Winds Of The Forelands

A character-driven fantasy with plenty of magic to boot. It’s fallen by the wayside with all the recent fantasy that’s come out, but it’s a sharp tale with great characterization, a well-developed world, and an enticing plot - it’s better than most of the epic fantasy out there and is sadly unappreciated. It takes a while for the plot threads to weave together (which may be why it’s underappreciated), but once they do, you are taken for a grand ride. There’s a lot of good world-building in this one - lots of different kingdoms and cultures explored. Your surface impression might be that this is a typical fantasy, but it’s quite a bit deeper than that once you get past the surface - plenty of political intrigue, extensive world-building, and great characterization with complex relationships.