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The Liveship Traders #3
Ship of Destiny
An alternative cover of this ISBN can be found here.
As Bingtown slides toward disaster, clan matriarch Ronica Vestrit, branded a traitor, searches for a way to bring the city's inhabitants together against a momentous threat. Meanwhile, Althea Vestrit, unaware of what has befallen Bingtown and her family, continues her perilous quest to track down and recover her liveship, the Vivacia, from the ruthless pirate Kennit.
Bold though it is, Althea's scheme may be in vain. For her beloved Vivacia will face the most terrible confrontation of all as the secret of the liveships is revealed. It is a truth so shattering, it may destroy the Vivacia and all who love her, including Althea's nephew, whose life already hangs in the balance.
As Bingtown slides toward disaster, clan matriarch Ronica Vestrit, branded a traitor, searches for a way to bring the city's inhabitants together against a momentous threat. Meanwhile, Althea Vestrit, unaware of what has befallen Bingtown and her family, continues her perilous quest to track down and recover her liveship, the Vivacia, from the ruthless pirate Kennit.
Bold though it is, Althea's scheme may be in vain. For her beloved Vivacia will face the most terrible confrontation of all as the secret of the liveships is revealed. It is a truth so shattering, it may destroy the Vivacia and all who love her, including Althea's nephew, whose life already hangs in the balance.
789 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published March 1, 2000
1979 people are currently reading
30498 people want to read
About the author
Robin Hobb
313 books109k followers** I am shocked to find that some people think a 2 star 'I liked it' rating is a bad rating. What? I liked it. I LIKED it! That means I read the whole thing, to the last page, in spite of my life raining comets on me. It's a good book that survives the reading process with me. If a book is so-so, it ends up under the bed somewhere, or maybe under a stinky judo bag in the back of the van. So a 2 star from me means,yes, I liked the book, and I'd loan it to a friend and it went everywhere in my jacket pocket or purse until I finished it. A 3 star means that I've ignored friends to finish it and my sink is full of dirty dishes. A 4 star means I'm probably in trouble with my editor for missing a deadline because I was reading this book. But I want you to know . . . I don't finish books I don't like. There's too many good ones out there waiting to be found.
Robin Hobb is the author of three well-received fantasy trilogies: The Farseer Trilogy (Assassin’s Apprentice, Royal Assassin, and Assassin’s Quest), The Liveship Traders Trilogy (Ship of Magic, Mad Ship and Ship of Destiny) and the Tawny Man Trilogy (Fool’s Errand, Golden Fool, and Fool’s Fate) Her current work in progress is entitled Shaman’s Crossing. Robin Hobb lives and works in Tacoma, Washington, and has been a professional writer for over 30 years.
In addition to writing, her interests include gardening, mushrooming, and beachcombing. She and her husband Fred have three grown children and one teenager, and three grand-children.
She also writes as Megan Lindholm, and works under that name have been finalists for the Hugo award, the Nebula Award, and the Endeavor award. She has twice won an Isaac Asimov’s Science Fiction Readers’ Award.
Robin Hobb is the author of three well-received fantasy trilogies: The Farseer Trilogy (Assassin’s Apprentice, Royal Assassin, and Assassin’s Quest), The Liveship Traders Trilogy (Ship of Magic, Mad Ship and Ship of Destiny) and the Tawny Man Trilogy (Fool’s Errand, Golden Fool, and Fool’s Fate) Her current work in progress is entitled Shaman’s Crossing. Robin Hobb lives and works in Tacoma, Washington, and has been a professional writer for over 30 years.
In addition to writing, her interests include gardening, mushrooming, and beachcombing. She and her husband Fred have three grown children and one teenager, and three grand-children.
She also writes as Megan Lindholm, and works under that name have been finalists for the Hugo award, the Nebula Award, and the Endeavor award. She has twice won an Isaac Asimov’s Science Fiction Readers’ Award.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 4,263 reviews
May 4, 2023
4.5/5 stars
A satisfying conclusion to the Liveship Traders trilogy and at the same time, it also made me super excited to start Tawny Man trilogy.
Ship of Destiny marks the conclusion to the Liveship Traders trilogy, the second out of five subseries in Hobb’s Realm of the Elderlings series, and this was overall a satisfying conclusion. I really have to give this praise to Robin Hobb. Having read six books and one novella so far, whether I love it or not (mostly love), I found all her stories to be unpredictable. The book is filled with—once again—amazing characters developments, political turmoil, dragons, and a few great nautical battle scenes. In addition to that, there are a lot of revelations to secrets that were hinted ever since the first book; everything was resolved with no loose ends and the book also shed light on what to come in the future series. I almost absolutely loved reading this one, there were a few things I disliked which I’ll get into later but first let me dive talk a bit about the characters in this trilogy.
I’ve praised Hobb on her characterizations strength in all my review of her books so far and I envisioned you’re going to see this as an occurring event. Hobb is seriously superb in developing her characters, especially in this trilogy. Almost every single character ended up playing a role that gave the story its own charm and none of the characters in this trilogy ended up the same way from their first appearance; I mean it, every single character has gone through their own battle and struggles that changed them, for better or worse. I had a problem with the serpents' POV in the first and second book, they felt completely unnecessary, but in here it all finally made sense why they were necessary. The only character that remains the same was Amber and there’s a special reason for that.
There’s this phrase that’s used countless times in many novels, especially in YA fantasy, “she’s unlike any other woman” which ironically, makes the female characters mentioned the exact copy of all the other woman that received that description. However, I can assure you that Malta seriously deserves the title of “unlike any other woman”. This character’s growth from the first book to the third book is a coming of age tale at its finest. She grew from a highly spoiled brat and one of the most despicable characters I’ve ever read into one of the most interesting characters in the trilogy. And then there’s the liveship, Paragon, which I can’t stress highly enough how happy I am reading his story line and background. One final thing on the characters, Hobb seriously isn’t afraid to make her characters suffer.
Hobb has spent a lot of time building towards the last 250 pages and it was really worth it. The moment of convergence where all the characters that have been spread out across the continent throughout the trilogy finally meet each other were rewarding to read. This made the last 250 pages of this book incredibly compelling to read.
I did felt this book was a bit too huge for its own good. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind reading a tome, I absolutely loved and finished Oathbringer (450k words) in five days, and I still wanted more from it. But there were at least 100 pages here where Hobb repeated things that have been stated. This was more evident in the first 300 pages of this book during the Bingtown political discussions, right now, I don’t even remember half of the discussions that were discussed there because they felt like like fillers, and it did became tedious after a while. I've mentioned this in my previous review and I still think that Serrila’s POV was pointless in my opinion. It can be cut off completely and it won’t affect this trilogy at all. Having read up to this point though, I guess I’ll just have to accept that Robin Hobb has the tendency to ramble and being wordy, whether it’s her own fault or the editors, I have no idea. These are all just minor issues I had, though, the second half and Hobb’s prose more than made up for these cons, and the ending was fantastic. Otherwise, these issues I stated would've been a gigantic problem.
For those of you who are wondering if you can read this without reading Farseer or not, you absolutely can if you want. There’s one major character from the Farseer trilogy that’s here but if you haven’t read Farseer, you probably won’t know it’s him, that’s all you’ll miss. However, if you’re willing to read Farseer, I strongly recommend to finish the first two book and see how you feel about it first. If you don't like it, just read a summary of the third book, Assassin’s Quest, on Wikipedia. It will save you a HUGE amount of time and believe me, that book deserves to be skip, finishing that one almost made me give up completely on Robin Hobb, and this is coming from someone who actually enjoyed the first and second book in the trilogy.
Overall, The Liveship Traders is still a marvelous and satisfying trilogy to read, it’s so much better than the Farseer trilogy in my opinion. Also, I’m now super eager start Tawny Man, which from what I’ve heard is the most highly praised trilogy written by Robin Hobb and I will definitely do that after one or two book break. I highly recommend this trilogy for anyone who loves epic fantasy with a lot of characters POV and well-written characters’ development.
Picture: My copies of Liveship Traders
Series review:
Ship of Magic: 4.5/5 stars
The Mad Ship: 4/5 stars
Ship of Destiny: 4.5/5 stars
Liveship Traders: 13/15 stars
You can find this and the rest of my Adult Epic/High Fantasy & Sci-Fi reviews at BookNest
A satisfying conclusion to the Liveship Traders trilogy and at the same time, it also made me super excited to start Tawny Man trilogy.
Ship of Destiny marks the conclusion to the Liveship Traders trilogy, the second out of five subseries in Hobb’s Realm of the Elderlings series, and this was overall a satisfying conclusion. I really have to give this praise to Robin Hobb. Having read six books and one novella so far, whether I love it or not (mostly love), I found all her stories to be unpredictable. The book is filled with—once again—amazing characters developments, political turmoil, dragons, and a few great nautical battle scenes. In addition to that, there are a lot of revelations to secrets that were hinted ever since the first book; everything was resolved with no loose ends and the book also shed light on what to come in the future series. I almost absolutely loved reading this one, there were a few things I disliked which I’ll get into later but first let me dive talk a bit about the characters in this trilogy.
I’ve praised Hobb on her characterizations strength in all my review of her books so far and I envisioned you’re going to see this as an occurring event. Hobb is seriously superb in developing her characters, especially in this trilogy. Almost every single character ended up playing a role that gave the story its own charm and none of the characters in this trilogy ended up the same way from their first appearance; I mean it, every single character has gone through their own battle and struggles that changed them, for better or worse. I had a problem with the serpents' POV in the first and second book, they felt completely unnecessary, but in here it all finally made sense why they were necessary. The only character that remains the same was Amber and there’s a special reason for that.
There’s this phrase that’s used countless times in many novels, especially in YA fantasy, “she’s unlike any other woman” which ironically, makes the female characters mentioned the exact copy of all the other woman that received that description. However, I can assure you that Malta seriously deserves the title of “unlike any other woman”. This character’s growth from the first book to the third book is a coming of age tale at its finest. She grew from a highly spoiled brat and one of the most despicable characters I’ve ever read into one of the most interesting characters in the trilogy. And then there’s the liveship, Paragon, which I can’t stress highly enough how happy I am reading his story line and background. One final thing on the characters, Hobb seriously isn’t afraid to make her characters suffer.
“When you fear to fail, you fear something that has not happened yet. You predict your own failure, and by inaction, lock yourself into it.”
Hobb has spent a lot of time building towards the last 250 pages and it was really worth it. The moment of convergence where all the characters that have been spread out across the continent throughout the trilogy finally meet each other were rewarding to read. This made the last 250 pages of this book incredibly compelling to read.
I did felt this book was a bit too huge for its own good. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind reading a tome, I absolutely loved and finished Oathbringer (450k words) in five days, and I still wanted more from it. But there were at least 100 pages here where Hobb repeated things that have been stated. This was more evident in the first 300 pages of this book during the Bingtown political discussions, right now, I don’t even remember half of the discussions that were discussed there because they felt like like fillers, and it did became tedious after a while. I've mentioned this in my previous review and I still think that Serrila’s POV was pointless in my opinion. It can be cut off completely and it won’t affect this trilogy at all. Having read up to this point though, I guess I’ll just have to accept that Robin Hobb has the tendency to ramble and being wordy, whether it’s her own fault or the editors, I have no idea. These are all just minor issues I had, though, the second half and Hobb’s prose more than made up for these cons, and the ending was fantastic. Otherwise, these issues I stated would've been a gigantic problem.
For those of you who are wondering if you can read this without reading Farseer or not, you absolutely can if you want. There’s one major character from the Farseer trilogy that’s here but if you haven’t read Farseer, you probably won’t know it’s him, that’s all you’ll miss. However, if you’re willing to read Farseer, I strongly recommend to finish the first two book and see how you feel about it first. If you don't like it, just read a summary of the third book, Assassin’s Quest, on Wikipedia. It will save you a HUGE amount of time and believe me, that book deserves to be skip, finishing that one almost made me give up completely on Robin Hobb, and this is coming from someone who actually enjoyed the first and second book in the trilogy.
Overall, The Liveship Traders is still a marvelous and satisfying trilogy to read, it’s so much better than the Farseer trilogy in my opinion. Also, I’m now super eager start Tawny Man, which from what I’ve heard is the most highly praised trilogy written by Robin Hobb and I will definitely do that after one or two book break. I highly recommend this trilogy for anyone who loves epic fantasy with a lot of characters POV and well-written characters’ development.
Picture: My copies of Liveship Traders
Series review:
Ship of Magic: 4.5/5 stars
The Mad Ship: 4/5 stars
Ship of Destiny: 4.5/5 stars
Liveship Traders: 13/15 stars
You can find this and the rest of my Adult Epic/High Fantasy & Sci-Fi reviews at BookNest
July 29, 2022
SCREAMS INTO THE ETHER: FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFUUCKKKKKKK!!!!!!! INCREDIBLE. SHOWSTOPPING. GIRL BOSSING. CLEARED MY SKIN. GAVE ME 10 EXTRA YEARS IN LIFE!!
I cannot even begin to just encapsulate everything that I just went through. Robin Hobb is literally a fucking genius!!! No one, NOBODY NO ONE NOT AT ALL NUH HUH does it like her. Actually WTH.
Also not be bowing down to Malta in this book??!!
Literally my new favorite fantasy series of all time.
Watch my full review (nonspoilers & spoilers) here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_VOc...
5 STARS BABY, 5 STARS!!!!!!!
Twitter | Bookstagram | Youtube |
I cannot even begin to just encapsulate everything that I just went through. Robin Hobb is literally a fucking genius!!! No one, NOBODY NO ONE NOT AT ALL NUH HUH does it like her. Actually WTH.
Also not be bowing down to Malta in this book??!!
Literally my new favorite fantasy series of all time.
Watch my full review (nonspoilers & spoilers) here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_VOc...
5 STARS BABY, 5 STARS!!!!!!!
Twitter | Bookstagram | Youtube |
April 30, 2022
Check out my new youtube channel where I show my instant reactions to reading fantasy books seconds after I finish the book.
Simply a masterpiece - one of my top 10 fantasy books of all time
I really wasn't sure how Robin Hobb was going to improve upon the previous two books in this series, as they were so well done and I had literally no complaints with any part of them. But she did here, in what has turned out to be one of the all-time best fantasy books - and without doubt the best fantasy pirate story ever told.
The characters, as is typical in a Robin Hobb book, are wonderful and arguably feel more real than any other characters in any other book. They are not static characters, and they all go through dynamic growth that feels so refreshing in a fantasy book when oftentimes fantasy characters stay the same through a series of a books.
The plot is once again incredible, but what really propels this book into such a high status is the ending of this book, which was nailed so perfectly and was setup through the other books to such a great level. I absolutely love the direction the "sea serpents" have taken through this series, culminating in this book, as well as the development of the plotline in Trehaug.
There is some debate between Robin Hobb fans about which series is best, but for me - this series is the absolute best of her works.
Simply a masterpiece - one of my top 10 fantasy books of all time
I really wasn't sure how Robin Hobb was going to improve upon the previous two books in this series, as they were so well done and I had literally no complaints with any part of them. But she did here, in what has turned out to be one of the all-time best fantasy books - and without doubt the best fantasy pirate story ever told.
The characters, as is typical in a Robin Hobb book, are wonderful and arguably feel more real than any other characters in any other book. They are not static characters, and they all go through dynamic growth that feels so refreshing in a fantasy book when oftentimes fantasy characters stay the same through a series of a books.
The plot is once again incredible, but what really propels this book into such a high status is the ending of this book, which was nailed so perfectly and was setup through the other books to such a great level. I absolutely love the direction the "sea serpents" have taken through this series, culminating in this book, as well as the development of the plotline in Trehaug.
There is some debate between Robin Hobb fans about which series is best, but for me - this series is the absolute best of her works.
July 31, 2024
Robin Hobb is a master of the fantasy genre and of character development. This is how you end a trilogy, ladies and gentlemen. And the other two books in the series is how you start one and how you write a middle novel that is not useless. In short, Robin Hobb is a fantastic writer and you should read her books, if you haven’t already. No fantasy afficionado should miss her works. Only keep in mind that they are not too fast paced, ok?
I hate books about boats and seafaring. I just don’t care about naval battles and sailing. So, please believe me when I write that this series is fantastic. If I could not care less about my dislike of sea stuff, then you know this is something special.
Every string from the previous volumes find their meaning and resolution. I had so many aha moments, although I guessed some of the twists. I was a bit surprised because the ending was more positive than I expected from Hobb, taking in consideration what she did to poor Fitz (if you know you know). Well, not everybody got a happy ending, that would have been too much. Oh, and I love the references about a certain character and their past. I can’t wait to read the following trilogy in the Realm of Elderlings universe to see what happens. I hope Hobb will be less cruel to Fitz but I doubt it.
I hate books about boats and seafaring. I just don’t care about naval battles and sailing. So, please believe me when I write that this series is fantastic. If I could not care less about my dislike of sea stuff, then you know this is something special.
Every string from the previous volumes find their meaning and resolution. I had so many aha moments, although I guessed some of the twists. I was a bit surprised because the ending was more positive than I expected from Hobb, taking in consideration what she did to poor Fitz (if you know you know). Well, not everybody got a happy ending, that would have been too much. Oh, and I love the references about a certain character and their past. I can’t wait to read the following trilogy in the Realm of Elderlings universe to see what happens. I hope Hobb will be less cruel to Fitz but I doubt it.
February 16, 2020
Omg!! I love this trilogy so much!! And yeah, I freaking cried! 😫
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
November 11, 2018
“Do you not see how strange and wonderful that is? That all history balances on an affair of the human heart?”
Well, this was a bittersweet story.
Hobb started this right from the end of Mad Ship and we saw all the story arcs going in farther away from each other instead of converging, at least initially. I was frustrated how all the story arcs were taking their on sweet time to reach the conclusion but once I finished reading this, I couldn't help but marvel on how beautifully she brought everything together. Once again I will talk about characters that impressed me the most.
Paragon beats every other character to be my favorite of the trilogy. I didn't like him initially, after all he was a mad and a brooding ship, with a bloody history to tell. Here not only he told the dark secrets from his past but also made us how at heart he was still a child and how he's connect to another child. So much happened on his deck; murder, rape, abuse, you name and Paragon has seen it all and yet he is still capable of forgiving that one person who cheated him in the end for someone else. It was heartbreaking to see them together one last time.
Once again Malta made it to my favorite list. That girl never cease to amaze me. When all hope was lost she did something that not only saved her but also redeemed the whole of Bingtown and Rain Wilds. It was because of her that we got to know the secret of Livships. But her journey in this book was not so flowery, it was full of hard work, constant disrespect, and taking care of self obsessed man. And she did it all! Every time I thought yup, she's going to give up and jump the ship but she came back strongly and won my heart.
Last but not least Kennit. I hated him but I also could not help myself and pity him. I hated what he did to Wintrow, Etta, and Althea. How he deceived Paragon! I wanted to strangle him in that moment but could not. The story of who he was, who he is now, and what he wanted to be made me tear up. His was the darkest, saddest, and ugliest story. Hobb was not kind when she told us about Kennit. It was at times uncomfortable to read on but I guess that's what made Kennit such a complex character.
And then there was Tintaglia in all her glory. She was magnificent and one of the most important character of this book. I loved her but then who doesn't love dragons!
It was an amazing story and I had a great time reading it. I will definitely be recommending it to friends.
Well, this was a bittersweet story.
Hobb started this right from the end of Mad Ship and we saw all the story arcs going in farther away from each other instead of converging, at least initially. I was frustrated how all the story arcs were taking their on sweet time to reach the conclusion but once I finished reading this, I couldn't help but marvel on how beautifully she brought everything together. Once again I will talk about characters that impressed me the most.
Paragon beats every other character to be my favorite of the trilogy. I didn't like him initially, after all he was a mad and a brooding ship, with a bloody history to tell. Here not only he told the dark secrets from his past but also made us how at heart he was still a child and how he's connect to another child. So much happened on his deck; murder, rape, abuse, you name and Paragon has seen it all and yet he is still capable of forgiving that one person who cheated him in the end for someone else. It was heartbreaking to see them together one last time.
Once again Malta made it to my favorite list. That girl never cease to amaze me. When all hope was lost she did something that not only saved her but also redeemed the whole of Bingtown and Rain Wilds. It was because of her that we got to know the secret of Livships. But her journey in this book was not so flowery, it was full of hard work, constant disrespect, and taking care of self obsessed man. And she did it all! Every time I thought yup, she's going to give up and jump the ship but she came back strongly and won my heart.
Last but not least Kennit. I hated him but I also could not help myself and pity him. I hated what he did to Wintrow, Etta, and Althea. How he deceived Paragon! I wanted to strangle him in that moment but could not. The story of who he was, who he is now, and what he wanted to be made me tear up. His was the darkest, saddest, and ugliest story. Hobb was not kind when she told us about Kennit. It was at times uncomfortable to read on but I guess that's what made Kennit such a complex character.
And then there was Tintaglia in all her glory. She was magnificent and one of the most important character of this book. I loved her but then who doesn't love dragons!
It was an amazing story and I had a great time reading it. I will definitely be recommending it to friends.
May 1, 2016
I loved the ending of this because everything was resolved perfectly, and at the same time the events have far, far, reaching consequences. These will no doubt affect the Six Duchies. This made the ending so strong for me because I couldn’t wait to read more. I couldn’t wait to see how far Amber has (and will) shape the world in accordance with her prophecies.
It’s all about the dragons!
'
The magic behind all this slowly began to reveal itself across the trilogy and, finally, in this book it was released. The revelation of what drives the liveships was completely bizarre, but as the novel progressed it became clear how well established this outlandish idea was. It’s all so strange and wonderfully accidental. The magic system is very well thought out to say the least. If someone would have told me when I began reading that this weirdness was behind it, I would have laughed. But Hobb is the master of her craft; she makes the impossible magical: she makes it real.
“One does not need the size of a dragon to have the soul of a dragon.”
I found myself liking Paragon more and more as the series developed. He initially appears as a sullen brute who is about to explode with unbridled rage. But the ship has a massive backstory. He’s a victim, a big one. He has been abandoned and defaced; he has been used and mistreated. However, Amber saw into the depths of him; she saw what lurked behind his wooden exterior, and she gives him the most ultimate gift. Unsurprisingly, during the process she pays great homage to her greatest friend and biggest love. Such a fool. (see what I did there)
It all came together in the end
(^^ I love this pic!)
The climax was everything it needed to be. The characters all had one big clash at the high seas and in doing so Hobb expanded her fantasy universe tremendously. The importance of a group of serpents, which I initially perceived as insignificant, became abundantly clear. They’re so central to Hobb’s magic. I always wondered why they were so drawn to the boats. In retrospect it’s all rather obvious. But when I was reading I was rather dumbfounded. I wonder how the rest of the world will feel when they find out, if they find out.
“Do you not see how strange and wonderful that is? That all history balances on an affair of the human heart?”
Malta is, perhaps, the character that will go furthest in this. (Excluding Amber of course.) Her path has been intertwined with that of the dragons. Her development was wonderful; she went from an annoying brat to someone with real character: she grew up. Some of the other characters had semi-predictable endings. With her it was fairly surprising. Overall, this was a good ending to a good trilogy. I’m looking forward to seeing how Hobb uses elements of this in later books.
The Liveship Traders
1. Ship of Magic- A seafaing 3.5 stars
2. The Mad Ship- A tumultuous four stars.
3. SHip of Destiny- A cresting fours stars
It’s all about the dragons!
'
The magic behind all this slowly began to reveal itself across the trilogy and, finally, in this book it was released. The revelation of what drives the liveships was completely bizarre, but as the novel progressed it became clear how well established this outlandish idea was. It’s all so strange and wonderfully accidental. The magic system is very well thought out to say the least. If someone would have told me when I began reading that this weirdness was behind it, I would have laughed. But Hobb is the master of her craft; she makes the impossible magical: she makes it real.
“One does not need the size of a dragon to have the soul of a dragon.”
I found myself liking Paragon more and more as the series developed. He initially appears as a sullen brute who is about to explode with unbridled rage. But the ship has a massive backstory. He’s a victim, a big one. He has been abandoned and defaced; he has been used and mistreated. However, Amber saw into the depths of him; she saw what lurked behind his wooden exterior, and she gives him the most ultimate gift. Unsurprisingly, during the process she pays great homage to her greatest friend and biggest love. Such a fool. (see what I did there)
It all came together in the end
(^^ I love this pic!)
The climax was everything it needed to be. The characters all had one big clash at the high seas and in doing so Hobb expanded her fantasy universe tremendously. The importance of a group of serpents, which I initially perceived as insignificant, became abundantly clear. They’re so central to Hobb’s magic. I always wondered why they were so drawn to the boats. In retrospect it’s all rather obvious. But when I was reading I was rather dumbfounded. I wonder how the rest of the world will feel when they find out, if they find out.
“Do you not see how strange and wonderful that is? That all history balances on an affair of the human heart?”
Malta is, perhaps, the character that will go furthest in this. (Excluding Amber of course.) Her path has been intertwined with that of the dragons. Her development was wonderful; she went from an annoying brat to someone with real character: she grew up. Some of the other characters had semi-predictable endings. With her it was fairly surprising. Overall, this was a good ending to a good trilogy. I’m looking forward to seeing how Hobb uses elements of this in later books.
The Liveship Traders
1. Ship of Magic- A seafaing 3.5 stars
2. The Mad Ship- A tumultuous four stars.
3. SHip of Destiny- A cresting fours stars
July 31, 2021
The conclusion of this trilogy was satisfying in all the ways that it counts!
I was happy to see that all the Vestrid women were strong in character. They did what had to be done, despite all being in different situations with different dangers. The same thing goes for Wintrow who became a man despite his young age and his little brother, Selden, who stood up when it was vital.
My favorite character development hands down has to be Malta. She evolved from someone I hated to becoming my favorite character (sorry, Althea but it's true). Malta went from an annoying little brat to a resourceful and interesting young woman who has been well-matched with Reyn.
The next best character development was Paragon. Through this book, we learned what truly happened to him and by who. Thanks to Amber in Ship of Destiny, he is comfortable in his own skin. Or should I say wood?
Tintaglia was a wonderful addition to the mix. I can see how she will change the future of the realm.
If I have to say what I disliked about this book, I would have to say it had to do with where the story went with Kennit. I felt it was a wasted use of an antihero. I'm also not sure I liked the new Vivacia but I guess it had to happen.
I can't finish this review without making a stand. If you are an impatient reader (which I am) this series is not for you. The Realm of the Elderlings series is full of books that are long, detailed, and slow prosed. They are meant to be savored and unless you have been warned like I was (thank you hubby), you won't enjoy them. You will think why are all these details important? Why does it matter? I would answer that the key is most of the time in the details.
Cliffhanger: No
4/5 Fangs
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I was happy to see that all the Vestrid women were strong in character. They did what had to be done, despite all being in different situations with different dangers. The same thing goes for Wintrow who became a man despite his young age and his little brother, Selden, who stood up when it was vital.
My favorite character development hands down has to be Malta. She evolved from someone I hated to becoming my favorite character (sorry, Althea but it's true). Malta went from an annoying little brat to a resourceful and interesting young woman who has been well-matched with Reyn.
The next best character development was Paragon. Through this book, we learned what truly happened to him and by who. Thanks to Amber in Ship of Destiny, he is comfortable in his own skin. Or should I say wood?
Tintaglia was a wonderful addition to the mix. I can see how she will change the future of the realm.
If I have to say what I disliked about this book, I would have to say it had to do with where the story went with Kennit. I felt it was a wasted use of an antihero. I'm also not sure I liked the new Vivacia but I guess it had to happen.
I can't finish this review without making a stand. If you are an impatient reader (which I am) this series is not for you. The Realm of the Elderlings series is full of books that are long, detailed, and slow prosed. They are meant to be savored and unless you have been warned like I was (thank you hubby), you won't enjoy them. You will think why are all these details important? Why does it matter? I would answer that the key is most of the time in the details.
Cliffhanger: No
4/5 Fangs
MrsLeif's Two Fangs About It | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
July 12, 2023
Zrobiłem to, po miesiącu przerwy skończyłem książkę.
Podtrzymuję to, co pisałem po skończeniu drugiego tomu - najlepsza trylogia fantasy, jaką przeczytałem.
Kocham Panią Pani Hobb.
A tu recenzja całej serii ziomki:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cp_pW...
Podtrzymuję to, co pisałem po skończeniu drugiego tomu - najlepsza trylogia fantasy, jaką przeczytałem.
Kocham Panią Pani Hobb.
A tu recenzja całej serii ziomki:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cp_pW...
June 12, 2022
One of the best trilogies I have ever read!
This trilogy was everything I hoped for and more. This review will be spoiler-free!
Ship of Destiny is the final book in The Liveship Traders trilogy, and all I can say about this series is...WOW! (Well not quite ‘all I can say’ because as you see I wrote a review.)
I have to praise Hobb for how she handles the themes of grief, identity and trauma. I have never come across an author that is able to handle these complex and challenging themes in such a realistic and impactful way. It was fascinating to see how these characters’ grief and trauma slowly changes throughout almost 3,000 pages. I don’t think I have come across an author before that seems to understand mental health and portray it so well in fiction as Robin Hobb.
Consequently, Hobb is able to wrap up all the loose ends in this final book of the trilogy, making this a very satisfying read. It felt incredibly gratifying to see how all the loose ends were wrapped up in the last act and how almost every single main character played a crucial role in the conclusion. Moreover, the reader will truly come to appreciate each character arc near the end of this incredible series. The character arcs in this trilogy are some of the best I have come across in fantasy. Hobb has a unique ability to pull at the reader’s heartstrings and make the reader feel invested in each character.
However, as with all of Hobb’s books, the pace is very slow. This book and series could have arguably been a bit shorter, but I also feel there is a strong case for making these books long. I am not sure you can rush a story like this and make it as impactful. Hobb obviously wanted to write a character-driven story with a focus on grief, identity and trauma. While you “could” speed up the pace of the story, I do not believe it would have been as impactful for the reader. Can you genuinely analyse such complex themes and characters in a few pages? Hobb clearly felt she needed nearly 3,000 pages to explore these themes and characters fully, and I am so glad she did.
That being said, I only gave Ship of Magic 5 stars, with The Mad Ship getting 4 stars and Ship of Destiny getting 4.5 stars. However, as a whole, this trilogy deserves 5 / 5 stars. This trilogy has cemented Robin Hobb as one of my all-time favourite authors, and The Liveship Traders trilogy has become one of my all-time favourite trilogies. I can’t wait to read The Tawny Man trilogy soon!
A special thanks to my Patreon’s Erin, Blake, Mel and Áron Sofus!
This trilogy was everything I hoped for and more. This review will be spoiler-free!
Ship of Destiny is the final book in The Liveship Traders trilogy, and all I can say about this series is...WOW! (Well not quite ‘all I can say’ because as you see I wrote a review.)
I have to praise Hobb for how she handles the themes of grief, identity and trauma. I have never come across an author that is able to handle these complex and challenging themes in such a realistic and impactful way. It was fascinating to see how these characters’ grief and trauma slowly changes throughout almost 3,000 pages. I don’t think I have come across an author before that seems to understand mental health and portray it so well in fiction as Robin Hobb.
Consequently, Hobb is able to wrap up all the loose ends in this final book of the trilogy, making this a very satisfying read. It felt incredibly gratifying to see how all the loose ends were wrapped up in the last act and how almost every single main character played a crucial role in the conclusion. Moreover, the reader will truly come to appreciate each character arc near the end of this incredible series. The character arcs in this trilogy are some of the best I have come across in fantasy. Hobb has a unique ability to pull at the reader’s heartstrings and make the reader feel invested in each character.
However, as with all of Hobb’s books, the pace is very slow. This book and series could have arguably been a bit shorter, but I also feel there is a strong case for making these books long. I am not sure you can rush a story like this and make it as impactful. Hobb obviously wanted to write a character-driven story with a focus on grief, identity and trauma. While you “could” speed up the pace of the story, I do not believe it would have been as impactful for the reader. Can you genuinely analyse such complex themes and characters in a few pages? Hobb clearly felt she needed nearly 3,000 pages to explore these themes and characters fully, and I am so glad she did.
That being said, I only gave Ship of Magic 5 stars, with The Mad Ship getting 4 stars and Ship of Destiny getting 4.5 stars. However, as a whole, this trilogy deserves 5 / 5 stars. This trilogy has cemented Robin Hobb as one of my all-time favourite authors, and The Liveship Traders trilogy has become one of my all-time favourite trilogies. I can’t wait to read The Tawny Man trilogy soon!
A special thanks to my Patreon’s Erin, Blake, Mel and Áron Sofus!
February 5, 2020
This series was an experience for me. I immersed myself in it at a time when there was a ton of time on my hands, and I am glad I did. The large, sprawling books ended in this finale, and it was a fitting ending. Loose ends that floated through the series began to appear and draw tighter and tighter together as this story reached its conclusion.
This author knows how to end a series well. It’s one thing to end a story well, another to end a book well and entirely a different thing to end a trilogy well- especially one as massive and variegated as this one was. Hobb is the master of this craft. She has a delicate balance of action, dialogue and characterization that caused me to become invested in the story, and more importantly to me, in the characters.
This is one of those series of books that I will think about for many years to come. There have been time periods of my life that a song or a movie will seem linked to- these books will always remind me of these December and January days. The characters in this novel feel like real people that I will miss- the headstrong Althea, treacherous Kennit, lovesick Reyn, the impulsive Malta, the matriarchal Ronica. One of the surest signs of a writer’s talent is in the way the characters change by the end of a story and the way those changes intertwine with the themes, both major and minor. These characters all change and grow in ways that are significant to the plot and to one in another, which also lends the feel of authenticity to this book.
The culture and setting also changes in ways that relate to the overall plot development, as well as to the minor storylines that wind together like fibers into a rope becoming part of a larger world. The more unusual elements of this author’s fantasy world are blended in at a consistent and recognizable pace. At no point did I feel as if information was being dumped on me, nor was I confused by a lack of details or made to feel as if the story was being dragged thin. This book was large, and it needed to be.
The ending is perfect for a series this large.
5.5 stars for sure.
This author knows how to end a series well. It’s one thing to end a story well, another to end a book well and entirely a different thing to end a trilogy well- especially one as massive and variegated as this one was. Hobb is the master of this craft. She has a delicate balance of action, dialogue and characterization that caused me to become invested in the story, and more importantly to me, in the characters.
This is one of those series of books that I will think about for many years to come. There have been time periods of my life that a song or a movie will seem linked to- these books will always remind me of these December and January days. The characters in this novel feel like real people that I will miss- the headstrong Althea, treacherous Kennit, lovesick Reyn, the impulsive Malta, the matriarchal Ronica. One of the surest signs of a writer’s talent is in the way the characters change by the end of a story and the way those changes intertwine with the themes, both major and minor. These characters all change and grow in ways that are significant to the plot and to one in another, which also lends the feel of authenticity to this book.
The culture and setting also changes in ways that relate to the overall plot development, as well as to the minor storylines that wind together like fibers into a rope becoming part of a larger world. The more unusual elements of this author’s fantasy world are blended in at a consistent and recognizable pace. At no point did I feel as if information was being dumped on me, nor was I confused by a lack of details or made to feel as if the story was being dragged thin. This book was large, and it needed to be.
The ending is perfect for a series this large.
5.5 stars for sure.
![Profile Image for Anna [Bran. San. Stan].](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.gr-assets.com%2Fimages%2FS%2Fcompressed.photo.goodreads.com%2Fusers%2F1593184464i%2F98245866._UX200_CR0%2C0%2C200%2C200_.jpg&w=128&q=75)
September 27, 2023
If you feel – like me – that characters are the true magic of a story, it is only logical to declare Hobb a magician. All of her characters, not just the MCs, are just so deep and realistic; they feel like real people. You love them, you hate them and you feel anything in between. Seriously, the way she basically “jaime lannisters” some of her characters, making you root for them after initially deeply disliking them, is nothing short of extraordinary. (Malta Vestrit is the most notable example that comes to mind.)
That’s not to say that I didn’t also love her magic system; I really loved it a whole lot. It was gratifying to finally discover how the liveships (sentient ships) came to exist – and to further explore the recurring theme of storing memories/emotions and its potential to reduce trauma. Furthermore, we get to know more about the elusive Elderlings, their general nature as well as their origins; it also turns out that the abandoned Elderling city that Fitz explores in the Farseer trilogy and the one seen here are one and the same. I love it when puzzle pieces like these fit together.
All in all, this was a deeply satisfying ending for this trilogy; it was all kinds of awesome when all our characters finally converge and things are eventually resolved. And it feels so good to leave our characters in a good place – much unlike the bleak ending of the Farseer trilogy. Well, at least now that I’m done with the Liveship Traders I will finally find out what happens to Fitz in the next trilogy set in the Realm of the Elderlings.
Onward!
PS: If you haven't read this trilogy, you really should. I can't imagine anyone who likes fantasy will not enjoy this. Technically, it can be read as a stand-alone trilogy: you don't have to read the Farseer trilogy first, if for some reason you don't want to.
That’s not to say that I didn’t also love her magic system; I really loved it a whole lot. It was gratifying to finally discover how the liveships (sentient ships) came to exist – and to further explore the recurring theme of storing memories/emotions and its potential to reduce trauma. Furthermore, we get to know more about the elusive Elderlings, their general nature as well as their origins; it also turns out that the abandoned Elderling city that Fitz explores in the Farseer trilogy and the one seen here are one and the same. I love it when puzzle pieces like these fit together.
All in all, this was a deeply satisfying ending for this trilogy; it was all kinds of awesome when all our characters finally converge and things are eventually resolved. And it feels so good to leave our characters in a good place – much unlike the bleak ending of the Farseer trilogy. Well, at least now that I’m done with the Liveship Traders I will finally find out what happens to Fitz in the next trilogy set in the Realm of the Elderlings.
Onward!
PS: If you haven't read this trilogy, you really should. I can't imagine anyone who likes fantasy will not enjoy this. Technically, it can be read as a stand-alone trilogy: you don't have to read the Farseer trilogy first, if for some reason you don't want to.
February 13, 2021
8.86 on CAWPILE.
October 7, 2024
Absolutely incredible. Robin Hobb is a master of character. Emotional, beautifully written, and heart-wrenching. I don’t know that I’ve ever hated and loved and been all up down on the spectrum of emotions so strongly for a cast of characters before. CanNOT WAIT to keep reading the Realm of the Elderlings!
April 18, 2023
*** 4.75 ***
Second read, and I guess I am even more impressed with the author's infinite talent to spin a yarn and steal our souls for the duration... What a tale!!! There are a series of chapters in this book, that are absolutely heartbreaking! I honestly don't remember a moment in a book that has upset me so much. I know I am an emotional reader to begin with and tend to be sensitive to all nuances of writing... Hobb is a magical storyteller! She is one of the best in her craft for sure. The combination of all that and her choices of the stories themselves, just kill me! How does she do it, so that although I am absolutely demolished emotionally, I still want to keep on reading? Not just want to, but I need to, because I can't get enough???? And I really want to know where she takes us with this cruelly crafted tale!
Despite all that, Robin Hoob delivers all the way!!! Beautifully and magically! Thank you!❤️👍👍👍👍👍
*** 4.25 for the whole trilogy ***
I love this author, I think she is brilliant and imaginative and can come up with one heck of a story. However, I was kind of frustrated with every character in the book at this point... I appreciate all the details and the debt of characters they create, but I really think that these books could have been a third as short as they are. I am a bit tired of knowing every emotion of every person in Bingtown or the Rein Wilds... For that matter, I don't need to know everything about all the random sailors or pirates. I think, the same thing I felt for Diana Gabaldon... They can't control their writing and tend to get lost in all the details they feel and want to relate. This is why I love Glen Cook, who can tackle epic themes like these, full of hundreds of characters, and still stick to the point, conveying all the rest with show of emotion through action and not needing to explain every emotion of the character, we just get it. I don't usually mind the in debt portrayals, but there has to be at least an editor who goes behind the author and keeps them in line.
I only say that because I really love this author and expect much more from her than the average ones out there. I love the world, the idea of the story, but yes, there is such a thing as story fatigue...
Having said that, I am addicted to this world and plan on reading all the books that are connected with the Elderlings:):):) Can't wait to see how the majestic and very selfish creatures, the Dragons, get to adjust to a world which has forgotten about them and how the world finds a way to live with those very high-maintenance demigods:):):)
Second read, and I guess I am even more impressed with the author's infinite talent to spin a yarn and steal our souls for the duration... What a tale!!! There are a series of chapters in this book, that are absolutely heartbreaking! I honestly don't remember a moment in a book that has upset me so much. I know I am an emotional reader to begin with and tend to be sensitive to all nuances of writing... Hobb is a magical storyteller! She is one of the best in her craft for sure. The combination of all that and her choices of the stories themselves, just kill me! How does she do it, so that although I am absolutely demolished emotionally, I still want to keep on reading? Not just want to, but I need to, because I can't get enough???? And I really want to know where she takes us with this cruelly crafted tale!
Despite all that, Robin Hoob delivers all the way!!! Beautifully and magically! Thank you!❤️👍👍👍👍👍
*** 4.25 for the whole trilogy ***
I love this author, I think she is brilliant and imaginative and can come up with one heck of a story. However, I was kind of frustrated with every character in the book at this point... I appreciate all the details and the debt of characters they create, but I really think that these books could have been a third as short as they are. I am a bit tired of knowing every emotion of every person in Bingtown or the Rein Wilds... For that matter, I don't need to know everything about all the random sailors or pirates. I think, the same thing I felt for Diana Gabaldon... They can't control their writing and tend to get lost in all the details they feel and want to relate. This is why I love Glen Cook, who can tackle epic themes like these, full of hundreds of characters, and still stick to the point, conveying all the rest with show of emotion through action and not needing to explain every emotion of the character, we just get it. I don't usually mind the in debt portrayals, but there has to be at least an editor who goes behind the author and keeps them in line.
I only say that because I really love this author and expect much more from her than the average ones out there. I love the world, the idea of the story, but yes, there is such a thing as story fatigue...
Having said that, I am addicted to this world and plan on reading all the books that are connected with the Elderlings:):):) Can't wait to see how the majestic and very selfish creatures, the Dragons, get to adjust to a world which has forgotten about them and how the world finds a way to live with those very high-maintenance demigods:):):)
July 3, 2018
Be forewarned: if you are a fan of Althea, and have been waiting these three books for her to have Her Moment, you are going to be disappointed. That, on top of what actually did happen to Althea in the this book, really drained a significant portion of my investment in the story.
It actually hurts quite a bit to admit this, because aside from the situation with Althea, I thoroughly enjoyed the Liveship Traders far better than the previous Assassin Trilogy. The characters, their ambitions, their adventures, their world, were all refreshing and of great interest to me. It is rare, too, that my favorite characters end up being the main characters of a story, but such was the case in this series, to my utter delight. Hobb’s writing and thoughtful observations about people and the world at large is natural and beautifully written. I think she is one of the finest authors we have writing in fantasy today.
It is therefore quite glaring when one character so central to the story gets the shaft. Maybe Hobb was trying to illustrate some point with this, but if she was, I didn’t see it, though I’ve spent weeks pondering it. Perhaps Hobb thought Althea’s adventure and conclusion were satisfying and rewarding, as due a protagonist. I think not.
Without spoiling, I will say that the epitome of Althea’s story comes down to a single incident in the Ship of Destiny, an incident which both character and author become so preoccupied with that all of Althea’s other dreams and ambitions are “finished” or “dealt with” seemingly as an afterthought. It felt almost as though Hobb had begun with one idea for Althea, and lost interest at some point, finding another use for her, and then tied stuff up simply because it had to be done. And, the incident in question which ever after seems to define Althea’s journey, is one which was not about Althea. It happened to serve the purpose and plot of a separate character.
Did I wait three books for Althea to grow and learn and discover, only to have her most important function be to service the identity and crisis of another? Did I spend three books watching other, less experienced characters accomplish and contribute significantly more in shorter spans of time, while Althea built slowly into something that wasn’t all that meaningful or important to herself in the end? I really did not.
The detailed version of events is this: Althea spent three books trying to find a way to reclaim Vivacia and live the life she wanted, in spite of her family and society’s expectations. It was a very slow build, especially when you see how quickly characters like Malta, Wintrow, Etta, Reyn, and even Ronica and Keffria, suddenly become relevant, and suddenly find their knack in order to change and influence situations of great significance to the story. I had been reading The Liveship Traders with the understanding that this was ultimately about the tenacity and gumption of the Vestrit family specifically, and the Bingtown Trader families at large. So it is rather glaring when everything Althea worked towards came to nothing: she does not even get to redefine her own goals or what she would like to accomplish.
I should be more specific. All of Althea’s dreams for herself came to nothing not because she changed her mind, or re-examined her values or what she ultimately wanted, or because she was incompetent, but literally because everything that was done to her became her whole preoccupation, and nothing else really seemed to matter anymore by comparison.
The crux of it: Kennit rapes Althea midway through this last book. Not only that, this is the only rape in the story which we are actively forced to suffer through, not simply understand that it happened. I was pretty disgusted when I realized exactly what I was reading in to, and why, and I threw down my kindle for over a week, uncertain when or if I would want to continue. I finally picked it up again, only to find that Kennit himself reflects enough one his own actions that we never needed to witness it firsthand to understand what it meant, why he did it, or what he was thinking, or what it says about him. I am also unconvinced that we needed to have it written out explicitly in order to empathize with Althea, either. So, there was that.
Afterwards, having been raped is pretty much the only thing on Althea’s mind for the rest of the book. She fairly leisurely gives up control of Vivacia to Wintrow, who she sees has naturally come into command with great aptitude. I was expecting this much. But there was otherwise no thought given to what she wanted to do or accomplish next, except that she wanted to get past her trauma of being raped. Her final scene in the book is her trying to overcome it by confessing it happened to Brashen and making love to him in an act of courage.
It is not that Althea’s story involved being raped, or that she had to deal with the trauma of it that bothers me. It is that being raped became the defining point of her entire destiny for three books, and it didn’t even happen until midway through this last one. It was that she was ultimately used to serve Kennit’s story, and be the nail in the coffin for Etta and Wintrow’s total faith in him. It was that all the time she spent trying to prove to herself and her family that she could be a captain, that she would never be happy married and pregnant on shore, that she could make her own life for herself in spite of being a woman, never really mattered. It all came across as something Hobb gave her to do until she was needed to show how secretly awful and messed up Kennit actually was. It doesn’t help that Althea never has a final, written confrontation with her sister or mother to let us know where everyone stands in their feelings towards her or if she has even earned their respect or understanding. It doesn’t help that Ronica’s final mention of her daughter is to dismiss Althea’s helpfulness to the family situation because she is essentially too busy shacking up with Brashen on Paragon. In the end, the only thing Althea seems to want to do is to overcome her rape and find a way to be happy with Brashen. It was as though because she was raped, anything else she ever wondered or hoped died with that rape, and she gives no thought to much else.
It does not help that Paragon magically —and in a way I still don’t understand though I read the text several times— takes away Althea’s pain like a fairy godmother so that she can stop suffering. She never even finds the courage to tell Brashen or figure out how to live her life before this happens. Paragon just makes the decision for her, and then she is able to face Brashen and find love with him. So, she did not even claim a victory for herself in this. Everything about her story became not what she worked towards, but entirely what was done to her and for her, both the bad and the good.
Also, if you are wondering if Althea does anything of significance in the final battle/confrontation that shapes the destiny of the world, as Amber kept suggesting, she does not. In fact, as if to rub it in my face, Amber tells Wintrow that she had mistaken Althea for him in her visions/prophecy.
All of this probably would not have hurt so bad if Hobb had not invested so much time in her. Again, I never needed nor expected Althea to captain Vivacia or Paragon. I expected her to evaluate her goals and what brings her happiness and motivates her each day, and forge a new path for herself. As none of her undertakings of the last two books even came to fruition by her own hand, I don’t know why I had to spend all that time reading her. In the end, I am more convinced she was there to give Brashen purpose than to have a purpose unto herself. It is Brashen, actually, who accomplishes all the things Althea wanted, except perhaps his father’s acceptance. Brashen decides to take out Paragon, Brashen forms a relationship with Paragon because of them both being outcasts, Brashen proves himself to be a fine captain, Brashen even teaches Paragon the difference between sex and love, and sex and violence, through his relationship with Althea. Althea just served as a link between Brashen and the Vestrits.
So, yes, having character as central as Althea ultimately mean so little and for such awful reasons really put a heavy damper on my opinion of an otherwise great book and a great series. I am about to read The Rain Wild chronicles, and I am thoroughly nervous about where some of those characters will end up, considering.
It actually hurts quite a bit to admit this, because aside from the situation with Althea, I thoroughly enjoyed the Liveship Traders far better than the previous Assassin Trilogy. The characters, their ambitions, their adventures, their world, were all refreshing and of great interest to me. It is rare, too, that my favorite characters end up being the main characters of a story, but such was the case in this series, to my utter delight. Hobb’s writing and thoughtful observations about people and the world at large is natural and beautifully written. I think she is one of the finest authors we have writing in fantasy today.
It is therefore quite glaring when one character so central to the story gets the shaft. Maybe Hobb was trying to illustrate some point with this, but if she was, I didn’t see it, though I’ve spent weeks pondering it. Perhaps Hobb thought Althea’s adventure and conclusion were satisfying and rewarding, as due a protagonist. I think not.
Without spoiling, I will say that the epitome of Althea’s story comes down to a single incident in the Ship of Destiny, an incident which both character and author become so preoccupied with that all of Althea’s other dreams and ambitions are “finished” or “dealt with” seemingly as an afterthought. It felt almost as though Hobb had begun with one idea for Althea, and lost interest at some point, finding another use for her, and then tied stuff up simply because it had to be done. And, the incident in question which ever after seems to define Althea’s journey, is one which was not about Althea. It happened to serve the purpose and plot of a separate character.
Did I wait three books for Althea to grow and learn and discover, only to have her most important function be to service the identity and crisis of another? Did I spend three books watching other, less experienced characters accomplish and contribute significantly more in shorter spans of time, while Althea built slowly into something that wasn’t all that meaningful or important to herself in the end? I really did not.
The detailed version of events is this: Althea spent three books trying to find a way to reclaim Vivacia and live the life she wanted, in spite of her family and society’s expectations. It was a very slow build, especially when you see how quickly characters like Malta, Wintrow, Etta, Reyn, and even Ronica and Keffria, suddenly become relevant, and suddenly find their knack in order to change and influence situations of great significance to the story. I had been reading The Liveship Traders with the understanding that this was ultimately about the tenacity and gumption of the Vestrit family specifically, and the Bingtown Trader families at large. So it is rather glaring when everything Althea worked towards came to nothing: she does not even get to redefine her own goals or what she would like to accomplish.
I should be more specific. All of Althea’s dreams for herself came to nothing not because she changed her mind, or re-examined her values or what she ultimately wanted, or because she was incompetent, but literally because everything that was done to her became her whole preoccupation, and nothing else really seemed to matter anymore by comparison.
The crux of it: Kennit rapes Althea midway through this last book. Not only that, this is the only rape in the story which we are actively forced to suffer through, not simply understand that it happened. I was pretty disgusted when I realized exactly what I was reading in to, and why, and I threw down my kindle for over a week, uncertain when or if I would want to continue. I finally picked it up again, only to find that Kennit himself reflects enough one his own actions that we never needed to witness it firsthand to understand what it meant, why he did it, or what he was thinking, or what it says about him. I am also unconvinced that we needed to have it written out explicitly in order to empathize with Althea, either. So, there was that.
Afterwards, having been raped is pretty much the only thing on Althea’s mind for the rest of the book. She fairly leisurely gives up control of Vivacia to Wintrow, who she sees has naturally come into command with great aptitude. I was expecting this much. But there was otherwise no thought given to what she wanted to do or accomplish next, except that she wanted to get past her trauma of being raped. Her final scene in the book is her trying to overcome it by confessing it happened to Brashen and making love to him in an act of courage.
It is not that Althea’s story involved being raped, or that she had to deal with the trauma of it that bothers me. It is that being raped became the defining point of her entire destiny for three books, and it didn’t even happen until midway through this last one. It was that she was ultimately used to serve Kennit’s story, and be the nail in the coffin for Etta and Wintrow’s total faith in him. It was that all the time she spent trying to prove to herself and her family that she could be a captain, that she would never be happy married and pregnant on shore, that she could make her own life for herself in spite of being a woman, never really mattered. It all came across as something Hobb gave her to do until she was needed to show how secretly awful and messed up Kennit actually was. It doesn’t help that Althea never has a final, written confrontation with her sister or mother to let us know where everyone stands in their feelings towards her or if she has even earned their respect or understanding. It doesn’t help that Ronica’s final mention of her daughter is to dismiss Althea’s helpfulness to the family situation because she is essentially too busy shacking up with Brashen on Paragon. In the end, the only thing Althea seems to want to do is to overcome her rape and find a way to be happy with Brashen. It was as though because she was raped, anything else she ever wondered or hoped died with that rape, and she gives no thought to much else.
It does not help that Paragon magically —and in a way I still don’t understand though I read the text several times— takes away Althea’s pain like a fairy godmother so that she can stop suffering. She never even finds the courage to tell Brashen or figure out how to live her life before this happens. Paragon just makes the decision for her, and then she is able to face Brashen and find love with him. So, she did not even claim a victory for herself in this. Everything about her story became not what she worked towards, but entirely what was done to her and for her, both the bad and the good.
Also, if you are wondering if Althea does anything of significance in the final battle/confrontation that shapes the destiny of the world, as Amber kept suggesting, she does not. In fact, as if to rub it in my face, Amber tells Wintrow that she had mistaken Althea for him in her visions/prophecy.
All of this probably would not have hurt so bad if Hobb had not invested so much time in her. Again, I never needed nor expected Althea to captain Vivacia or Paragon. I expected her to evaluate her goals and what brings her happiness and motivates her each day, and forge a new path for herself. As none of her undertakings of the last two books even came to fruition by her own hand, I don’t know why I had to spend all that time reading her. In the end, I am more convinced she was there to give Brashen purpose than to have a purpose unto herself. It is Brashen, actually, who accomplishes all the things Althea wanted, except perhaps his father’s acceptance. Brashen decides to take out Paragon, Brashen forms a relationship with Paragon because of them both being outcasts, Brashen proves himself to be a fine captain, Brashen even teaches Paragon the difference between sex and love, and sex and violence, through his relationship with Althea. Althea just served as a link between Brashen and the Vestrits.
So, yes, having character as central as Althea ultimately mean so little and for such awful reasons really put a heavy damper on my opinion of an otherwise great book and a great series. I am about to read The Rain Wild chronicles, and I am thoroughly nervous about where some of those characters will end up, considering.
June 8, 2020
“When you fear to fail, you fear something that has not happened yet. You predict your own failure, and by inaction, lock yourself into it.”
A great conclusion, there is absolutely nothing I would change except that it was longer, that epilogue was way too short. This book tied all loose ends from the first two books, what I adored most was how the sea serpents evolved, its one of my highlights of this book. Another is how the Liveship were made, that is another shocking revelation, I love it when a book surprises me in a good way.
“Do you not see how strange and wonderful that is? That all history balances on an affair of the human heart
The characters were also awesome, I love them all even wicked Kennit and spoilt Satrap Cosgo, every character in this book got what they deserved. Of course they did not deserve the bad things that happened to them, especially Malta and Althea, despite all their flaws they deserve more. I felt bad and hated Serilla at the same time.
“It doesn't work that way. Silencing memories does not make them stop existing. Events cannot be undone by forgetting them.”
I love how all the other characters developed, especially Keffria, she became a strong and independent woman. Brashen is ever so strong and noble, do not even get me started on Reyn, I loved him from the first time he made an appearance in the series. Selden, lovable Selden made more of an appearance in this which was awesome. Wintrow is back to being strong and optimistic which is what I most about him.
Nothing is quite so destructive as pity, especially self-pity. No event in life is so terrible that one cannot rise above it
I need not say but the writing and world building is as great as ever.
July 11, 2023
*Reread in 2023 and this series ending is still amazing and touching and emotional. This whole reread has been really wonderful and I am so pleased every time I return to this world as it feels like coming home*
This whole series has been perfection. It's not often that after reading a 2* book by an author I will continue on with their work but with Hobb I am so thrilled that I did go on to the Liveship books after the Farseer ones because truly she's a miracle writer and her ability to craft convincing, beautiful and stunning characters, worlds and ideas is unparalleled.
This is book 3 in the Liveship books and so naturally I cannot give away the plot of the story but suffice to say we're once more following the characters we've grown to love, hate and be drawn in by. I because me enraptured by this world that at some points of reading this I fell asleep only to find myself dreaming about the magic of the world and the characters within the book!!
I think Paragon, Malta and Selden were solidly my favourite of the characters developed in this book but there are so many who come a very very close second place to that. They each had their own plotlines which were seriously moved along within the pages of this book and each one became so vastly improved and different from the characters they began as.
On the whole I would say this is a series I'd recommend to anyone who loves fantasy and wonderful characters because truly it is character-focused. Whilst this book had more of a political emphasis than some of the previous ones it didn't lose my interest or irritate me with the amount of politics shown because it still focused in on those characters we know and love.
This book and this series will forever cement Hobb as a fabulous writer in my mind and has made me wish to pick up the rest of her Elderlings books as soon as I can. I cannot wait to uncover more of the mysteries which are hinted at in this book and unfurl the tapestry of time, prophecy and the destiny for this world because there's so many original and cool ideas woven in.
An amazing book once more and a great conclusion to the trilogy (unlike that of the Farseer books) and so I would say it's a solid 5*s and a highly recommended read.
(p.s you can start Hobb with this series but you'll spoil elements of the Farseer books for yourself. Personally I enjoyed the first 2 Farseer books, but disliked the third. I'd recommend reading the first two but maybe skipping the third and just looking up spoilers for that one because it was so overly long. This series is miles better than the Farseer books in my opinion, but let me know your thoughts too below :)
This whole series has been perfection. It's not often that after reading a 2* book by an author I will continue on with their work but with Hobb I am so thrilled that I did go on to the Liveship books after the Farseer ones because truly she's a miracle writer and her ability to craft convincing, beautiful and stunning characters, worlds and ideas is unparalleled.
This is book 3 in the Liveship books and so naturally I cannot give away the plot of the story but suffice to say we're once more following the characters we've grown to love, hate and be drawn in by. I because me enraptured by this world that at some points of reading this I fell asleep only to find myself dreaming about the magic of the world and the characters within the book!!
I think Paragon, Malta and Selden were solidly my favourite of the characters developed in this book but there are so many who come a very very close second place to that. They each had their own plotlines which were seriously moved along within the pages of this book and each one became so vastly improved and different from the characters they began as.
On the whole I would say this is a series I'd recommend to anyone who loves fantasy and wonderful characters because truly it is character-focused. Whilst this book had more of a political emphasis than some of the previous ones it didn't lose my interest or irritate me with the amount of politics shown because it still focused in on those characters we know and love.
This book and this series will forever cement Hobb as a fabulous writer in my mind and has made me wish to pick up the rest of her Elderlings books as soon as I can. I cannot wait to uncover more of the mysteries which are hinted at in this book and unfurl the tapestry of time, prophecy and the destiny for this world because there's so many original and cool ideas woven in.
An amazing book once more and a great conclusion to the trilogy (unlike that of the Farseer books) and so I would say it's a solid 5*s and a highly recommended read.
(p.s you can start Hobb with this series but you'll spoil elements of the Farseer books for yourself. Personally I enjoyed the first 2 Farseer books, but disliked the third. I'd recommend reading the first two but maybe skipping the third and just looking up spoilers for that one because it was so overly long. This series is miles better than the Farseer books in my opinion, but let me know your thoughts too below :)
December 23, 2024
RATING BREAKDOWN
Characters: 5⭐️
Setting: 5⭐️
Plot: 5⭐️
Themes: 5⭐️
Emotional Impact: 5⭐️
Personal Enjoyment: 5⭐️
Total Rounded Average: 5⭐️
Ship of Destiny is one of the most profound conclusions to a trilogy I have ever read. Hobb is a masterclass in subtle and poignant themes that permeate belief systems and experience. No matter who you are, what you believe, or what you've been through, these characters and their experiences will move you. What they experience in this story may even heal a part of you. This is transcendent work.
I love how much of the Rain Wilds we got in The Mad Ship, but we continue to get it in Ship of Destiny, as well as more time at sea and with the magical creatures of this world. So much of the mystery around the serpents and live ships is revealed in this book and it's so satisfying. It's not just satisfying for the plot, it's satisfying thematically.
Hobb is exploring identity, slavery, and power in this series. The identity people are given versus their authentic selves, the reality of being used or seen as property, the way power over others can be abusive or healing. Beyond that, she dives into cycles of abuse, the way that pain has a way of festering and feeding future violence. She shows how the only way to absorb pain is to allow it, to accept it, to forgive it, to release it, to let it go. I was weeping in the end. Each of the characters undergoes transformational pain and watching the evolution unfold was one of the most gripping reading experiences of my life.
I cannot recommend this series more highly to readers who love a high-seas adventure, pirates, politics, economics, relationships, romance, heartbreak, coming of age, triumphs, failures, and redemption arcs. For anyone who loves truly complicated villains, moral dilemmas, heroes hiding in plain sight, and imperfectly real characters who will remind you people contain multitudes, read this! I don't know that stories get better than this for me.
Characters: 5⭐️
Setting: 5⭐️
Plot: 5⭐️
Themes: 5⭐️
Emotional Impact: 5⭐️
Personal Enjoyment: 5⭐️
Total Rounded Average: 5⭐️
Ship of Destiny is one of the most profound conclusions to a trilogy I have ever read. Hobb is a masterclass in subtle and poignant themes that permeate belief systems and experience. No matter who you are, what you believe, or what you've been through, these characters and their experiences will move you. What they experience in this story may even heal a part of you. This is transcendent work.
I love how much of the Rain Wilds we got in The Mad Ship, but we continue to get it in Ship of Destiny, as well as more time at sea and with the magical creatures of this world. So much of the mystery around the serpents and live ships is revealed in this book and it's so satisfying. It's not just satisfying for the plot, it's satisfying thematically.
Hobb is exploring identity, slavery, and power in this series. The identity people are given versus their authentic selves, the reality of being used or seen as property, the way power over others can be abusive or healing. Beyond that, she dives into cycles of abuse, the way that pain has a way of festering and feeding future violence. She shows how the only way to absorb pain is to allow it, to accept it, to forgive it, to release it, to let it go. I was weeping in the end. Each of the characters undergoes transformational pain and watching the evolution unfold was one of the most gripping reading experiences of my life.
I cannot recommend this series more highly to readers who love a high-seas adventure, pirates, politics, economics, relationships, romance, heartbreak, coming of age, triumphs, failures, and redemption arcs. For anyone who loves truly complicated villains, moral dilemmas, heroes hiding in plain sight, and imperfectly real characters who will remind you people contain multitudes, read this! I don't know that stories get better than this for me.
April 18, 2024
3.5 stars
Im free 😭
This definitely was the most engaging book for me but overall this series just didn’t click for me like I expected it to. I really appreciate the development of the characters and it was satisfying to see all the pieces come together. However, elements and characters I really wasn’t interested in seemed to dominate the story while characters I was really invested in got sidelined. This left me feeling a bit unsatisfied with the finale.
I’m glad I pushed through and I appreciate the series. And now I can read Tawnyman!!!
Im free 😭
This definitely was the most engaging book for me but overall this series just didn’t click for me like I expected it to. I really appreciate the development of the characters and it was satisfying to see all the pieces come together. However, elements and characters I really wasn’t interested in seemed to dominate the story while characters I was really invested in got sidelined. This left me feeling a bit unsatisfied with the finale.
I’m glad I pushed through and I appreciate the series. And now I can read Tawnyman!!!
December 24, 2016
Another stunning trilogy by Robin Hobb. How I loved the characters! They are so vivid and real. Althea and Brashen are to fall in love with. Im no big fan of pirate tales, but Robin Hobb just enthralls me. I just had the best start of the morning by finishing this book. Woke up before 8 am ( on a day off .....) Decided to read the last few pages ( fell asleep last night on the couch ) and there were cookies next to me....healthy start of the day!
Im still convinced everyone should just read Robin Hobb. There isnt much to review it all speaks to its fantastic self.
Im still convinced everyone should just read Robin Hobb. There isnt much to review it all speaks to its fantastic self.
February 18, 2025
I don't know when I was last so gripped by a story. I absolutely loved it.
June 28, 2020
While this trilogy didn’t completely transport and consume me as fully as The Farseer Trilogy did, there is still so very much to admire and honor in what Robin Hobb has achieved here. She beautifully interweaves themes of family, slavery, independence, politics, faith, destiny, and the interdependence of all sentient beings in a trilogy that is both epic and intimate. Pacing occasionally flagged, but I was never certain where and how the many threads she wove would cross one another and bind, and as always, there were riches of emotional depths in her characters that are all too rare in the fantasy genre.
I look forward to making my way through the rest of her Elderlings novels.
I look forward to making my way through the rest of her Elderlings novels.
June 5, 2008
There are some beautiful ideas in there -- about dragons, and the life cycle of a dragon -- and there are references to the Farseers trilogy that complete that story, that explain things. Yet it's also, for quite a few people I've spoken to, quite tedious to read. This time as I was going through, I tried to put into words why it's broken for me. Comparisons to the Farseers trilogy abound, as well as spoilers for both trilogies and probably for the Tawny Man trilogy as well. Some of this, I've already written elsewhere.
Essentially, I have three main issues I'd point to -- all somewhat interwoven.
Narrative
I think it suffers from being in third person rather than first. All the sense of someone setting down memoirs with all the relevant details put in the right places is lost, and it's less easy for Hobb to fit in the back story she needs to make the "front" story work. For example, Paragon's story -- it could come out through dialogue and interaction, for example, between Mingsley and a client, or Amber and a Trader, or Amber and Paragon himself... instead it comes out while Althea is sat down thinking about Vivacia. That might work, if it was written from Althea's point of view, but as it is you rather forget that you're even with her while you go on a five page foray into the woes of the Ludlucks.
Mind you, I can see why it would be impossible to write this story from first person and still have it be a "member of the cast", so to speak, doing it. In Farseers, sometimes Fitz's ignorance of other events helped the story, and sometimes the fact that Fitz could Skill out to Molly, Burrich and Nettle and see them prevented it from hindering the story. But in Liveships there's no one central character: in the first book alone there's Althea, Brashen, Ronica, Keffria, Malta, Vivacia, Wintrow, Kennit, Kyle, Paragon, Amber, Maulkin, Shreever... and a range of locations from all corners of their world. There's no way any one of them could know the whole story -- indeed, so much of the story, especially the romantic conflicts, is based on that fact.
Still, I think Hobb's writing shines best in first person. I also noticed that when I read the Tawny Man trilogy, I enjoyed that much more than Liveships. I'm not sure whether that was just the return to the familiar characters, or whether it was in a large part due to the return to a single point of view.
Characters
There are so many characters this trilogy follows. I couldn't even begin to list the main ones. They come in groups, in a way -- Bingtown Traders, Rain Wild Traders, pirates, serpents, Jamaillians -- yet those groups splinter and reform over and over again throughout the books. It isn't hard to follow exactly, but I do wonder if Hobb could have made readers care more about the characters had there been fewer, and had she kept the changes in viewpoint down. For example, you see from inside Malta in one section, and you see Malta from Ronica's eyes in the next -- it's jarring, to see so many sides to one character: not just implied, but "said" by the characters through third person (not actually very) limited.
One of the common mistakes in writers, one of my books says, is to make characters too passive. They aren't interesting to read about. And there are far too many passive characters in Liveships, people who can't or won't take control of their own lives. For example, Wintrow -- in the end, he realises it, but for most of the books he refuses to accept and grow with his experiences, but only look backwards. Keffria is shown as spiritless, completely taken in by her husband, believing he's good and right when he's actually quite cruel. She only wants things to go back to where they were, she wants Kyle to take over things and leave her untouched by cares. It's hard to care about characters who are so passive, who do nothing to better their circumstances. They bring their misfortunes on themselves.
On the other hand, there are the "strong" characters. They try to take their lives into their own hands, but without regard for others. Althea leaves her family when they need her, dividing it when they need to be strong, just to get what she wants. Malta doesn't care about the shame she might cause her family, or the hurt she might cause the men she flirts with and ensnares. She just wants to look beautiful and be adored. Tintaglia the dragon doesn't care about humans, even when they help her, but only about the fate of her own race.
It's true that there are a few intriguing characters: Ronica, in particular, strikes me as a strong female character who wants the best for her family, for her home. She, most of all, considers everyone in Bingtown and pushes for everyone to unite. There are other intriguing characters, too: Amber, and Jek, and Shreever, but... they're often more minor characters, or in Amber's case, have to be slightly separate from the plot so it isn't too obvious who they really are.
To me, there's a lack of a certain type of character we saw a lot of in the Farseer books: the Sacrifice. My favourite character in those was Verity, followed by Kettricken and then Fitz himself. They were still humans, with flaws, but in the end they pushed that aside to do what they had to do -- particularly Verity and Kettricken. In Liveships there is no single character who is willing to simply give him or herself up -- not through despair, but to bring hope to others. Nor do the characters have the sheer tenacity that Verity has. If they had to carve a dragon, I don't think they would continue as he did. Granted, perhaps the situation doesn't offer a chance for such a sacrifice, but it does seem as if in places, someone could simply do something instead of waiting, or trying to turn circumstances toward their own gain.
The people in Liveships are like real people, (literally) warts and all. I wonder, though, if it isn't too realistic.
Portrayal of Women
To be a women in these books is to suffer. I don't think a single one of them escapes humiliation in some way. In contrast, the men escape lightly: in the course of the books, Serilla, for example, loses everything, but the Satrap gains more than he ever had (although admittedly suffering in the process); Althea loses so much, while Brashen only gains -- and Althea's gain of Brashen is portrayed as filling all the places in her life where she's lost, which troubles me. There's a general attitude in the men that women should be kept in the home, kept safe, and not let to do anything, because they can't. While the women in the books do manage things capably, it's always at a loss to themselves: Althea could marry Grag, but she would lose by doing so, so she doesn't, but she loses in not doing so, too. Malta takes control, but to do so she has to accept humiliation. Keffria learns to manage things, but knows that in doing so she loses her husband.
In the end, they are all shown as strong in their ways, even Keffria. But things are heaped against them as they aren't against the men: it could be said that the society Hobb structures around them is what brings that upon them, but it still felt like a barrier to my reading than a natural part of the world.
I've discussed a lot of ways the books could be more intriguing, with various people. More interesting characters, more of the interesting characters there already are -- starting in the Rain Wilds instead of taking so long to get there... I can see why it's written as it is, but with some tweaking to the plot to allow it to be written differently, I think these books could have been marvellous. I don't recommend reading them casually, but to fill out the details of the whole world in the Realm of the Elderlings cycle, I do recommend trying to push one's way through them. There are some lovely things in these books, but they're rather obscured, for me, by the things I've already mentioned.
Essentially, I have three main issues I'd point to -- all somewhat interwoven.
Narrative
I think it suffers from being in third person rather than first. All the sense of someone setting down memoirs with all the relevant details put in the right places is lost, and it's less easy for Hobb to fit in the back story she needs to make the "front" story work. For example, Paragon's story -- it could come out through dialogue and interaction, for example, between Mingsley and a client, or Amber and a Trader, or Amber and Paragon himself... instead it comes out while Althea is sat down thinking about Vivacia. That might work, if it was written from Althea's point of view, but as it is you rather forget that you're even with her while you go on a five page foray into the woes of the Ludlucks.
Mind you, I can see why it would be impossible to write this story from first person and still have it be a "member of the cast", so to speak, doing it. In Farseers, sometimes Fitz's ignorance of other events helped the story, and sometimes the fact that Fitz could Skill out to Molly, Burrich and Nettle and see them prevented it from hindering the story. But in Liveships there's no one central character: in the first book alone there's Althea, Brashen, Ronica, Keffria, Malta, Vivacia, Wintrow, Kennit, Kyle, Paragon, Amber, Maulkin, Shreever... and a range of locations from all corners of their world. There's no way any one of them could know the whole story -- indeed, so much of the story, especially the romantic conflicts, is based on that fact.
Still, I think Hobb's writing shines best in first person. I also noticed that when I read the Tawny Man trilogy, I enjoyed that much more than Liveships. I'm not sure whether that was just the return to the familiar characters, or whether it was in a large part due to the return to a single point of view.
Characters
There are so many characters this trilogy follows. I couldn't even begin to list the main ones. They come in groups, in a way -- Bingtown Traders, Rain Wild Traders, pirates, serpents, Jamaillians -- yet those groups splinter and reform over and over again throughout the books. It isn't hard to follow exactly, but I do wonder if Hobb could have made readers care more about the characters had there been fewer, and had she kept the changes in viewpoint down. For example, you see from inside Malta in one section, and you see Malta from Ronica's eyes in the next -- it's jarring, to see so many sides to one character: not just implied, but "said" by the characters through third person (not actually very) limited.
One of the common mistakes in writers, one of my books says, is to make characters too passive. They aren't interesting to read about. And there are far too many passive characters in Liveships, people who can't or won't take control of their own lives. For example, Wintrow -- in the end, he realises it, but for most of the books he refuses to accept and grow with his experiences, but only look backwards. Keffria is shown as spiritless, completely taken in by her husband, believing he's good and right when he's actually quite cruel. She only wants things to go back to where they were, she wants Kyle to take over things and leave her untouched by cares. It's hard to care about characters who are so passive, who do nothing to better their circumstances. They bring their misfortunes on themselves.
On the other hand, there are the "strong" characters. They try to take their lives into their own hands, but without regard for others. Althea leaves her family when they need her, dividing it when they need to be strong, just to get what she wants. Malta doesn't care about the shame she might cause her family, or the hurt she might cause the men she flirts with and ensnares. She just wants to look beautiful and be adored. Tintaglia the dragon doesn't care about humans, even when they help her, but only about the fate of her own race.
It's true that there are a few intriguing characters: Ronica, in particular, strikes me as a strong female character who wants the best for her family, for her home. She, most of all, considers everyone in Bingtown and pushes for everyone to unite. There are other intriguing characters, too: Amber, and Jek, and Shreever, but... they're often more minor characters, or in Amber's case, have to be slightly separate from the plot so it isn't too obvious who they really are.
To me, there's a lack of a certain type of character we saw a lot of in the Farseer books: the Sacrifice. My favourite character in those was Verity, followed by Kettricken and then Fitz himself. They were still humans, with flaws, but in the end they pushed that aside to do what they had to do -- particularly Verity and Kettricken. In Liveships there is no single character who is willing to simply give him or herself up -- not through despair, but to bring hope to others. Nor do the characters have the sheer tenacity that Verity has. If they had to carve a dragon, I don't think they would continue as he did. Granted, perhaps the situation doesn't offer a chance for such a sacrifice, but it does seem as if in places, someone could simply do something instead of waiting, or trying to turn circumstances toward their own gain.
The people in Liveships are like real people, (literally) warts and all. I wonder, though, if it isn't too realistic.
Portrayal of Women
To be a women in these books is to suffer. I don't think a single one of them escapes humiliation in some way. In contrast, the men escape lightly: in the course of the books, Serilla, for example, loses everything, but the Satrap gains more than he ever had (although admittedly suffering in the process); Althea loses so much, while Brashen only gains -- and Althea's gain of Brashen is portrayed as filling all the places in her life where she's lost, which troubles me. There's a general attitude in the men that women should be kept in the home, kept safe, and not let to do anything, because they can't. While the women in the books do manage things capably, it's always at a loss to themselves: Althea could marry Grag, but she would lose by doing so, so she doesn't, but she loses in not doing so, too. Malta takes control, but to do so she has to accept humiliation. Keffria learns to manage things, but knows that in doing so she loses her husband.
In the end, they are all shown as strong in their ways, even Keffria. But things are heaped against them as they aren't against the men: it could be said that the society Hobb structures around them is what brings that upon them, but it still felt like a barrier to my reading than a natural part of the world.
I've discussed a lot of ways the books could be more intriguing, with various people. More interesting characters, more of the interesting characters there already are -- starting in the Rain Wilds instead of taking so long to get there... I can see why it's written as it is, but with some tweaking to the plot to allow it to be written differently, I think these books could have been marvellous. I don't recommend reading them casually, but to fill out the details of the whole world in the Realm of the Elderlings cycle, I do recommend trying to push one's way through them. There are some lovely things in these books, but they're rather obscured, for me, by the things I've already mentioned.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 25, 2025
And I have officially completed the entire Livehips trilogy (before my brother Will - the self-confessed #1 Robin Hobb fan - even started book 1!).
Even though the trilogy feels incredibly different to the Farseer, with the multi-POV approach, the themes, the setting all making this feel very separate, it also follows a similar journey of:
Strong book 1
World class book 2
Frustrating book 3
I really loved the settings of the Pirate Isles, Bingtown and the Rain Wilds and Hobb’s style of world-building, which is so organic. The character journeys felt real, were for the most part unpredictable and at times powerful.
There was just something missing in this final volume for me. Maybe it was the repetition in the first half of the book, maybe it was the characters not quite carrying the emotional weight of Fitz. I did feel slightly disappointed in a few of the places in which character journeys finished and I felt the last hundred or so pages were pretty rushed without the satisfying emotion Hobb is capable of, even though it was almost 700 pages of build up.
There are truly some remarkable moments here, and I do love Hobb’s prose, but I don’t think I connect to it as much as I would love to.
Also adding Robin Hobb to my list of authors who say that archers fire their arrows…
Even though the trilogy feels incredibly different to the Farseer, with the multi-POV approach, the themes, the setting all making this feel very separate, it also follows a similar journey of:
Strong book 1
World class book 2
Frustrating book 3
I really loved the settings of the Pirate Isles, Bingtown and the Rain Wilds and Hobb’s style of world-building, which is so organic. The character journeys felt real, were for the most part unpredictable and at times powerful.
There was just something missing in this final volume for me. Maybe it was the repetition in the first half of the book, maybe it was the characters not quite carrying the emotional weight of Fitz. I did feel slightly disappointed in a few of the places in which character journeys finished and I felt the last hundred or so pages were pretty rushed without the satisfying emotion Hobb is capable of, even though it was almost 700 pages of build up.
There are truly some remarkable moments here, and I do love Hobb’s prose, but I don’t think I connect to it as much as I would love to.
Also adding Robin Hobb to my list of authors who say that archers fire their arrows…
December 16, 2017
I'm just so grateful that this series exists. It is phenomenal. I enjoyed every hour of my life that I spent on these three books. That is all.
July 17, 2013
This one is going down as one of my favourite fantasy trilogies.
Without a doubt! (This review contains some spoilers of book 1 and 2)
Part of it is very typical Robin Hobb (after 6 books I’m allowed to say that right?) she makes characters so incredible real they become existing people. I’ve said it before, but it’s just really true: they become people for you to love or loathe. But it’s also remarkable how mean she is to them all: she sends them through hell, leaves them there without food or drinks, and then kindly asks them to walk back barefoot. Mean, mean!
There is however one thing she does in this trilogy she didn’t do in the previous one; for this one she took a trick of the fantasy writers tool box: multiple point of view characters with storylines that are all coming together. Not one ‘catalyst’ but a whole family of them.
I thought the general world building was very well done. The serpents, dragons, elderlings, pirates… enough mystery to keep you on your toes until the very last chapter.
Safe to say that i loved this trilogy. It just has all the elements right: Well developed characters, check. Marvelous world building, check. Solid writing, check. Enough tension to keep you going, check. A few unpredictable twists, check! And so on.
I want to end this review with Paragon. While I’m typing this, I have Mumford and Sons playing in the background (a CD obviously, if they would be live in my living room I wouldn’t be typing!), and this song reminds me of him.
Without a doubt! (This review contains some spoilers of book 1 and 2)
Part of it is very typical Robin Hobb (after 6 books I’m allowed to say that right?) she makes characters so incredible real they become existing people. I’ve said it before, but it’s just really true: they become people for you to love or loathe. But it’s also remarkable how mean she is to them all: she sends them through hell, leaves them there without food or drinks, and then kindly asks them to walk back barefoot. Mean, mean!
There is however one thing she does in this trilogy she didn’t do in the previous one; for this one she took a trick of the fantasy writers tool box: multiple point of view characters with storylines that are all coming together. Not one ‘catalyst’ but a whole family of them.
I thought the general world building was very well done. The serpents, dragons, elderlings, pirates… enough mystery to keep you on your toes until the very last chapter.
Safe to say that i loved this trilogy. It just has all the elements right: Well developed characters, check. Marvelous world building, check. Solid writing, check. Enough tension to keep you going, check. A few unpredictable twists, check! And so on.
I want to end this review with Paragon. While I’m typing this, I have Mumford and Sons playing in the background (a CD obviously, if they would be live in my living room I wouldn’t be typing!), and this song reminds me of him.
Now I'll be bold, as well as strongIn my mind, I see Paragon, waiting all those years on the beach for someone who will push him back into the winds. Someone to restore him to former glory. And at last, the waiting is over, Paragon is sailing again and I loved every second of it!
Use my head alongside my heart
So take my flesh, and fix my eyes
That tethered mind free from theliesmemories
March 10, 2023
“Do you begrudge me that I am who I truly am? Should I pretend otherwise for the sake of pleasing you? If I did, it would be a lie. Would you rather love a lie than know me as I truly am?”
I felt invested in the characters and the outcome of the finale of Robin Hobb's Liveship Traders trilogy, Ship of Destiny. In my review of the last book in the series, I talked about how there aren't wasted characters in Hobb's work. As the action culminates in the finale, that statement seems doubly true. The growth of characters is astounding. I found it really fascinating that much of this growth is based around their perceived flaws. They don't so much change who they are, but in a different context, those qualities can be useful and thus be embraced. My one reluctance to wholeheartedly praise this book has to do with an ending that goes on for way too long. To me, it felt like an extended epilogue. Maybe its purpose was to set up something in a future book. Be that as it may, I enjoyed the trilogy and am quite sure I will be reading more of Hobb's work!
I felt invested in the characters and the outcome of the finale of Robin Hobb's Liveship Traders trilogy, Ship of Destiny. In my review of the last book in the series, I talked about how there aren't wasted characters in Hobb's work. As the action culminates in the finale, that statement seems doubly true. The growth of characters is astounding. I found it really fascinating that much of this growth is based around their perceived flaws. They don't so much change who they are, but in a different context, those qualities can be useful and thus be embraced. My one reluctance to wholeheartedly praise this book has to do with an ending that goes on for way too long. To me, it felt like an extended epilogue. Maybe its purpose was to set up something in a future book. Be that as it may, I enjoyed the trilogy and am quite sure I will be reading more of Hobb's work!
February 22, 2022
And with "Ship of Destiny", Robin Hobb draws the jaw-dropping conclusion to the magnificent Liveship Traders trilogy.
"Ship of Destiny" continues the epic tale right from where "The Mad Ship" left off. The dragon, Tintaglia, released from her wizardwood coffin, flies high over the Rain Wild River. Below her, Reyn and Selden have been left to drown, while Malta and the Satrap attempt to navigate the acid flow of the river in a decomposing boat.
Althea and Brashen are sailing the liveship Paragon into pirate waters in a last-ditch attempt to rescue the Vestrit family liveship, Vivacia, who was stolen by the pirate king, Kennit; but there is mutiny brewing amongst their ragtag crew, and in the mind of the mad ship itself.....
☆
By now, everyone knows how much I love the setting of The Liveship Traders trilogy. It's vast, it's epic. It's fantastic. The first book, "Ship of Magic" was the best of all, in my opinion. However, I enjoyed all three of them. "Ship of Destiny" draws the endline for this trilogy and these characters I have come to know so closely. It is an amazing conclusion for sure. Though I'm giving it a lower rating but I can definitely say - This Was A Epic Journey, something that would stay with me in many years to come.
The book is filled with—once again—amazing characters developments, political turmoil, dragons, and a few great nautical battle scenes. Lots of secrets are revealed; secrets that were hinted ever since the first book.
As I have mentioned several times before, all the characters presented in this trilogy are unique and distinct. Robin Hobb pays equal attention to the development of all kind of characters. When I look back to the story, I find every single character ended up playing a role that gave the story its own charm. None of the characters in this trilogy ends up the same way one would imagine based on their first appearances.
☆
Well, enough with the wonderful parts. Now let me talk about the parts that compelled me to give this book 3 stars instead of 5. I skimmed through some parts to be honest.
The book is way too long than it should have been. Important matters didn't receive proper attention and care. And the author kept herself busy in attending to the unnecessary stuffs.
In this particular instalment, the story takes a swift turn and becomes heavier with political turmoil rather than focusing on the characters or the atmosphere. Don't get me wrong, epic fantasy books always have heavy political discussions and I'm okay with that. But in this case, it felt like the author have overdone it. Half of the book is about only politics and uprising rebellions. The characters and the main plot get side tracked by them. I am not a fan of political fantasy and I really don't like those boring political discussions. The book would have been much more enjoyable if it didn't focuse so much on the political turmoil.
All things aside, I still had plans to give this book 4.5 stars if not 5, the boredom seemed unimportant compared to the greatness of the series. But then something. A particular incident, a scene that broke all my resolves to see the story to shine in its full glory. This incident broke my heart, teared me apart. I cried for long. I cried hard; not because I was sad but because I was angry - so so angry. I failed to see the necessity of including this scene in the book. It plays no part in changing the fate of the trilogy. Yes, the characters, my vision of them changed - but that wasn't necessary. It felt like the author literally threw off such a incident into the book. The matter wasn't handled accordingly, neither did I like how everything turned out in this case. It was horrible, distressing and made me feel only anger. I personally think the authors should navigate matters with care if they are including sensitive things in their books. Robin Hobb was so focused on the epic fantasy part that this extremely sensitive matter was totally overlooked. I don't care what others think but I couldn't deal with the lack of attention to matters as such as rape and assault.
"Ship of Destiny" continues the epic tale right from where "The Mad Ship" left off. The dragon, Tintaglia, released from her wizardwood coffin, flies high over the Rain Wild River. Below her, Reyn and Selden have been left to drown, while Malta and the Satrap attempt to navigate the acid flow of the river in a decomposing boat.
Althea and Brashen are sailing the liveship Paragon into pirate waters in a last-ditch attempt to rescue the Vestrit family liveship, Vivacia, who was stolen by the pirate king, Kennit; but there is mutiny brewing amongst their ragtag crew, and in the mind of the mad ship itself.....
"That is the challenge Companion. To take what has happened to you and learn from it. Nothing is quite so destructive as pity, especially self-pity. No event in life is so terrible that one cannot rise above it."
☆
By now, everyone knows how much I love the setting of The Liveship Traders trilogy. It's vast, it's epic. It's fantastic. The first book, "Ship of Magic" was the best of all, in my opinion. However, I enjoyed all three of them. "Ship of Destiny" draws the endline for this trilogy and these characters I have come to know so closely. It is an amazing conclusion for sure. Though I'm giving it a lower rating but I can definitely say - This Was A Epic Journey, something that would stay with me in many years to come.
The book is filled with—once again—amazing characters developments, political turmoil, dragons, and a few great nautical battle scenes. Lots of secrets are revealed; secrets that were hinted ever since the first book.
As I have mentioned several times before, all the characters presented in this trilogy are unique and distinct. Robin Hobb pays equal attention to the development of all kind of characters. When I look back to the story, I find every single character ended up playing a role that gave the story its own charm. None of the characters in this trilogy ends up the same way one would imagine based on their first appearances.
"Strangers had small interest in hurting you. That was always done best by your own family and friends."
"It doesn't work that way. Silencing memories does not make them stop existing. Events cannot be undone by forgetting them."
☆
Well, enough with the wonderful parts. Now let me talk about the parts that compelled me to give this book 3 stars instead of 5. I skimmed through some parts to be honest.
The book is way too long than it should have been. Important matters didn't receive proper attention and care. And the author kept herself busy in attending to the unnecessary stuffs.
In this particular instalment, the story takes a swift turn and becomes heavier with political turmoil rather than focusing on the characters or the atmosphere. Don't get me wrong, epic fantasy books always have heavy political discussions and I'm okay with that. But in this case, it felt like the author have overdone it. Half of the book is about only politics and uprising rebellions. The characters and the main plot get side tracked by them. I am not a fan of political fantasy and I really don't like those boring political discussions. The book would have been much more enjoyable if it didn't focuse so much on the political turmoil.
All things aside, I still had plans to give this book 4.5 stars if not 5, the boredom seemed unimportant compared to the greatness of the series. But then something. A particular incident, a scene that broke all my resolves to see the story to shine in its full glory. This incident broke my heart, teared me apart. I cried for long. I cried hard; not because I was sad but because I was angry - so so angry. I failed to see the necessity of including this scene in the book. It plays no part in changing the fate of the trilogy. Yes, the characters, my vision of them changed - but that wasn't necessary. It felt like the author literally threw off such a incident into the book. The matter wasn't handled accordingly, neither did I like how everything turned out in this case. It was horrible, distressing and made me feel only anger. I personally think the authors should navigate matters with care if they are including sensitive things in their books. Robin Hobb was so focused on the epic fantasy part that this extremely sensitive matter was totally overlooked. I don't care what others think but I couldn't deal with the lack of attention to matters as such as rape and assault.
January 9, 2016
No intentes alcanzar las estrellas cuando estés rodeada del ancho mar.Reseña general sin "spoilers":
Con una trama que partía de una idea sencilla, esta autora me llevó por las corrientes de un mar agresivo y caprichoso hacia el surgimiento de un relato sinfónico. Un relato largo, que se toma su tiempo para golpear, pero que, cuando lo hace, el derramamiento de sangre es seguro. Y la sangre recuerda. La sangre es identidad, y una parte de mi identidad se fue a bordo de las naves que vuelan en su cielo, que es el vasto océano.
¿Con qué se van a encontrar en esta serie? Con piratas, traición, mujeres que luchan por sus derechos, codicia, gente tatuada que busca su libertad, magia, guerra, inseguridad; amor, filosofía, amistad, criaturas que resurgen de una historia ya olvidada, política, soledad, desconsuelo; secretos.
Estos libros dejan huella. Desaparecen de tus manos pero arden en el alma. Desde un inicio tan armónico como absorbente, yo, el lector, navegué hacia un final en el que todo converge, en el que el Destino demuestra que de sus redes nadie se escapa.
Con respecto a los personajes. Esta escritora logra hacerme ver con cada uno de sus trabajos que personas creadas por la imaginación también pueden ser reales. Reales a su manera. Pero reales. Carne de tinta y huesos de papel. Son así, y así deben ser. El desarrollo de los personajes es tan perfecto como sus diálogos.
Esta saga me atrapó como pocas lo han hecho y no me soltó hasta llegar a su última página, hasta llegar al momento en que no me queda nada más que decir excepto que Hobb es de lo mejor que le ha pasado al género fantástico.
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