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The Realm of the Elderlings (perhaps better known by the name of the first 3 books, The Farseer Trilogy) paints a world wherein main characters are named for their primary trait.  The main character, FitzChivalry is the bastard (the meaning of Fitz) son of Prince Chivalry.   Left at the door to the palace, he is raised and put to use as a King's man.  With no claim of his own to title, Fitz becomes a pawn surrounded by more powerful relatives on all sides.  Each of whom have their own use for Fitz.  But Fitz has an ally in the court jester, The Fool -- who may be more than he appears.

Hobb creates a world full of intrigue and endless political maneuvering, where magic -- although central to the story is not the awe-inspiring destructive power it is in most other novels of the genre.  In Hobb's world of the Six Duchies, magic provides an edge, but not a guarantee of coming out on top in a world full of turmoil.

The Farseer Trilogy

• Assassin's Apprentice
• Royal Assassin
• Assassin's Quest

The Tawny Man Trilogy

• Fool's Errand
• Golden Fool
• Fool's Fate

As their name implies, the Bingtown Trader families make their living on the seas ... trading in goods reachable only by a ship made of wizardwood -- a liveship! But Kennit, a pirate with a plan and a secret past believes his destiny will only be enabled by the capture of a liveship. His destiny ... will it place the world into the hands of a pirate -- or will it be something else the Bingtown Traders and Kennit never saw coming?

Hobb shows once again that she's a master of the fantasy epic. Liveship Traders is a story that while simple in foundation, is complex in the telling.

Liveship Trader's Trilogy

• Ship of Magic
• The Mad Ship
• Ship of Destiny

The Soldier Son Trilogy opens with the Gernians, a civilized people of technology having just conquered the Plainsfolk, a nomadic people of magic.  Aided by its iron, which cripples the power of magic, Gernia faced little resistance.  But the magic itself claims Nevare, a promising young Gernian for its own purpose.  Despite his struggles to deny it altogether, the magic seems capable of making  Nevare do its bidding -- one way or another!

The backdrop for Hobb's tale is extraordinary.  It's complex and she develops her characters very well.  However, I feel the books suffer from a decided lack of action and an overly passive "hero" that is very difficult to like.  While clearly Hobb intended these things to be so, I found myself skimming pages frequently as the action was slow.  It's easy to skim when debates between characters make frequent use of repetitive dialog. 

In my opinion, there are too many pages in each of the books spent on development and diversions.  I kept thinking that with all the detail she gave to "daily life" in the story, a epic clash was coming with an equally if not greater treatment.  None ever came.  The ending is quick, forced and unsatisfying.  Hobb's other books have had me very engrossed, so perhaps the Soldier Son Trilogy is a brilliant statement that escaped me.  It certainly is a very different read -- kudos to her for taking such a different angle on the genre.

Soldier Son Trilogy

• Shaman's Crossing
• Forest Mage
• Renegade's Magic