I've read fantasy for about 30 years and I was sure I could predict the ending...wrong! Hobb takes a fairly standard story and does new things with it. I have not read the third book but but have great expectations. As far as I'm concerned, Hobb writes better than Tad Williams or Robert Jordan.

This book discusses the posibility of higher consciouness and the problems associated with reaching this state. It is quite lengthy and takes time to absorb and would be a good choice if you were stuck for a while on an island