Looking for a book in a medieval or fantasy type setting with a main character that builds their life from nothing. Ideally not a rags to nobility type thing, more someone who just gets good at what they do or "makes it." I've been a big fan of blacksmith/wandering trader types in various games so I imagine those would be right up my alley, but open to other trades/professions so long as they aren't getting sucked into epic, kingdom-level politics.
Some action would be nice, but feeling like the character is setting and achieving goals in realistic ways I think is what I'm really looking for. Unfortunately, I don't have many references for what I do/don't like on this vein, but I did recently read Willows Run and while I really wanted to like it, I felt like the characters were floating through the story more than I'd like, if that makes sense.
by Cactapult