“A truly extraordinary saga . . . The characterizations are consistently superb, and [Hobb] animates everything with love for and knowledge of the sea.”—BooklistBingtown is a hub of exotic trade and home to a merchant nobility famed for its liveships—rare vessels carved from wizardwood, which ripens magically into sentient awareness. Now the fortunes of one of Bingtown’s oldest families rest on … oldest families rest on the newly awakened liveship Vivacia.
For Althea Vestrit, the ship is her rightful legacy. For Althea’s young nephew, wrenched from his religious studies and forced to serve aboard the ship, the Vivacia is a life sentence. But the fate of the ship—and the Vestrits—may ultimately lie in the hands of an outsider: the ruthless buccaneer captain Kennit, who plans to seize power over the Pirate Isles by capturing a liveship and bending it to his will.
BONUS: This edition includes an excerpt from Robin Hobb’s Mad Ship.
Praise for Robin Hobb and the Liveship Traders Trilogy
“Fantasy as it ought to be written . . . Robin Hobb’s books are diamonds in a sea of zircons.”—George R. R. Martin
“A major work of high fantasy, reading like a cross between Tolkien and Patrick O’Brian . . . one of the finest fantasy sagas to bridge the millennium.”—Publishers Weekly
“Rich, complex . . . [Hobb’s] plotting is complex but tightly controlled, and her descriptive powers match her excellent visual imagination. But her chief virtue is that she delineates character extremely well.”—Interzone
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Is Robin Hobb a weaver? She certainly weaves characters and plot lines thread by thread until the whole fabric emerges of a gorgeously created new world filled with fully formed characters interacting with truth to their feelings and all the drives and failures that all of us possess. This was my 2nd Hobb series after Fitz/Farseer series and it …
I’ve been making my way through Robin Hobb’s exciting and engaging fantasy series, and Ship of Magic is yet another great example of when fantasy is done right. So many engaging characters and such a wonderful story. If you have read her before I hope you have read this one! If not–start with the Fitz/Assassian’s books and then read this one. …
Robin Hobb’s follow-up series to the Farseer trilogy greatly expands her world beyond the Six Duchies. Hobb displays a remarkable breadth of imagination in the conception of the Liveships; self-aware vessels personified by figureheads carved from magical wood, creating a new sub-genre of maritime fantasy in the process. Crafted in Hobb’s typically …
50 yrs since Tolkien, still wrapped in fantasy & other worlds. As book one it stands alone, but builds with each book to a complex but well thought out conclusion. Thoroughly entertainingly, vividly brought to life, with great twists & turns.
After reading the Assassin’s Apprentice, I instantly became a Robin Hobb fan. Needless to say, I devoured the entire Farseer Trilogy and the Tanwy Man Trilogy as fast as I could. The references to the liveships made the Liveship Traders Trilogy a necessity. It certainly did not disappoint. In fact, as much as I adore Fitz and the Fool, I have …
Fantastic series, loved them all. Wish there was more. She is a terrific author
This was a very powerful kick-off to the Liveship Traders Trilogy- and left me eager to devour the rest of the series. It was a little difficult to get into, but once I knew the characters and understood the premise it was easier to get absorbed. By the time I reached the second half of the book it was hard to put it down. Hobb is one of my …
A great story in a great series.
I’ve read every Robin Hobb and truly find her fantasy compelling, fascinating, and far better than George RR whoever as I also read all Game of Thrones. What Hobbs stories lack is the disgusting gratuitous sex scenes. It’s the story, people, the stories are what count! These are better!
If the author is Robin Hobb, buy it!