Robin Hobb
Reddit take
AI summary of the Reddit excerpts below — not a quote
Robin Hobb is widely celebrated as a premier author in the fantasy genre, specifically lauded for her exceptional character development and high-quality prose. Readers frequently describe her work as emotionally intense and cathartic, often placing her on a stylistic spectrum between J.R.R. Tolkien and George R.R. Martin. While her storytelling is deeply immersive, it is also known for being "not kind" to its characters, leading to a reading experience that can be emotionally taxing.
Pros
- Masterful characterization that creates deeply relatable, realistic individuals
- Strong, highly-praised prose that stands out compared to many contemporary fantasy authors
- Exceptional ability to convey emotional states and internal character growth
- Immersive world-building and beautiful descriptions
Cons
- Narrative pacing can be perceived as slow or boring by some readers
- Action and violent scenes are occasionally described as confusing or hard to follow
- Heavy emphasis on character suffering and hardship
Caveats
- Her prose is more complex than 'windowpane' styles (like Sanderson's) and may require more effort to read
- The emotional intensity of the stories is often described as 'not kind' to the cast, which may be difficult for sensitive readers
Best for
- Readers who prioritize character-driven stories over plot-heavy action
- Fans of high-quality prose and emotional depth in fantasy
- Those looking for long, influential series like the Realm of the Elderlings
Avoid if
- You prefer fast-paced, action-oriented fantasy
- You find stories centered on character suffering to be too draining
- You prefer simple, straightforward prose and clear-cut combat descriptions
This summary uses balanced time weighting with about a 122-month half-life. The evidence is drawn from a consistent set of discussions in r/Fantasy with a median source age of approximately 398 days.
Sentiment
16 positive (76%) · 4 mixed (19%) · 1 negative (5%)
Trust + time weighted score: +70% · raw score 71%
What redditors said (10 of 21)
Parent context: I think she’s a little closer to Martin in that sliding scale. She is not kind to her cast 😬 Reply: Lol no she is not. But OP doesn't seem to be asking about that, so I think Hobb sits reasonably comfortably between Martin and Tolkien.
Robin Hobb (starting with the Farseer trilogy) has incredibly strong prose.
I grew up on Robin Hobb and Tad Williams - not foundational, but influential, and very good.
some highly-praised prose character authors such as Gene Wolfe or Robin Hobb might, say, give you symptoms of character’s emotional state without directly telling you they felt sad
But bar a few specific terminologies, it's much easier to read than many common things, like Lord of the Rings, Malazan, Robin Hobb, the Broken Earth trilogy...
Robin Hobb is the reverse for me—I love the way she writes characters and dialogue and the beautiful descriptions of her world, but sometimes when we get to violent scenes I'm a little lost as to what's happening.
I don't think any author writes characters and character relationships quite like Hobb can. She is a standout in that regard.
it's phenomenal and i've been so captivated by it from the very first chapter. i'm at fool's fate now and hobb continues to surprise me, i have no idea how she does that
She is. Amazing. I can’t remember being this invested in characters since first time reading ASOIAF. What a storyteller. Instantly a favourite.
Robin Hobb, Ursula K. Le Guin, etc are all treated like the Not Like the Other Girls of fantasy by a lot of people on this sub
Compare
Robin Hobb vs Terry PratchettRobin Hobb vs Clive BarkerRobin Hobb vs Imajica
Related
- Joe Abercrombie · related · 47 mentions
- Brandon Sanderson · related · 46 mentions
- Terry Pratchett · related · 22 mentions