Hey Brian, I'm going to go off a bit for a week or so on Guns of the Dawn because I'm just finishing it and loved it.
The MC, Emily is a great character. She is a from a once well-off family, and her name still holds a lot of pull. Through a war effort gone on way too long, families are forced to send a woman into the army. While most houses send servants in their stead, Emily goes herself because she feels it is her duty, not the young maid or older cook. She is a great character, and we see how she grows and adapts to this new life. I like an ass-kicking heroine like Abercrombie does every now and then, but I almost prefer a realistic portrayal, of someone thrust into a role she knows nothing about, and how she deals with the tough men, enemies, and the loss of people around her. A really great read and I highly recommend it. The whole book is in her POV too, in third so for a large enough book, we only have her story, which I liked too.
Hobb often has some great characters too. Starling, Althea Vestrit, Kettricken, Nettle, and the MC from the Rain Wild books, who's name is escaping me now. She starts off a little simpering, but hardens and becomes a good character. That series also has a young malformed Rain Wilds girl that was a decent character.
