(Very little spoilage involved, except hinting at changes of setting, and nothing more than you could glean from the back of the books.)

These books by Trudi Canavan are engaging and thrilling, leading you from comfortable settings to fantastic foreign lands. The characters are well defined and lovable, each one bringing a unique point of view to the story. It brings to light issues in class distinction and discrimination, later showing the hardships of being a foreigner in exciting new lands. The author does a great job of showing how the characters mature and change, developing strong bonds with one another.  The series ends leaving you with a good feeling, and for me the desire to read it all over again! Canavan skillfully depicts fantastical situations and makes them seem as realistic as your own hometown. I would compare these books to Harry Potter as they deal in magic and the development of latent abilities and discovering a new life in a new society. However, compared to Harry Potter, these books are WAY better! 
I hope this has inspired you to check out these great books! Happy Reading!