Order from a Major Online Bookstore
Ultimate Book Price Comparison Engine
Save Your Time And Money
| AnyBook4Less.com | Order from a Major Online Bookstore |
|
| Home | Store List | FAQ | Contact Us | | ||
| Ultimate Book Price Comparison Engine Save Your Time And Money |
||
 |
Title: Ship of Magic (The Liveship Traders, Book 1) by Robin Hobb, Robin Hobb ISBN: 0-553-57563-5 Publisher: Bantam Books Pub. Date: 02 February, 1999 Format: Mass Market Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $6.99 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.41 (138 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: I Couldn't Put It Down!
Comment: This was the first book I read from Robin Hobb. I saw it in a bookstore several times before I decided to buy it. Once I started reading it, wow! The book grabbed you right from the start and kept on pulling you in throughout the entire thing. Ship of Magic is not just one long story dealing with a few characters, but a collaboration of many different stories put together that fit together to create a certain point in each of the characters' lives. The best analogy I could use is a stained glass window. Each of the different points of view in the book are like a different color glass. When they are laid out on the table they don't seem to make anything in particular, but once you look at the finished product, you can see why each piece was needed. I have read Ship of Magic and Mad Ship, and together, I get an idea about why each part is there, but I can't wait for the next one to come out. I imagine that at the conclusion of the last book in the series, Hobb will make it clear why there were so many different stories needed to tell this tale about Bingtown. Ship of Magic is mainly about the Vestrits, a merchant family in the port city of Bingtown. They own what is called a Liveship, which is a ship built out of a special type of wood that comes to life after three generations of the family die on it's decks. Althea Vestrit is a headstrong daughter who believes that this liveship should belong to her when her father dies. However, the father bestowes the ship and the estate to his older daughter, Keffria. When Ephron Vestrit dies aboard the ship, Vivacia, Althea runs away. She joins up with another ship and sails away to prove herself fit to be the captain of her ship. Kyle then forces his son Winthrow to serve as a ship's boy to appease Vivacia's need for a blood relative aboard her. What follows this is the tale of the fallacy of a man uncomprehending how life is in a world outside his own. His stubbornness leads to a family's near destruction, the loss of a ship, and perhap's the degredation of the society of Bingtown. This book will have you up all night, and beyond that!
Rating: 2
Summary: Like reading a half interesting, extremely long prelude...
Comment: Forewarning: I will not spoil any plot, so read on without fear.
I've only just finished this book, so I can only review from that perspective. Looking over reviews, people tend to be either absolutely impressed, or else disgusted. Both views have merit.
I decided to read this after being pleasantly surprised with Hobbs "Farseer Trilogy". Most people will agree that the strongest point was the character of Fitzchivalry, even moreso than the plot itself. Hobb certainly has a way of creating deep characters. However, in Ship of Magic, Hobb has changed from writing in first person to third. This is a double edged sword in that her writing seems to have matured greatly, and she can follow all of the many stories within. Unfortunately though, none of the characters draw you in like Fitzchivalry did. I didn't find myself caring much for Althea, nor did I seem to really dislike the "evil villian" figure in the way that I loathed Regal.
In terms of storyline, I'm rather disappointed. I feel that this could easily have been written in 400 pages rather than 800, without losing any of it's strength. The only real progression at all occurs in the first few and the final few chapters. There seems to be a WHOLE lot of inconsequential little events spread throughout. Considering that the next books in the series are even longer, I feel I may not read them for fear of wasting my time.
What storyline there is, some is interesting, most is not. I did like the story of Wintrow, a priest-in-training who is forced to leave that way of life and sail aboard Vivacia with his ignorant and controlling father. This story touches more on some real life moral issues such as religion, aspirations, and slavery. Also the comparatively small story of the abandoned liveship Paragon, although it goes absolutley nowhere, seemed like it had potential to unveil well. The pirate Kennit seems to be the "baddie", but as said before he doesn't seem to build up too much.
On the other hand, we follow Althea who has been betrayed by her family and kicked off her families liveship Vivacia. From that point on, her plot doesn't go very far, but stretches unnecessarily. Then there's the most tedious story of all, the household of the Vestrits. Very long and rather uninteresting. Not to mention the serpents, which for the most part seems totally unrelated, though I'm sure it'd be revealed late in the last book.
I suggest if you are intent on reading this series, read this before you buy the others, because you may, like me, find that you simply can't be bothered reading through it all for something that doesn't seem to be happening. There honestly doesn't seem to be some ultimate goal that this is leading to, and that makes it very hard to read and remain motivated and drawn into it. 2 1/2 stars.
Rating: 5
Summary: Read it, enjoy her other novels as well.
Comment: I was reading another fantasy novel that just had to be put down! I then picked up this novel, after having recently read her excellent 'Assassin' series.
The characters are developed and are individuals, and there are those you will care for, and those you will 'boo and hiss' when they have thier turn on the stage. Will your division of who are 'the good' and who are 'the bad' remain consistent let alone agree with mine?
There was an obvious original inspiration here, and there has also been the careful thought through of second and third drafts, plot elements are added and 'in thier proper time' utilized; and there are a few plotlines revealing themselves, discovering they are tied to other events.
I recommend this novel, I am left wanting to read the rest of the storyline, and wanting to read the 'Tawny Man' series. I guess I should say, it left me wanting to read MORE good writing.
 |
Title: Assassin's Quest (The Farseer Trilogy, Book 3) by ROBIN HOBB ISBN: 0553565699 Publisher: Bantam Pub. Date: 05 January, 1998 List Price(USD): $6.99 |
 |
Title: Fool's Errand (Tawny Man, Book 1) by Robin Hobb ISBN: 0553582445 Publisher: Bantam Pub. Date: 26 November, 2002 List Price(USD): $6.99 |
 |
Title: Royal Assassin (The Farseer Trilogy, Book 2) by Robin Hobb ISBN: 0553573411 Publisher: Bantam Pub. Date: 01 February, 1997 List Price(USD): $6.99 |
 |
Title: Golden Fool (The Tawny Man, Book 2) by ROBIN HOBB ISBN: 0553582453 Publisher: Bantam Pub. Date: 02 December, 2003 List Price(USD): $6.99 |
 |
Title: Assassin's Apprentice (The Farseer Trilogy, Book 1) by Robin Hobb ISBN: 055357339X Publisher: Bantam Pub. Date: 01 March, 1996 List Price(USD): $6.99 |
Thank you for visiting www.AnyBook4Less.com and enjoy your savings!
Copyright� 2001-2021 Send your comments
