Reviews tagging 'War'

Mad Ship by Robin Hobb

10 reviews

cowboylikestoread43's review against another edition

adventurous inspiring sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• 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

---

Content Warnings

Minor: Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Trafficking, Grief, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail

brynalexa's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

A masterpiece. The character development, the winding plot, the world building, the commentary on slavery, bravery, independence, community, and more.  Perfection. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Dementia, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

w0lfyfr3n's review against another edition

adventurous challenging slow-paced

3.5

Quite a challenging read for me, it stretched so long that I struggled to keep reading sometimes. However some other parts were so impressive that they had me reading all night !

The characters and world building are fantastic, but similar to the first book, the ending is abrupt and ties up none of the plot lines, simply inviting you to read the next equally long book. I probably will because I'm invested, I just wish there was some revelation at the end as a reward for getting through 900 pages 😭

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Violence, and War

marymayne's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

Another great installment in the Liveship Traders.

I liked this one more than the first. The characters motivations were clearer, making even the bad or wrong decisions feel justified.

The plot was great, continuing the story, adding more twists and turns and unravelling the mystery further. It felt less in this book like bad thing after bad thing was happening, and there was less (although still some) sexual violence - which had felt excessive to me in the first book.

There were some pacing issues as other reviews have mentioned, the 2nd and 4th quarters were great and engaging, but the 1st and 3rd felt super slow, which made it hard to pick up sometimes ~ especially given it is 900 pages lol

Really excited to read the 3rd book!

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Slavery

Moderate: Murder and War

errie's review against another edition

tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Trafficking, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, War, and Injury/Injury detail

lentzar's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, and Trafficking

Moderate: Rape and War

caroclaw's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

The last time I picked this series up was about ten years ago, and I can't even remember if I finished this one. I found the middle chunk of it so slow paced it was insurmountable.

This time, I deliberately relaxed through it and took it chapter by chapter, relishing the thoughtful characterisation and trying to pick up on those hints at the great mystery of this series that Hobb is so good at threading through her books. It was so much easier, and reading this with the eyes of an adult certainly tinted many parts with different colours- particularly parts to do with Malta.

As usual, no matter how the pace dawdles through 85% of the book, Hobb sure does body slam you right at the end. I'm hoping the final Liveship Traders novel is complete chaos, because I have only the tiniest clue where this is going.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Slavery and Violence

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Sexual assault, and War

Minor: Suicidal thoughts

readwithbells's review

4.25

What a romp! I loved the character development in this one - watching Malta become an interesting and practical person is so satisfying after the first book. I’m so curious to see where it goes! I’m definitely not as attached to these characters as the Farseer ones (except for Kennit I’m obsessed with him) but I am genuinely interested in the story. 

This one does suffer from the middle book curse, and I was never super excited to pick it up, but once I did I was wrapped up in the story wholeheartedly. I love the experience of Hobb’s writing. She makes everything real and desperate and exciting. I’ll probably take a minute before the last instalment but it won’t be too far behind. 

I loved the explanations in this one that tie to the Farseer books, namely with Verity and the stone dragon. And watching Amber’s prophecy come true with the release of She Who Remembers ala Wintrow (the nine fingered boy) and the Tintaglia from Malta and Reyn. I’m curious as to Althea’s role in the next book. Where does she go from here? Does she get Vivacia back from Kennit? Will Vivacia even want her back? Will the serpents take her down? Will Wintrow want to return to a monk’s life? Will he and Etta fuck?? So many questions.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Rape, Sexism, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Xenophobia and War

ofthebrownajah's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence and War

Moderate: Slavery

talonsontypewriters's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Confinement, Death, Drug use, Gore, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Medical content, Trafficking, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Addiction, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Kidnapping, Grief, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and War

Minor: Ableism, Homophobia, Xenophobia, Excrement, Vomit, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Classism

Sexual coercion, abuse of power; victim blaming/rape culture (challenged), complicity in assault and abuse. Descriptions of sexual abuse and rape in captivity as well as the aftermath thereof, but no graphic scene; attempted rape and discussion thereof in one scene. Withdrawal. Illness, epidemic. Earthquakes. Relationships between adult men and pre-teen/teenage girls, as well as allusions to relationships between adult women and teenage boys.