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brynalexa's review against another edition
- 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
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
onalark's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Slavery
Minor: Homophobia and Torture
errie's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
4.5
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
caroclaw's review against another edition
- 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
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.
Graphic: Slavery and Violence
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Sexual assault, and War
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
cossty's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Firstly, the romantic relationship between a young teenage girl (13) and a much older man (22ish) felt uncomfortable and left a bad taste in my mouth. While the author intended to make the male character relatable or likeable, his interest in such a significantly younger partner raises red flags. Furthermore, the possibility of marriage between these two individuals only serves to further normalize this behavior. It's essential to acknowledge that this type of dynamic can be particularly damaging and unsafe for the minor involved.
Regarding the second issue, the book employs the troublesome trope where a female protagonist must suffer from sexual violence to undergo some form of transformation. This arc suggests that trauma is necessary for women to find their inner strength or discover themselves. Not only is this narrative dangerous and misguided; it also perpetuates harmful myths about the impact of sexual assault on survivors. The idea that trauma has any redeeming qualities should be carefully examined and avoided in fiction.
Despite these concerns, the rest of the book is impressive and enjoyable to read. The plot structure, character development, and world building all showcase exceptional skill on behalf of the author. Had these problematic elements been addressed or handled differently, I might have given the book a full five-star rating. Nevertheless, it's crucial to critically evaluate our entertainment choices and encourage creators to prioritize responsible storytelling that avoids normalizing harmful behaviors or tropes. In short, while “Mad Ship” has its flaws, it still offers thought-provoking content worth exploring – just be prepared to critically examine these questionable aspects alongside the more praiseworthy features.
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Rape, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Pedophilia and Slavery
mvanhaas's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Drug abuse, Rape, Slavery, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Death, Sexual violence, Slavery, Murder, Gaslighting, and Classism
talonsontypewriters's review against another edition
- 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
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.genny's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
- Malta. Never have I felt the urge to slap a child as strongly as when I read her POV - but that somehow changed and now all I want is to protect her. I actually feel bad for wishing she would learn a lesson. What?! 😆 I suspect I'll grow infinitely more fond of her in the next book.
- Out of all the "people" to be mad at, I found myself annoyed at Vivacia. And then eventually at Wintrow as well, because I hate that they're
siding with Kennit. I understand why, but I still hate it. Props to Hobb for making me accept a character's motivations even though I disagree with them. - I love all of the Vestrits, but I especially love Keffria and Ronica's brand of quiet yet unwavering resolve. This, after being so irritated by Keffria's naivety in Ship of Magic. Haha.
Graphic: Death, Gore, Rape, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Confinement, Drug abuse, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, and Abandonment
podanotherjessi's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
The pacing drags in the middle of this book, but the ending makes up for it some.
The characters are fantasic. They're all comples, and they go through such amazing growth. I've seen some of the best character arcs in this series, and there's still one more book to go.
There are wonderful themes in this book that are fun to explore and think about. Slavery is handeled from many angles in a complex way. Identity is a constant struggle, and there's a lot of elements about control in different ways.
I really loved this book, and if it hadn't been so slow, it would be rated higher. Can't wait to finish the trilogy!
Characters: 10
Plot: 7
Setting: 9
General appeal: 8
Writing style: 9
Originality: 9
Ending: 8
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Blood, Medical content, and Grief
aseaoftomes's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
For those of you who don't know me, the Realm of the Elderlings (RotE) is a series that means everything to me. It's impossible to review something I love and adore as much as I do. Anything I say about this book won't encapsulate the overall feeling and story, so I'm not going to do my normal routine (fully).
This is the second book in the Liveship Traders trilogy and the fifth book in the overall RotE series and we continue to follow several characters, mostly from the same family (the Vestrits) with a few exceptions. This takes place in another part of the world - primarily Bingtown and we also get an added Rain Wild portion. As with the first book, it's full of feminism, pirates, dysfunctional families, political intrigue of a different kind than we had with Fitz and complex relationships of all kinds.
Every element I normally do in my breakdowns (writing, plot, characters and world building) is just phenomenal. Hobb's characters and world building in particular are some of the best I've read. It's not a simple act of reading these books, you live them.
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Death, Drug use, Gore, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, and Murder