Robin Hobb is the queen of character driven epic fantasy. This was quite a shift from the Farseer trilogy, with numerous third person POVs and a whole new region with vastly different cultures. It contained many elements that are not often done well (like rampant misogyny and slavery) but Hobb actually explores these, rather than using them as a 'gritty backdrop'. I'm completely in love with this series and will dive into the sequel immediately.