Welcome Fran. You were registered at the old forum too, no? Glad to have you here.
As an enthusiast for the fantasy genre, I am very partial to Terry Goodkind's "Sword of Truth" series. It begins in typical fashion for the genre (young man gets his world rocked, sets out on a forced adventure only to discover his lost heritage and legacy, etc), but as the lengthy series unfolds, Goodkind uses the story and characters as a platform to espouse very anti-collectivist ideology. Embedded in the dialogue are some very pointed diatribes against collectivism and totalitarianism. It is a well-written, grittier take on fantasy, and a good piece of work, aside from ideology. Most satisfying.
ETA: There is an EXTREMELY sh*tty syndicated television series based loosely on these characters called "Legend of the Seeker". DO NOT seek it out. It is NOT representative of the novels.