I'll preface this by saying that I got bored and didn't finish it (Axioms? Rubbish, where's my field theory etc.) but Terence Tao's book on Algebra seemed like a somewhat gentle and very thoughtful introduction to the subject. Not necessarily easy by any means but it looks like he has put a lot of work into the pedagogy (whereas some mathematicians just shit out theorem and proof onto the page with no regard whatsoever for the prose, justification or flow - but I (am forced to) digest)