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brynalexa's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
The character work is amazing- you hate every character at one point or another but you know why they are the way they are.
The way Hobb takes on slavery, greed, coming of age, passion, religion, and probably other themes I’m not remembering, is expertly crafted.
When I first started I thought “why is she writing about men again?!” But she isn’t 😀
The ending was wrapped up so smoothly with a lot left to ponder on for the next book.
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Slavery, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, Alcohol, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
littleskylights's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicide, Violence, Excrement, Grief, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Rape
lizziaha's review against another edition
3.75
Graphic: Misogyny, Sexism, Slavery, Trafficking, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Drug use, Physical abuse, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, and Alcohol
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicide, and Sexual harassment
vampires's review against another edition
4.5
Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Slavery, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Rape, and Grief
beyourbestshelf's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Sexism
Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Violence, and Death of parent
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Suicidal thoughts, and Pregnancy
lanna_aud's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Child abuse, Physical abuse, Sexism, Slavery, and Trafficking
Moderate: Drug use, Pedophilia, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide
errie's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Addiction, Drug use, Infertility, Miscarriage, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Excrement, Abortion, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Classism
josiah17'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
4.5
This is overall just fantastic nautical fantasy with exceptional character writing, as well as complex and entertaining family dynamics. I enjoyed almost every POV for one reason or another. Hobb writes characters that you can root for here, and some that you vehemently despise. I cannot stand Kyle and Torg. Malta really annoyed me even though I understand she's still a kid, I just hope she learns and develops as a character. And I was always rooting for Brashen, Althea, and I really came to sympathize and feel attached to Wintrow. He deserves better, but unfortunately his father is beyond awful.
The additional worldbuilding for the Realm of the Elderlings with the liveships was also very interesting and unique. The idea of a sentient ship bonded through familial blood is amazing, especially because two ships have their own POV's and we get some insight into their perspectives. I'm very curious to learn more about the Rain Wild Traders as well. The relationships they have with the Bingtown traders is interesting, and I hope the sequels explore some of the actual Rain Wild territory. And I have a suspicion about the serpents, but I still don't really know what's going on with them. They're cool though.
Even though the plot was pretty non-existent for most of the book—per usual with Hobb so far—this was surprisingly just addicting to read. The blurb on the cover says "as addictive as morphine," and that's a pretty apt metaphor for my experience. Nautical fantasy just works so well for the visual movie I have running in my brain when reading, and it seems to scratch an itch. Paired with fantastic writing and captivating character dynamics, this is an amazing read. I could see myself bumping it to 5 stars depending on how the trilogy pans out.
Graphic: Physical abuse, Slavery, Toxic relationship, and Trafficking
Moderate: Sexual content and Sexual violence
lanid's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Misogyny, Sexism, Slavery, Violence, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Bullying, Physical abuse, and Sexual assault
missgarceau's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Suicide attempt, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism