How did you get involved with RotE (spoilers Farseer, TM & Soldier Son)

[Bink]

I remember my 1st experience with RotE very distinctly for some reason. This was in 20000. It was a period at which I was in the military and performing orderly duty. By chance, a friend had left his book (the 1st book, AA) in the orderly room and I just picked it up, intending just to give it a flip. By no means am I a fantasy fan, so there wasn't any particular affinity to such a genre.

But I was completely hooked after chapter one of the Fitz with his encounter with Burrich. Then I subsequently bought it for myself and went from one book to the next. By my count, I should have read the entire series at least 3 to 4 times for each book. I have just recently done a lot of cleaning up in my house and I have got rid of almost all other books (by my count there should be more than 100 novels of all sorts), but I still keep the 9 books in the original 3 part trilogy.

I usually have no special feeling for any author or series of books I have ploughed through the year, but this is the only one that makes me come back for more. However, I never found any real attachment to the Soldier Son trilogy with perhaps the exception of the 1st book.

I have just completed a 5th journey in 2010 re-reading all 9 books, as well as the short story Inheritance for the 1st time, and to my delight there was a continuation with the Dragon Keeper published last year. I just about embark on Dragon Haven, so I'm sure I won't be disappointed.

['thul]

These beings are uncertain what led them to read the first one, and when it happened. They are quite certain that they asked someone for a book to read, possibly specifying fantasy to be the type, and they were handed the first of the farseer books.

@Bink:
You wont be disappointed...

[Farseer]

Hey, just letting you know of this thread where other thePlenty users have also outlined their Hobb/Lindholm experiences First, let me introduce you to yourself .

[Nuytsia]

Hey Bink great story!
Although I was picturing you in the military in "20000" as some sort of futuristic giant mech warrior.....

Heh sorry couldn't resist....

[Mervi]

I know we've already been discussing this in the introductions thread, but I think this is an interesting topic all on its own, so I'm not going to merge them. Feel free to continue!

I have a small tale to tell about how I discovered these books, but it will have to be told some other time as it's late and I'm in a hurry (as usual).

[joost]

My brother gave me 'a nice book' in 2001. It was Assassin's apprentice, and after a few chapters I was hooked.

['thul]

'tis a cruel prank to give someone a good book that is first in a series... These beings have given the same book (on loan) to their brother, but the brother has yet to begin reading it, unfortunately...

[Nuytsia]

My story's boring, I think it's in the introductions thread.

[Farseer]

For the sake of contributing, I have just copied and pasted parts of my intro post:

Living on a cattle station in Outback Australia, I have had to do a fair bit of flying in and out of major cities over the years and it was in the Brisbane Airport only about four years ago that I first came across AA. It was a short, hour and a half flight but I made sure I purchased RA and AQ from the Townsville Airport as soon as I landed! From there on, I got the rest of Robin Hobb's books sent out on the mail so am now good mates with Angus and Robertson staff in Townsville (which is about 600kms away from the homestead).

Before that, I couldn't remember the last time I'd read a book meant for an adult audience...my prior reading material had consisted solely of youth novels which I read with my kids so that we could chat about books together (pathetic excuse, I know, but there ARE some fantastic kids books out there!). We had been reading the brilliant Ranger's Apprentice series together at the time and so it was the word 'apprentice' that first drew me to AA...

Husband is almost finished FE, youngest son has read all Hobb books, including the SS series, and my eldest son is STILL reading SOM. My daughter can't wait to "grow up so I can read about Fitz" !!!

[KekPafrany]

I found the assassin "trilogy" in the public library by coincidence. I don't remember when this was, it could be '98-99. I felt very lucky however, finding 3 books from the same series together on the "random" shelf. I read 1-2 chapters and I became totally in love with the story.

Later I found out, that wasn't the whole trilogy Because the Hungarian publisher(s) have cut the RA into two pieces (So first I got only the AA and RA together as 3 different books - the second part of the RA was named as "The assassin of the People"), and later I found out about the AQ, but it was cut into two too. (The new edition isn't divided, but I like the covers of the first edition better.)
I remembered then the name Robin Hobb, and when I heard about the first part of the Magic ship got published, I ran to buy it.. But I got so furious, when I found out that is was only the first part of the MS. It was ridiculous, how many parts did they plan to cut into? So that was the time, when I decided, that I want to read it in English, however my knowledge in this language was ridiculous and miserable. But I can't even say, how grateful I am because Robin's book gave me this motivation