Ship of Magic: The Liveship Traders [Mass Market Paperback]

 

 

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Perhaps, by now, you've read this time and time again. Hobb's characterization is superb. Fitz is a timeless character, and one that will forever shadow the rest of Hobb's work. In that respect I won't flog the point to you. Hobb's characterization is amazing. That's all I need to say for the rest of my review.

Mayn people count the two trilogies involving Fitz as their favourite, with this being a close third. I personally thing that this is her best trilogy so far. There are a few reasons for this.

1. Hobb brings her strong characterization to a variety of viewpoints. Where Tawny Man/Farseer deals with Fitz only, Liveship Traders has a rich set of characters, all with their own story. While this means you don't get to know any one character as well as you get to know Fitz, it means that there are so many plot lines that you love. You care about every aspect of the story, with no plot line completely winning your attention. Even the 'serpent' viewpoint, which I would argue is the weakest (which is to say that it is slightly less interesting than the rest), revels in the mystery it contains. Who are these creatures and what do they have to do with the plot? Also, Hobb keeps these ones short, to give you a taste, then moves onto a juicier plotline. Kennit starts out as a figure that you revile, but Hobb quickly takes his flaws and paints them against a jaw-dropping canvas of humanism, so that you can't help but sympathesize with him.

2. The world building in this novel is superior to that of Farseer and Tawny Man. Of course, this may have been Hobb's intention, but there it is nonetheless. Hobb easily transcends many trite conventions of fantasy to make a world that is fully her own, owing little to Tolkien or her fantasy contemporaries (On a related note, if you appreciate a 'different' sort of world building in your fantasy, you should check out her Soldier Son trilogy, which is even more unique in setting). Part of the successful world building is due to the wide cast of characters. For most of the story, they are sprawled all around the world, giving you a huge scope of reference.

Also, a nice little touch was that she referred to the events of Farseer and the Six Duchies themselves. It was not that much but it helped to see how the two worlds of each of these stories combine. I would love to see more stories in this world, perhaps centering in the south (Where the white people are), or in the royal city - both of which, I think, have names that are escaping me right now.

3. The plot is faster. I don't have a lot to say on this, but in general I found these books to be more of page-turners than the Fitz books. Something was always happening, some revelation just around the corner, and I was constantly sucked in. I devoured these books, voraciously, but everything came to a full circle in the end, and I could be nothing but completely satisfied with the story I had been fed.

Well, I hope this helps! I found this trilogy to be absolutely wonderful, and some of the best fantasy I have read. It has now been about two years since I read them, and after writing this review, I think it is high time I picked them up again.

Robin Hobb has managed to achieve the impossible with her Liveship Traders trilogy. In a genre that so often uses the same themes and ideas, Ms Hobb has produced an original work.
The Liveships of the title are very expensive and rare ships built from the mysterious wizardwood only found in the Rain River Wilds. After 3 generations of the owner's family have died on board, the wizardwood 'quickens' and the ships become living, sentient beings.
Throughout the book, the author interweaves the story of the Liveship traders, the story of the sea serpents who are driven by an instinct to search for their 'beginnings' and the tale of Kennick, a ruthless man determined to be King of the Pirates.
Ms Hobbs shows an extraordinary talent for characterisation. There are no totally black or white characters in her stories but realistic characters who have their good sides and their faults in abundance. At times the reader will feel antipathy toward the heroine and at others empathy for the 'bad guy'.
This is a book that you will find difficult to put down. Highly recommended

Never have I been as frustrated with a book, which I suppose is a testament to its quality. If it sucked, I couldn't care less what happened next, right? As it is, Ship of Magic has some of the most engaging characters I've read in a long time, and really quickly draws the reader into the lives and motivations of both the protagonists and antagonists, and there is a full cast of each.

Even the bad guys are very well drawn with individual motivations and backstories.

The frustrating part is that Ms. Hobb doesn't resolve any of the major plotlines in this book, and I haven't read the next installment yet! Worse, even more questions and issues are raised at the very end. I'm dying to read what's next for these living breathing people (and ships.) It ends at such a crossroads for so many of the characters than it's as if watching a half dozen of your closest friends in the world on the brink of a life changing decision.

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1.0 out of 5 stars Abysmal!!!!!!
This book was the least satisfying I have read in a long, long time. It disappointed me in just about every way: the characters were dull and static, the plot - although often... Read more

Published 18 months ago by Hannah Sherlock

4.0 out of 5 stars Keep it up!
Excellent work of fantasy. Exciting and engaging. A must read. Just put it down and wow!

**A book I would also recommend is The Unsuspecting Mage by Brian S. Pratt. Read more

Published on Feb 19 2006 by Jerry

5.0 out of 5 stars Something original
It is a little difficult to come up with something original in the Fantasy genre, I think, at the moment. Most of the themes have been done over and over. Read more

Published on Jun 12 2004 by Doc

5.0 out of 5 stars Great books!
If you like your characters to have depth, reasons for what they do and to be like real people, no one's pure evil and no one's pure good, then these are for you. Read more

Published on May 20 2004 by a_nemi

5.0 out of 5 stars Read it, enjoy her other novels as well.
I was reading another fantasy novel that just had to be put down! I then picked up this novel, after having recently read her excellent 'Assassin' series. Read more

Published on April 24 2004 by Daffydd

3.0 out of 5 stars A good book, but I never felt attached to the characters.
This is hard to write mostly because I had such high hopes for this book. Many reviews were wonderful. Read more

Published on Mar 30 2004 by Richard Piatt

4.0 out of 5 stars Enchanting new fantasy
Sea serpents, pirates, sailing ships that are alive, a feisty female heroine who is bereft of her rightful inheritance by a cold, calculating brother-in-law, a young priest torn... Read more

Published on Mar 8 2004 by Anna Stanford

5.0 out of 5 stars Hobb rules the waves!
Can fantasy get any better than this? I don't think so. Robin Hobb is one of the best writers out there and she vastly proves it in this trilogy. Read more

Published on Feb 8 2004 by ex nihilo

3.0 out of 5 stars Not on Par With the Farseer Saga
The first book of this series didn't grab me like her Farseer trilogy did. I will read the next one, but did anyone else get the feeling that Hobb really doesn't like her... Read more

Published on Feb 8 2004 by Daniel Dean

1.0 out of 5 stars what a perfectly awful book!
whiny, uninteresting characters. I was hoping for a lot. Great cover art, great blurb, simply amazing plot idea. Read more

Published on Feb 1 2004

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