Lois McMaster Bujold: The Warrior's Apprentice.
You might also try the Halo books by Tobias Buckell or Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson. Or Another Fine Myth by Robert Aspirin (it's the start of a delightful and hilarious series, so if he likes it there'll be plenty of reading material to follow.)
I presume he's already read Harry Potter...?
|