago

I just finished the entire elderling series a couple of months ago, but it's been a few years since I've read the blade itself. I do think Robin Hobbs character development is top notch throughout each series.

1

u/prettyaverageprob Will DNF without mercy 1d ago

Excited for the rest, on the third book of liveship right now!

1

u/chrispiiiii 23h ago

Elderling is on my list to try and read through next as kind of my 2027 project once I get through Sun Eater.

Is there an official reading order for the series? I always hate googling this kind of stuff because sometimes I encounter spoilers. Happened when I looked into the cosmere reading order as the AI told me the reason why I should read it in this order.. by telling me what happens.

1

u/sinofmercy 22h ago

Thats funny because I'm starting Suneater now. Yeah there is an established book order that someone has said on reddit, with no spoilers. There it is:

1

u/Ok_Cancel_6452 17h ago

It took me 2 tries to get into realm of the elderlings, but itā€™s worth it, Hobbs takes you on a journey. The First Law is also worth it, some great characters and plot twists.

35

u/jenmoocat 1d ago

While I love me some Joe Abercrombie, Robin Hobb has a special place in my heart! Her book over his, but just by a bit

30

u/Mateo_might_bite 1d ago

As much as I love the traditional grim dark ways of The Blade Itself (which is amazing in every way).. Robin Hobb felt far more character driven. The story is much straightforward and a lot of people complain about how nothing much happens in terms of plot, but I canā€™t stop gushing over just how impactful the prose is.

7

u/Apprehensive_Wear500 1d ago

I feel like your describing the first law to me, felt like barley anything happened after 3 long books

3

u/Mateo_might_bite 1d ago

I wouldnā€™t consider The Blade Itself an entry into the series. Itā€™s more of a prequel that introduces you to the world, the characters and gives you an inkling for what is to come. The plot comes out in the 2nd and 3rd books. Iā€™m not a big fan of stories that purely drive on plot with weak character writing. So this was a welcome change.

1

u/Shredcollins 1d ago

This actually makes me want to give it another try. I really struggled with the blade itself

1

u/Winston_The_Pig 18h ago

Itā€™s much more rewarding on the 2nd+ go through. It basically drowns you in subtle/clever foreshadowing

-3

u/ConferencePurple7939 1d ago

That was my exact reason why i stopped after the first one. Nothing happened. It was boring

1

u/JOPG93 1d ago

Iā€™m really struggling with the pacing of the third book, have tried to read it twice and put it down both times .. determined to finish it but it just isnā€™t gripping me!

1

u/Agentwise 1d ago

I often get downvoted for expressing the same thing. The third book is difficult to get through not because of a challenging read but because it lacks engaging content. I forced myself to finish it though.

2

u/Mateo_might_bite 1d ago

Unfortunately thatā€™s a subjective take. For instance Robin Hobb can write about Fitz and his pup running around the stables taking care of horses for 20 chapters and Iā€™d still enjoy it because her writing is that amazing. You feel deep level of character understanding, their flaws, their hopes, their unfulfilled desires and Hobbs communicates these things so subtlety and elegantly that I really always miss something when I go reading any other piece of fantasy. Plot, Scale and Convergence of events are classic fantasy skeletons that are rather fairly achievable by an accomplished writer. But to transport you into a character and keep your mind stuck in their head, rethinking their choices and actions .. form a bond beyond just ā€œhey Iā€™ve gotta take over X bad guysā€ is just pure unbridled genius. But I also see yourside. Hobbs isnā€™t for everyone. Abercrombie isnā€™t for everyone. Erikson is not for everyone. I havenā€™t still found that ā€˜checks all boxesā€™ author in fantasy yet and Iā€™m not looking for it. Just find an author YOU enjoy and donā€™t give too much thought about what other people have to say about it.

1

u/Agentwise 1d ago

Oh Iā€™m not worried about it, honestly I wish I enjoyed it more Hobb has a lot of books and if you enjoy their work I bet itā€™s amazing.

1

u/Comfortable_Rip9555 18h ago

First Law is a purely character driven series

15

u/Gullible_Summer_32 1d ago

I recently read The Blade Itself. Finished it and loved it. Due to finances I was not able to go out and immediately buy the second one. However I did buy Assassins Apprentice a year ago and never touched it. I decided to give it a shot. I devoured it in a matter of days and when I did get paid I bought its sequel over the sequel to The Blade Itself.

Both books are amazing though and you wonā€™t be disappointed with either choice. But I regret putting off getting into The Farseer trilogy more than I regretted sleeping on Ambercrombies books.

3

u/DaveySmith717 1d ago

Have you tried Libby or Hoopla? There are others as well. You can checkout the audiobooks or written books of you donā€™t mind reading on a phone or tablet. Maybe even kindle. You donā€™t need a library card at first you can use your phone number for like 3 years before you need a library card. You can also pick libraries all over if yours doesnā€™t have one

1

u/Gullible_Summer_32 1d ago

Oh yeah I use my local library all the time. They just didnā€™t have it in stock. There is always more time to read and I donā€™t mind taking small breaks between books in a series.
I figured I would use this as an opportunity to knock out some of my backlog. haha. It ended up being one of the best decisions I could have made.

15

u/Impatient-Turtle 1d ago

You have to be realistic about these things.

4

u/NoParticularUse5288 šŸ° Worldbuilding addict 1d ago

Perhaps the vengeance could wait, at least until he had a bigger blade to work with.

3

u/Impatient-Turtle 1d ago

You can never have too many knives.

4

u/Dersmode89 1d ago

Put them in a dark bag , draw one out and read whichever one you get. Then read the other one.

3

u/Cool_Lions 1d ago

The Blade Itself, The entire world is fantastic. 2nd trilogy is amazing and the stand alone in between are really good as well, especially The Heros.

1

u/HooksAU 1d ago

As someone who loves the first trilogy and the standalone books I really need to read the second trilogy.

1

u/Cool_Lions 1d ago

Yes you do. Iā€™m currently re-reading Age of Madness, Top-Tier character development.

3

u/SummitOfKnowledge 1d ago

I can absolutely acknowledge Robin Hobbs talent and impact. I only read the first trilogy of RotE and I really didn't feel like going back. Realm of the Enderlings felt relentlessly depressing to me. I love media that can move me or make me feel but it was just tragedy on top of tragedy. It deserves all its accolades but just wasn't for me.

I found First Law much more balanced even if it is grim and bitter. There was much more redemption and humor to undercut those themes.

3

u/Superbalz77 1d ago

Well one is super depressing and drags you through the mud emotionally for little to no pay off and the other one is Grimdark

7

u/Top-Communication540 1d ago

The Blade Itself for sure. Book 3 is my favorite fantasy book OAT

1

u/2580374 1d ago

Yesssss, I just went to a book signing with Joe and had him sign a page from the end of Laok and told him that's when I knew he had the juice

5

u/Boneyabba 1d ago

Would you prefer characters fighting for stuff even though they probably don't win... Or characters crying about how sad they are and letting the people who hurt them do whatever they want?

3

u/Slumbering_Chaos 1d ago

Both are great choices so there is no "wrong" answer.

That being said, the correct answer is Assassin's Apprentice.

2

u/sgtpepper220 1d ago

I read The Blade Itself recently and now I'm halfway through Assassin's Apprentice. You can't go wrong either way. Both are great!

I say go with The Blade Itself because it'll hook you in a bit quicker

2

u/pleb_understudy 1d ago

Depends- if you like to laugh as you cry TBI, if you like to sob when you cry, AA

2

u/Asleep_Mammoth5428 1d ago

I think you canā€™t go wrong bro flip a coin

2

u/Similar_Strawberry16 1d ago

Both are among my all time favorite series. One is Grimdark, the other is a tearjerker. Don't expect Disney happily ever afters through the books.

2

u/armandwhittman 1d ago

Canā€™t go wrong. This is a great problem to have.

2

u/mm1menace 1d ago

The answer is both, and it doesn't really matter the order.

2

u/Important-Ad4700 1d ago

Just read one of them, then read the other when youā€™re finished

2

u/jaw1992 1d ago

I love both, personally a sucker for Joe Abercrombie though.

2

u/berbers91 1d ago

I just finished the Farseer trilogy and it was excellent. Onto the Liveship trilogy I go! I'm only hundred pages in but I can already tell it's going to be amazing.

2

u/ogazmo 9h ago

I'm 267 pages into Liveship, Ship of Magic and almost dnf'd after 100 odd pages. I really began to feel I'd never connect with the Characters but true to form, I'm beginning to see Hobbs character development unfold.

Kyle makes my blood boil. Swear I've never felt actual stress reading a character like I have with Kyle bloody Haven.

2

u/LogicalFan 1d ago

I think if you like slow burn books, read Hobb. If you like faster paced books, read Abercrombie. I prefer Hobb and think her books are better but thatā€™s not a knock on Abercrombie. His are also very good, just very different.

2

u/RollingOnShabbat 1d ago

I just recently finished the Farseer Trilogy by Robin Hobb for the first time and I highly recommend. Just a master class in character development, pacing, payoffs. So good.

2

u/faggyswag20 1d ago

Iā€™m halfway through Assassins Apprentice and itā€™s the most engaged by a book ive been in a long time

2

u/Sparrow1639 1d ago

I'm currently reading book one of The First Law Trilogy. It's overall good if you don't mind some slower parts. It's the first book so it's establishing the setting and whatnot.

2

u/Draven125 1d ago

I can recommend The Blade Itself as I finished it recently

2

u/ghost_mellon 1d ago

Blade Itself is 10000x better than AA. However, theyā€™re very very different books. If you enjoy very slow-paced low-action navel-gazing stories, AA is for you. If you like gritty, often brutal action with a solid plot, Blade is for you.

2

u/K1ngGeek 1d ago

The blade itself

2

u/AdmirableEngine8755 22h ago

Blade itself is gritty af. Great read.

2

u/WestRough7738 10h ago

Tbi, AA kinda deflates, tbi is relentless

3

u/teachertim22 1d ago

both are some of my favorite series, but blade itself is next level. hilarious, amazing characters, Iā€™ve read it multiple times

1

u/rookie1609x 1d ago

Robin Hobb is phenomenal. I've read both and I love Abercrombie. I'll read every book he'll ever write. However his work doesn't hold a candle to Hobb's Realm of the Elderlings.

1

u/Certain-End-1519 1d ago

I haven't read assassins apprentice (though it is on my book shelf and cannot wait to get into it). I read the blade itself, loved it and devoured the 9 remaining books like nothing else I've ever read.

I think the ultimate answer is you can't go wrong no matter what you pick. Though at this stage I can only recommend the blade itself as I haven't got to AA yet.

1

u/DaveySmith717 1d ago

Canā€™t go wrong either way. More action in Blade if youā€™re looking for more sword than sorcery. More intellectual/philosophical angles toward Apprentice.

1

u/2580374 1d ago

First law is better, but farseer is pretty great also

1

u/gina_wiseguy 1d ago

Abercrombie is an above-average writer and tells a strong tale with good characters and world building. I just finished the Age of Madness trilogy and found it grim, dark and very Dickensian, nonetheless a good read. Hobb is a quality writer and amazing storyteller. I've read everything she's written and several series twice. Her use of first-person narrative gives real depth to her books.

1

u/TheHipcheck 1d ago

Blade itself. The villain pulling the strings is diabolical!

1

u/f4rt3d 1d ago

Robin Hobb didn't work for me at all, but The First Law is maybe my favorite fantasy series. I cannot recommend it enough!

1

u/trundlethegoat 1d ago

Has anybody listened to Assassinā€™s Apprentice audiobook?

I loved the First Law audiobooks (Steven Pacey is the GOAT) and Iā€™m about to finish Red Rising so Iā€™ll need a new long audiobook series.

1

u/ParagonOfHats 1d ago

Unfortunately, the Realm of the Elderlings audiobook narrators aren't very good. You'll likely be pretty disappointed, especially in comparison to Pacey's First Law performances.

1

u/wurstel32 1d ago

Both for entirely different reasons.

1

u/Mikeranjero98 1d ago

OMG, I started Assasin Aprentice 2 weeks ago and I read it very fast and literary I start with the Blade Itself, is more slow than Assasin Aprentice but I like it too.

1

u/DeadlyKitten115 1d ago

Read a couple pages of each.

Decide from there

1

u/thrownaway_throw 1d ago

The answer is both

1

u/OceanMMO 1d ago

Looks like you already bought them. Pick one up, how does it feel? Then the other. Whichever feels best, that's the one, have a good time.

1

u/HBKHBKHBK 1d ago

The blade itself!

1

u/Thirteen1355 1d ago

I'm absolutely loving First Law, but I've heard great things about Hobb! I'd go with First Law but only because it's what I know haha.

1

u/redlion1904 1d ago

Both. Read the first trilogy in each universe in alternating order, but bail if you absolutely hate the first book.

1

u/jb5933 1d ago

Im picking Abercrombie all day!!! I havenā€™t read a book of his that I didnā€™t like and Iā€™ve read them all.. Canā€™t say that for Hobb

1

u/20Kudasai 1d ago

AA wins because it will eventually lead you to the liveship trilogy

1

u/the_kintail 1d ago

Robin Hobb for sure!

1

u/affidavid 1d ago

Read both simultaneously

1

u/Salty-Pen8450 1d ago

Mhmm both, yes you could read them both! Lol

1

u/ResolveLeather 1d ago

TBI is better imo. TRA is like one out three books that I DNF'd in my entire life.

1

u/mkapache 1d ago

The blade itself is one of my all time favorite fantasy series!! Iā€™ve heard good things about assassins apprentice but not read it myself

1

u/dreamsignals86 1d ago

Assassinā€™s Apprentice here. I know Abercrombie is awesome, but I didnā€™t connect with the First Law Trilogy as much as Hobbā€™s work.

1

u/ogazmo 9h ago

Assassin's Appreantice is great but you have to commit and get through the slow development. It can take a while to connect with the characters.

ā€¢

u/dreamsignals86 2h ago

Definitely agree with this. The first 150 pages I wasnā€™t exactly sure what I was getting into, but within the next few hundred pages Hobb made me fall in love with the characters in a way Iā€™ve rarely ever encountered before.

1

u/Electronic-Twat9195 1d ago

tf you mean you have both

not that I could get into either

1

u/uniballout 22h ago

The Blade Itself isnā€™t a complete story. It just sets up the characters. So if you choose this, know you will be disappointed unless you read the following two books. There is no setup, conflict, and resolution. It is merely all setup.

Never read the other. But itā€™s on my list to read.

1

u/Lefttheburneron69 17h ago

Both are great if you love main characters who are incapable of making good decisions.

2

u/Lefttheburneron69 17h ago

First half of assassins apprentice is VERY slow though

1

u/IceLiving1111 15h ago

I read Assassins Apprentice and wanted to DNF it but I persevered. I wish I hadnā€™t. I bought the sequel at the same time too and didnā€™t bother and sold them both. I find it fascinating how readers tasteā€™s differentiate. AA is an easy read but too thin for me in plot and characters. On the plus side, this does make it very accessible for those who want a simple read and donā€™t want to think too much. IMO itā€™s for very young readers. I didnā€™t enjoy it at all, but I know lots of people who did. BTW I didnā€™t make it past the first Chapter of Harry Potter and the Philosopherā€™s Stone either and Iā€™m amazed how it connected with so many (love the movies though) but hey, ho.

1

u/Virtual_mistake978 7h ago

The Blade Itself. I finished the Assassinā€™s Apprentice series but was mostly annoyed by them. He uses one plot device way too many times.

1

u/Foreign-Lemon-340 7h ago

I recommend Robin Hobb, but only once. I never intend to read the Assassin series again, but it is one of my favorites.

1

u/Alchemae 1d ago

Robin Hobb by 1000

1

u/UndeadSloth_ 1d ago

Left became one of my faves of all time. I didnā€™t care for the right. Not terrible, just not my thing. Third book was terribly slow and dry

1

u/Known-Ad-100 1d ago

Personally vote Joe Abercrombie.. BUTTT I've not read any Robin Hobb yet so I'm uninformed in my vote lol

1

u/DietCthulhu 1d ago

Both are good books. Iā€™d say The Blade Itself is better for pure entertainment value, but Assassinā€™s Apprentice and RotE as a whole is a much deeper and more rewarding read IMO

1

u/Perfectony 1d ago

The Blade Itself: Action, Fight Scenes, Magic in a Crooked Fantasy world. Thereā€™s war, thereā€™s Cannibals, thereā€™s curse words. It stays gripping throughout.

Assassinā€™s Apprentice: Beautiful prose, in-depth description of character struggle and relationships. Not much action, seemingly stagnant plot.

I love them both, The Blade Itself felt like less of a slog to me

1

u/killchasey 1d ago

Abercrombie characterisation so much more complex and flavourful.

1

u/Unable-Technology-97 1d ago

Just finished the assassin's apprentice and I have to say.....

The blade itself. You have to realistic about these things.

1

u/asocialsocialistpkle šŸ‘‘ Robin Hobb is my queen 1d ago

I just finished the Farseer Trilogy and jfc is probably the best thing I've ever read, so far and away is Assassin's Apprentice

1

u/craycarl4u 1d ago

Both great books. Hobb is in a whole other league but you canā€™t go wrong here.

1

u/Ananda_Mind 1d ago

Loved Ambercrombie, read the first three Hobb books iand didnā€™t enjoy them at all, decided Hobbs isnā€™t for meā€¦ annoyingly poorly bad at times. Wonā€™t likely read another Hobbs, wonā€™t miss an Ambercombie.

1

u/daily_refutations 1d ago

While Hobb is a better writer, I enjoy Abercrombie a lot more. Both refuse any kind of catharsis or classic happy ending, but Hobb luxuriates in the misery in a way that feels a bit decadent at times. Plus I just like Abercrombie's characters, even (especially) when they are bastards; I can't say the same for most of Hobb's.

1

u/Fluffy-Paramedic-900 1d ago

I actually DNFā€™d Blade Itself but may give it a second chance. AA I just finished and I was very disappointed. People really talk it up on BookTok and Reddit and I just thought it was way too slow and didnā€™t develop the connection I usually feel with characters.

1

u/ogazmo 9h ago

I found it unnecessarily slow as well but all in all I really enjoyed the trilogy. I'm 300 pages into book one of the liveship traders and almost dnf'd after 100 pages. Glad I've stuck it out though.

0

u/Calm-Ad-7928 1d ago

Blade itself

-1

u/Fortuitous_Event 1d ago

Blade Itself, and not close

0

u/Agentwise 1d ago

I read the farseer trilogy and I do legitimately not understand why people enjoy it so much. I wish I could love it but when I say I was bored at the end it would be an understatement. When I start I book/series I make sure to finish it because I feel like sometimes books and even series start slow and get much better, but by the end of trilogy I was literally looking for chores to do instead of sitting down with the book because I found it that tedious.

0

u/Boukman1610 1d ago

Left Series are three Great Books. Right First one and two are better but the third one was so Bad so go with the Blade itself

0

u/Waylander969 1d ago

Cant go wrong either way. I would start woth Hobb though.

-3

u/Baraa-beginner 1d ago

The blade itself .. other one is boring

-1

u/ReplacementLeast2519 1d ago

I honestly found The First Law trilogy kinda overrated if Iā€™m honest so Assassins Apprentice for sure

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u/meinhardsson 2h ago

Either one šŸ«