I have so much respect for the women like Robin Hobb that paved the way for future female fantasy authors. I can only imagine how hard it must have been to navigate such a boy’s club in the 80's and 90's. I was hoping for a fresh new take on the genre, coming from a new voice, and while this wasn’t really that, I understand Hobb wouldn’t have had much freedom to veer from the established path. (I’m told she does more of this later in the series.) The audiobook narrator kept me engaged, but it’s a bit too slow paced and episodic for my taste. If you’re into Tolkien and Martin and looking for a new series in that vein, you would almost certainly like this!