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Robin Hobb - Ship of Magic - Review

Discussion in 'Booktalk' started by Harbourboy, Jun 29, 2005.

  1. Harbourboy

    Harbourboy Take thy form from off my door! Veteran Pillars of Eternity SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!)

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    [​IMG] Ship of Magic – by Robin Hobb

    First book in the Liveship Traders series

    Rating (for the illiterate): * * * * (4 out of 5)

    Short Review (for the impatient):
    Excellent book. Great characters. More innovative ideas. As good as the Farseer books.

    Long Review (for the curious or bored):
    I started reading this book a few months after completing Robin Hobb’s excellent Farseer trilogy. I wasn’t sure what to expect, as I had heard that these books did not really cover the same characters as the previous series. Reading the blurb about this book did not make it sound very exciting. Ships? Yawn. Having now finished this book, I have to say that it has been thoroughly enjoyable.

    The story takes place on the same continent as the Farseer book but much farther south, in a different ‘country’. The plot revolves around various families and characters involved, as the title suggests, with the shipping trade. The most successful trading families own and sail ‘liveships’. These are ships that are made of a special wood that makes them come alive and almost sail themselves. As well as the traders, there are also (of course) a few pirates, and even a few sea monsters, just to make things interesting.

    Now, none of this really sounds very interesting to me. But Hobb does two things really well. Firstly, she is careful not to reveal all background facts at once. This creates a sense of mystery as you want to keep reading to find out some of the things that you know are being held back. What’s really going on up the Rain Wild River? We have to read on to find out. Secondly, she has the amazing ability to create multi-dimensional characters in way that lets the reader see the world through their eyes. There are some nasty and unlikeable characters in this book but you really get a sense of their motivations and thoughts so you can understand why they do what they do. Even a spoilt little brat like Malta becomes a sympathetic character when you understand how she sees the world.

    It really is Hobb’s writing style that holds this book together because, to be honest, not much actually HAPPENS in this story. In the end, it seems to be the setup for the rest of the trilogy. Not that that is a completely bad thing because the way Hobb writes, even a simple family argument becomes compelling reading. Despite the title, there isn’t really that much ‘magic’ in this story – probably less even than in the Farseer books. The magical world is really only just a setting in which Hobb’s characters live. This is not a pure swords and sorcery style fantasy novel.

    In summary, this is a great book. If you liked the Farseer trilogy, I think you’ll like this one as well. I’ll certainly be reading the rest of the series as soon as I can find the books.
     
  2. Enagonios Gems: 31/31
    Latest gem: Rogue Stone


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    Hmm, wanna read my copy already. I'm in the same boat as you are (or were when you wrote this) HB. I only have Ship of Magic and afaik there are no stores here (in the country :eek: ) that will sell the other two.
     
  3. MarcusO'Murchu Gems: 2/31
    Latest gem: Fire Agate


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    That comment about Robin Hobb's not revealing everything is very true. I have read all the books in both this and the Farseer series and all I will say is there are some quite suprising but logical revelations as the series moves on. One thing I like about Hobb's books is most magic (leaving aside some examples) operates at a 'background' level and life for the characters is often quite mundane. That may sound boring but it's definitely not and it's a welcome break from many poorly written fantasy novels where magic spells fly around with ridiculous abandon.
     
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