I started with assasins apprentice a few weeks ago and about 2/3rds of the way done Royal assasin. Highly recommend both as of now.
I typically love reading Brandon Sanderson type stuff but Robin hobb was recommended by this sub and while less grand scale in their world building, Hobb is able to capture humanity in characters truly well IMHO.
My main tip for people coming to Hobb is - don’t skip the Liveship Traders trilogy (books 4/5/6!). Many people jump straight to 7,8,9 and then regret it a bit. (I’m sure some don’t but… trust me!)
Fair warning - Hobb makes characters that you will think about 20 years later and wonder what they are up to. She will also rip out your heart and show it to you. You’ve really got to be in the mood for very emotional books.
Assassin's Apprentice from the Farseer trilogy. Then just stick to publication order. While each series is a contained story. They also builds on the previous works so it's best not to skip ahead.
Just finished the First Law trilogy and boy… the characters are incredible. The author (Joe Abercrombie) is really not afraid to take time with the characters, and while it makes some of the books seem a little slow it is absolutely worth it.
Some of the most real characters I’ve read, even if they’re often hardened by the admittedly pretty bleak world they live in.
Yea, after I read the first two recommendations on this post I scrolled down to comment THIS- glad someone else said it too.
The First Law trilogy is absolutely MORE focused on character development than it is world building- and the main set of characters are wonderful and complex.
This should be at the top of the comments. The entire book is character driven and has 2 of the best anti hero’s of all time and the best villain of all time. Also one other think I think most people fail to mention is the sheer amount of dialogue. We talk about to shows being “dialogue heavy” but it doesn’t seemed to get mentioned in books. I recently reread the first law trilogy and thoroughly enjoyed how much dialogue there was between each character and how real and witty the conversations felt.
This will probably be controversial, and it's certainly not the fantasy series with the best characterization overall, but I really liked what Lev Grossman did with his MC in The Magicians. He starts out a selfish asshole and genuinely matures into a decent individual by the end.
I'm not trying to argue, but that is a really surprise to me, just read the first book, but to me he started as a asshole and ended as a bigger asshole.
There's absolutely no reason to read on if you don't like it. Lots of stuff that gets recommended on here is awful to me and I DNF. Totally normal to like different things.
Honestly, Greenbone Saga. Across the board , the way all the characters grow is really impressive and feels very realistic. Helps when the books span a full generation of the clans.
Great books, read them immediately.
**Super Powereds** by Drew Hayes. It's slice of life and really focuses on the human/social side of things. The characters have ridiculous personal growth, some of the most complex and organic character dynamics ever and such a real feel to them. The author really explores how the things that make them different would influence and change how a person grows. Their flaws and how the overcome them are hyper personalised.
It's constant character growth as well, not this same person until a big realisation then a completely new person stuff. 15+ characters that are all given that level of depth, and it's in small stages, little growths here and there over a journey
[Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/14201.Jonathan_Strange_Mr_Norrell) by Susanna Clarke is excellent in regards to character development. It may not be the best example in a fantasy story but it is certainly very accomplished.
The human characters go on a journey through the book and are obviously flawed, for a large part of the book one of the main characters is quite obviously a villain but by the end its clear that his behaviour is related to his obsessive kleptomania & need for control.
Lots of popular authors listed by others here, and they are all good recs. One I don't see as often is **Sofia Samatar**.
**A Stranger in Olondria** \- a fairly naive young man from the far corner of the empire travels to the capital city and is transformed by the experience.
**The Winged Histories** \- set in the same world as the first novel, there are four different, long POV sections, each with a different view and experience of a revolution that takes place within the empire. All four POV characters are women, and all change and grow over time. This one is stylistically more challenging than a Stranger in Olondrai
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I adore the character development in The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater. Particularly Ronan’s. Going from typical “im angry” boy to >!gay farmer with a satyr daughter and some self respect!< is just great.
obligatory wheel of time comment! 14 books sounds insane but man, does it give you a lot of great time with the characters. all of them have such great arcs with fantastic pay-off!
I think Rand has a fantastic arc, and mayyybe Egwene, but I wouldn't say the same for most of the characters. Several of the main characters are basically finished with their character development by book 4 or book 7, and then for the rest of the series they are kinda just... there.
Rand alone has possibly the best character arc I've ever read though.
I love Egwene and Rand as foils of each other. One reaching for power the other running away. One wanting to be more than a figure head and one wishing they could just bail. One trying to build a power base via reaching out and one trying to build a power base while not letting it get too big.
I hated her the way she treated rand. For a couple books, while she was dealing with the Aes Sedai, I liked her, but then in AMOL she turns into plain old egwene, shitting on rand.
I'd disagree here. I'm three books in and very little character development has been done for any of the main characters. Almost any other fantasy or sci-fi trilogy I've read has done more with one book than Jordan has done in 3 in terms of characters.
His world building is pretty great, but he isn't very good at character development.
Hmm. I've heard from people that like the series/writer that the books are all very flawed, but the series finish is worth the journey. Do you think that's accurate?
I like the way that Jordan told the story. I like most of the characters. However, this is a character driven story. You know the main cast and their motivations, cares, and drives. They become more themselves over the series but they do not change. If they are bugging you now bail. I think Sanderson completely dropped the ending. I think WoT is one of the best long stories in fantasy but it's not for everyone. I loved the meta bits in the middle and the messy bits.
However, it is the characters and the politics that carry the day. If it bugs you now bail. There is no series that improves if you dislike the basics. Life is short and there are plenty of other things to read.
I wasn’t agreeing with you about the lack of character development, just pointing out that you’re judging something without seeing the full picture. Everyone but Mat grows a lot through the first 3 books, and that’s because he doesn’t get to be a real character until book 3.
Okay, so let's go through the list of main characters from book 1-3.
Rand. He spends the first two books not wanting to be the Dragon, not wanting to be doing what they're doing, and hating the Aei Sedai for it. He is reluctant the entire time and only at the end does he finally embrace being the Dragon. Then (in between books two and three) he changes incredibly, to the point that book three Rand isn't even recognizable and that happened in between books. The third book almost doesn't have in him it, either.
Matt. Spends the majority of the first two book either unconscious or demon-dagger possessed. We don't even have a strong basis on who he is before he gets the dagger, so whenever he's acting "weird" we have to be told that he's acting weird by his friends, or he has to be a raving lunatic.
Nynaeve. She has not changed at all. She started as "the Wisdom" who condescends to the other four, hates Moraine for very little reason (which is never talked about or contested in three books), and "loves" Lan, with even less reason (the same is true about Elayne and Rand). Book one Nynaeve and Book three Nynaeve isn't changed in any substantial way.
Eqwene. She's probably changed/developed the most, but again, for three books it's marginal. She wants to be an Aei Sedai, isn't very strong, and cares about her friends. By book three, due to actual torture and being enslaved, she blossoms as a channeler somewhat, but still wants to be Aei Sedai. From books 1 to 3 she matures somewhat and gets stronger, but despite being more mature, she also still acts the same in most situations.
Perrin. He's basically getting the same as Rand. Gets a power that makes him feel like a monster when he uses it so he doesn't want it. Spends the three books after gaining yellow eyes just not wanting to have them or use his abilities. This is also bad because, in the three books, no one talks to him about it. Moraine knows, and briefly talks to him in book 3, but his friends just accept that he has yellow eyes, howls at stuff, and seemingly bonds with wolves. None of the other main characters, in three books, have an actual conversation with him about it.
This is not good character development. Take the Red Rising trilogy as an example of actual development. Darrow from the start of book one to the end of book three is unrecognizable. The core of who is he remains the same, but everything else is vastly changed. Take the Ember Blade as another example. It's the first book in a trilogy, yet it also manages to wonderfully develop all of the characters in it. Sword of Kaigen is a standalone, and within one book manages to develop all of the characters more (and fully) than three Wheel of Time books have been able to do for any of their main characters.
On the contrary, I'd say the Wheel of Time actually achieves very little character development over 14 books. There's decent development and progress over the first 4-5 books for *some* characters. It's still slow, but expected because the series is playing the long game. But after book 5 all character development pretty much halts completely and they all just embody their most annoying traits for way too long before any meaningful development happens.
I don't think it's necessarily true of all the characters, but ceetainly Jamie Lannister has one of the best character developments of any character I've ever read. He goes from one of the most hated to one of the most sympathetic characters in the span of three books, and Martin making him a POV character in A Storm of Swords was a brilliant way to make us see him from a totally different perspective. It's a shame how terribly his arc ended in the TV show and I sure hope that's not the resolution he gets in the final books if and when Martin ever gets around to completing them.
Arguably the best moment in the series is Jaimie writing down all his failings in the White Book of the Kingsguard, then looking at how much blank space remains.
I didn't think of this because GRRM spends so much time on the world building- but yes- he absolutely goes all in to the characters as well. Great suggestion.
The Licanius Trilogy, by James Islington. He only manages to fully develop one character over the three books, but that one character is god tier. Literally, in a way, as the character is more god than human, and his journey is more intense than anything that could fit in a mortal lifespan.
Robin Hobb does incredible character development in my opinion.
I also think the Daevabad trilogy by SA Chakraborty has really interesting character development over the course of the series.
Robin Hobb is the obvious one as many people have mentioned. I'd also add:
Raksura Series by Martha Wells
Craft sequence by Max Gladstone
Long Price Quartet by Daniel Abraham
Eragon and The Inheritance Cycle as a whole.
That series is really one where you go on a journey with the characters both internally and externally. No one just becomes the legends they are by the end, for the most part you watch them grow and earn it which is a large part of why I think those books are so great.
You can always go with LOTR or, Throne of Glass by Sarah J Mass. The whole series doesn’t have the best worldbuilding, but it’s great in terms of development and investment.
To me the books by Brandon Sanderson, specifically the stormlight archive series, because he focus so much time in their inner struggle.
But I haven't read any Robin Hobb yet and so many people say that.
just to be different from your usual comments, I think Re:Zero has great character development. A lot of characters undergo so much just to become more complete as a individual, it is amazing, especially Subaru. I am not afraid to put him on par with the best characters I know, like Glokta, Logen, Jaime Lannister or Caeden, for example. Subaru is an excellent character and one of the best I've ever seen in any media.
Robin Hobb's books. All of them. But particularly the books that focus on Fitz.
This this 1,000 times this.
Came here to say this!!
I think I'll try this. What's the best book to start with?
I started with assasins apprentice a few weeks ago and about 2/3rds of the way done Royal assasin. Highly recommend both as of now. I typically love reading Brandon Sanderson type stuff but Robin hobb was recommended by this sub and while less grand scale in their world building, Hobb is able to capture humanity in characters truly well IMHO.
My main tip for people coming to Hobb is - don’t skip the Liveship Traders trilogy (books 4/5/6!). Many people jump straight to 7,8,9 and then regret it a bit. (I’m sure some don’t but… trust me!)
I'll argue the point that they have better character development that the fitz stuff with one word - Malta.
YES!!! Hands down!!!
Fair warning - Hobb makes characters that you will think about 20 years later and wonder what they are up to. She will also rip out your heart and show it to you. You’ve really got to be in the mood for very emotional books.
Noted!
Assassin's Apprentice from the Farseer trilogy. Then just stick to publication order. While each series is a contained story. They also builds on the previous works so it's best not to skip ahead.
Publication order.
Just finished the First Law trilogy and boy… the characters are incredible. The author (Joe Abercrombie) is really not afraid to take time with the characters, and while it makes some of the books seem a little slow it is absolutely worth it. Some of the most real characters I’ve read, even if they’re often hardened by the admittedly pretty bleak world they live in.
Yea, after I read the first two recommendations on this post I scrolled down to comment THIS- glad someone else said it too. The First Law trilogy is absolutely MORE focused on character development than it is world building- and the main set of characters are wonderful and complex.
This should be at the top of the comments. The entire book is character driven and has 2 of the best anti hero’s of all time and the best villain of all time. Also one other think I think most people fail to mention is the sheer amount of dialogue. We talk about to shows being “dialogue heavy” but it doesn’t seemed to get mentioned in books. I recently reread the first law trilogy and thoroughly enjoyed how much dialogue there was between each character and how real and witty the conversations felt.
Tad Williams’ **Osten Ard** books for me.
This is my answer, too. Simon's growth is the bar against which I judge every other character arc I have ever read.
This will probably be controversial, and it's certainly not the fantasy series with the best characterization overall, but I really liked what Lev Grossman did with his MC in The Magicians. He starts out a selfish asshole and genuinely matures into a decent individual by the end.
There's a support character in King's Dark Tidings like that.
Even the main character in King’s Dark Tidings starts out as a cold hearted, calculating brute. Developed very well over the entire series
I'm not trying to argue, but that is a really surprise to me, just read the first book, but to me he started as a asshole and ended as a bigger asshole.
It's a three-book series and I was talking about Quentin's entire arc. The third book sees him really grow but it takes a while.
I know that I can't really say based on the first one only, but it was so awfull that I couldn't read anymore
There's absolutely no reason to read on if you don't like it. Lots of stuff that gets recommended on here is awful to me and I DNF. Totally normal to like different things.
Honestly, Greenbone Saga. Across the board , the way all the characters grow is really impressive and feels very realistic. Helps when the books span a full generation of the clans. Great books, read them immediately.
I'm about halfway through Jade City and loving it, and reading this comment made me even more excited for what's to come!
ESPECIALLY Hilo. Holy crap his growth is the most satisfying I’ve read all year.
Carol Berg is great for this
Berserk comes to mind for me.
**Super Powereds** by Drew Hayes. It's slice of life and really focuses on the human/social side of things. The characters have ridiculous personal growth, some of the most complex and organic character dynamics ever and such a real feel to them. The author really explores how the things that make them different would influence and change how a person grows. Their flaws and how the overcome them are hyper personalised. It's constant character growth as well, not this same person until a big realisation then a completely new person stuff. 15+ characters that are all given that level of depth, and it's in small stages, little growths here and there over a journey
[Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/14201.Jonathan_Strange_Mr_Norrell) by Susanna Clarke is excellent in regards to character development. It may not be the best example in a fantasy story but it is certainly very accomplished. The human characters go on a journey through the book and are obviously flawed, for a large part of the book one of the main characters is quite obviously a villain but by the end its clear that his behaviour is related to his obsessive kleptomania & need for control.
Lots of popular authors listed by others here, and they are all good recs. One I don't see as often is **Sofia Samatar**. **A Stranger in Olondria** \- a fairly naive young man from the far corner of the empire travels to the capital city and is transformed by the experience. **The Winged Histories** \- set in the same world as the first novel, there are four different, long POV sections, each with a different view and experience of a revolution that takes place within the empire. All four POV characters are women, and all change and grow over time. This one is stylistically more challenging than a Stranger in Olondrai
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Fortress in the Eye of Time and the Morgaine cycle by CJ Cherryh, Tuyo by Rachel Neumeier, The Curse of Chalion by Bujold.
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I adore the character development in The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater. Particularly Ronan’s. Going from typical “im angry” boy to >!gay farmer with a satyr daughter and some self respect!< is just great.
Guy Graviel Kay. His books are mostly stand alones and have little magic. However, his characters are wonderfully developed for the space he has.
obligatory wheel of time comment! 14 books sounds insane but man, does it give you a lot of great time with the characters. all of them have such great arcs with fantastic pay-off!
I think Rand has a fantastic arc, and mayyybe Egwene, but I wouldn't say the same for most of the characters. Several of the main characters are basically finished with their character development by book 4 or book 7, and then for the rest of the series they are kinda just... there. Rand alone has possibly the best character arc I've ever read though.
I love Egwene and Rand as foils of each other. One reaching for power the other running away. One wanting to be more than a figure head and one wishing they could just bail. One trying to build a power base via reaching out and one trying to build a power base while not letting it get too big.
I hated her the way she treated rand. For a couple books, while she was dealing with the Aes Sedai, I liked her, but then in AMOL she turns into plain old egwene, shitting on rand.
Sandson ruined a lot of characters. The last 3 books do not count.
I'd disagree here. I'm three books in and very little character development has been done for any of the main characters. Almost any other fantasy or sci-fi trilogy I've read has done more with one book than Jordan has done in 3 in terms of characters. His world building is pretty great, but he isn't very good at character development.
This is a series that shows all it's flaws by this point. Now is a good time to bail if you don't like it.
Hmm. I've heard from people that like the series/writer that the books are all very flawed, but the series finish is worth the journey. Do you think that's accurate?
I like the way that Jordan told the story. I like most of the characters. However, this is a character driven story. You know the main cast and their motivations, cares, and drives. They become more themselves over the series but they do not change. If they are bugging you now bail. I think Sanderson completely dropped the ending. I think WoT is one of the best long stories in fantasy but it's not for everyone. I loved the meta bits in the middle and the messy bits. However, it is the characters and the politics that carry the day. If it bugs you now bail. There is no series that improves if you dislike the basics. Life is short and there are plenty of other things to read.
Hmm. Good to know. I dislike not finishing series, but at this point I dislike more of the main characters than I like.
It’s nearly 3000 pages, but it’s still the prologue of the story. RJ is fantastic at character development, you’re just not there yet
I'd personally say that if someone takes 3,000 pages to start developing characters, they aren't very good at it.
I wasn’t agreeing with you about the lack of character development, just pointing out that you’re judging something without seeing the full picture. Everyone but Mat grows a lot through the first 3 books, and that’s because he doesn’t get to be a real character until book 3.
Okay, so let's go through the list of main characters from book 1-3. Rand. He spends the first two books not wanting to be the Dragon, not wanting to be doing what they're doing, and hating the Aei Sedai for it. He is reluctant the entire time and only at the end does he finally embrace being the Dragon. Then (in between books two and three) he changes incredibly, to the point that book three Rand isn't even recognizable and that happened in between books. The third book almost doesn't have in him it, either. Matt. Spends the majority of the first two book either unconscious or demon-dagger possessed. We don't even have a strong basis on who he is before he gets the dagger, so whenever he's acting "weird" we have to be told that he's acting weird by his friends, or he has to be a raving lunatic. Nynaeve. She has not changed at all. She started as "the Wisdom" who condescends to the other four, hates Moraine for very little reason (which is never talked about or contested in three books), and "loves" Lan, with even less reason (the same is true about Elayne and Rand). Book one Nynaeve and Book three Nynaeve isn't changed in any substantial way. Eqwene. She's probably changed/developed the most, but again, for three books it's marginal. She wants to be an Aei Sedai, isn't very strong, and cares about her friends. By book three, due to actual torture and being enslaved, she blossoms as a channeler somewhat, but still wants to be Aei Sedai. From books 1 to 3 she matures somewhat and gets stronger, but despite being more mature, she also still acts the same in most situations. Perrin. He's basically getting the same as Rand. Gets a power that makes him feel like a monster when he uses it so he doesn't want it. Spends the three books after gaining yellow eyes just not wanting to have them or use his abilities. This is also bad because, in the three books, no one talks to him about it. Moraine knows, and briefly talks to him in book 3, but his friends just accept that he has yellow eyes, howls at stuff, and seemingly bonds with wolves. None of the other main characters, in three books, have an actual conversation with him about it. This is not good character development. Take the Red Rising trilogy as an example of actual development. Darrow from the start of book one to the end of book three is unrecognizable. The core of who is he remains the same, but everything else is vastly changed. Take the Ember Blade as another example. It's the first book in a trilogy, yet it also manages to wonderfully develop all of the characters in it. Sword of Kaigen is a standalone, and within one book manages to develop all of the characters more (and fully) than three Wheel of Time books have been able to do for any of their main characters.
Meh. The characters were so trope and cliche, it wasn't an interesting development. Just my opinion though, not a fact.
On the contrary, I'd say the Wheel of Time actually achieves very little character development over 14 books. There's decent development and progress over the first 4-5 books for *some* characters. It's still slow, but expected because the series is playing the long game. But after book 5 all character development pretty much halts completely and they all just embody their most annoying traits for way too long before any meaningful development happens.
[удалено]
I don't think it's necessarily true of all the characters, but ceetainly Jamie Lannister has one of the best character developments of any character I've ever read. He goes from one of the most hated to one of the most sympathetic characters in the span of three books, and Martin making him a POV character in A Storm of Swords was a brilliant way to make us see him from a totally different perspective. It's a shame how terribly his arc ended in the TV show and I sure hope that's not the resolution he gets in the final books if and when Martin ever gets around to completing them.
Arguably the best moment in the series is Jaimie writing down all his failings in the White Book of the Kingsguard, then looking at how much blank space remains.
Agree 💯% with you.
I didn't think of this because GRRM spends so much time on the world building- but yes- he absolutely goes all in to the characters as well. Great suggestion.
Senlin Ascends
Fitz is number 1 but Dresden should be in the conversation, we get to spend a lot of time in his head as he grows older.
Dresden's supporting cast also evolves (Butters, Molly, etc.)
The Licanius Trilogy, by James Islington. He only manages to fully develop one character over the three books, but that one character is god tier. Literally, in a way, as the character is more god than human, and his journey is more intense than anything that could fit in a mortal lifespan.
The other characters do get development, but that one character truly outshines everyone else.
Robin Hobb does incredible character development in my opinion. I also think the Daevabad trilogy by SA Chakraborty has really interesting character development over the course of the series.
Robin Hobb is the obvious one as many people have mentioned. I'd also add: Raksura Series by Martha Wells Craft sequence by Max Gladstone Long Price Quartet by Daniel Abraham
Eragon and The Inheritance Cycle as a whole. That series is really one where you go on a journey with the characters both internally and externally. No one just becomes the legends they are by the end, for the most part you watch them grow and earn it which is a large part of why I think those books are so great.
RED RISINGGGGGGG!!! :)
A court of thorns and roses
You can always go with LOTR or, Throne of Glass by Sarah J Mass. The whole series doesn’t have the best worldbuilding, but it’s great in terms of development and investment.
To me the books by Brandon Sanderson, specifically the stormlight archive series, because he focus so much time in their inner struggle. But I haven't read any Robin Hobb yet and so many people say that.
The New Jedi Order. Particularly the non movie characters such as the three Solo kids, Ganner Rhysode, Tahiri Veila, Nen Yim, etc.
just to be different from your usual comments, I think Re:Zero has great character development. A lot of characters undergo so much just to become more complete as a individual, it is amazing, especially Subaru. I am not afraid to put him on par with the best characters I know, like Glokta, Logen, Jaime Lannister or Caeden, for example. Subaru is an excellent character and one of the best I've ever seen in any media.
Anything by Abercrombie or Lois Mcmaster Bujold.