jess_eats_books's review against another edition
5.0
This book was just incredible. Hobb is a master of writing characters, her conversational style of telling thoughts really puts you in their heads. Usually when a story jumps between characters I find myself racing through to get back to the main storyline, but I loved them all.
rainbow_kitten_five's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
vikologia's review against another edition
4.0
I definitely cannot compare the Liveship Traders trilogy to the Farseers, as they are completely different. There are moments I liked better here and there are some that were better in the first trilogy.
I loved the idea of ships coming alive and being magical, having a soul of some sort. One of the main characters, Althea, is also one of the most strong female characters I've seen in literature and I could relate to her a lot. I loved the pirate too: I enjoyed that he was not plain evil, but had a soft side as well (which he was so ashamed of). Robin Hobb is very good at creating characters that come to life easily, that are 100% believable and each one of them reminds you of someone from real life.
I can't say I'm satisfied with the ending, it seemed a bit smudged to me. But I am still looking forward to reading the other two books in the series.
I loved the idea of ships coming alive and being magical, having a soul of some sort. One of the main characters, Althea, is also one of the most strong female characters I've seen in literature and I could relate to her a lot. I loved the pirate too: I enjoyed that he was not plain evil, but had a soft side as well (which he was so ashamed of). Robin Hobb is very good at creating characters that come to life easily, that are 100% believable and each one of them reminds you of someone from real life.
I can't say I'm satisfied with the ending, it seemed a bit smudged to me. But I am still looking forward to reading the other two books in the series.
hopeesperanza's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
meg_nair's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
justfoxie's review against another edition
5.0
Wow. One of the most amazing fantasty books I've read in quite some time. At turns it is heartbreaking and breathtaking. A beautiful world, carefully conceived, but revealed slowly along with her characters. Masterfully written and I can't wait to start on book 2!
jules15's review against another edition
good but bit long-winded and the main character is a bit whiney. paperback version
kba25's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
myjourneywithbooks's review against another edition
5.0
I initially found it a bit difficult to get into Ship of Magic because the writing style was different from the Farseer trilogy, but now that I'm done with the book, I know I'm going to love this trilogy as much as (if not more than 😱) the previous one.
Set in the same world as the Farseer books, this story centers around the southern trading port of Bingtown. Unlike in the Farseer trilogy where the story is narrated through a single PoV, in Ship of Magic we are treated to a view of the world through the eyes of multiple characters, which lends to a much more complex and multi-layered story. The concept of the Liveships, where the figurehead made of wizardwood comes to life when three generations of the family have died on board the ship, is something really unique. The characters are all well fleshed out and entirely realistic. And here's the thing I loved - no one is a perfect hero or an utter villain; they all have their flaws and their strengths. At no point did I feel like the story was getting predictable and even better, at no point did I feel inclined to exclaim, aha there's an overdone trope!
Even though the book is 800+ pages long, I don't think a single one of those pages was unnecessary. There is simply so much going on. It's not just a tale of a ship come to life; there are a lot of issues explored here like piracy, slavery, trade politics, culture, teenage rebellion, family dynamics and of course there's magic.
This book, and the way it ended, has left me simultaneously wanting to immediately get through the rest of the trilogy and at the same time drag it on for as long as possible.
Set in the same world as the Farseer books, this story centers around the southern trading port of Bingtown. Unlike in the Farseer trilogy where the story is narrated through a single PoV, in Ship of Magic we are treated to a view of the world through the eyes of multiple characters, which lends to a much more complex and multi-layered story. The concept of the Liveships, where the figurehead made of wizardwood comes to life when three generations of the family have died on board the ship, is something really unique. The characters are all well fleshed out and entirely realistic. And here's the thing I loved - no one is a perfect hero or an utter villain; they all have their flaws and their strengths. At no point did I feel like the story was getting predictable and even better, at no point did I feel inclined to exclaim, aha there's an overdone trope!
Even though the book is 800+ pages long, I don't think a single one of those pages was unnecessary. There is simply so much going on. It's not just a tale of a ship come to life; there are a lot of issues explored here like piracy, slavery, trade politics, culture, teenage rebellion, family dynamics and of course there's magic.
This book, and the way it ended, has left me simultaneously wanting to immediately get through the rest of the trilogy and at the same time drag it on for as long as possible.