A Hobb fan, eh? She's my favorite.
Out of the initial list I'd say GRRM as he's my runner-up favorite but there's a long wait for the rest of it.
I've read the first Malazan book once, and then waited and read it again (because I felt like I didn't *get it* completely, and then book 2, but I wasn't a huge fan of the "what the *** is going on, I have no idea, I have no idea even how this magic works" feeling of being thrown in the river with no setup. I still plan to read more / revisit down the road, but to me these made GRRM's complex line up of characters seem simple.
I liked Glen Cook's Black Company books but they are very dark but a bit whimsical at the same time. I feel like Joe Abercrombie does this same sort of thing better now.
If you're just looking for recommendations...have you read Feist/Wurts's Empire Trilogy? Those are some of my favorite character-driven fantasy, although I guess you would want to start with Magician. Or if you're feeling like a bit darker, C.S. Friedman's Coldfire or Magister trilogies?